Pro-Audio Power Amps for Home Audio?

[electronjohn]

Pro amps really deliver bang for the buck. I have a pair of Nady amps in my DJ rig...125WPC...one cost me 99 bucks, and I liked it so much I bought another on sale for 89! Admittedly ultra-cheap...but they seem to be well-built and I've yet to toast one.

 

[virak]

My current livingroom set-up: Technics SL-120Mk2 > Tandberg TCA 4038 > Yamaha PC2602 > Pioneer HPM-100's

I just installed the Yamaha (260wpc), and it simply wipes the floor with both the Audiolab 8000P (100wpc) and the Accuphase E-202 (130wpc, but not recapped, though) I've recently used there. Everything sounds so much more cleaner, effortless and defined, espescially the bass. A bit scary, though, as I didn't realise how loud I was actually playing, before a friend came into the room and started talking to me. "WHAT?"

Too bad Yamaha didn't make pro versions of their preamps, too!

For instance, power requirements for large "pro" amplifiers can exceed the safe capacity of a home electrical circuit, especially older homes. Now, I realize that there are also some "home" amplifiers that require dedicated circuits as well, but I think the point is valid.

You have a point, I've got an Accuphase Pro-5, and the inrush on start up turns off the 16A fuse in my apartement.
That thing is a monster! I've got no such problems with the Yammie, eventhough their rated output is about the same (250/260wpc at 8 Ohms). But it sounds like the Accuphase is very conservatively rated.

 

[virak]

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[thebisch]

Speakeing of pro amps, does anyone have any input about ABI amps?

 

[Jon_Logan]

.....not AB Systems? AB Systems were good in my experience. I don't know about ABI

 

[whoaru99]

You have a point, I've got an Accuphase Pro-5, and the inrush on start up turns off the 16A fuse in my apartement.
That thing is a monster! I've got no such problems with the Yammie, eventhough their rated output is about the same (250/260wpc at 8 Ohms). But it sounds like the Accuphase is very conservatively rated.

Most "big gun" pro amps and even some larger home amps have inrush current limiting to prevent tripping the breaker on power-up.

 

[mulester7]

Most "big gun" pro amps and even some larger home amps have inrush current limiting to prevent tripping the breaker on power-up.

.....I don't think those amps adapted "wide-open," for current flow, would affect the breaker at all, if they had a couple of KILLER power conditioners Ready to "fuel-inject" thousands of CLEAN watts into amplifiers.....

.....these power conditioners that weigh 15-18 pounds soakin' wet, I just dont know about that....Richard Gray Power Company stuff is heavy, from what appears to be two large 30-32 lb coils inside which I believe are called chokes?, (Arkinsaw)....anyhow, the two coils/chokes are rated to produce and hold-ready 6000 watts apiece, for a total of 12,000 watts per unit....that's one of the 1200 units.....

.....prices for Richard Gray stuff are more than I wanted to pay, trust me....I watched Audiogon.com for a 1200 C or S model, didn't care, just knew I wanted at least one C model among the three....got two S models and one C model for just under "half" of what they would have cost new....you want the C model last, to plug components into....it's chokes/coils are wired in parallel, and I felt the wording used while listening/talking to a rep at the factory implied the 12 outlets on the back of a C model were more balanced as you move away from the middle, I don't know that for sure, but he implied it.....

.....the improvement in the sound quality you get from ONE RGPC 1200 was astonishing to me as I sat there dumbfounded....the first listening session showed the low end honestly sounded like my amps had tripled in watts.....it was like the same stuff I had been listening to, suddenly came to life much more, by more defined and crisper spots of localization, with air spots increasing in size....how much more did the overall sound quality come alive?....I don't know, you'll have to tell me how to measure that.....

.....Richard Gray won't send me a penny over this post, and that's fine....we're talking about power amps and their needs for drawing current, which are best served, imo, from just sipping from a DEEP pool.....

 

[whoaru99]

Mine work fine on dedicated 20A circuits. A breaker will allow several times its rated current to pass without tripping for short durations. That's why you can get some pretty hellacious peak output without having a bunch of high current circuits.

Now, if one is running test tones that require high continuous power, then yeah...break out the 30A and 50A circuits.

If a person is going to run a big amp, you have to be sure the beast is adequately fed, or output suffers. Again, not much of a factor for typical everyday use, but if you drive full, high power, line voltage sag can dramatically reduce power output of a big amp. And, not all react the same. Amps like my Crown CE4000s that have PFC and SMPS hold virtually full output with line sags all the way down to ~97 volts. Very few other amps will do that.

 

[Elliot Thompson]

I bet I never run them past 60 or 70 watts.

I meant abuse of moving them around.

I have two. One powers L-100's and the other HPM-100's. In one system.

As far as purchasing them, I did not. They were free.

I would rather run these for parties than some of my consumer gear that I have collected.:yes:

I didn't say there are NO consumer amps with the features of the Crowns, just typical amps.

I am sure you know more about Crown amp than me, as I only have had these two. But, they are great sounding and seem to be very reliable.

Rob

I thought you were referring to loading the amplifier with a lot of speakers and driving it.

I actually had a Crown Macrotech 2400 fall out of a moving van taking a sharp turn around 12 years ago. Other than a piece of the rack ears breaking off and, a dent from the impact due to bouncing on the pavement, the amplifier worked fine. :thmbsp:

Best Regards,

 

[mulester7]

.....WhoArU, I'm not surprised to see you're on top of your situation.....I use a single 40A dedicated circuit to run my whole system with the power conditioners daisy-chained first at cabinet level....no matter how loud it gets, there is no bottoming out with the low end, and I'm pushing 18 seperate amp sections.....

 

[SkyLounger]

I use a Crown D150A coupled to a Marantz 3600 to drive a pair of CW D-9s and couldn't be happier when it's time to rock...

 

[Scott W]

I use a Yamaha P2500S(250@8 310@4) to drive a pair of Magnepan SMGA's,the amp never gets hot and I have yet to hear the fan.this amp also has a high & low cut filter,I'm not sure if it makes a difference but I use this feature to cut off anything below 50hz since that is the low end on the maggies.IMHO $448 w/tax was a good deal and I'll be buying another when I can afford it.I don't have the technical expertise of many of the other members around here but my ears tell me this is a great combination.:thmbsp: