I run the Gilmore Raven amp in my main rig, with Zu Druids. Since I'm using different speakers in the LR and patio, extracting what part comes from the amp and what from the speakers, cable, volume control, etc. is impossible, but I don't hear anything from the LR and patio systems that I would deem offensive, let's put it that way. I have not substituted the Crown for the Gilmore in my main system, mainly because the required cabling is different (XLR versus RCA) and I'm too lazy to pull it all apart and put it back together just for curiosity's sake.
Can pro amps possibly sound good? Crown, QSC, etc
I have been looking into pro amps for a to-be-built HT/music room. Recently I came across an old review in The Stereo Times: The Complete Audiophile Magazine, which reviewed 2 discontinued Crown amps, the K2 and the Studio Reference I. The K2 the reviewer thought "not distinguished or especially musically refined", but the Studio Ref he thought an EXCELLENT full-range amp. It does have some amazing specs:
Signal-to-Noise (A-weighted) below rated full bandwidth power: 120 dB.
Damping Factor: >20,000 from 10 Hz to 400Hz.
780WPC into 8 ohms, 1160WPC into 4 ohms.
The review is here.
From what I've found so far, there are possbile downsides to using pro gear in an otherwise consumer setup, but in my case I think these are non-issues:
-fan noise: not an issue for me since I will have an equipment closet. Won't have to do a "fan mod".
-ugly: again, not an issue for me with an equipment closet
-hum: I believe not an issue as long as I use balanced interconnects from the prepro. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
-expects pro-level input levels: I think not an issue if the amp has dip switches or gain controls?
And yet, over on a couple of AVS forum threads, I actually got asked to leave when I started suggesting pro amps. It seems as though some of the audiophiles there (and the same guys might be over here) don't even want to hear about a class of gear which imo just MIGHT sound good. It just isn't worth "polluting" an audiophile thread. Am I missing some other downside to pro amps, other than the above pints? Were these guys attitudes based on something substantive and audibly detectable, or just a form of audio bigotry?
I'm not saying all pro amps are going to be great (for instance I know the Behringer A500 is lousy), but might there be some good stuff too, like QSC DCA, or Crown Macro Reference (other suggestions would be welcome)?
Signal-to-Noise (A-weighted) below rated full bandwidth power: 120 dB.
Damping Factor: >20,000 from 10 Hz to 400Hz.
780WPC into 8 ohms, 1160WPC into 4 ohms.
The review is here.
From what I've found so far, there are possbile downsides to using pro gear in an otherwise consumer setup, but in my case I think these are non-issues:
-fan noise: not an issue for me since I will have an equipment closet. Won't have to do a "fan mod".
-ugly: again, not an issue for me with an equipment closet
-hum: I believe not an issue as long as I use balanced interconnects from the prepro. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
-expects pro-level input levels: I think not an issue if the amp has dip switches or gain controls?
And yet, over on a couple of AVS forum threads, I actually got asked to leave when I started suggesting pro amps. It seems as though some of the audiophiles there (and the same guys might be over here) don't even want to hear about a class of gear which imo just MIGHT sound good. It just isn't worth "polluting" an audiophile thread. Am I missing some other downside to pro amps, other than the above pints? Were these guys attitudes based on something substantive and audibly detectable, or just a form of audio bigotry?
I'm not saying all pro amps are going to be great (for instance I know the Behringer A500 is lousy), but might there be some good stuff too, like QSC DCA, or Crown Macro Reference (other suggestions would be welcome)?
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- 49 posts total
If a piece of "pro" gear meets your criteria for "good", fly with it! I've been using a Hafler TransNova 9505 to bi-amp my woofers with for years. It's a "pro" studio amp(though not a particlarly inexpensive one), and I couldn't be happier with it's performance, in that capacity. I might even be able to live with it full-range, if I absolutely had to. |
Surprised the Applied Audio Research Labs SLA1 or SLA2 have not come up. You can get the SLA1 for $189 and it is 100 watts per side. The SLA2 is 200 watts per side and $289. These are 80-85% as good as many great amps I have owned. Every Aphile should have one around. They are just awesome. When folks hear them they are floored. Bill |
If you have not bought your Revel's yet then why not consider Active speakers ? If you are looking at pro amps then why not check out the speaker section at your local music store - listen to the Genelec 8050A and see what you think....Revels are pretty neutral as far as audiophile speakers go - so pro speakers may be up your street! Just a thought. Listen to the quality of the bass and midrange of these speakers - damn good at any price. (but they come at a very reasonable $4.5K for a pair new and no need for a power amp!) |
Oh and before these speakers get dismissed as crap along with other pro gear just take a look at Blackbird Studios in Nashville - especially Studio C designed by George Massenburg - you will see a cost no object setup and guess what - Genelec 8050A speakers for near fields. |
- 49 posts total