Best Monster Amp

[Peter Stoffregen]

Hi Guys, Still looking for an amp to power my RCF subs. I'm pretty sure I can hear my old PL 700 clipping when I re-arrange the living room furniture with some 120 db Pink Floyd.
I am considering a QSC RMX 5050 or a Crest CA-18. Has anyone have any experience or advice with or regarding these amps?

 

[Northwinds]

I have a Peavey CS800 that will stomp circles around those amps and sounds very much like a PL. If interested, shoot me a PM. The amp is minty and a one owner prior to me. That is just tape residue that can be cleaned off in the image. 800w 4ohms, bridgeable and will drive any speaker easily. It weighs about what a 700B weighs. It also has the DDT clipping circuit, DC protection the whole shebang

 

[Gepetto]

Hi Guys, Still looking for an amp to power my RCF subs. I'm pretty sure I can hear my old PL 700 clipping when I re-arrange the living room furniture with some 120 db Pink Floyd.
I am considering a QSC RMX 5050 or a Crest CA-18. Has anyone have any experience or advice with or regarding these amps?

Is your PL700 fully upgraded Peter?

 

[orange]

See the "WOPL KING" and get a WOPL. No pop refills, but you can get French fried speakers

 

[Nick Danger]

Hi Guys, Still looking for an amp to power my RCF subs. I'm pretty sure I can hear my old PL 700 clipping when I re-arrange the living room furniture with some 120 db Pink Floyd.
I am considering a QSC RMX 5050 or a Crest CA-18. Has anyone have any experience or advice with or regarding these amps?

Has your Phase Linear been Whited Oaked yet, Peter?

 

[Peter Stoffregen]

"WOPl" -ing my Phases

I have 3 PL 700's. My first is a 700 (not B), I was told it was used by The Who, I bought it from "Triumph" in Toronto. It blew up once on me, years ago. I dragged it from shop to shop before I could find some one to tackle it. The pl 909 outputs were available at that time.
The second, A PL 700B, was bought "as is". It smoked the previous owner's speakers. I checked all the outputs, and found only a loose screw on one power supply cap. It worked great for 20 years before going T's up, taking out an expensive JBL 12" mid bass driver. I put Joe's board in this amp, replaced power supply caps and all outputs with 'ON' devices from Newark.
The third is another mint condition 700 B, hardly used, completely untouched ( one bulb burned out). I'm keeping it as a spare.

I considered bridging the two 700 B's to drive the new subs, but have come to my senses on that one. The old 700 driving the subs now has not been WOPLed, but I think the max power output is ultimately limited by the power supply rail voltage. If I upgraded the old amp, a power increase from about 400 W/ch to maybe 460 or 475 is still less than 2 db.

I was using Cerwin-Vega Sensurround folded M horns (L-48-se). Very efficient 400 W drivers, lots of output above 40 Hz, mostly distortion below. My new RCF subs are rated 1500 W pink noise, 3000 W 'program', in bass reflex cabinets. They have a max cone P to P excursion of 50 mm but are considerable less efficient than the old C-V's.
I have an L E D power meter on the sub amp and have seen the highest led (512 watts) flash occasionally, I think this is pushing the amp to hard. Would you not agree that an amp like the Crest CA 18 would be a great amp for this application, keeping in mind, the large listening room (24' x 36', 17' ceiling), and the audience is mostly insane (me).
Is the Crest made in China, is there such a thing as a CA 20? Is Crest that much better than QSC (5050a) Crest claims a damping factor of 800, and 15 db better S/N.
If you read this far, sorry for being long winded, Regards, Peter from Canada

 

[Gibsonian]

I have a Peavey CS800 that will stomp circles around those amps and sounds very much like a PL. If interested, shoot me a PM. The amp is minty and a one owner prior to me. That is just tape residue that can be cleaned off in the image. 800w 4ohms, bridgeable and will drive any speaker easily. It weighs about what a 700B weighs. It also has the DDT clipping circuit, DC protection the whole shebang

CS800 is a drop down in power by a long shot from a PL700 or WOPL.

 

[Gibsonian]

I can concur that using real subs (84-89 dB efficient) you can easily clip the 700's or WOPL's. I use a Crown CS3000 which is 1200 w into 8 or 1500 into 4 ohms now on the subs, and can clip it into 4 ohms without too much difficulty. Damping factor is 3000 I believe. I can recommend t his amp for sub use for sure. Not class A/B though if you gotta have that. I use the CS2000 from 60 - 1100 Hz and sounds very good as well.

 

[Whoreo]

What are the impedance(ohm) and wattage limits on your subs?

Not what you are looking for but seeing how you are just around the corner from me in Hillsdale, (Barrie guy here) take a look at this Canadian made monster.

http://yorkville.com/amplifiers_processors/ap_series/product/ap4k/

It can run at 2, 4 and 8 ohm. Not always the best audiophile sounding power source but they usually pack a wicked punch and last the tests of time - particularly for straight sub power.

 

[laatsch55]

That's a bad boy right there!!

 

[Northwinds]

CS800 is a drop down in power by a long shot from a PL700 or WOPL.

Huh? The CS800 puts out more power then a 700 ever could and it will drive any load. I don't think it sounds better or as dynamic as a WOPL but it will stand up to a stock PL 700 (powerwise) any day of the week

 

[laatsch55]

According to the CS 800 operating guide -----power at clipping---270 watts into 8, 450 into 4 ohms, 300 into 2 ohms, 900 into 8 bridged. A 700 is almost twice as powerful...

 

[Northwinds]

According to the CS 800 operating guide -----power at clipping---270 watts into 8, 450 into 4 ohms, 300 into 2 ohms, 900 into 8 bridged. A 700 is almost twice as powerful...

You can't bridge a 700 though (you told me this) and that is where the Peavey becomes the equalizer. If I am wrong, no worries, I have been wrong before. The 70w difference per channel @ 8ohms is less then 1dB in loudness, it would not be that much noticeably louder then the Peavey

OP was asking about an amp to drive his subs, the Peavey is made to do that

 

[laatsch55]

true , you can't bridge a 700, but power at clipping with a 700 is right around 500 into 8, more than 80 watts difference...

 

[Northwinds]

true , you can't bridge a 700, but power at clipping with a 700 is right around 500 into 8, more than 80 watts difference...

Lee you know more then me so I defer to your expertise. I still say the Peavey would be far more reliable driving subs then a stock 700

Power at clipping for a stock 700 should be 350 @ 8ohms per side, not 500. You can mod the Peavey to go higher, something about using a relay instead of a fuse. This is what Peavey did for the X Series of these 800s, otherwise they were the same as a regular CS800. I think if you upgraded the transistors to what's in a WOPL1000, you would also see a power increase right? The amp can draw 1500w of power as it sits, they recommend a 20amp breaker when using one

 

[laatsch55]

Just repeating what the Peavey manual says Ron...

 

[laatsch55]

Lee you know more then me so I defer to your expertise. I still say the Peavey would be far more reliable driving subs then a stock 700

Power at clipping for a stock 700 should be 350 @ 8ohms per side, not 500

Not true Ron, 350 is maximum continous power for a stock 700. Power at clipping is 450 advertised for a stock 700.

Continuous rating for the Peavey was 200 cont into 8, 270 clipping into 8...

 

[Northwinds]

Hey, if I am wrong, I am wrong, no biggie/ It's still a proven workhorse that sounds good

 

[laatsch55]

No need to "defer" yo me , we're just having a conversation Bud. don't know if the Cs 800 power could be bumped other than in bridged mode. Once again it all depends on rail voltage...

 

[laatsch55]

Hey, if I am wrong, I am wrong, no biggie/ It's still a proven workhorse that sounds good

I don't doubt that. Good PA amp, and bulletproof.