First IPR1600 runs stereo 8 ohm mains (occasionally four mains for 4 ohms per channel).
Second IPR1600 runs two 8 ohm subs on one channel, 2.667 ohms worth of monitors on the other (2 8 ohm and 2 16 ohm spots).
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Peavey IPR Users - How is this amp working out?
- Thread starter Jim C
- Start date
First IPR1600 runs stereo 8 ohm mains (occasionally four mains for 4 ohms per channel).
Second IPR1600 runs two 8 ohm subs on one channel, 2.667 ohms worth of monitors on the other (2 8 ohm and 2 16 ohm spots).
I got a 3000 used here on TB a couple months ago. Overall it's pretty good. I love the weight. Lately I've been running my LDS 15/6 and an old Fender BXR115 on one side and a miced kick drum into a GK115 on the other for practices(very loud drummer that plays so loud on the kick to match the rest of his kit he slows down in some of the double kick sections).
It does seem to have an intermittent issue that I can't figure out. Sometimes it powers up but no sound comes out. Another time I was letting some other bands use my rig for a show, I was out in the club and the second band was getting ready to play. So I went to the stage to make sure the bassist could figure out the rig, and the power button was in but the lights were off and nobody was home. he had just got up there so I'm pretty sure he didn't do anything to mess with it. Anyway, I turned it off, unplugged it for a few seconds and plugged back in and it came on.
I would like to love this rig but this issue has me on edge when we do shows because I don't really want to carry a backup.
Feel free to make suggestions.
It does seem to have an intermittent issue that I can't figure out. Sometimes it powers up but no sound comes out. Another time I was letting some other bands use my rig for a show, I was out in the club and the second band was getting ready to play. So I went to the stage to make sure the bassist could figure out the rig, and the power button was in but the lights were off and nobody was home. he had just got up there so I'm pretty sure he didn't do anything to mess with it. Anyway, I turned it off, unplugged it for a few seconds and plugged back in and it came on.
I would like to love this rig but this issue has me on edge when we do shows because I don't really want to carry a backup.
Feel free to make suggestions.
pablomigraine
Commercial User
I take a lot of heat from a few folks for my opinions on the IPR series. Here's my take;
When this series debuted I was working for Daddy's Junky Music as the Pro-Audio manager and later store manager. There were tons of pre-orders for these, and not unrelated to my pumping them ahead of time to a lot of my club and DJ customers.... the published specs looked great, and at those prices, as long as they somewhat delivered they were a steal.
After being on the street for about a month we started to get some returns. Then a lot of them. Then after a while almost the entire first allocation we got had come back with unhappy customers complaining about things like thermal shutdown, unexplained shutdown, extremely anemic low-end, overall low output with respect to published specs and distortion. We called the Peavey rep and asked if they were going to recall them and he said no. The just replaced each returned amp with another bad one. I stopped recommending them and we effectively stopped selling them.
Years later, at Guitar Center, we had a huge switching panel set up where a customer could run a track or instrument through the mixing board and switch out all the different amps on offer through the same speakers. This was just last year. We directly compared the new Crown XTI1002 and the IPR1600 both making roughly 500w per side at 4ohms. The IPR clipped out much earlier and sounded overly midrangey... meaning it wasn't effectively sending enough power to accurately reproduce the very power hungry low-frequencies. The Crown did not flinch right up to it's limit, and everyone in the room agreed (several highly experienced sound guys) that the Crown felt like a much stronger amp. Same with the QSC's at similar wattage. Many many other people have claimed to have had the same experience. Everyone with any real basis for comparison that I know feels that the IPRs are fine as long as you only actually need 50%-60% of the power they're claiming.
Now, if your using the IPR3000 and not coming anywhere near stressing the amp and using it at a very low level with respect to it's published specs, then you'll be fine. You'd also get the same results from a quality amp rated at half the wattage of the IPR. In other words, if youre using this amp in a scenario where it's not breaking a sweat at all, you'll be fine. If you try to use the IPR3000 like a normal 3000w amp from Crown or QSC, you're going to be sorely disappointed. That's my experience.
There are a few folks who really love this amp... to the point they will attack anyone who denigrates them. I dont really understand this way of doing things, but hey to each his own. I've used probably better than a dozen power amps in the application of a live bass rig and probably dozens more in the FOH capacity. IME, the Peavey IPR series will perform just fine at around half its rated wattage... beyond that you'll want a better amp.
IME, IMO, YMMV all apply.
When this series debuted I was working for Daddy's Junky Music as the Pro-Audio manager and later store manager. There were tons of pre-orders for these, and not unrelated to my pumping them ahead of time to a lot of my club and DJ customers.... the published specs looked great, and at those prices, as long as they somewhat delivered they were a steal.
After being on the street for about a month we started to get some returns. Then a lot of them. Then after a while almost the entire first allocation we got had come back with unhappy customers complaining about things like thermal shutdown, unexplained shutdown, extremely anemic low-end, overall low output with respect to published specs and distortion. We called the Peavey rep and asked if they were going to recall them and he said no. The just replaced each returned amp with another bad one. I stopped recommending them and we effectively stopped selling them.
Years later, at Guitar Center, we had a huge switching panel set up where a customer could run a track or instrument through the mixing board and switch out all the different amps on offer through the same speakers. This was just last year. We directly compared the new Crown XTI1002 and the IPR1600 both making roughly 500w per side at 4ohms. The IPR clipped out much earlier and sounded overly midrangey... meaning it wasn't effectively sending enough power to accurately reproduce the very power hungry low-frequencies. The Crown did not flinch right up to it's limit, and everyone in the room agreed (several highly experienced sound guys) that the Crown felt like a much stronger amp. Same with the QSC's at similar wattage. Many many other people have claimed to have had the same experience. Everyone with any real basis for comparison that I know feels that the IPRs are fine as long as you only actually need 50%-60% of the power they're claiming.
Now, if your using the IPR3000 and not coming anywhere near stressing the amp and using it at a very low level with respect to it's published specs, then you'll be fine. You'd also get the same results from a quality amp rated at half the wattage of the IPR. In other words, if youre using this amp in a scenario where it's not breaking a sweat at all, you'll be fine. If you try to use the IPR3000 like a normal 3000w amp from Crown or QSC, you're going to be sorely disappointed. That's my experience.
There are a few folks who really love this amp... to the point they will attack anyone who denigrates them. I dont really understand this way of doing things, but hey to each his own. I've used probably better than a dozen power amps in the application of a live bass rig and probably dozens more in the FOH capacity. IME, the Peavey IPR series will perform just fine at around half its rated wattage... beyond that you'll want a better amp.
IME, IMO, YMMV all apply.
We need more of this on TB. A wide swath of experience with a product from a knowledgeable person. Thank you Mr. Migraine.
Now I just hope my IPR1600 will perform adequately in my small-ish PA.
BTW, did you have the same negative experience with newer lightweight Crown poweramps?
pablomigraine
Commercial User
I will say this about the Crowns. They are NOT what they used to be. The Crown K1 and Power Base and CE series were unstoppable MONSTERS. Pure muscle. I would compare the XLS series to the Peavey IPR and to me, the Crown XLS only just edges out the Peavey. They're both entry-level, ultrabudget power amps. The XTI2 series is a LOT better than the XLS, and absolutely the leaders in their price ranges. The XTI1002 and 2002 I own personally both SLAM, but I will say that the 1002 does seem to clip a little earlier than it should when running Bridge / Mono.... but only compared to the older backbreaker CE Series rated at the same wattage. It seems to me that Crown's product line is missing something....There is nothing out there for someone who wants a high-quality, feature packed 2-step Class-H amo until you get WAAAYYY up in price with the Macro-Tech I series and I-tech series... which are freaking 4-alarm tactical ballistic missles of an amp... the Macro-Techs are a favorite of Clair Bros and other very large touring companies. But there's nothing on offer between those at $2500 and up and the XTI series at $500 and up. They need a bridgable, SMPS Class H or Class AB amp that does 2000w+ in the $750 - $1500 range...
For me, the jury is still out on QSC. I never cared for the original PLX series. I cannot say just what I didn't dig about them for electric bass and subs. They were fine for mains. I actually have some new PLX amps on the way to try out shortly, so we'll see. Currently, they have a very well thought-out product range... The GX series are very stout, very sturdy amps for low-power needs and currently the only NON-CLASS-D amps on offer from the big 4 in the $300 - $800 range. Great great amps for small mains and stage monitors. The new PLXs I will have an opinion on next week. I'm most intrigued by the "02" amps in the PLX series because they are the only other amps besides Carvin that I am aware of that are true Class A/B amplifiers using SMPS. The RMX hasn't changed in like 10 years and rightly so... they kick butt if you dont mind a 45-65lb amp. The QSC stuff overall is VEEERYY expensive compared to other brands offering similar specs.... but on the other hand ALL QSC products are made in their California factory, nothing is made overseas.
For my money.... its Crown XTI, or Carvin DCM-L.
YMMV.
- Jan 17, 2002
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- I paid for all my gear myself. Well, me and MasterCard.
Not quite. I bought an RMX 1850HD some 10 years ago when that model first came out, and it was very definitely made in China. (Great amp but heavy, that's why I no longer have it.) The RMX series was QSC's first line not manufactured in the US IIRC.
Curiously, QSC's photos of the GX series rear panel don't show a country of origin. The RMX photo shows "Made in China" and the PLX2 "Made in USA".
IPR did well for a 4 hour practice. Just running the mains, no subs. Good sound, no issues.
Question though. I usually run a mono board. I send the out to the poweramp & run parallel mode to push both sides with just the one input.
Not possible to run parallel with the IPR? I have to get a Y cable? Could I just use a small patch cable from the A channel passthrough 1/4" into the B channel?
Question though. I usually run a mono board. I send the out to the poweramp & run parallel mode to push both sides with just the one input.
Not possible to run parallel with the IPR? I have to get a Y cable? Could I just use a small patch cable from the A channel passthrough 1/4" into the B channel?
That's exactly what you do. Works like a Y without the loading issues a Y cable may cause.
Glad the amp is working out for you.
If you are sending a balanced line from the mixer to the amp, you'll want to use a balanced TRS patch cord. Otherwise you'll lose 6dB of signal.
Cool, I have a bunch of these monoprice TRS, they say they are balanced
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I'll use these in the passthrough & see what I come up with.
Great little amp though.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
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- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
Yep. Like WCriley, I do the same thing. I run my bass rig as a mono setup, with a TRS between the Channel A send to the Channel B input. Works fine. I also have a bridging cable that I use and that also works fine...set up the input the same way then run a bridging Y cable (as described by Peavey's folks) to your cabs.
- Mar 8, 2011
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- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
Hate to say it, but I got one and returned it a couple days later...super light, sounded amazing, but couldn't keep it from going into protect mode and shutting down when I'd slam a hard note into it...bummer because I thought it sounded wonderful.
I know it is a bit late but I had this on mine. It was a faulty mains lead (cord) that was making enough contact to light the standby lights but not enough to allow it to power up. I changed the mains lead for a new one and no trouble since.
I have been using mine (IPR1600) for nearly a year now and am very happy with it.
- Mar 8, 2011
- 12,232
- 51,187
- Disclosures
- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
