Studio/Performance Amps for High-End Systems?

Good points. Pro amps cover two markets => venue sound reinforcement and recording studios. Only the studios will go for the higher quality sound (similar to audiophile except slanted towards precise/forward sound) whereas the sound reinforcement and music store rental gear tends to be low cost highly reliable high power but lower quality sound.

Elevick/Tsvisser/Davemitchell have all made excellent points. I've worked on High-End and pro gear for years, and have yet to see the pro gear built with the quality of components(passive or active) that are utilized in High-End audio equipment. That's why the stuff sounds electronic, fatiguing, recessive, etc, in the home audio system: It's largely built for brute force and ruggedness. I always recommended Crown for professional installations, but their gear sounds like... well- forget about it for home use! Some of the studio gear being the exception(I'm using a Hafler TransNova 9505 to bi-amp my woofers). Then again- If you can listen to the pro gear and not be bothered by the sound: Enjoy the savings!!

Pro audio power amps are only good for... bass amplification :)

I stand by the statement

Some audiophiles will complain that studio gear sounds like a PA.

Those who categorically dismiss all pro power amplifiers are simply showing their prejudices. The truth is they tend to sound quite different because they are targeted at different types of listener. Huge power is often necessary for realistic unclipped sound reproduction on studio music that has not yet been dynamically compressed/squashed for consumers. Most audiophile speakers would not last five minutes in a studio before the tweeters were blown and the power amp output transistors fried.

I've worked on High-End and pro gear for years, and have yet to see the pro gear built with the quality of components(passive or active) that are utilized in High-End audio equipment.

Then you have simply not come across EMMLABS and other high-end pro gear with similar quality build to high end audiophile gear.

Shadorne- I'm certain there are quite a few brands that I've not worked on in the past 28 years, and you're correct: EMM Labs is one of them. Meitner has been designing High-end audio for years, so I'm not surprised he uses quality components in his pro gear(and charges accordingly). His DAC8 MKIV brings five figure prices. There aren't that many studios that can afford that for one piece of gear. Actually EMM builds more audio pieces than pro. Their two-box CDP/DAC is into five figures as well(like 11.5K, I believe?). Nor have I had occasion to do any repairs on John Oram equipment(I mix on a custom 48 channel BEQ-PRO) . Perhaps that's because there are so few of either in Florida, Ohio and Indiana. We're not talking Crown, Behringer, Marshall, Peavey, QSC, Mackie, Nady, or comparing apples and grapefruit now- are we?