Sixteen channels in one rack unit
CDA-16 distributes audio across eight stereo zones and can bridge channels for extra power.
The single Bowers & Wilkins CDA-16 amplifier occupies 1U: it is 44.5 mm high without feet, 437 mm wide and 310 mm deep. Height with feet is 55.5 mm. Sixteen Class D channels can serve eight stereo zones of Custom Installation speakers. Plan line inputs, speaker runs to each zone, mains power and rack ventilation together.
Key features
- 16 channels / 8 stereo zones; Class D, 1U rack.
- Over 50 W per channel into 8 ohms, over 100 W into 4 ohms; bridged over 200 W into 8 ohms.
- Eight analogue RCA input pairs; eight Phoenix speaker outputs.
- 437 × 44.5 × 310 mm; 12 V trigger input/output.
Power and configuration
Each channel delivers more than 50 W into 8 ohms or more than 100 W into 4 ohms unclipped; a bridged pair exceeds 200 W into 8 ohms. Loads should exceed 3 ohms per channel or 6 ohms in bridge mode. Eight gain controls and Clip indicators help balance the zones. DIP switches can link them to a global input where several rooms share a source.
Inputs and control
The rear has eight pairs of analogue RCA inputs, a pair of global RCA outputs and eight four-pole Phoenix speaker connectors. The global input is shared with Zone 8. A 12 V trigger input and output, signal sensing and power-mode selection assist central control. CDA-4D offers fewer channels but adds DSP; CDA-16 prioritises zone count in 1U. Net weight is 4.5 kg.
Line inputs are organised by eight zones, each stereo pair taking its own source or the shared global bus. That differs from CDA-2HD's two high-power DSP channels. CDA-16 occupies little rack height, yet sixteen speaker runs need orderly space behind the chassis. Label zones and source assignments before commissioning, and allow room for the eight Phoenix blocks and RCA cables at the rear.
