[WireNut]

Pro amp for bass.
What are your opinions of using a pro amp for bass only (20 hz to-200hz) in a hi-end bi-amp system.

[andy_c]

Pro amps can be a good choice for subwoofer applications, as you typically get a lot of power for the money spent. The downside with most pro amps is noisy fans. One popular pro amp for subwoofer use is the Crown XLS series (1000, 1500, 2000, 2500), which are class D. These have a variable-speed fan which is off for normal operation and only kicks in when the amp is required to put out high continuous power. They're completely silent in normal operation. They also have RCA input in addition to the usual XLR, making them a bit easier to interface to typical home audio systems. I think Crown was looking to grab some of the home theater market with this series of amps.

[Russtafarian]

I use this Carvin HD1500 to drive my subwoofers.  http://www.carvinguitars.com/products/HD1500

It does 700 watts per channel into 2 ohms for less that $350 delivered.  One channel drives two 4 ohm 15" Avalanche drivers in sealed cabinets.  The other channel drives four 8 ohm 8" Velodyne passive subs scattered around the room to "swarm" load the room. 

The fan was noisy so I disconnected it.  With the way I use my system, the amp runs cool without it. 

Russ

[DS-21]

Pro amp for bass.
What are your opinions of using a pro amp for bass only (20 hz to-200hz) in a hi-end bi-amp system.

As long as you get the gain structure right, find one that looks nice, and can deal with fan noise, why not?

[dm]

I have been happy with my crown xls 1000 (and I now have a XLS1500 as well):

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1295375/review-crown-new-drivecore-xls-1000-class-d-pro-amp

[Speedskater]

AS "DS-21" pointed out "gain structure" differences between pro and hi-fi equipment can sometimes be a problem.

[mjosef]

I use a Crown XTi 1002 powering twin 8" bass drivers on my VMPS RM1, 500W @ 4ohms, below 250Hz.


DSP with 50 presets, 49 user definable. With 2 separate 8-band EQ, XO, etc. plus a DSP bypass mode.
http://www.crownaudio.com/xti-2-series.html

Only drawback is the fan, when pushed fan noise is audible during quiet music passages, just barely but audible nonetheless. I will sub in a quiet(er) fan once I pass 1 year ownership.

[JohnR]

i have a QSC PLX that always "just works" and never complains about any load that you give it. One of those enduring bargains. At night, for quiet listening, the fan noise can become an issue, even though I replaced the fan with a lo-flo version.

I also have a fanless Behringer A-500, but would not buy another.

[poseidonsvoice]

I use a Samson SX2800, which I bought used from a very kind member here, puts out 700 watts into 8 ohms. It has a fan that was replaced with a low noise unit, but I have it in a separate equipment room. I can't hear the unit when I am in the main room, but it is clearly audible in the equipment room. I will probably replace it with a Hypex UCD 400 or 700 in the future as they are Class D and silent, but for now, it's doing it's job well and will easily resell...



Samson SX-2800


Best,

Anand.

[DS-21]

FWIW, I did a survey of commercial ("home" and "pro") subwoofer amps here: http://seriousaudioblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-survey-power-amplifiers-to-drive.html

The ElectroVoice CPS-8.5, while expensive, is my personal choice, because it can drive up to 8 subs, has a 12V trigger that's compatible when standard home A/V kit, and only takes up 2RU.

The Phoenix connectors may be annoying...unless you're using it with a balanced miniDSP unit, in which case they're great because one doesn't need any terminations. I've never tried it with a controller other than the miniDSP 8x8, so I don't know if it has interfacing issues.

I'm not brave enough to replace the fans (there are two) in a $3500 amp, but they're really only audible when the system's on and the amp has been idling for a while. They're louder when the amp's not being used than when it is!

[jackman]

I have a Crown K1 handling bass duties in my system and it works very well.  Runs ice cold, even at high levels, and has more power than I can ever use in a home system.  It is built like a tank and has no fan, and you can usually find them on the used market for under $400.  It has XLR connections and works nicely with the DCX.

[FullRangeMan]

Bryston is a Pro amp also, looks great for bass, even a used one due the 20 years warranty.