Best sounding “pro” Class-D amps

[Boomzilla]

If I recall right, DYohn (whose opinion I generally trust on stuff like this) recommended QSC and Crest. Andrew Robinson recommends Crown XLS products (I’ve owned several but wasn’t impressed). I’ve heard from a friend that Yamaha stuff sounds good (but I haven’t heard them myself).

What other pro Class-D amps have you heard that you recommend? I’m looking for LOTS of power, a cheap price, low fan noise, and MUCH better than average pro amp sound quality.

Boom

Postscriptum - I’m looking for 2-channel stereo amps only - NOT multichannel ones.

[DYohn]

Jun 4, 2022 11:22:09 GMT -5 Boomzilla said:

If I recall right, DYohn (whose opinion I generally trust on stuff like this) recommended QSC and Crest. Andrew Robinson recommends Crown XLS products (I’ve owned several but wasn’t impressed). I’ve heard from a friend that Yamaha stuff sounds good (but I haven’t heard them myself).

What other pro Class-D amps have you heard that you recommend? I’m looking for LOTS of power, a cheap price, low fan noise, and MUCH better than average pro amp sound quality.

Boom

Postscriptum - I’m looking for 2-channel stereo amps only - NOT multichannel ones.

FYI, I'm not sure what you mean when you say "Lots" of power, but check out the new QSC GX series.

What do you plan to use this for?

[Boomzilla]

Jun 4, 2022 11:57:02 GMT -5 DYohn said:

FYI, I'm not sure what you mean when you say "Lots" of power, but check out the new QSC GX series.

What do you plan to use this for?

Occasionally, I receive low-sensitivity speakers for review. I've had at least one complaint from manufacturers that my Emotiva PA-1 mono blocks are providing insufficient power to truly show off their grand creations. Having a more-powerful amp in the closet to use as an alternate might address that concern.

I don't get a power amp along with the review speakers, and am expected to provide my own. Budget doesn't allow for a spare pair of Krell mono blocks, so I was hoping that pro power might suffice.

[DYohn]

Jun 4, 2022 13:39:22 GMT -5 Boomzilla said:

Jun 4, 2022 11:57:02 GMT -5 DYohn said:

FYI, I'm not sure what you mean when you say "Lots" of power, but check out the new QSC GX series.

What do you plan to use this for?

Occasionally, I receive low-sensitivity speakers for review. I've had at least one complaint from manufacturers that my Emotiva PA-1 mono blocks are providing insufficient power to truly show off their grand creations. Having a more-powerful amp in the closet to use as an alternate might address that concern.

I don't get a power amp along with the review speakers, and am expected to provide my own. Budget doesn't allow for a spare pair of Krell mono blocks, so I was hoping that pro power might suffice.

The complaint you'll get from speaker manufacturers then will be "use a better amp."

[Boomzilla]

You're probably right...

Maybe I'll just say "I tried the speakers with a 500WPC amp" without mentioning the brand!

[vcautokid]

QSC and Crown and Behringer. Crown XLS amplifiers I have the greatest experience at home and house of worship applications. QSC from other entertainment venues. Great sound, staying out of that one. Both the QSC and Crowns are reliable workhorses, as long as no one does anything they shouldn't. The Behringer brings up the rear. Meh impressed with them. Cheap and lots of power and great sound mean many things to many people, so I defer to service life and its value that way. Given their design intent Crown and QSC do very well.

Some limited experience older Mackie FR amplifiers and Quest amplifiers.

[Boomzilla]

I'm reluctant to buy a used amp - I've had many bad experiences with equipment that has been (pick one or more): abused, worn out, noisy, and/or damaged in some way. A new amp will surely last me the rest of my life, and shouldn't break the bank. For that matter, maybe I can persuade the treasury secretary to let me get a new Emotiva this Fall?

[DYohn]

Jun 4, 2022 22:39:07 GMT -5 vcautokid said:

QSC and Crown and Behringer. Crown XLS amplifiers I have the greatest experience at home and house of worship applications. QSC from other entertainment venues. Great sound, staying out of that one. Both the QSC and Crowns are reliable workhorses, as long as no one does anything they shouldn't. The Behringer brings up the rear. Meh impressed with them. Cheap and lots of power and great sound mean many things to many people, so I defer to service life and its value that way. Given their design intent Crown and QSC do very well.

Some limited experience older Mackie FR amplifiers and Quest amplifiers.

I agree with all of this except for the Behringer recomendation. I have never used a Behringer amp that I thought was reasonably designed or rated or reliable.

Good call on the Mackie for bang-for-buck performance. I forgot about them. I still have a set of their powered studio monitors out in the shop that sound great after 20+ years and I believe I paid only a couple hundred bucks for them.