The Sonance C4630 SE home audio distribution system, the company's latest multizone system, offers an affordable step-up to simple volume-control-only systems. The model number deciphers to a 4-source, 6-zone system with 30 watts of power per channel, and the "SE" refers to onboard BBE Sound Enhancement circuitry. BBE is one of several technologies used in TVs and sound systems to improve audio clarity and spatial characteristics; last year, Sonance was the first to add it to a distribution amplifier, the Sonamp 275 SE. But as you'll read, the company has packed many other custom-centric tricks into the C4630 as well.
SETUP
Installing a C4630 system involves connecting the keypads, speakers, and source components to the main chassis. Since my home is a frequent test bed for audio distribution systems, this wiring was already in place. As in virtually all current systems, the keypad controllers connect with Cat5 wiring and the speakers are driven over traditional speaker cable. Up to four C4630s can be daisy-chained together, producing a total of 24 audio zones — though the system would still be limited to only four shared sources. That's possibly one of its biggest shortfalls.
The C4630 feels substantial, which is usually an indication that the amplifiers have a decent power supply and will deliver the goods. Like most distribution components, the C4630 won't win any beauty pageants; it's basically a black box with a power button and LEDs to indicate zone activity. The rear panel is where the action is, and it's well appointed with all manner of inputs and outputs you'd expect. Custom installers will appreciate the detachable power cord (which simplifies removing the system for service) and the rack mount ears (for installation in Middle Atlantic-style racks).
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The Short Form
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| Price $3,099 (AS TESTED) / sonance.com / 800-582-7777 |
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Snapshot
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| A reasonably priced but very basic workhorse with many custom features. |
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Plus
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•Attractive, entry-level price •BBE Sound Enhancement •Many customizable features |
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Minus
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•Keypads offer no metadata feedback •Only four sources accommodated •Poor backlight adjustment for C4630 SE Main and Numeric keypads |
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Key Features
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•System as tested: C4630 SE ($1,800) C4630 SE Main Keypad ($100) C4630 SE Numeric Keypad ($60) Navigator K1 Keypad ($299) Navigator K2 Keypad ($550) C4630 SE IR Remote Control ($30) MR1 Micro Infrared Receiver ($110) iPort FS-2 iPod Docking Station ($150) •4-source, 6-zone Audio Controller •Up to 4 units can be daisy-chained for a 24-zone system •Includes 12-channel x 30-watt amplification •Features BBE Sound Enhancement circuitry •RS-232 serial control for integration with advanced third-party systems •5-year parts-and-labor warranty |
Programming requires a PC and the supplied Control Manager software, which offers some options I was delighted to see at this price. First, it gives the programmer control over each zone's turn-on volume as well as bass, treble, and balance adjustments. You can also set each zone's maximum and paging volume levels, or opt it out of the system's Party mode (which otherwise activates all zones). Further, the volume level of individual sources can be adjusted, which is incredibly useful for matching source components that are notoriously quiet (cable boxes) or loud (CD players).
Programming for the C4630 Main and Numeric keypads is stored in the system's chassis, not in the pads themselves, and downloads from the PC are made via the C4630 SE's front-panel USB port. This greatly speeds up programming, as a single download dump has the system ready to roll. Plus, when a programming change is needed, instead of walking all over the house and removing wall plates to reach the keypads' download ports, you simply jack into the chassis and hit download. (This isn't so for the Navigator pads, which store their programming internally and must be programmed individually.)
My C4630 SE came with a handheld IR remote. The system features an RS-232 connection, the preferred control method of custom installers. Through this connection, third-party controllers such as AMX or Crestron touchpanels do everything that IR allows plus much more, including receiving and displaying status information from the C4630 — which zones are on, which sources are selected, volume settings, etc.
Sonance also sent me the iPort FS-2 iPod dock, which provides a simple means of connecting an iPod to the C4630 and controlling it via infrared. The FS-2 charges your Pod while it's docked and offers both S- and composite-video outputs for showing photos or videos on your display. Two buttons on the FS-2's panel allow either track skipping or volume adjustment.
You know that Dyson vacuum-cleaner commercial where the guy says, "I just think things should work properly"? That fits Sonance to a T. It has a well-earned reputation among custom installers for building products that are nothing short of bulletproof — quality that was evident here as well.
Although the keypads are good-looking and functional, they offer nothing in the way of feedback from the controller or sources, such as album and track metadata or even a volume-level indicator. This complete lack of information reminded me of audio's medieval times, before the Renaissance of iPod and satellite radio. While keypad control is far superior to simple volume-only adjustments, once you've had a taste of artist and track information at your fingertips — as many new systems provide — it's difficult to go back.
Of the three keypad options, the Navigator K2 is by far the coolest-looking. Its double-gang size offers more real estate for button spacing, and the LCD touchscreen can be programmed to display a variety of graphics to be used as touchscreen button art, including TV station logos or component icons. Given its screen display, and the C4630's inherent ability to report status (now limited to its RS-232 connection), perhaps a future version will provide some feedback on the K2 keypad that would help justify its higher price.
For their prices, the C4630 Main and Numeric pads are great, offering all of the control that a system would require. A major peeve is that the pads' backlight can be changed only during installation, however, when you set it to Off, Dim, or Bright with jumpers on the back. There was little difference between Dim and Bright, and either would make for a distracting night-light in a bedroom. Finally, the only button that changes color is the "Off" button: green when the zone is on, red when it's off. It would be nice if the source buttons changed color to indicate which source was currently selected.
The Navigator K1 pad addresses my gripes about the C4630 Main and Numeric pads: You can program brightness and duration of the backlight and see what source is selected. And it throws in an IR receiver. But at three times the price of the C4630 Main, it's a tough recommendation.
Each of the keypad options offers multistage programming for all the buttons, allowing different commands to be executed for a regular button press, a double-press, and a press-and-hold. This essentially triples the number of available buttons, providing a great way to get loads of programming into a small space. I took advantage of this by making the skip-forward buttons the track-skip, album-skip, and playlist-skip commands on my iPod. Of course, it's then up to the homeowner to actually remember all of these extra commands, sometimes easier said than done.
The final trick buried within the C4630's silicon is the BBE Sound Enhancement that, among other things, adds 3 dB of equalization at low frequencies and 6 dB at high frequencies. The processing can be engaged for each source individually via a switch located on the rear of the chassis.
Engaging BBE produced immediate and noticeable results. I quickly found that I preferred the processed sound because music just stood out at lower volumes, with more depth and detail. After listening for a while, switching off the processing seemed to make the music retreat, causing it to sound hollow and lifeless, especially with compressed MP3 files. Switching it back on was like removing a blanket that had been covering the speakers. This isn't a criticism of the amplifiers in the C4630 but a testament to the BBE processing. However, as the volume level rose (or on recordings that were already bright), the BBE's added emphasis became too much, making the speakers strain and producing sound that was strident and harsh. Other Sonance components place the BBE processing at the output stage, where it can be engaged per zone and not per source. This would be a welcome change here, allowing you to enjoy all of the benefits in areas where you listen at low volumes, while enabling you to switch it off in zones that tend to rock the house.
BOTTOM LINE
Sonance has stayed in its comfort zone with the C4630 SE, producing a system that isn't groundbreaking but will get the job done for years to come. With its ability to integrate with more advanced systems that can take advantage of its RS-232 feedback, it has some room to grow. And, far from being a gimmick, the BBE processing adds noticeable improvement.
Ultimately, the Sonance C4630 SE home audio distribution system falls in the middle ground between advanced systems that offer metadata feedback and basic systems that offer only volume control. At its price, it's an affordable alternative to the first and a worthwhile step-up from the second, making it worthy of consideration by anyone looking to dip his or her feet in the cool, sweet waters of the audio distribution pool.
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