Can't find many 2-Ch amps, google taking the day off?

[vsound5150]

Hi everyone,
All kidding aside I searched all over and can't find many 200-300W 2-channel amps, are they fading away?

My wife felt bad what she got me for x-mas so she said to go and spend $1K on my hobby (hifi audio now previously was drag racing)

I'm thinking to get the Emotiva XPA-2, anything else out there? Any good mono blocks? It will feed front main SVS Prime Towers 8 ohms 87db 250W, below is what I could find:

Monolith 15595
2x200W per ch - 8 ohm, 0.03% THD, 120dB s/n
Class A/B
Toroidal Transformer
44,800µF (22,400µF per channel) cap
RCA only Inputs
48 lbs.
$1,500

Outlaw 2200 Monoblock
1x200W - 8 ohms, 0.05% THD, 112dB s/n
Class A/B and Class G (above 80W)
Toroidal Transformer
20,000µF cap
RCA and XLR Inputs
18 lbs.
$760 ($380 x 2)

ATI AT2002
2x200W per ch - 8 ohms, 0.03% THD, 120dB s/n
Class A/B
Toroidal Transformer (Qty. 2)
?µF cap
RCA only Inputs
56 lbs.
$1,700 (b-stock)

Marantz MM7025
2x140W per ch - 8 ohms, 0.08% THD, 105dB s/n
Class
EI-core transformer
30,000 µF cap
RCA and XLR Inputs
23.8 lbs.
$550 refurb

Emotiva XPA-2
2x300W per ch - 8 ohms, 0.005% THD at 100W, 117dB s/n
Class A/B
Toroidal Transformer
45,000 µF cap
RCA and XLR Inputs
35.5 lbs.
$765

Thx all.

 

[lovinthehd]

Maybe try this one

 

[vsound5150]

That Crown is perfect! I was at the Crown site this morning but they break down everything in 100 crazy categories and it's very difficult for a newb to find anything so I gave up.

 

[j_garcia]

You don't need to base the 200W need on the speaker's specs, but 200W certainly won't hurt those speakers.

I had an XPA-3 and have a XPA-5 now. No complaints.

Yes, separate amps have become a bit less common these days.

 

[lovinthehd]

That Crown is perfect! I was at the Crown site this morning but they break down everything in 100 crazy categories and it's very difficult for a newb to find anything so I gave up.

I didn't look for best price, you can probably do better if you look around (pro music stores may do the deepest discount if you give 'em a call, remember a few saying they did well that way). The 1502 probably also has enough power and goes for a bit less.

 

[vsound5150]

You don't need to base the 200W need on the speaker's specs, but 200W certainly won't hurt those speakers.

I had an XPA-3 and have a XPA-5 now. No complaints.

Yes, separate amps have become a bit less common these days.

Thanks j_garcia, I'm sort of aware of the speaker spec. to amp thing but still not totally clear on it all. Question...say if I connect a pair of 200W rated speakers to a 500W per channel amp, it will still be ok as long as I don't turn up the volume right? Any other issues besides wasting power?

 

[vsound5150]

I didn't look for best price, you can probably do better if you look around (pro music stores may do the deepest discount if you give 'em a call, remember a few saying they did well that way). The 1502 probably also has enough power and goes for a bit less.

That price is already great for the power you get and it's very compact in size my cabinet is not very big I can buy two. But yes I'll shop around and I scratched Crutchfield off my list of places to shop they tried to burn me selling me used subs for the price of new.

 

[lovinthehd]

That price is already great for the power you get and it's very compact in size my cabinet is not very big I can buy two. But yes I'll shop around and I scratched Crutchfield off my list of places to shop they tried to burn me selling me used subs for the price of new.

I have four 1500s (1st gen, different color, no sensitivity setting, funky 12V trigger, but otherwise pretty the same amp as the 1502). Great value. One warning compared to the usual consumer amps, they do use fans, though very quiet fans.

 

[j_garcia]

Thanks j_garcia, I'm sort of aware of the speaker spec. to amp thing but still not totally clear on it all. Question...say if I connect a pair of 200W rated speakers to a 500W per channel amp, it will still be ok as long as I don't turn up the volume right? Any other issues besides wasting power?

You are almost always "wasting" power, but not exactly. You are rarely using 100% of the amp for normal listening. You don't use 100% of your horsepower every time you drive down the street and sometimes you're sitting at the light and it is the same for an amp. Even for heavy listening, you're probably using 10-20W average. It is the peaks that you need that headroom for, so you need an amp that can handle them, but those peaks usually last only a few seconds at a time.

Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it

 

[vsound5150]

Awesome I'm imagining RMS sits in the middle of the sine wave and if that area is "fat" (lots of power) the speakers should be very happy thus great strong clean sound, but what do I know.

I'll be getting the Crown XLS2002 from Sweetwater just waiting for confirmation if they are an authorized Crown dealer. I've only purchased once from them before and Amazon sellers selling Crown products I've never heard of them before.

 

[vsound5150]

I have four 1500s (1st gen, different color, no sensitivity setting, funky 12V trigger, but otherwise pretty the same amp as the 1502). Great value. One warning compared to the usual consumer amps, they do use fans, though very quiet fans.

Can you change the front faceplate on the Crown amps? Specifically the XLS2002, it looks to be rack mounted but I don't have a rack it will sit on a shelf.

 

[Irvrobinson]

It looks like the ATI AT2000 and AT3000 series amps are out of production.

 

[lovinthehd]

Can you change the front faceplate on the Crown amps? Specifically the XLS2002, it looks to be rack mounted but I don't have a rack it will sit on a shelf.

Non-removable rack mounts, sorry.....never even thought of changing the whole face plate! Put it where you don't look at it if it bothers you?

 

[Dave Blount]

Plenty of great mono blocks out there .......... Pass, Macintosh, , etc. For the $$ value it's tough to beat the Parasound JC1's though. They can be had used for 4-5k for the pair.

No intrest in tube gear ?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Plenty of great mono blocks out there .......... Pass, Macintosh, , etc. For the $$ value it's tough to beat the Parasound JC1's though. They can be had used for 4-5k for the pair.

No intrest in tube gear ?

Maybe try this one

4-5k pair . Used.... Riiiiiiight.... or new one for $500 ....

 

[Bucknekked]

Maybe try this one

lovinthehd
I am interested in this two channel amp discussion. The link to the Crown amps is intriguing because it would seem those amps cater to a working DJ and not a home audio setup. Having read enough posts about "clean power is clean power is clean power", I am interested to know if that applies here too.

I have a list of 2 channel amps I am watching because someday I hope to upgrade my amplification. Would a 2 channel Crown be at home in a simple 2 channel setup? I really caught the Emotiva bug and have that at the top of my small but growing wish list. The list put together by the creator of this thread seems like a pretty excellent set of choices. I could accept a Christmas gift of any of them. In 2017, the gift is probably the only way I will see a new amplifier. But, its still early.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

lovinthehd
I am interested in this two channel amp discussion. The link to the Crown amps is intriguing because it would seem those amps cater to a working DJ and not a home audio setup. Having read enough posts about "clean power is clean power is clean power", I am interested to know if that applies here too.

I have a list of 2 channel amps I am watching because someday I hope to upgrade my amplification. Would a 2 channel Crown be at home in a simple 2 channel setup? I really caught the Emotiva bug and have that at the top of my small but growing wish list. The list put together by the creator of this thread seems like a pretty excellent set of choices. I could accept a Christmas gift of any of them. In 2017, the gift is probably the only way I will see a new amplifier. But, its still early.

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/crown-amplifiers-vs-other-amps-in-the-audiophile-world.84943/

 

[Dave Blount]

4-5k pair . Used.... Riiiiiiight.... or new one for $500 ....

where do you see them for $500 new ?? you sir are mistaken !

 

[Bucknekked]

Plenty of great mono blocks out there .......... Pass, Macintosh, , etc. For the $$ value it's tough to beat the Parasound JC1's though. They can be had used for 4-5k for the pair.

No intrest in tube gear ?

what I saw in the originators post was a budget of $1k. Maybe I just don't shop in the right places, but I don't see any high powered McIntosh's or tubers under $1k that are in working condition.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

where do you see them for $500 new ?? you sir are mistaken !

I didn't mean you could buy Parasound new for $500, I mean Crown XLS 2002 amp is $500 new as linked by the lovinghd