Mind sharing which amp you picked, along with any particular features you found interesting? If/when I do get a new amp, would like to continue to use my Denon 3808 as a processor only via its pre-outs. I really like what Audyssey EQ does for my room, and Audyssey Volume Control is the best tool ever invented for selling a spouse on getting new a/v equipment.
Thanks!
Glenn
Not at all. I bought a Crown XLS 402, but swapped it for a QSC GX5. The GX5 is a
Class H amp , and makes over 500 watts (850 on one channel at 4 ohms
) at less than 0.05% THD for under $500. I am still waiting for the big "surprise" where it fails my needs miserably because it is not an audiophile amp - but so far it is more than I could have ever hoped for in my modest HT.
It is hard to figure why "audiophile" amps cost thousands more while "professional" amps often cost much less when comparing watts to watts. Companies like QSC, Crown, and others, crank out more amps per hour than many audiophile companies build in a year, so all the R&D and reliability issues are well covered. (And they operate happily at 2 ohms, so no worries of crashes with a near-4 ohm load.
)
The major difference I can see is that pro amps use loud fans and audiophile amps use large,
but silent, fins for heat dissipation. Some cost certainly goes there and bigger boxes become needed. (The GX5 is thinner than my CD player! But I had to crack the top and unplug the internal fan.
) The other difference is lower THD and other figures. Many informed souls on this cite say those numbers are virtually meaningless once you get below a certain threshold - I think Alan's articles says .2% is about the max to look for in THD. The Crown XLS I tried had higher THD and lower S/N and you could tell in quiet spots.
New amps, like the Axiom, take things to a whole new level where heat is not an issue, power is out of this world, and distortion and other anomalies to the signal are all but nonexistent. Given the competition, the Axiom is a bargain watt for watt. If a $4,000 amp was in my shopping cart it would be an easy pick.
As for the pro amps, I like the QSC because: (1)high, high, high power; (2) clean enough for me; (3) QSC is well respected and builds THX certified amps for real Theaters; (4) 4 ohms is no problem (5) unbalanced inputs, which is rare on pro amps; (6) a 6 year warranty; (7) nice enough looks for my HT
Gx5; (8) wide availability and easy repair locations; (9) wider market if I want to sell it - good for live bands, DJs, or budding audiophiles; and (10) walked out the store with it for $350 on sale! I guess No. 10 should be No. 1 as it is the real driver.
