Wāvtech link1400.8plus — 1400W RMS 8-Channel Amplifier

Wāvtech link1400.8plus — 1400W RMS 8-Channel Amplifier

The link1400.8plus is an 8-channel amplifier bridgeable to 6 or 4 channels, rated at 100W RMS x 8 into 4Ω, 175W RMS x 8 into 2Ω, and 350W RMS x 4 bridged into 4Ω. Every channel pair — 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8 — has independent input routing and independent −12dB/octave crossover filtering, rather than a fixed subset of pairs sharing filter controls.

Key Design Features

The 8-channel matrix input selection lets any channel pair's power stage draw from any input channel pair or combination, supporting independent 2-way, 3-way, or 4-way summing per pre-amp. A 2-channel, 6-channel, or 8-channel source can each be matched to the amplifier without external summing hardware, and each channel pair's own gain, filter, and level trim remain independently adjustable regardless of which input feeds it.

The bassFREQ processor adds autoBASS, a sensitivity-triggered function that engages the parametric EQ automatically when the source signal crosses an adjustable threshold — intended to compensate for factory head units that roll off bass output as volume increases. The parametric EQ itself (0 to +12dB boost, Fc 30–80Hz, Q 1 to 5) and independent −24dB/octave subsonic and low-pass filters can be assigned to CH5/6, CH7/8, or both powered outputs, or routed to the CH7/8 RCA jacks when those are switched from input to a line driver pre-out mode.

That CH7/8 RCA switch is one of the amplifier's more distinct features: by default the jacks are a stereo input pair, but they can be reconfigured as a mono pre-out from the bassFREQ processor at up to 10Vrms — effectively freeing a channel pair's RCA jacks to feed an external subwoofer amplifier while the CH7/8 powered outputs remain available for their own assigned signal.

System Application

The link1400.8plus is built for systems using all eight channels directly — full active front and rear stages, for example — or for systems that need the matrix input's flexibility to sum a smaller number of factory preouts across more powered channels. Compared to the link1000.5plus, the deciding difference is channel count and per-pair filtering independence: the link1400.8plus does not fix any channel pair to a specific role, where the smaller amplifiers assign specific filter types to specific pairs.

Every protection mode on this amplifier — thermal, over-voltage, under-voltage, short circuit, and over-current — is documented as auto-recovering once the fault condition clears, which differs from the link750.1plus and link1500.1plus mono amplifiers, where short circuit and over-current protection require a manual power cycle to reset.

Installation Considerations

Wiring requirements depend on the final load: a 100A external fuse with 4AWG minimum power and ground wire for 4Ω loads across all channels, or a 150A fuse with 0AWG minimum wire when more than two channels are run at 2Ω or one channel pair is bridged to 4Ω. Ground runs should be no longer than 2 feet and terminated to bare chassis metal. Minimum nominal impedance is 2Ω per channel, or 4Ω for bridged connections on any channel pair.

Specifications

HF Audio Labs Perspective

The link1400.8plus makes sense for systems that need genuine per-channel independence across all eight outputs, rather than a fixed main/sub role split. The matrix input summing and independent filtering on every channel pair are what allow it to serve a fully active multi-way front stage, a front/rear/dual-sub build, or an OEM integration project with equal flexibility — the deciding factor is whether the system's channel count and routing complexity actually calls for that independence, or whether a simpler fixed-role amplifier in the same series is sufficient.