Powering with non-HT amps..like Pro PA/DJ Amps?
Interested to hear what you guys have to say about powering any Polk Audio home theater speakers with non-traditional HT amps. Quality DJ/PA amps like "Crown".
Too many good quotes to list..waiting for some fresh ammo. 
Post edited by villian on
Comments
-
Google search or Polk search is your friend that has been covered here too many times to count....
-
I searched but couldn't find anything outside of everyone bashing Crown for no given reason..with no facts to back up the bashing. I'm all ears as I'd rather not buy an inferior HT amp that everyone claims is super super great yet is filled with yesterdays technology, for tomorrows prices. I fail to see why a Crown, or other high quality amp, could be used to power HT speakers. Most HT amps look to me like pigs dressed up with lipstick. Spec sheet after spec sheet...HT vs DJ..Same same.
The only difference of course would be the price. HT $$$$$$$$$$
DJ $Too many good quotes to list..waiting for some fresh ammo. -
Honestly yes there is price difference, but also you forget that pro amps are NOISY AS HELL. They all have fans to keep them cool as they are very small. Most pro amps are not meant to be used close the the listening position or in your rack in the same room. They are used in places where the amp is 100+ feet away from the speakers and the noise they produce isn't audible due to distance and how loud the bands are playing.
To fix the noise issue you have 2 options.
1. Deal with the noise (and trust me its VERY audible and will drive you batty)
2. Replace the stock fan with a lower db fan which void's any warranty you have should there be issues.
I know a couple folks that bought dj amps (crown or qsc) instead of HT amps. One returned his within 2 days, the other kept his and voided the warranty by swapping the fan.
Both those choices are to me reasons to avoid those amps, not including the many others folks list."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?133940-Using-Pro-Amp-as-a-home-theater-amp
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?22825-Can-I-use-a-pro-DJ-amp-with-home-audio
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?148270-pro-power-amp-on-a-HT
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?60054-pro-audio-DJ-amps-in-home-systems
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?97972-Pro-Amp-for-home-audio-use
see what something like this will do.....pro amps for home theater "polk audio" <<that is what I Googled.... -
I'd rather not buy an inferior HT amp that everyone claims is super super great yet is filled with yesterdays technology, for tomorrows prices. I fail to see why a Crown, or other high quality amp, could be used to power HT speakers.
And yet you think that "PRO amps" do not do the same thing? Most of the time they are built cheaper i.e. Smaller heat sinks= less money, lower cost parts= less money.....Design short cuts = less money. Yes you can still get the same thing in a HT amp that is why you shop ask questions and listen WITH YOUR own ears not read reviews to make your decision. -
When Crown produced studio quality pro amps like the D75 and D300 amps, professional amps had their place in both home and live sound venues. Those amps were built to last decades in installations and are great amps regardless of where they are used.
Cheap, powerful, DJ targeted amps are okay for home use if you have either a large enough room to allow for fan noise or a cabinet to quiet it down.
My suggestion is always to buy what you can afford as long as you like the sound, but the used market for home amps is always getting better as amps used for home use can last for years and be found at reasonable cost if you shop wisely.HT Optoma HD25 LV on 80" DIY Screen, Anthem MRX 300 Receiver, Pioneer Elite BDP 51FD Polk CS350LS, Polk SDA1C, Polk FX300, Polk RT55, Dual EBS Adire Shiva 320watt tuned to 17hz, ICs-DIY Twisted Prs, Speaker-Raymond Cable
2 Channel Thorens TD 318 Grado ZF1, SACD/CD Marantz 8260, Soundstream/Krell DAC1, Audio Mirror PP1, Odyssey Stratos, ADS L-1290, ICs-DIY Twisted , Speaker-Raymond Cable -
Dennis Gardner wrote: »My suggestion is always to buy what you can afford as long as you like the sound, but the used market for home amps is always getting better as amps used for home use can last for years and be found at reasonable cost if you shop wisely.
Well said most of us here cannot afford the amps we have from new most of us bought used when the time was right...Its the new car analogy drive it off the lot bashed with depreciation. 10minutes later..... -
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?133940-Using-Pro-Amp-as-a-home-theater-amp
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?22825-Can-I-use-a-pro-DJ-amp-with-home-audio
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?148270-pro-power-amp-on-a-HT
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?60054-pro-audio-DJ-amps-in-home-systems
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?97972-Pro-Amp-for-home-audio-use
see what something like this will do.....pro amps for home theater "polk audio" <<that is what I Googled....
Or do it like this (Search Criteria here) site:polkaudio.com/forums.... So we get this pro amps site:polkaudio.com/forums"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
I fail to see why a Crown, or other high quality amp, could be used to power HT speakers.
Think about this, why you don't run pro DJ speakers in your HT rig and you'll have the answer about pro amps.
High quality :rolleyes:Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Well said most of us here cannot afford the amps we have from new most of us bought used when the time was right...Its the new car analogy drive it off the lot bashed with depreciation. 10minutes later.....
I am glad that audiophiles tend to include upgrading regularly as part of their hobby. If this were a buy and hold type of hobby, I wouldn't have nearly the gear that has passed my way.......HT Optoma HD25 LV on 80" DIY Screen, Anthem MRX 300 Receiver, Pioneer Elite BDP 51FD Polk CS350LS, Polk SDA1C, Polk FX300, Polk RT55, Dual EBS Adire Shiva 320watt tuned to 17hz, ICs-DIY Twisted Prs, Speaker-Raymond Cable
2 Channel Thorens TD 318 Grado ZF1, SACD/CD Marantz 8260, Soundstream/Krell DAC1, Audio Mirror PP1, Odyssey Stratos, ADS L-1290, ICs-DIY Twisted , Speaker-Raymond Cable -
Interested to hear what you guys have to say about powering any Polk Audio home theater speakers with non-traditional HT amps. Quality DJ/PA amps like "Crown".
I have melted down too many Crown amps from their XLS, XLI, XLT lines to consider them high quality and if you build a system from Macro Tec stuff, you might as well buy the best home models.HT Optoma HD25 LV on 80" DIY Screen, Anthem MRX 300 Receiver, Pioneer Elite BDP 51FD Polk CS350LS, Polk SDA1C, Polk FX300, Polk RT55, Dual EBS Adire Shiva 320watt tuned to 17hz, ICs-DIY Twisted Prs, Speaker-Raymond Cable
2 Channel Thorens TD 318 Grado ZF1, SACD/CD Marantz 8260, Soundstream/Krell DAC1, Audio Mirror PP1, Odyssey Stratos, ADS L-1290, ICs-DIY Twisted , Speaker-Raymond Cable -
Very valid points made Dennis. Those old Crown amps were true workhorses, as were some of the Crest Audio and QSC amps. I'm sure many of them have lasted 15 or 20 years, or more. In comparison, I've yet to hear of an Emotiva amp that has run for 15 yrs. I guess time will tell. To villain, if you're only__ thinking about pro amps for a HT, many have run a pro amp for subwoofer duty and it runs just fine. Some of the newer pro amps have a fan(s) that kick on when needed to cool things down.Dennis Gardner wrote: »When Crown produced studio quality pro amps like the D75 and D300 amps, professional amps had their place in both home and live sound venues. Those amps were built to last decades in installations and are great amps regardless of where they are used.
Cheap, powerful, DJ targeted amps are okay for home use if you have either a large enough room to allow for fan noise or a cabinet to quiet it down.
My suggestion is always to buy what you can afford as long as you like the sound, but the used market for home amps is always getting better as amps used for home use can last for years and be found at reasonable cost if you shop wisely. -
http://www.audioasylum.com/reviews/Amplifier-SS/Crown/CE-1000/ht/6692.html. .......................You can to find this type of amp on USED GEAR at GUITAR CENTER very cheap, best are CROWN MACROTECH but super expensive used too!... I use myself EV-CP series, EV-Q series and the rolls royces, the EV-P series P1200, P1201, P1202 ...All of them sound wonderfull (made by DYNACORD Germany)!..No a single Ssssss on tweeter at full power. And the fan are quiet.
-
A "pro" amp might be fine for a subwoofer or a garage or patio rig, but if (Note I said: "IF") you want better fidelity a traditional amplifier is a better option for a number of reasons. If you simply want "industrial power" well, knock yourself out.
There's a reason pro amps are cheaper, can you guess what it is?Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Source: Rotel CD14MkII CD Player - Speakers: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2 -
I searched but couldn't find anything outside of everyone bashing Crown for no given reason..with no facts to back up the bashing. I'm all ears as I'd rather not buy an inferior HT amp that everyone claims is super super great yet is filled with yesterdays technology, for tomorrows prices. I fail to see why a Crown, or other high quality amp, could be used to power HT speakers. Most HT amps look to me like pigs dressed up with lipstick. Spec sheet after spec sheet...HT vs DJ..Same same.
The only difference of course would be the price. HT $$$$$$$$$$
DJ $
So, were you asking the question with a preferred answer in mind?Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Source: Rotel CD14MkII CD Player - Speakers: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2 -
ALSATIAN in USA wrote: »http://www.audioasylum.com/reviews/Amplifier-SS/Crown/CE-1000/ht/6692.html. .......................You can to find this type of amp on USED GEAR at GUITAR CENTER very cheap, best are CROWN MACROTECH but super expensive used too!... I use myself EV-CP series, EV-Q series and the rolls royces, the EV-P series P1200, P1201, P1202 ...All of them sound wonderfull (made by DYNACORD Germany)!..No a single Ssssss on tweeter at full power. And the fan are quiet.
Are you using DJ speakers? If not, why not?Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
No!..I power my SDA-SRS with EV-P1200 (tweeter) and EV-P1202 (woofer). center frankenpolk is powered with a EV7200 bridged, and surround monitor11 (rta11) with EV Q44.... My 2 (dual 15") are powered with 2 EV P2200.. Surround back with a single NAD2200 THX
-
DJ speaker are too loud (100db) and use crap diaphragm for tweeter, poor X-over, and crap woofer. They sound awfull, ear percing. DJ amp are better than speakers for $.
-
What do you mean too loud, 100dB? If you mean efficiency all that means is you don't need a lot of power to drive them. If you mean they can play that loud, well so can most speakers. Either way, your comment has no merit.
As for the crap drivers, yeah that's a good point. Have you looked inside your pro amps? Lots of crap parts inside them too.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
FRANKLY, now, I prefer now to have spend this money on 2 EMOTIVA XPR (5 and 2 channel) than to have all EV power amps...Pffff!
-
F1, I go a lot of time at GUITAR CENTER and listen PEAVEY, JBL (between 500 and 1800$ piece speaker) and you cannot compare POLK (SDA or RT-3000) to them... Some drivers as JBL cost 500,600$ piece and yes, you can to make with super-tweeter a wonderfull full range speakers, but it's a DIY job! Drived with a tube-amp, its paradise... ....... http://www.usspeaker.com/ ...
-
The term delusional comes to mind.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
For almost the same price new (1800$) for the EV P1200, yes, I prefer the XPR (look). never eard emotiva, The EV P series sound really warmer than my NAD2200 THX (2 of them but I blow one on sub!!!!).... Q series are really good, like a YAMAHA M-50 I have. The EV-P2000, P3000 are superbe! in sound. YAMAHA P-2002, 4002 and the rolls 5002 is true high end HIFI!... If you find one, BUY!
-
I searched but couldn't find anything outside of everyone bashing Crown for no given reason..with no facts to back up the bashing. I'm all ears as I'd rather not buy an inferior HT amp that everyone claims is super super great yet is filled with yesterdays technology, for tomorrows prices. I fail to see why a Crown, or other high quality amp, could be used to power HT speakers. Most HT amps look to me like pigs dressed up with lipstick. Spec sheet after spec sheet...HT vs DJ..Same same.
The only difference of course would be the price. HT $$$$$$$$$$
DJ $
Sounds like you are wanting people to agree with your "observations". And your pigs in lipstick comment sorta shows you have not really looked at nor listened to any decent to upper end HT gear. If you are happy with pro amps to run your HT that is fine. Pop the hood on some pro amps and come back and tell us what you think. Ever seen inside some Behringer amps? Scary stuff! lol--Gary--
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out. -
The new Crown XLS amp are well reviewed for home theater use, and the fans only run under heavy load. Buy one from guitar center to try it, and if you don't like it, return it without hassle or money lost. The only way you will really know if you like it is to get your ears on an amp.
-
It's a little shocking to read through this post and feel the prejudiced comments and narrow-minded views expressed. Pro amps are used for live performance amplification, public venues, DJ work, and in the studios where the very music you're listening to is being both monitored and recorded. Not all pro amps use fans. Not all pro amps use cheap parts. And certainly not all pro amps sound harsh or don't have the resolution an audiophile craves. The latest, greatest $2000 receiver boasting 150/wpc x 7 may wimp out faster under real world conditions with good speakers - not some white van junk - than that beat up 100/wpc old pro amp without the glitter and hyped price. Good pro amps - just like good home amps - put the build quality where it counts and one of the main places is the power supply. Every time I see some 'high end' receiver boasting x-amount of power per channel, I check for its weight and electrical rating. That 150/wpc x 7 that weighs 30 pounds is a "dog that ain't gonna hunt as we say in the South." I've used various Crown and QSC amps and now have a Crest 7001 that I've been listening to all evening driving some Energy Veritas V-6.2 speakers. The high headroom of the amp gives the music an effortless quality at all volume levels and I have found it much more realistic with clarity and dynamic punch even at low level listening late at night. That same power and clarity brought some SDA SRS 2.3TL speakers to life and made them sing in a way a highly vaunted Krell Class A 100/wpc could not. It was clean and clear, but didn't have the balls to walk the walk. The only issue with the Crest is the fan. Bottom line: listen without prejudice and you will be surprised at the quality and bargains that are out there.
-
Why are you bringing up AVR's when the discussion is about amps???Good pro amps - just like good home amps - put the build quality where it counts and one of the main places is the power supply.
The power supply for my amp weighs 50lbs. alone while the entire weight of your amp is 52lbs. Hell, the AVR in my HT rig weighs just slightly under your amp.That same power and clarity brought some SDA SRS 2.3TL speakers to life and made them sing in a way a highly vaunted Krell Class A 100/wpc could not. It was clean and clear, but didn't have the balls to walk the walk.
Somehow I get the feeling you weren't using the AI-1 with that Krell. I've heard that amp a few times, it's got big brass balls and doubles as a space heater.Bottom line: listen without prejudice and you will be surprised at the quality and bargains that are out there.
I'm speaking from experience and I've never heard a pro amp in a home audio rig that sounded good to my ears. All brawn, no finesse.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Apology for the AV receiver comparison. HT amps vs pro amps is what the OP asked about.
Not having the interconnect cable for either the Krell or Crest amp should have made things equal. The Krell had air and a greater midrange, but wasn't comparable in bass fullness or punch. The overall balance, liveliness of the music, favored the Crest.... IMHO.
Villain... was the question brought up just out of curiosity or were you already leaning toward pro amps perhaps for the economical savings?
Though the majority opinion here - possibly overall - is in favor of dedicated home amplifiers, you should search a number of forums and the web about the topic, particularly if you have certain brands/models in mind. I can tell you for sure that there are a number of pro amps in use for home theater and dedicated 2-channel systems. You could certainly go cheap and save up for a better megabuck, megawatt amp down the road. -
I have no doubt some like pro amps in a home speaker environment. The same people who probably like that boom-boom in car audio....which is what they are good for, and subwoofer amps. They fall short on detail, layering of the music, soundstage, tone, things we actually like to hear in musical reproduction. Goes without saying a good source component and material would help in evaluation but those minor details are conveniently always left out.
The OP asked specifically about pro amps with POLK speakers. Can only speak for myself but I have never heard a pro amp sound good on any Polk speaker...ever. Some use them of course, but mainly because they are looking for cheap alternatives and think mega watts alone equates to sound quality.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
If my my memory serves me I do know of a few friends who went out and got Crown amps and pres. This was in the early/ mid 70's and have nothing to do w/ new pro Crown amps Now these were not the pro line and were the poor mans McIntosh w/ the industrial silver faced look. Here is 2 seperate lines and most of the time pro gear does not go well w/ room systems. Personally I never liked the way they looked and always wanted either a Mac 2100/ 2105 or a Phase Linear 400 of which I did not get either.
http://voices.yahoo.com/classic-crown-dc-300-power-amplifier-still-working-2702545.html2chl- Adcom GFA- 555-Onkyo P-3150v pre/amp- JVC-QL-A200 tt- Denon 1940 ci cdp- Adcom GFS-6 -Modded '87 SDA 2Bs - Dynamat Ext.- BH-5- X-Overs VR-3, RDO-194 tweeters, Larry's Rings, Speakon/Neutrik I/C- Cherry stain tops Advent Maestros,Ohm model E
H/T- Toshiba au40" flat- Yamaha RX- V665 avr- YSD-11 Dock- I-Pod- Klipsch #400HD Speaker set-
Bdrm- Nikko 6065 receiver- JBL -G-200s--Pioneer 305 headphones--Sony CE375-5 disc
