The ’Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hawaii and the Queen Elizabeth II Planetarium in Canada have both recently completed retrofits to improve their facilities and guest experience, using amplifiers from LEA Professional to provide the audio gravitas for tales of the stars above. Both planetarium teams contacted George Barnett, co-founder and Technical Director of SSIA Technologies to help them improve their audio.
‘LEA won our hearts over with their first amplifiers,’ Barnett says. ‘We just loved the engineering – it was fantastic. It had good power, a small chassis, lots of features, and a very clean design. When the planetariums allowed us to spec each system, I said LEA is the way to go.’
A part of the University of Hawaii at Hilo, ’Imiloa is a science education centre that opened its doors in 2006. The US$28m, 40,000sq-ft exhibition and planetarium complex showcase the connections between the rich traditions of Hawaii and current scientific research taking place in Hawaii – from the depths of the ocean, to the summit of Maunakea and beyond.
’Imiloa’s 120-seat planetarium features a full-dome video projection system that assists in the sharing of Hawaiian wayfinding and other sciences under the night sky. Recently, NASA funded a US$720,000 upgrade for the planetarium, including a 10K-resolution system using ten laser-illuminated projectors, superior graphic performance, and other features to greatly enhance user experience and the centre’s unique science and wayfinding programmes. Part of the funding was used to upgrade the audio to match the new visuals.
As the planetarium wanted to continue using the existing three-way loudspeakers, SSIA Technologies designed the system using a different amplifier to power the high, mid and low-frequency drivers on each. One LEA Connect Series 168D 8-channel amplifier was used exclusively for the high-frequency drivers. In contrast, two Connect Series 704Damplifiers powered the mid-frequency drivers, and four Connect Series 1504D amplifiers powered the low-frequency drivers and four separate 18-inch subwoofers. All three amplifier models include 96kHz-capable Dante and AES67 connectivity options.
The IoT-enabled 8-channel 168D provides 160W/channel, each 4-channel 704D delivers 700Wchannel, while the high-power 4-channel 1504D provides 1.5kWchannel. All models support high-Z (70V or 100V) and low-Z selectable by channel and feature two Smart Power Bridge channels. The Smart Power Bridge capability appealed to SSIA Technologies because it allowed them to bridge one channel on each CS1504D to power the subwoofers without sacrificing channel count. The remaining channels were used to power the low-frequency drivers without requiring more hardware.
The Queen Elizabeth II Planetarium is the first of its kind in Canada and an important historical landmark in Edmonton. Originally operating between 1960 and 1983, it served the youth of the Edmonton area, teaching them the science of astronomy. The stars were generated by passing light through several ‘star plates,’ with holes drilled to reproduce their placement on the planetarium’s dome accurately. Rudimentary arm brackets were used to locate the planets in the sky for each daily presentation. The facility closed at the end of 1983, superseded by the adjacent Edmonton Space Sciences Centre (now the TELUS World of Science – Edmonton), which opened earlier that year. The planetarium fell into a poor state of repair, receiving little care or attention for the next 35 years.
Seeing an opportunity to revitalise part of the city’s history, the Edmonton City Council granted the planetarium full heritage status in 2017 and began plans to modernise the building. The rehabilitation was intended to honour the heritage, historical, and architectural importance of the original exterior while increasing the interior’s functionality. Accessibility and sustainability were integrated into the redesign, along with the use of period-accurate materials and aesthetics. The 60-year-old building required many changes to meet modern building standards, and the project staff felt it appropriate to update the audio system during the restoration efforts.
SSIA Technologies installed two Connect Series 354D amplifiers to power the immersive audio experience. With 96kHz-capable Dante and AES67 connectivity options, the IoT-enabled, 4-channel 354D provides 350W/channel, supports high-Z (70V or 100V) and low-Z selectable by channel, and features two Smart Power Bridge channels.
‘Most of our planetarium systems are 5.1 or 7.1,’ Barnett says. ‘The beauty of these amplifiers was that we were able to use five channels and then bridge one channel from each amplifier to drive subwoofers. So we get double the output, which is really nice.’
After four decades of sitting idle, the planetarium is back to serving its original purpose of educating the public about our place in the universe.
