QSC MX3000a POWER AMPLIFIER VS. CROWN REFERENCE I STUDIO POWER AMPLIFIER

[BRANDONH]

I will be using it for home audio.
I just could not find any reviews on the MX3000a but it had the power rating I was looking for and lower price.
I have custom made pro sound speakers and I want more head room than I have now.
I am using a ATI AT15004 bridged to 450 watts per channel and It does a good job but my speakers are large and power hungry. I went to Crown and read up on the K-2 but it is only 50 watts per channel more than I have now. You have helped me to confirm that the Crown Reference I is the way I should go. I have read many reviews on the Reference One and all but one were good. (one guy said that is should be used in the stuidio only and not home) and some stated that it was a bit bright sounding but tamed down after burn in and the fan was somewhat noisy but did not come on until it was under heavy a load. And they said that it requires a special wall plug with seperate 30amp wiring and not to use the adapter it comes with.
I have a very discriminating ear so I will have to save up more money and go with the reference series after all.
Thanks for your help if you have anything to add please do.
Have a great weekend.

p.s. Considering the ATI amp I already have and since the MX3000a is THX certified would it be better than what I have now or should I just forget about the MX altogether?
Brandon

[pelly3s]

forget the MX in general. Another option out there is the Crown I-tech 4000 which is 2000 watts a side in 4 ohm stereo. It sounds great too. I got the pleasure of trying one out. What drivers do your speakers have and is biamping an option. I don't see why a K2 won't be enough power I run 2 18" JBL's NDYM subs off of one and I never have a power issue. Hell for the price of the Reference 1 you can get two K2's and run each in bridge mono for 2500 watts at 4 ohms.

[BRANDONH]

I just had new custom pro sound passive crossovers made so biamping is not an option.
Crossovers by Vertek/Xtc http://www.vertekxtc.com/
I am running per channel 1 x 15' Dayton pro with 4" voice coil as woofer
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshow...=295-080&DID=7
1 x 15" Fane axiom AX.15.300B 300W 40Hz-6.5kHz 100dB Ferrite 84oz. 3" voice coil guitar speaker as a midrange: http://www.fane-acoustics.com/public...ducts2/ax1.htm
and 1 SELENIUM D210TI 1" TITANIUM COMPRESSION DRIVER as tweeter mounted in 14" x 7" horn lens http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshow...=264-235&DID=7
I think that running 2 of the Crown K series amps bridged mono is a GREAT IDEA.
If you think I can go with two of the K-1 amps bridged mono 8 ohms @ 1,100W then that is the way I'll go, and I'll still have plenty of power and save a great deal of money.
You have been most helpful Plly3s and your assistance is greatly appreciated.
Kindest regrads
Brandon

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Brandonh,

I would be EXTREMLY reticent about using pro amps in a home environment. These amps(which sounds pretty good in clubs, open venues, and in mixing studios) does not have the same imaging capabilities, low noise floor, ability to reveal detail as amps for home use. If you are looking for nothing more than power, then this may be the way to go. If you are looking for power with finesse, look into Cinepro, or used Cal audio labs amps. I have used both at my studio and my hometheater at home, and I assure you they have all the power you need, with the finesse of a audiophile grade product.

[pelly3s]

Sir Terrence the Terrible, to go against what you said the Pass Labs is considered a pro audio amp and is one the greatest amps on the market. I would also put the crown k2 against most audiophile amps along with the reference 1 and reference 2. you would be suprised at the quality. another thing is most new pro amps come THX certified too. just go to www.crownaudio.com and look at the spec sheets. they are impressive, and go to an audio shop who sells crown and take a listen to them or see if you can get them for audition. even check the specs on their d series amps and i tech amps. all have been reviewed by both professional and home magazines and all have rated them extremely high

[E-Stat]

...the Pass Labs is considered a pro audio amp and is one the greatest amps on the market.

Great amps, yes, but how many 175 pound 200 watt class A mono power amps are used in sound reinforcement?

rw

[BRANDONH]

Now I am confused
I am not as technical as most of y'all are and have no idea what a noise floor is.
Is there a laymans term for this? And what effect it has on the overall sound reproduction?

[pelly3s]

Great amps, yes, but how many 175 pound 200 watt class A mono power amps are used in sound reinforcement?

rw

pro doesn't always mean live reinforcement, in the pro category you have to look at studio amps and many others which pro audio review just recently did a test of a Pass Labs against a Chord. I will say I would put the K2 into the same class as both of them too. it sounded better on the low end of a pair of Dynaudio M4+'s than the Pass or the Chord. The K2 is probably the most underrated peice of gear in the world. noone sees that is it not only a powerful low draw amp but it is also in the ranks as one of the most transparent amps in the industry

[FLZapped]

These amps(which sounds pretty good in clubs, open venues, and in mixing studios) does not have the same imaging capabilities, low noise floor, ability to reveal detail as amps for home use.

Simply not true.

To begin with, imaging and revalation of detail have no basis in fact.

From the Crown website for the Microtech MT1200:

Noise Floor: 20 Hz to 20 kHz: Better than 100 dB below full bandwidth power.

This is unweighted, making the absolute broadband noise power around 0.03uW(Full power is 295 watts into 8 ohms). Now do you really think this will result in something above the noise floor of your listening room at your listening position?

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): Less than 0.05% at full bandwidth power from 20 Hz to 1kHz increasing linearly to 0.1% at 20 kHz.

Intermodulation Distortion (IMD): (60 Hz and 7 kHz at 4:1) Less than 0.05% from 163 milliwatts to full bandwidth power.

Damping Factor: Better than 1,000 from 10Hz to 400 Hz.

Common Mode Rejection (CMR): At rated full bandwidth power, better than 70 dB from 20 Hz to 1 kHz falling linearly to better than 50 dB at 20 kHz.

Perfectly respectable numbers.

The only real concern is that most pro type amps use fans and thier noise could be a problem. The Crown K Series(and similar) do not use fans eliminating that concern.

-Bruce