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Crest CA-9 vs. QSC PLX2502 (PLX2 Series)

Which power amp?

  • Total voters
    92
#142
I just want someone to prove to me that a quality lightweight power amp such as the PLX2502 or Stewart 2.1 will give me the same real world results that the CA-9 will so I don't have to carry that beast around anymore. But I guess the only way that is going to happen is if I just get these amps and A/B them myself on the gig. :(
 
#145
pickles said:
I'd really like to learn the technical details and see scientific evidence.

Books, links, anything?

And if you were there, can't you just set me strait? Teach us something instead of telling us something.
Click to expand...

Not that I know anything, but here's an interesting book and sample chapter:
http://books.google.com/books?id=Lo...77US231&sa=X&oi=print&ct=result&cd=1#PPA15,M1

My personal opinion is that today's measuring equipment is far beyond what our ears are capable of hearing. I'm all for third party bench testing. They keep the manufacturers honest, but I highly doubt we can hear what measured differences are with today's amps. (from the top manufacturers). And if I think I hear a difference, then a very little EQ can make up the difference. My ears being inconsistent, the rooms, speaker placement, mood for the day, all affect this more than any power amp.
 
#146
Bob Lee (QSC) said:
Good on you for now wanting technical knowledge. I've been trying to teach all through this thread and in others.

Contact Bink about the bench tests. He's the one who borrowed the Audio Precision set, loaded the test procedures, and ran them on the dozens of different power amps.
Click to expand...

I've learned quite a bit from this thread although 90% of the info is waaaay over my head. With that in mind, I think I'm gonna buy a HeathKit. Are they still in business?

Riis
 
#147
Bob Lee (QSC) said:
Read through this thread and you'll find some good stuff to start with. I prefer not to re-type it or even copy and paste.
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I see lots of statements but no evidence or references to back them up:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/search.php?searchid=5126252

If you can't be bothered to provide evidence, I guess thats OK, but you'll have to understand that is why some people remain unconvinced.

Maybe you could write up a blog full of evidence and just paste in a link whenever these threads come up.
 
#148
pickles said:
I see lots of statements but no evidence or references to back them up:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/search.php?searchid=5126252

If you can't be bothered to provide evidence, I guess thats OK, but you'll have to understand that is why some people remain unconvinced.

Maybe you could write up a blog full of evidence and just paste in a link whenever these threads come up.
Click to expand...

You missed my posts in this thread, then. Look, and you'll find.

I don't have the time or ego for a blog.
 
#149
What Bob steadfastly refuses to say in plain speech is his testing has shown a QSC or Stewart can perform identically to a CA9 if you feed them a hotter input signal.

I haven't got a fixed belief on the subject myself, but I'm mentioning it since he and I went around and around about this last year.
 
#150
The biggest thing keeping me from getting a different lighter weight power amp is the consistancy in responses from those who have owned the CA-9 AS WELL as other power amps, and consitantly say that the CA-9 out performs them. The other consistant remarks is that there is a difference in sound, possibly negligable for some due to the weight savings, between the CA-9 and a lighter power amp. But what I haven't heard in consistancy that there is a light weight amp that is AS GOOD OR BETTER sounding than the CA-9. It is always something like "the Stewart 2.1 sounds almost as good as the CA-9, and weighs 30lbs less".... It consistantly seems to be a compromise.

Is this just mob mentality? What am I missing here?
 
#154
pickles said:
The link I posted was a collection of your posts in this thread.

Its a shame you don't have time to put forth proper documentation of the claims you make here.
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Then read them. You'll see discussion of tone, gain, human hearing, etc. It's a good starting point.

You can lead a horse to water, but …
 
#156
xgabriele said:
But I guess the only way that is going to happen is if I just get these amps and A/B them myself on the gig. :(
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There you go. That's what I ended up doing. All the data in the world isn't going to make a bit of difference if you prefer one amp to another based on what you hear. It may attempt to explain why certain amplifiers sound different or "better" to you, but it won't change the fact that they sound different or better to you.
 
#157
xgabriele said:
The biggest thing keeping me from getting a different lighter weight power amp is the consistancy in responses from those who have owned the CA-9 AS WELL as other power amps, and consitantly say that the CA-9 out performs them. The other consistant remarks is that there is a difference in sound, possibly negligable for some due to the weight savings, between the CA-9 and a lighter power amp. But what I haven't heard in consistancy that there is a light weight amp that is AS GOOD OR BETTER sounding than the CA-9. It is always something like "the Stewart 2.1 sounds almost as good as the CA-9, and weighs 30lbs less".... It consistantly seems to be a compromise.

Is this just mob mentality? What am I missing here?
Click to expand...

If you were to do a true blind test you could not tell the difference.
 
#158
tombowlus said:
I'll stick with 'knowing what works and sounds the best for me', thank you. ;) :D
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That's okay. But not everyone has the money and time to just try one of everything and hope that the settings just happen to be right for at least one of them. Many of us have to learn what does what so we can get it dialed in.
 
#159
Bob Lee (QSC) said:
Then read them. You'll see discussion of tone, gain, human hearing, etc. It's a good starting point.

You can lead a horse to water, but …
Click to expand...

I've read them all and you've said all the same things on countless other threads. I understand your claims. I bought a PLX based on those claims. Based on what I heard from that amp, I'm unable to take your word for it. However I accept that my ears may have been playing tricks on me, and would like to dive into the subject on a technical level. I have repeatedly asked for your help in that quest, and you've shined me on. Why?

You just keep saying the same thing but never give any evidence or references to back them up.
 
#160
bongomania said:
Playing "Bob's advocate" here ;), the common factor is that people use the same preamp with the same settings for both amps. Since the power amps have different sensitivities, the preamp output has to be adjusted in order to get "equal" results.
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This makes the most sense to me out of anything in this thread. So if I understand it correctly, it doesn't matter what power amp I use. I may have to adust the preamp output a bit up or down, but effectively once the output volume on the preamp has been dialed in correctly, the power amp shouldn't matter?
 

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