Ideas For A Beefy Solid State Amp For Subwoofer Duties


Hey,

I'm trying some different things with my system and having another dabble with DSP for LF, basically a revamp of a failed 'Swarm' experiment.

I have 4 subs where I've pulled the plate amps and I want to drive each from either a pair of stereo amps or 4 monoblocks.
Two of the drivers are high excursion 15" drivers and two are 12" diameter. The 15" were driven by older 400w plate amps and the two 12" have newer Dayton-Audio 500w plate amps. I don't want to retain any of the plate amps (longer story).

I'd like to budget around $1500 - $2000 max for the amps for all 4 subs, and would likely purchase used.

I've looked at a few pro amps including the Crown XLS2502 2 Channel which puts out a healthy 775w / 4 ohms and actually has a reputation for very good sound quality. Two of those come in under budget.

Then I've looked at a couple options from Bel Canto, but they come in above budget at the power level required.
The original NuForce 9's can be had for under a grand a pair, but they're less than optimal in terms of power. Obviously the common thread here is finding amps with a high damping factor.

Any suggestions?
Thoughts on pro audio gear for this type of application?
Is Class D the way to go?

Main speakers are Dunlavy III driven by Thor 60w tube monos.

Cheers
Rooze
128x128rooze
Go for the Crown XLS amps! So what they are class D! I am sure the Crown engineering team is just as capable of designing excellent amps as any boutique amp company! 
Note that many pro amps have noisy fans (talking of actual cooling fans, not athletic supporters) which is bad if you prefer not to hear that. I even use fanless pro amps in my studio as I hate the sound of fans except those who scream their love for me and mob me when I'm out.
@wolf_garcia 

Yes, good point. I don't want to hear fans..not the spinning variety.