michael hurd Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 Both companies are getting aggressive and offering cash back, Crown on the XLS series, and QSC on the PLXII series. See their respective websites for details. Offer good on purchases from authorized dealers. Some places are offering free shipping on these amps as well, combine that with the cash back offers, and warranty extensions available ( 6 years for registering with QSC online ) and it makes buying a pro amp a no-brainer. http://www.crownaudio.com/index.htm http://www.qscaudio.com/index.htm http://www.crownaudio.com/rebate.htm http://www.qscaudio.com/rebate/ http://www.qscaudio.com/warranty/warrantyinfo.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laneza01 Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 So as far as a decent 2 channel amp to power RF-83's, what would be a reasonable "pro" amp? I've never really considered them and dont know anything about them. So can you give any advice on sound and what not? I dont wanna spend that much money probably less then 500. The XLS 202D doesnt look to bad and is within my price range(435 with rebate i think). Which QSC amp should I be looking at? I dont really know what all these features and stuff do. I just want an amp, haha. The RMX looks nice, but expensive maybe? I cant find the prices for the QSC amps but its probably outta my price range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 my man, Michael Hurd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Bang for the buck, they're a no brainer. I've got 4 of the XLS's. The only thing to remember is the fans are LOUD. Especially if you're going to put them in a living room. Quiet fans and resistors to slow the fans down are easy and cheap mods that you can perform to tame the noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laneza01 Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 SO.... B&k Reference 125.2 for 470 on Audiogon vs XLS 202D for 435 i think ... any opinions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfandbark Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 I've got a pair of old PS400s. Tougher than nails. And they still play well. I'll vouch for quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted November 19, 2007 Author Share Posted November 19, 2007 Opinions are just that... facts are different. Fact 1: Consumer level and pro-levels are different, in terms of voltage ( this is 100% able to be overcome , in some cases without a transformer device ) Fact 2: Pro power amps may sport input and output connectors that you are unfamiliar with. This is in no way an impediment. Proper interface is available, whether it is a "speakon" output connector or an XLR input ( or TRS 1/4" ) input. Some amps have even barrier strip outs ( bare wire insertion or spades ) or even the common 5 way binding posts. Depending on what the pre-amp device ( in most cases a home theater reciever ), AND the model of pro amp you may or may not be able to drive the "pro" amp to full output. ( all pro amps have different input sensitivities ) Some even feature switchable input sensitivities. Fact 3: Gain controls on a power amplifier do not limit the amount of power it can produce, but rather the amount of INPUT voltage it takes to produce full power from the amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Of the current Crown Models, which one is the best? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Of the current Crown Models, which one is the best? Certainly NOT the XLS... Best will depend on your application. The XTi's offer an affordable way to explore the benefits of active crossovers. The D-Series is a low power straight up quality amp (extremely popular in recording studios). The new CTS is a lot like the old PS-400, but a little bit more refined around the edges (though the difference I heard might just be age kicking in for the PS). I'm not familiar with the new DSi or the CDi, but the specs are pretty close to the XTi and it looks like they're using the exact same digital interface. The DSi seems to have a feature set more applicable to sound for pro cinema. The I-Tech is very similar to the Macrotech, except offering a DSP input section. They are going to be more geared for doing live sound though since they're all about outputting crazy amounts of power. I would probably go with an XTi or D-75 in the home. For what it's worth, the fans on the XTi don't turn on until the amp gets warm...with Klipsch speakers that is going to be almost never. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Of the current Crown Models, which one is the best? Certainly NOT the XLS... Doc, have you heard the D series XLS's. They seem to have changed them up compared to the older models. Mine have a nice low noise floor (virtually inaudible) and sound awesome with music or movies. They may not be the top of the line Crowns, but I'm hard pressed to find any fault with them. I went from a top of the line HK receiver to the XLS's and pre/pro. These are in the same room with the same speakers. The new setup is more dynamic with tons more headroom and is every bit as sweet to listen to as the HK was. In fact, when watching movies, dialog is clearer than before. If the higher end Crowns are that much better sounding, they must be phenominal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 "If the higher end Crowns are that much better sounding, they must be phenominal." They are. K2, PS200, D75 clean pure power Fans on Micro and Macro Tech series are a bit loud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mas Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 Of the current Crown Models, which one is the best? Certainly NOT the XLS... Best will depend on your application. The XTi's offer an affordable way to explore the benefits of active crossovers. The D-Series is a low power straight up quality amp (extremely popular in recording studios). I would probably go with an XTi or D-75 in the home. For what it's worth, the fans on the XTi don't turn on until the amp gets warm...with Klipsch speakers that is going to be almost never. Right on Doc. Of the current production models, stick with the XTis. Check out the online MI stores for great prices and no tax or shipping charges. And D75s in good shape shoud be available for ~$175. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 Fans on Micro and Macro Tech series are a bit loud. An important factor IMHO... and i'd say the same goes for the XLS... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White_Hawk Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 The xti 1000 (b-stock) on ebay can be had for $400 including S&H and the full 3 year crown warranty - just ask the seller about a discount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 Doc, have you heard the D series XLS's. They seem to have changed them up compared to the older models. Mine have a nice low noise floor (virtually inaudible) and sound awesome with music or movies. They may not be the top of the line Crowns, but I'm hard pressed to find any fault with them. I went from a top of the line HK receiver to the XLS's and pre/pro. These are in the same room with the same speakers. The new setup is more dynamic with tons more headroom and is every bit as sweet to listen to as the HK was. In fact, when watching movies, dialog is clearer than before. If the higher end Crowns are that much better sounding, they must be phenominal. I currently own an XLS 402 (the version before the D) and feel that both my Denon Receiver and HK 630 have much smoother mids and less grainy highs. Right now I'm running it for subwoofer duty, but it's not too hot there either since it doesn't have very good damping. We also have a 602D at work and the similar priced QSC RMX amps are a bit smoother. I have not noticed a significant difference between my 402 and the 602 at work - at least not as significant as the difference between the XLS and the XTi, for example. If you look at the specs closely, there doesn't seem to be any difference in distortion, or damping. The difference in power is very minimal - almost like they moved to a better heatsink, or laid the board out for better cooling - which might also explain the increase in crosstalk. I don't wanna knock something that someone enjoys, but there is no doubt in my mind that there are significant improvements by moving up to the nicer Crown models. I absolutely love Crown and was raised to love Crown, but the XLS is one of the few audio items I regret purchasing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mas Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 Fans on Micro and Macro Tech series are a bit loud. An important factor IMHO... and i'd say the same goes for the XLS... LOL One can worry about the Macrotech fans if they like, AFTER they install the 30 Amp circuit for each amp! I absolutely love the Macrotechs, but they were not designed for casual home use... Stick with the XTi. They have proportional fans that seldom even come on, and when they do it is more commonly due to close packing in a restricted space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted November 20, 2007 Author Share Posted November 20, 2007 Lots of amplifiers ( pro amps ) could benefit from either a 30 amp plug & breaker, or twin 15 amp line cords. Some could take the aproach of the large Crest amps, with twin 30 amp twist lock cords. [] Can you say a 10kw kick drum transient>? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 I have a Crown XTi 1000 in here right now, I've had it about a week or so. I wasn't really expecting to be satisfied with the sound from the thing when I brought it home, and figured I was probably going to take it back after a disappointing trial run. Instead, I'm trying to scape together the scratch to buy another one. After running a week with my passive networks, I put the DSP of the Crown into action. Right now I'm running a single Jubilee using the active filtering and EQ provided by the Crown. The sound is scary good. My 'preamp' is an ART Cleanbox, which sits between my CD player and the Crown. Maybe I'm just getting old and don't hear as good as I used to, but I can't detect any grain or hash in the sound and the thing pretty much sounds as good as anything else I've ever heard (and it ain't like I've only tried two or three amps over the last ten years. Highly recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 Sure its been asked a thousand times but if I have an RCA pre-out for left and right, can I buy a cable to make the transistion to XLR? Is so will a Denon reciever be compatable with a XTi? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 stick with the XTis Dude... you hating on my K2??!!! Don't make me send my white fluff of fury down there after you. [:|] [] [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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