Power amp in the 500/ch into 8 contenders...

[4Mal]

My stable currently includes an RMX 850 and GX3. I'm donating those to the PA. I see no advaltage to running stereo in this market and the venues I play. So I'm thinking one 500 w/ch into 8 ohm amp using 1 side for the tops and 1 for the bottom. I already have a racked dbx crossover so DSP isn't a big deal - it isn't a bad deal either though... I do plan on a Driverack or similar at some point.

For me the factors in order are

1. Reliabilty
2. Sound Quality
3. Weight

Weight isn't a small deal but I wouldn't reliability to get there ...

So QSC, Crown, Carvin ? who else ?

BTW - If you're looking to down shift into a smaller amp and don't mind the weight... hit me up.

[BartmanPDX]

Hi Mal!

I have a QSC PLX1804 that is on semi-permanent loan to my band and is used for driving the monitors. I was going to pair it with the Brunetti, but I ended up just using the Shuttle instead for bass.

Very solidly made, tons of power, and it's pretty doggone light at 13 lbs. It's been completely reliable for us gigging regularly. Also, it's shallow depth, which allows the use of a shallow rack which can save weight and hassle in loading/setup. Sometimes you'll see them for sale cheap used.

As far as well-made power amps, I've never heard an appreciable difference in sound quality between various models (except for tubes vs. SS).

Just my $.02

[johnk_10]

i dig my Crown xti2000's quite a bit. they're 475 watts@8 ohms per channel. IMO, they have alot of flexibility with the DSP section (limiters/XO's/EQ etc) and weigh 18.5lbs. not a true featherweight, but they are on the lighter side. i have three of them and they've been extremely reliable. i bought them brand new for $399 each, shipped, about 6-7 months ago, so for me, i thought they were a bargain.

[4Mal]

Based on what I see for XTI-2000's that's pretty much a steal ...