vnzbd Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Hello all. I am considering upgrading my amplification for the front 2 channels of my current system. As I have read peoples system profiles as well as disscussed it locally, I am curious why some people choice home audio products from companies such as Emotiva and Outlaw while others take the pro audio route with amps from companies such as Crown. The pro seems to me more resonably priced which suprises me. The Emotiva XPA-2 lists at $799 vs the Crown Xti 1000 which lists at $499 at Parts Express. They seemed to be have similar power specs at 4 & 8 ohms. The difference that I did pick up on that the Emotiva specs are from 20-20khz vs the Crown being speced at 1khz for all measurments. Experts, please weigh in on what you use and why! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 For me it's subjective; I simply like the old vintage sound from the Sansui AU-11000's and the AU-111 "tube". That only applies for the "man cave" (Wall of Voodoo - 2 channel). For HT, I use Onkyo AVR's and after listening to and owning others (Denon's, etc.) the Onkyo's sounded better. In the end run, the specs are a great starting point, but it's really going to be how an amp sounds to you when played over your speakers in your home. South Florida? I'm in Okeechobee! You would be welcome to visit, just send me a PM or email. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 If you decide to go with a pro amp, you will need to make sure that you have good impedance and level matching with your preamp if it is a home audio preamp. Improperly mixing home audio and pro audio equipment can lead to mismatches which can cause hiss, hum, buzz, and frustration. There is also a reason pro audio amps cost less. Sound quality. Plain and simple. You can sort through pro audio lines and find the better sounding stuff but its not going to have the micro detail and finesse of a good quality home audio amp. So you need to determine your priorities before purchasing. How picky is your ear? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 If you decide to go with a pro amp, you will need to make sure that you have good impedance and level matching with your preamp if it is a home audio preamp. Improperly mixing home audio and pro audio equipment can lead to mismatches which can cause hiss, hum, buzz, and frustration. There is also a reason pro audio amps cost less. Sound quality. Plain and simple. You can sort through pro audio lines and find the better sounding stuff but its not going to have the micro detail and finesse of a good quality home audio amp. So you need to determine your priorities before purchasing. How picky is your ear? You can run into impedance problems with home audio amps as well. If you run a low impedance amp be it home or pro you have to be very careful with the preamp you choose. As far as the sound quality of a pro amps being inferior to home audio amps is really just someones opinion. I will agree there are some very nice home amplifiers that just sound fantastic and are worth their weight in gold. But in almost all cases you are going to PAY for that quality. Then there are your "run of the mill" home amps of "today" and "yesterday" that just dont even hold a candle to some of the nicer pro amps out there. It really is what you are trying to achieve and how much you want to spend. With a budget in mind dont let anyone tell you a pro amp can't sound damn good. It's just not true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Richard Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Pro amplifiers are very rugged and have good current delivery capability. When comparing power ratings, however, be aware that pro equipment does not have to comply with FTC home stereo regulations and will show a higher power rating than possible if rated that way. The XTI is rated at 275 WPC into 8 ohms but would be more like 225 WPC if tested under FTC guidelines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twistedcrankcammer Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 While not always Pro specific, fans and fan noise are also a serious consideration. While you won't hear it when you are jamming, under low listening levels you very well may. Another major reason here for the Crown XTi that people haven't told you, is the abillity of an active electronic crossover for speakers like the Jubilee or putting a 402 horn on an MWM bin. Final consideration again is cost. If you have to run 4 stereo amplifiers for a 5 way pair of speakers like my KP-600s, even cheaper amps like the crown XTis start to add up, and big wattage in home amps becomes cost prohibitive very quickly. Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ69 Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Fans are a real drag inside your music room. Thanx, Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 I'm generalizing here, but could it be that pro amplifiers are designed to sound best when putting out near-max power, while home units often sound best at typical living room levels, with power left over for headroom, not for continuous use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Fan noise on a pro amp is a non issue if you have the ability to do a simple fan swap. There are some EXTREMELY good sounding pro amps out there. There's also some not so good sounding ones. Mine sound great at any volume (my opinion naturally). I welcome the opportunity to let the skeptics have a listen. I've yet to have anyone be anything but impressed when listening to them. Too bad you're not closer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vnzbd Posted January 8, 2010 Author Share Posted January 8, 2010 Thanks for all of the replies. I was offered by a friend to demo his crown amp next weekend. I will give it a run and see the difference it provides from my Marantz receiver. I would like to take the better amplification plunge so a free weekend with an amp cannot be turned down! Groomlakearea51, thanks for the invite. What a collection you have. Most of what you have I have never heard. When I know I have some time a field trip is in order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Fans are a real drag inside your music room. Thanx, Russ Agreed but thats a generalization. Not all pro amps have fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Fan noise on a pro amp is a non issue if you have the ability to do a simple fan swap. There are some EXTREMELY good sounding pro amps out there. There's also some not so good sounding ones. Mine sound great at any volume (my opinion naturally). I welcome the opportunity to let the skeptics have a listen. I've yet to have anyone be anything but impressed when listening to them. Too bad you're not closer. Agreed on all accounts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runninshine Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Have a look at the THD specs......that might help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ69 Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Fan noise was a non issue when I was playing LPs, the LP noise was greater than the fan. When CDs came out, the fan just got too loud. Go into your office and turn off all the computers, all of a sudden it gets REAL QUIET. Thanx, Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Fan noise was a non issue when I was playing LPs, the LP noise was greater than the fan. When CDs came out, the fan just got too loud. Go into your office and turn off all the computers, all of a sudden it gets REAL QUIET. Thanx, Russ Let me rephrase. NOT ALL PRO AMPS HAVE FANS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Have a look at the THD specs......that might help. Not really, they both have great specs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ69 Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Let me rephrase. NOT ALL PRO AMPS HAVE FANS Easy there stormin, I got it the first time, I still hear pretty good, no need to yell, ouch! It's just that I really hate fans, even quiet ones. My issue, not yours. Thanx, Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twistedcrankcammer Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 My ears are not what they once were, but they are still better then most, and several people on this forum have witnessed as much in person. When I was younger, I couldn't stand to go into the cheaper department stores because the stereos and televisions sounded like someone was pooring individual sand grains pooring across my ear drums, and most everyone else couldn't hear it and thought I was crazy. My point is this, I realize there are some fans that are better than others, don't think for a heart beat that just because YOU can't hear it, or the fan is a non issue for YOU, has absolutely no bearing what so ever on whether I can hear it, or if others can hear it, or if it is annoying to me, or to others. Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Let me rephrase. NOT ALL PRO AMPS HAVE FANS Easy there stormin, I got it the first time, I still hear pretty good, no need to yell, ouch! It's just that I really hate fans, even quiet ones. My issue, not yours. Thanx, Russ LMAO. I gotcha Russ but your still doing it. Pro amps are not all equal. Some actually do not have fans. Mine doesn't have a fan. How can anyone hear a fan if there isn't one? Am I caught up in the "Twilight Zone" or what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ69 Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 My post was for the benefit of the OP. Sorry, but I think we got the fan issued covered, eh? Thanx, Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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