QSC or Crown Amp?

[Youthman]

I have a pair of Klipsch CF-2's driven by a HK AVR55. I've never used an external amp but know that my HK has the ability. I have access to a Crown CL1 or a QSC RMX1450. Both of these are probably commercial amps as they were used in a church youth room. The QSC is 280 w/ch @ 8ohm and the Crown is 275 w/ch @ 8ohm. My HK has Main Pre-Outs but the amps only have speaker line inputs, 1/4 inch and XLR inputs. Is this possible to use either of these amps for a 2 channel setup with my HK? If so, what would be the best method? Thanks.

[michael hurd]

Either amp would work equally well, the Crown looks like it is normally intended for install applications. The QSC RMX 1450 is targeted at the mobile DJ / club systems. Not to say one is better than the other, but usually amps designed for transport often are more mechanically robust.

You can purchase adapters from RCA to XLR or make your own. ( provided you have steady hands, a soldering iron and patience ) The fan noise on the RMX amps is louder than average, with other ( aftermarket )fans available. ( search on fan modifications on other forums like the AVS forum ) No idea what the fan noise is like on that Crown model.

[Youthman]

Thanks for the advice Michael. I am not really concerned with the fan noise as I am only borrowing the amps to see what my system would sound like with a solid state amp hooked up to it.

The HK is nice but with it only being 45 watts/ch, the sound starts to get kinda harsh with volume at 60 with music. Volume at 45 sounds ideal for the HK. I'm guessing I'm wanting to push the receiver further than it is comfortable doing so I wanted to hook up an external amp to see what kind of difference it makes. It will help me decide what to do when I one day get my RF-83's. I'm sure I'll love the difference it will make, I just wanna get a taste of it with my current setup. []

The last thing I want to do is mess up the HK or the CF-2's in the process. I could probably set the gain of the amp at 1/2 and it still sound fantastic. I'll check Radio Shack for the RCA to XLR converter. Thx for the tip. Anyone have any other comments or suggestions?

[DrWho]

Wow, CL series or RMX...that's a tough call actually. I would probably lean towards the CL, but only cuz I was raised a Crown fanboy. [A] Do you have the means to audition them yourself in your own home?

For what it's worth, it'll be cheaper and easier (and electrically the same) if you just use a female RCA to male 1/4" adaptor instead of RCA to XLR. Also, make sure you get the jumper settings on the back of the amp correct...there are highpass filters and bridging/parallel options that you'll want to turn off.

[Youthman]

Do you have the means to audition them yourself in your own home?

Yes. I am a youth pastor and have 2 CL's and 2 RMX amps currently being used in my youth room. I'm planning on borrowing one this weekend to see how it sounds in my setup at home. []

For what it's worth, it'll be cheaper and easier (and electrically the same) if you just use a female RCA to male 1/4" adaptor instead of RCA to XLR. Also, make sure you get the jumper settings on the back of the amp correct...there are highpass filters and bridging/parallel options that you'll want to turn off.

Thx for the advice on the RCA to 1/4" adapter. I might even have some of those in my youth room. I'll check tomorrow when I go in. I have downloaded the manuals for both amps. We have several of the amps bridged but that will not be necessary in my home application. I would hate to see my woofer come flying out of the speaker cabinet. []