Crown XLS1000 versus XLS1500 DriveCore Power amp

audiomitch · #1 02-19-2011, 03:02 PM

So I've decided to go modular. Right now I'm using a Tech21 VT Bass pedal going straight in to the power amp input of an old Ampeg B2R head and SVT410HLF cab.

My new new rig may consist of the VT pedal going in to a Crown XLS Drivecore power amp and adding my GK 212 and 115 Neo cabs to the Ampeg 410. That would be 3 cabs total, and 4 ohms per side on the power amp. But the real beauty of it is that the Crown should be powerful enough to drive the 8 ohm GK 212 Neo by itself at a decent volume. That would make transporting much easier for smaller situations.

My question:

There are threads here that people saying they "should" have bought the Crown XLS1500 instead of the XLS1000. In 8 ohm bridged mono, the XLS1500 has 1050 watts, the XLS1000 has 700 watts. I think my GK 212 Neo is rated at 600 watts.

Has anybody actually upgraded from the XLS1000 to the XLS1500 and been happy? Did you notice much of a difference? Would you do it over again? Or should I just go with the XLS1000?

Thanks

audiomitch · #2 02-21-2011, 11:46 AM

Well, nobody seemed to have much of an opinion about this, so I went ahead and ordered the XLS1000. 700 watts at 8ohms or 1100 watts at 4 ohms certainly sounds like plenty of headroom to me.

Wes Whitmore · #3 02-21-2011, 12:51 PM

Buy the most power you can afford to spend...

thudfromafar · #4 02-21-2011, 12:55 PM

Dude, i think you have plenty of watts.

**BFunk** · #5 02-19-2012, 10:24 PM

Don't get fooled by the number of watts. Doubling the power only increases SPL by about 3dB. Most folks would not notice the difference in max volume. So there is not a lot of difference in the output level. You will get about 1.5dB of headroom from the xls1500. I would still choose the 1500 over the 1000. The main reason is the SNR of the 1500 is 6dB quieter, 103 vs. 97. That is significant. I assume the 1500 has better filters on the power supply.

**BFunk** · #6 02-19-2012, 10:26 PM

oops!! I thought this post was from 2012!! My bad.

Son of Bovril · #7 02-20-2012, 12:30 AM

hehe well seeing as u rez'd it, I have the XLS1500 and haven't wanted for volume or headroom with it yet, maybe the 1000 would have done the job fine but there really is no downside to going for the 1500 instead...

amimbari · #8 02-20-2012, 12:58 PM

I looked online and everywhere the XLS1500 was ~400 bucks, so I bought one from an audio liquidation seller selling them for 278+shipping =300. He had 37 available at the time and sold them all in 2 weeks. Brand new sealed in the plastics. When I called Harmon to register it, they said the serial was NOT pre-used or stolen...lol

I had a 1000 for a week as a demo and it was nice, but from the reviews here and other places, the 1500 was the better unit and at the 1000's pricepoint I snagged one up.