Bethlehem Baptist Church in Greensburg, Kentucky, upgraded its sanctuary sound system with LEA Professional amplifiers to improve speech intelligibility and musical clarity for parishioners. The small, rural congregation worships in a traditional brick church where open, airy architecture and a classic pew-and-pulpit layout made it difficult for some attendees to clearly hear sermons and liturgy.

Church staff turned to JCA Media project manager Alex Peake to design a new audio system that would deliver higher headroom and better clarity. Peake specified amplifiers from LEA Professional’s Connect Series to meet the church’s goal of high intelligibility in a compact, cost-conscious design.

“Most amplifiers are being commoditized and sold at almost the same price,” said Alex Peake, project manager at JCA Media. “But then LEA adds in DSP capabilities, a control system [WebUI], and remote connectivity [LEA Cloud], essentially all for free. Those are huge benefits and a lot of the reason LEA is the primary amplifier I’m installing these days.”

JCA Media deployed LEA Connect Series 354 amplifiers to power the church’s new monitors as well as its existing main loudspeakers. The 4-channel, IoT-enabled 354 provides 350 watts per channel into 2, 4 and 8 ohms, and 70Vrms and 100Vrms. Each channel can be configured for Hi-Z (70V or 100V) or Lo-Z operation and uses Smart Power Bridge technology to adapt to different load requirements. Integrated 96 kHz DSP allowed Peake to handle processing in the amplifiers, reducing the need for additional outboard gear and helping control overall project cost.

The Connect Series also includes built-in networking features intended to simplify both integration and long-term support. LEA Cloud enables AV firms such as JCA Media to remotely monitor and control amplifiers without a subscription, allowing them to check status or make adjustments off-site. On-site, the WebUI interface provides access to channel settings, load monitoring and EQ through a standard web browser, supporting quick tuning during commissioning and future changes.

According to the church, the impact of the upgrade was immediately noticeable. Parishioners reported that sermons were easier to understand, and music reproduction during worship services became more consistent and controlled throughout the room.

“Being able to mix and match four ohm, eight ohm, 70 volt, and 100 volt on the same amplifier is great,” said Peake. “And my favorite fact is that you don’t lose channels when you want to do that. Top it off with cloud connectivity for remote support, and that’s why I use LEA amplifiers every chance I get.”