connecting a pre-pro to a Crown XLS-402 pro amplifier (1 Viewer)

[jjhall5150]

Hello.

My apologies in advance if this sounds like a amatuer question

I have two Crown XLS-402 amplifiers that I would like to connect to the fronts and Center channels on my HT.

My plan is to run the F/L and F/R pre-out from my Rotel RSX-1057 into one Crown XLS-402 in stereo mode and to run the Center pre-out into the 2nd Crown XLS-402, again leaving the amp in stereo mode. This would leave one terminal open on the 2nd crown.

I am wondering if I will experience any issues by doing this in regards to sound. I would assume that "stereo" mode on the amp only impacts the power output and does not change the processing of the sound.

I don't see a need to bi-amp anything, since there will still be plenty of headroom by leaving the amp in stereo.

The rear surrounds will be connected to the internal amp on the pre/pro.

Does this sound correct?

 

[JohnRice]

Personally, I would just use the Rotel alone. According to the search I did, the Rotel is a receiver, not a pre-pro. Also, "Pro" amp means "PA" amp, which is designed for massive power, but is typically not ideal for home use. The only reason to use them is if it is more important to tell your friends that you have 5 billion watts, rather than the actual sound quality. Rotel makes excellent equipment and the thought of feeding one into a PA amp is not something I would recommend.

 

[RobertR]

Originally Posted by jjhall5150

Hello.

My apologies in advance if this sounds like a amatuer question

I have two Crown XLS-402 amplifiers that I would like to connect to the fronts and Center channels on my HT.

My plan is to run the F/L and F/R pre-out from my Rotel RSX-1057 into one Crown XLS-402 in stereo mode and to run the Center pre-out into the 2nd Crown XLS-402, again leaving the amp in stereo mode. This would leave one terminal open on the 2nd crown.

I am wondering if I will experience any issues by doing this in regards to sound. I would assume that "stereo" mode on the amp only impacts the power output and does not change the processing of the sound.

I don't see a need to bi-amp anything, since there will still be plenty of headroom by leaving the amp in stereo.

The rear surrounds will be connected to the internal amp on the pre/pro.

Does this sound correct?

What you propose to do is perfectly fine from a technical standpoint. The "prepro" vs. "receiver" label is irrelevant. The Rotel would function as a prepro. Running the Crowns in stereo mode gives you the least distortion. Whatever small differences there would be in the sound of the Rotel amplifier section vs. the Crown amps (I'm not at all convinced you could hear a difference in a blind comparison) would be FAR outweighed by the increased headroom from using the Crowns (the Rotel would have a "hard" sound if you push it to its limits). The "pro" designation for the Crowns is meant to indicate extra ruggedness rather than some supposed lack of "refinement".

 

[JohnRice]

Actually, we are both posting from our own perspectives. To answer the basic question, no, there is no problem doing what you say. If you already have the Crown amps, go ahead and give it a try. Which amps will truly be better will depend somewhat on your speakers and what you think "good" sound is, as well as how loud you want to play. However, if you didn't already have the Crown amps, for about the same amount of money you would have the best of all worlds using an amp like THIS for the front three channels instead of a commercial amp. Some people believe there is no difference in sound, and depending on those factors above, you may not hear a difference. In some cases, there most definitely IS a difference. There IS a difference in the design and intended use of those different amps. Only you can tell.

 

[jjhall5150]

Thanks for the responses.


My initial plan was to pair a Rotel 1057 receiver with the Emotiva amp you listed (or an XPA-5). I was cleaning out my old DJ equipment when I came across these amps that we used to use which still work fine.


I will give it a shot with the Crown's since it isn't costing me anything, and if I find I don't like it, I'll lean toward Emotiva.


For the record, I am more into "quality" than loudness, however, I am told that my speakers (SVS MTS-01) have a occasional tendency to drop down to 3 ohms, which is why I felt adding the extra headroom was important.


As long as I know it can be setup this way, it is a step forward