ICEpower

Infobox Company
name = Bang & Olufsen ICEpower a/s
= an independent subsidiary of Bang & Olufsen
foundation = 1999
founder = Dr. Karsten Nielse and Bang & Olufsen Group
location = Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
key_people = Peter Sommer, CEO
industry = Consumer and professional audio, automotive audio, portable audio
products = B2B sound solutions (audio amplification solutions)
num_employees = 40 (2008)
homepage = [http://www.icepower.dk/ ICEpower]
intl = an independent subsidiary of Bang & Olufsen

ICEpower (full name Bang & Olufsen ICEpower a/s) is a Danish developer of sound systems, based on the company’s proprietary technologies in switching (Class D) audio power amplifiers (or audio power conversion solutions). Currently, ICEpower develops business-to-business sound solutions for four application markets:

* Consumer and professional audio,
* Home theater systems,
* Automotive audio,
* Portable audio (mobile phones, laptop computers, GPS navigation systems).

Switching technologies have revolutionized the efficiency of audio power conversion: they managed to raise the efficiency of the complete audio power conversion chain – from electricity mains to an acoustic output (e.g., loudspeaker) - from around 0.01%, achieved with the traditional analogue technologies, to the average of 1-5% (depending on the audio device).

Further, switching technologies allow for the audio power conversion solutions to be very compact: with the great raise in efficiency, the need for bulky heat sinks is eliminated.

ICEpower’s proprietary technologies have allowed to significantly improve the resulting sound quality – something that has not been achieved in the previous generations of switching amplifiers (this is one of the reasons why these techniques have not been utilized in audio applications before). ICEpower solutions nowadays are being applied by such authorities of high fidelity audio as Bowers & Wilkins, Bang & Olufsen, Martin Logan, and Adam Audio.

The core of ICEpower technologies has been developed by Dr. Karsten Nielsen, who worked on a joint PhD project between the Technical University of Denmark (the DTU) and Bang & Olufsen. Even before his work was finalized, Karsten Nielsen’s findings were applied in B&O’s new BeoLab1 speaker system.

After Dr. Nielsen defended his PhD project, he and Bang & Olufsen realized a much wider application potential of the new technology than that of purely in B&O loudspeakers, and spun off the amplifier division into a separate company, which later became known as Bang & Olufsen ICEpower.

ICEpower closely and continuously collaborates with the DTU and the Copenhagen University College of Engineering in developing its technology portfolio further.

Manufacturers that use ICEpower in their products

Some of the most prominent ICEpower customers are listed below:

Home Theater:

- Pioneer Electronics: ICEpower’s 10 channel x 140W solutions drives Pioneer’s new flagship Susano A/V Receiver (Elite SC-09TX) for home theater systems.

- Rotel: a seven channel amplifier ( [http://www.rotel.com/UK/products/ProductDetails.htm?Id=1 RMB-1077] - 100 W x 7) is driven by ICEpower.

Automotive audio:

- [http://www.bang-olufsen.com/page.asp?id=321 Audi] : Audi A8 / S8 and Q7 models feature Bang & Olufsen’s audio systems powered by ICEpower ICEcar;

- [http://www.volvocars.com/Pages/default.aspx Volvo Cars] : Volvo XC70, C70, S70 and V70 models carry audio systems jointly developed by Alpine, Dolby Laboratories and Dynaudio, driven by the ICEpower ICEcar1 platform.

- [http://www.mercedes-amg.com/index2.html?loc=en/lounge/news Mercedes AMG] : Mercedes E Class AMG and CLS Class AMG are equipped with a customized ProCar audio system powered by ICEpower’s A Series solutions.

- [http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Products/CarAudioVideo/Amplifiers/PRSSeries#Home Pioneer Car] : ICEpower custom design platform has been integrated into two of Pioneer’s Premier Reference Series (PRS) of automotive amplifiers.

- [http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=PDX-4.100 Alpine] : ICEpower’s custom-designed solutions drive the Alpine PDX line of amplifiers.

- [http://www.eclipse-web.com/amp/index.html Eclipse by Fujitsu Ten] : ICEpower drives a line of high-end Eclipse aftermarket automotive audio systems.

Portable audio:

- [http://www.samsung.com/uk/ultra/index_en_UK.html Samsung Electronics] : ICEpower MobileSound1 amplifiers drive the complete Ultra Edition II range of mobile phones;

- [http://www.serenatamobile.com/ Bang & Olufsen and Samsung] : high-end version of ICEpower’s MobileSound1 drives Serenata Mobile.

Consumer audio:

- [http://www.adam-audio.com/hifi/english/index.htm Adam Audio] : the Tensor line of loudspeakers for home use is powered by ICEpower solutions; as well 29 other consumer and professional audio products of Adam Audio.

- [http://www.bang-olufsen.com/page.asp?id=10 Bang & Olufsen] : numerous B&O loudspeaker models are driven by ICEpower. Among them is the BeoLab5.

- [http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/display.aspx?infid=814&sc=hf Bowers & Wilkins] : ICEpower modules drive four models of active subwoofers.

- [http://www.jeffrowland.com/M501.htm Jeff Rowland Design Group] : applies ICEpower solutions in seven different products.

- [http://www.kef.com/products/subwoofers/kht3000.asp KEF] : ICEpower drives KEF’s HTB2 subwoofer.

- [http://www.us.martinlogan.com/speaker_intro/purity.html MartinLogan] : ICEpower is applied in Martin Logan’s Purity – the world's first fully active hybrid electrostatic loudspeaker, as well as in the Summit and Vantage loudspeakers.

- [http://midgardaudio.no/www/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=45 Midgard Audio of Norway] three monoblock amplifier models (Oberon 2.1, Oberon 4.1, and Oberon 6.1) are driven by ICEpower.

- [http://www.rotel.com/UK/products/index.htm?cat=112 Rotel] : a mono amplifier (RB-1091 - 500 W) and a pair of two channel amplifiers (RB-1072 - 100 W x 2 and RB-1092 - 500 W x 2) are driven by ICEpower.

- [http://www.seymourav.com/amps.asp Seymour AV] : three monoblock amplifier models (IB2001, IB5001, and IB10001) are driven by ICEpower.

- [http://www.d-sonic.net D-Sonic Custom Audio] : mono, stereo and multichannel ICEpower amplifiers from 250W to 525W/ch/8ohms.

Professional audio:

- [http://www.adam-audio.com/studio/ Adam Audio] : studio monitors are driven by ICEpower.

- [http://www.a-lineacoustics.com A-LINE Acoustics] : Concert and Touring speakers are driven by ICEpower.

- [http://www.dasaudio.com/ D.A.S.] : sound reinforcement. ICEpower solutions are applied in 20 products - active speakers and subwoofers.

History

The technology that laid the basis for the foundation of ICEpower was the collaborative PhD project between Bang & Olufsen and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) on ‘Audio Power Amplifiers Techniques Based on Efficient Power Conversion’. The project was initiated in 1994 and Karsten Nielsen was the student for the job.

In 1997, before the project was finalized, B&O applied Karsten Nielsen’s findings in its new speaker system BeoLab 1, which proved the performance and reliability of the improved Class D amplifiers.

After defending his PhD project in front of Professor Malcolm Hawksford and Dr. James A.S. Angus of the United Kingdom in 1998, Dr. Nielsen was hired by B&O to coordinate integration of the improved Class D amplifiers into B&O products.

Soon, both Dr. Nielsen and Bang & Olufsen realized that the improved switching amplification technology had a much wider application, and in 1999, B&O’s amplifier division was spun off into a separate firm, originally called Bang & Olufsen PowerHouse, co-owned by Dr. Nielsen and Bang & Olufsen. This was the first time since the times of Mr. Bang & Mr. Olufsen that B&O entered into a joint venture with a private person.

The new company was moved out to Kongens Lyngby, just outside of Copenhagen. This geographic location close to the capital forestalled the rapid internationalization of ICEpower products. Furthermore, the geographical proximity to the Technical University of Denmark and the Copenhagen University College of Engineering allowed to intensify research collaboration and facilitate the recruitment of suitable engineers.

In 2001, the company was renamed into Bang & Olufsen ICEpower, and its first line of standard audio power conversion solutions, the A Series, was launched. Soon after, the ASP and ASC Series followed.

Since 2003, ICEpower has been collaborating with Samsung Electronics on developing its MobileSound solutions.

In 2007, the first of ICEpower’s ASX2 Series solutions came into being, shortly followed by the first module in the ASH7 Series aimed at home theater application.

In 2007, Pioneer Electronics launched its flagship Susano A/V Receiver for home theater with a 10x140W solution from ICEpower.

Current operations

Today, ICEpower is a 40+ employee firm, with a strong focus on research and development in audio power conversion, acoustics and the adjacent fields. All of the company’s engineering development is carried out in its Danish headquarters in Kongens Lyngby.

ICEpower has set up subsidiaries in the USA (San Diego) and Japan (Tokyo) in order to support its international customers.

Dr. Karsten Nielsen has been awarded the [http://www.icepower.bang-olufsen.com/en/news/news?id=18 Mads Clausen Award for Intrapreneurship 2007] , a distinguished Danish award for entrepreneurship and innovation.

Connection to Bang & Olufsen Group

ICEpower is an independent company, 90 percent owned by the B&O Group, and 10 percent - by the founder Dr. Karsten Nielsen.

References

* [http://www.icepower.bang-olufsen.com/ ICEPower]