Make it easy like SVS (1 Viewer)

[Lee-c]

Andrew Pratt: Yeah, the RM2's are some seriously big speakers. They weigh around 130lbs. apiece.
But the sound quality is just magnificent in terms of clarity, detail, smoothness and effortless power,
even at very high volumes. He said he wanted towers, and the RM2's are real towers, that's for sure.

That's another way they remind me of SVS. VMPS makes some big powerful high-quality speakers,
there's nothing flimsy about these towers. I like that about them.

 

[MikeyWeitz]

Their are MANY MANY people over @ AVS who are RAVING about inexpensive pro amps. Post is 40 some odd pages long. Go take a look. Seems that many many are enjoying Crown's XLS series amps and have no issues with shrillness, etc.

 

[SteveCallas]

To say that a pro amp isn't designed for sound quality anymore so than a ht amp is just silly. A good amp should not affect sound quality, it should be transparent. In most cases, I'd say you are better off with a pro amp, because you are getting 1 large torroidal transformer for every 2 channels, as opposed to usually getting 2 torroidal transformers for 5 or 7 channels in a ht amp. With the pro amps, you get so much spare power and the ability to handle peak transients so easily that they will just breeze by with typical ht usage, which is what you want.

The Crown XLS series became ultra popular only because that was the amp the original few posters started using. A similar Carvin or QSC amp will have a better FR, variable speed fans, and will weigh more - I would look into one of those. I went with the Carvin hd1800, and when it was on sale for $280, you were getting double the power on the Crown XLS402 for a little less money.

 

[james vaughan]

I hope I do not affend anyone here by saying this. In the Entertainment industry most Disc Jockeys use either poorly made, or underpowerd, or both, amps (and speakers to). The Crown xls series would be considered a wimpy amp as with its output and at this price piont xls-202a $269 xls-402a $329 and the xls-602a $439 I am not sure how they work for home audio with needing less power than a proffessional aplication. On the other end QSC plx series Crown ce series Lab Gruppen and Crest to name a few have some very powerful amps. I use the qsc plx series at 700 watts a side 8 ohm and the amp only ways 21 pounds which is another reason why I purchased this series. They run around $1300 apiece. I do this because I wanted to get the most out of the speakers that I am driving. Yamaha sw115 series rated at 500 watt per speaker at 8ohm. When I ran a QSC RMX series 500 watt per channel 8ohm amp to the same speakers I noticed a big difference in the sound quality of the speaker. It was cleaner more defined and a little louder sound from the PLX series. I didnt think that 200 watt difference would make a difference. Now my QSC powerlight amp at 300 watts a channel weighing in at only 17 lbs was more expensive than the PLX series. So I am not sure what you are getting from these amps or if they are good for home use or if they are just charging you for air inside the buggers, but you would think they are putting some quality into the upper end pro amps for the price. I dont know. I guess in my own long winded way I am trying to figure out why I would get shrillness from an amp that was not skimmped on price nor power wise. But again my applications with those amps are totally different.

Just dawned on me I am in the speaker forum, but it kinda flows with what we are talking about. Sorry.

 

[MikeyWeitz]

Steve, you using the carvin for your subs or mains?

 

[Andrew Pratt]

I can only go by what the designer of the Crown amps tells me and that's that he wouldn't use them for home use. I'm sure many people like them but you won't find me using them for anything other then for powering my subwoofer. Just because its popular doesn't make it right...look at Bose

 

[SteveCallas]

Right now I'm only using one for my sub, but I'm about to get new speakers, and I will be purchasing another hd1800 for the mains. All the improvements I mentioned though are easily verifiable.

 

[MikeyWeitz]

Well, the people who are using the crown xls amps to drive their mains are a LOT more HT savvy and educated then the masses that make Bose popular.

You see no difference between the guy who went from powering his Paradigm Studio 100's with a Denon 3805 to an XLS 402 and said he noticed a tremendous improvement, from the guy who thinks he is an audiophile with his Bose Acoustimass sysem?

 

[Andrew Pratt]

Mike it likely wasn't the best example given the strong distain we all have for Bose but getting past that adding any high power amp to a receiver should result in better sound esp when driving large tower speakers like those P'digm 100's given the real world power outputs in most receivers. My point is that while the crown amps are good value and will improve the sound you hear over onboard receiver amps the guy that helpped design them thinks there are better sounding amps available.

 

[MikeyWeitz]

Oh, I am sure their are MANY better sounding ones. Unfortunately, those HT type power amps are in the $1k range and up for comperable power.

They are good for "budget" seperates, certainly not high end

 

[Andrew Pratt]

I would argue that there are equally cheap used consumer amps that would be a better buy for most people...after all the Crown K series isn't cheap either. Sub's need power and aren't picky about sound quality which is where the pro amps shine IMO.

 

[SteveCallas]

While I will agree that the Crown XLS series is pretty near the bottom of the barrel for pro amps, I disagree with the general statement that pro amps aren't good enough for a hi end ht system.

 

[MikeyWeitz]

SO which would be beter an older Car-av405 5 channel amp or a crown XLS or Carvin 900? Yes I know one is 5 channel and 1 is 2 channel. Wich has better sound quality?

 

[SteveCallas]

Wow, Carvin upped their prices - I got the 1800 in July and it was only $279.

 

[james vaughan]

If anybody is in the Washington state area and wants a crown ce 2000 rated at 400 watts a side at 8 ohm I no of two that are available for $200 apiece. They are used but in very good condition. They normally go for $649 new. Have been snooping around trying to find out prices on amps. If you want new and affordable I can probably get you a qsc rmx 850 rated at 200 watts a channel at 8ohm for around $200. Do not know what the power rating on the carvin is so am not sure if this helps.

 

[MikeyWeitz]

I might take you up on that QSC James. How much would it be to ship to NJ. QSC new?

 

[Shane Martin]

That would mean there are no good amps period. They do affect sound quality simple as that. There is a reason why Bob Carver even said he could taylor his amp to sound like a high end amp meaning he could change the sound.

 

[SteveCallas]

Yes, meaning he would HAVE to change his amp to sound like any hi end amp, because most high end amps purposefully have uneven FR, which I see no point in.

 

[james vaughan]

Mike I emailed you but not sure if you got it.