Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo Amplifier Question?

So do tubes. <runs away>

Thanks for all the input maybe I will try to listen so some amps in Edmonton when I get there.

Phil, another Canadian source to look at for 'pro-amps' would be Acclaim Music.

Would these Yorkville ones be any good?

http://yorkville.com/products.asp?type=30&cat=8

Not too sure that I would want a pro amp in my HT rack. Would they work as well as a true stereo amp?

It depends who you ask...

Er... What would be the terminology difference between "pro amp" and "true stereo amp"?

The professional A/V people that I know and work with (ones who do commercial, churches, etc.) don't recommend pro amps for 2-channel or HT use, and don't use them in their own home systems. QSC, Crown, etc. is great gear, but pro equipment is made to be rugged and reliable, not to provide a very high level of sound quality. Very few commercial installations are designed to, or have the ability to, provide the kind of sound quality that we want in our homes, regardless of the electronics - too much ambient noise, questionable room acoustics, highly distributed seating/listening areas, etc. Good gear, just optimized for different use than our home gear is.

I have read on some of the audio forums that many installers have successfully used pro-amps in their setups. Most of the pro amps don't put much emphasis on appearance as a 'home' amp makers do and also the fan noise could be an issue for some people. I believe there are a few people here who have used them and like them as they do offer good bang-per-buck apparently vs consumer amps but one would need to check the specs out carefully before spending $$.

I'm only going by what I've read on other forums, I don't have any experience with an outboard amp, pro or otherwise, for the record.

Phil, a pro amp is a "true stereo amp"(if it has two output channels)and amplifies with a transparency which isn't audibly distinguishable. One possible problem is audible fan noise.