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looking for the PROPER POWER AMP

Goldburn94

Goldburn94

Guest
Jan 13, 2013
19
0
Buzzards Bay
fromthemakersof.bandcamp.com
#1
Excuse the caps, I'm just hoping it'll help this threads chances.

I've just perchased a Peavey Max preamp and I've been shopping for a 2x15 between 500 and 700 watts (Big Bertha Hartke215xl). Eventually I want to be having two cabs this style and I'm looking for the right power amp for this set up.

I've read so many power amp threads. Reading a few thinking I'm understanding all the impadance specs just to read a few other get confused again and so on, so I'd really appreciate any help.

Thanks in advance
 
#4
Reason: lots of power to weight ratio, lots of flexibility/features, and pretty cheap. The DSP is the biggest factor. You can high pass in the low end to protect your drivers from over excursion and low pass on the high end to make more effective use of power. There is also way more eq than most amps have built in.
 
#5
Crest Pro Lite or Peavey IPR2. They are essentially the same power amp. The Crest is slightly heavier due to its more rugged chassis and they have a few different components designed for harder use. Either one is a great unit, they have an input sensitivity that will work with almost any preamp, they're light, they're powerful, they're fairly inexpensive for wattage/money ratio.

Choose based on your wattage requirements. I have the ProLite 3.0 which is similar to the IPR2 3000. A lot of players here have the ProLite 2.0, IPR1600, or IPR2 2000.

Personally I skipped the DSP because I don't need it and would rather save the money.
 
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#8
Well, that depends. Is the cab rated at 400 watts RMS or Peak/Program/Music? Also, DSP will allow you to run more power safely and make more effective use of that power. That means that even with the same power rating, the Peavy could sound louder under normal use. This is one reason why all 500 watt amps don't sound the same.
 
#9
I am going to suggest the classic 2-channel lead sled. Because they weight ~45 lbs, the CA6 and CA9 can be found used for good prices on evil bay. They last forever, have no frills, tons of damping factor, and oceans of clean uncolored power. Each channel can handle 2, 4, and 8 ohm loads, and they are bridgeable to 4 or 8 ohms.
 

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#10
Goldburn94 said:
The crest prolite 2.0 does 540 watts at 4 ohms stereo. This would be okay through the 400 watt hartke? What would give me more head room and what would allow clipping? I think I'll skip on the DSP all I want is some clean power and a switch
Click to expand...

You want a Crest CA series. :thumbsup:
 
#12
Most power amps can be quite proper.

If you're looking at two cabs in the 500 to 700w range, there's no reason you need to get something HUGE. I'd be looking at things in the 500w per side at whatever impedance your cabs show it.

I wouldn't worry about DSP unless you know what it does and why you would want it.
 
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#13
I use a QSC RMX 1450 with my Max. You can set 30 or 50Hz high pass filters on the inputs to both amp channels. I run my Max bi-amped; sending the full range output into one Neo-115 and the low range output (240Hz and below) into another. I like it. I just wish it weighed a bit less.
 
#15
Ugh! ;)

I was more curious about what loads the OP was concerned about using it with, and what made one amp proper and another improper (or otherwise).
 
#16
When it comes to a power amp for bass, the most important things I look at are input senativity, frequency range, built in HPF, RMS/AES/FTC/Peak power, dampening factor, and until my mind was changed very recently, a big toroidal power transformer to bring Da Slam.

And table manners.
 
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#18
cfsporn said:
When it comes to a power amp for bass, the most important things I look at are input senativity, frequency range, built in HPF, RMS/AES/FTC/Peak power, dampening factor, and until my mind was changed very recently, a big toroidal power transformer to bring Da Slam.

And table manners.
Click to expand...

May I ask what made you change your mind on the transformers?
 

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