# PA amp selection



## Boostedrex (Apr 4, 2007)

So, who are the underrated winners in this category. I've heard mixed reviews on Behringer. I've always known them to make great active X-overs. Are their amps really junk or have I been getting skewed opinions? 

QSC and Carvin both seem to offer some nice amps for the money.

Crown of course has nice amps, but they are higher up the money scale. 

What do you guys think? What's your experiences both good and bad? Thanks as always!

Zach


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## Boostedrex (Apr 4, 2007)

Nobody has any input? Chad?? HELP!


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

You have a price range and a power output in mind?


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## Boostedrex (Apr 4, 2007)

$300-$500 and no less than 400 watts at 8 ohms. It can be a mono amp or bridged 2 channel. 

It doesn't have to be the best of the best out today, but I want it to be solid, of good quality, and reliable. Will be receiving it's signal from a Tech21 Sansamp RBI. This will be powering my new bass guitar rig that I'm currently building. (3 way passive cabinet)


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

XTi 1000?

XTi Series


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## Rybaudio (May 23, 2008)

I've used many (~15) of the Behringer EP2500s and have yet to see a single one bite the dust. 8 ohms bridged will be a light load on the amp and it can do over 1kw into that load. At $300 you're not going to find more power/$. The downfalls of the amp are:

- bad behavior at limits (pops and clicks if pushed into clipping- solved by using an upstream limiter or not pushing it)
- loud fan (probably not a problem with a bass guitar amp)
- the "low cut" filter puts is a very high Q highpass (12 dB peak in the one I tested) ... just don't use it


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

the CE series except for the CE4000 SUCK BAD, do not do it.

NO CE1000 or CE2000!


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

K2 is a great amp, GREAT track record in the repair department... as in I don't see them 

And we sold a ****LOAD of them around here.


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## Rybaudio (May 23, 2008)

chad said:


> the CE series except for the CE4000 SUCK BAD, do not do it.
> 
> NO CE1000 or CE2000!


What kind of problems have you seen with these amps? I used to have a CE1000- no reliability problems and it did about 1.4kw (4 ohm bridged). That is my (limited) experience with these amps.


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## Diru (May 23, 2006)

K2 :thumbsup:<multi used in a home theater, way too loud. Clean yes.>

Mackie 1400i or 2600i used.<above behringer>

Behringer is neat cheap new power.<installed many no fails>


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Rybaudio said:


> What kind of problems have you seen with these amps? I used to have a CE1000- no reliability problems and it did about 1.4kw (4 ohm bridged). That is my (limited) experience with these amps.


They ****ing blow up ALL THE TIME, so bad in fact that crown was having the service centers just do a board swap. They went thru a million revisions before they even got them stable enough to NOT BLOW UP ON THEIR OWN. 

Telltale signs of douchebaggery are things such as Surface Mount Emitter resistors, oh yeah, when those go it looks like someone with Parkinson disease drug a mig welder across the bottom of the chassis.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Diru said:


> K2 :thumbsup:<multi used in a home theater, way too loud. Clean yes.>
> 
> Mackie 1400i or 2600i used.<above behringer>
> 
> Behringer is neat cheap new power.<installed many no fails>


Mackies are plagued with the "dreaded mackie ribbon cable issue"


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## Boostedrex (Apr 4, 2007)

I was looking at the Behringer EP2500, QSC GX-5, and Crown XTi series. The Crown amps are considerably more expensive. I could see justifying the cost if critical listening was involved, but for a bass rig I'm not so sure.



chad said:


> Mackies are plagued with the "dreaded mackie ribbon cable issue"


I had just seen some Mackie amps too, but I know nothing about them. What is the "dreaded mackie ribbon cable issue" you're talking about Chad?

And thanks for all of the responses guys!


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

The reason I pushed the XTi is because crown holds it's value well, and later down the line you may want to move it to a different application.

Mackie uses ribbon cables in everything. These ribbon cables used connectors like computers used but they suddenly realized that withi a bit of environmental love the metal-to-metal connection that is the teeth to wire int eh connector "bite" can develop corrosion. This happens in computers too BUT a computer is tossing 1's and zeros, it's high or low, 5 volts or nothing. Well an amp or mixer is shoving millivolts down this thing and any break in continuity int he slightest will cause it to cut out, you can then "blow it open" with volume, the dreaded ribbon cable ********. I have replaced hundreds of ribbon cables in 1604's, 8 bus mixers and amplifiers. I used to order ribbon cable kits from Mackie in bulk.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Autiophile said:


> Do you need the processing that XTi has on board or do you just need power? That would determine my choice between the ep2500 and the xti.


Do you gig and would you have to carry the sucker around? That would determine the choice between the EP2500 and the XTi :mean::laugh::laugh:


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## Boostedrex (Apr 4, 2007)

I really wouldn't need the DSP in the Crown amp. But the small form factor makes it attractive. That's another reason I was looking at the GX series from QSC. Any experience/opinions on that one?

FWIW, I'm going to be using a Crown XTi2000 as my HT sub amp.  I made that choice a LONG time ago. It shouldn't have any problems pushing my HT sub.


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## Rybaudio (May 23, 2008)

A relevant link: Measuring Amplifiers - AVS Forum


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## lilmike (Jan 4, 2008)

Little more food for thought....

Behringer | EP2500 - 2-Channel Rackmount Power Amplifier

$269.95 shipped.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

The crown likely has a subsonic filter engaged for those tests. FWIW they do remarkably well in our screening room.


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