suggestions, 2 channel amp, 350 watts @4 ohms (1 Viewer)

[Greg Br]

I am looking for a amp to power my SVS subs, I know the Samson is the amp SVS uses but wanted to look at a couple of other options. I am looking for price versus performance in this amp and would like to really push these 350 watt rated subwoofers. I am really a newbie when it comes to amps so any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Dustin B]

One of your cheapest options would be the QSC RMX850. 300 wattsx2 at 4ohms for around $299. If you can find one in good shape used you could probably get down to around $200. The next model up is another $100 and ups the power to 450W x 2 at 4ohms. People complain of the fan noise form the QSC amps though.

Another option is the Mackie M800 is 275W x2 and is a little more than the QSC. The next model up from Mackie is 500W x2.

You can also do some looking and see if you can find anything you like from Crown or Crest. That's all I can think of right now. I'm sure some others will throw in some more pro audio amp manufactures names.

 

[ColinM]

I don't know if you want to stick with the pro-audio scene or not, I like consumer-look stuff myself.

Look for a bridgeable amp, too. Some offer good output on the cheap.

 

[John Morris]

Greg: How much do you want to spend? Do you need to power one sub, or two? Would you consider buying a used amp? Finally, will amp fan noise bother you? Without these answers, it is a little tough to make suggestions. The pro amps mentioned so far have fans if I remember correctly and in my situation, the fan noise bothered me. I went through a bunch of amps before I ended up with what I have now, a Crown K2. Other amps I can personally recommend are the Adcom triple nickels(555), Carvers, Parasounds, and a very hard to find amp called the Soundstream DA2. This is NOT the same as the Soundstream monoblocks which I found to have a bit of a transformer hum. Anyway, get back to us with some specifics and we can give you many more options.

 

[Greg Br]

It is hard for me to put a price on it cause I really do not know how much these amps go for.

I have a dual 20-39cs system to power, they are rated at 350 watts @ 4 ohms. I would prefer used as that would give me the best bang for my buck. I guess looking at it the Samson 700 is $389 new, so if I could spend at that or a bit less I would be very happy. Using it for home theater fan noise would be a concern, but I have never heard a amp fan so my reference for what is loud may mot be as good as yours.

 

[Greg Br]

bump

 

[smcvick]

As John mentioned above, if used will work for you, the Adcom GFA-555 will be a good fit. I had one in the house collecting dust when I bought my 20-39cs, and I'm using one channel to drive the sub. Works great. Into a 4 ohm load, it's rated at 325 W/ch (200 W/ch into 8 ohms), which is just about what you're looking for. I've seen them on EBay in your price range, so it might be worth looking into.

 

[Greg Br]

Is that load stereo or bridged? That amp is a typical stereo amp, I am reading alot about professional amps, like the Crown ce 1000 is used in my price range. How does anyone feel about using a pro amp versus the Marantz, Adcom etc type of conventional amps?

 

[Greg Br]

Any suggestions on good places to look for used amps? I have hit ebay of course.