High powered amp on a low budget

I tried to look for a web site where they talk about high powered amps, it could be pa amps it could be hifi amps, for those who have ineffieient speakers,those who need a power full amp that for low ohm speakers or just for those who need a power full amp above 100 pr channel in 8 ohm for loud music

I only found normal amps from low budget to high end like the best amp from whathifi or car amps or even worse guitar amps (definitely not looking for that).

Any suggestion both for site and amp ? If one cost 300 euros and that is to much for me i just take that suggestion and look for one used.

 

try a class D DIY amp. imo they sound horrible but it sounds like that is not a top priority. im sure you can find a kit for your price point ... may not have a case though

 

Nakamichi made some integrated amps (they were known as "Tuner Amplifiers") a long time ago that are VERY loud - even if you are using ineffecient speakers, I strongly doubt you'd ever turn the volume up past 10 o'clock on something they rated as 75 wpc.

 

A search for the Behringer A800 will show discussions from AVS and Audio Science Review among others. Look there to see if that’s what you want. The first is a hobbyist discussion forum, the second a measurement and review site.

 

I don't want to do it myself. when 300 is to much (just ad punds dollars or euros) i would look at something used and that i my plan to look for samting use than it's half of it, 150 or less

 

I have a Crown XLS 1000 class D power amp that sounds good - 350 watts into 4 ohms, 215 into 8, 550 into 2. They have a series of these with different power ratings. The current XLS 1002 is around $340 online.

 

You don't know me

I do have 85 db speakers and many speakers do not have the specs they are rated for like the 96db klipsch rp600m



In another thread

As for a more powerful amplifier down the road, it will depend on whether you want to increase volume level, or just the quality of the drive capability of the amplifier. A 100 W amplifier is 3 dB louder than a 50 W amp. If you want higher levels with low distortion, you need to think bigger. I use 400 W (8 ohms) / 800 W (4 ohms) monoblocks, so they are always in the low distortion part of their performance envelope even at high volume levels, and still have plenty of headroom if needed!

What i want:
I want high levels with low distortion, so the amp are always in the low distortion part of their performance envelope even at high volume levels, and still have plenty of headroom if needed!

I do atm use an amp with a digital volume knob but i have an amp with an analog volume knob with preout,main in, i use attenuators so i do regular go what is past 10 o'clock.

Also you must remember that some have a lot higher sensitivity than i have and more power, 89 db with 100 watt in a big room is more than 200 with 85db sensitive speakers even people with cerwin vegas laugh a 50 watt amps since they want more than that.

 

look at the avs thread and se if theres any one you recognize.

Atm moment i want to buy a use amp and €200 is to much, even at ebay theres no used amps for £100, some even cost over £300 despite retail price being €200 (€200 e is less than £200) .

There isn't any used Behringer A800 for half of the retail price

 

I have looked at Crown amps like a XLI 800 it costs £209 or €239 but im looking for a used power amp (or integrated amp) but theres no used amp for under €125 with shipping.

It just have the perfect power for my needs

What i want:
I want high levels with low distortion, so the amp are always in the low distortion part of their performance envelope even at high volume levels, and still have plenty of headroom if needed!

 

Won't happen for that. Used PA amplifier is the best you can do for this. For many of us here with separate power amplifiers, $300 will about repair one. Many here with separate power amplifiers spent 5-10 times or more your budget. My former 50 watt/channel power amplifier to buy today would be $1200-$1300 US Dollars used in excellent condition. Quality amplifiers cost quality money.

 

My reason for making this thread is

I can only find threads article where they talk about best amp at any budget like whathifi Best stereo amplifiers 2020: budget and premium | What Hi-Fi? Non of them are cheap amps with a lot of power

Or guitar amps.

I would like a site where they actually reviews power amps and high powered intergrated amps for people who want's such an amp on a low budget, most i see is people recommending amps like those crown,behringer and Qsc makes )som recomends yamaha p amps).

I want to read about pros and cons from many amps compared to each other and even measurements if possible to see if the amps are actually as power full as rated (that would be a nice bonus)

 

Forgot to mention if you want a power full integrated amp i could get one but that's just a bit over €300 for an amp in good condition but it's 30-35 year old

McLover im talking about used amps like Behringer A800 or Crown XLI800 retail price 200 euros and around 250 euros

 

Look at QSC amps. You can get a lot of watts for low cost, and I think they sound better than Crown or Behringer. I don't think there's one site that reviews just these kinds of amps, but you're more likely to fine reviews on sites that deal with pro sound or home cinema.

 

"Sure Electronics AA-AB32281 2x200W Class D Audio Amplifier Board - T-Amp" from www.parts-express.com!
Something like this and a 36V power supply should run you about 100 bucks or so.

 

Look for a good condition vintage Adcom Power Amp. GFA-545 or 555. They will drive any speaker and sound great.

 

My brother in law uses a Peavy PV 3800 in his kit. This is a DJ style amplifier that works in class AB, with 750 watts into 8 ohms. These are available new for around $800.00 (I believe).

The brother in law's kit sounds very nice, may have the pro audio forward sound but it is not bright or hard. The bass is very well controlled.

Food for thought.

 

I don't think so i want it in a case and i live in europe

I appriciate the help but the amp is nowhere close to 2x100 watt in 8 ohm

Power output (w/ 36 VDC power supply): 100W x 2 (3 ohms, THD 10%), 64W x 2 (3 ohms, THD 1%), i want more than 2x100 watt in 8 ohm, 2x20 watt in 8 ohm 1% in 8 ohm don't cut it

 

Unfortunately measurements have mostly gone away.
- It is very difficult to make good measurements (believe me, I used to do this!). You need gigantic resistor/heatsink banks. You need some kind of good equipment like an Audio Precision. And it is time consuming.
- And in the case of very high powered amps, the electrical supply becomes problematic for testing continuous power. Thus you can find debates about the Behringer etc if they really meet their continuous power spec. For your idea, to keep out of clipping, this is not so important. At Behringer's site I notice no frequency bandwidth or distortion is specified which is very suspicous. I don't know if Crown is better; they used to be one of the golden trio (Crest, QSC, Crown) but so many brands have fallen low...Pyle has turned to crap, for instance. Peavey, no idea.

Here's the deal with amp specs, let me say as someone who worked testing them and as a loudspeaker engineer:
- If the specs do not say "20-20k Hz" or such, suspicious. If no distortion (THD) is specified, perhaps worthless. "Peak"=worthless.
- Your speaker impedance does not matter, amplifiers are tested with resistors for practical reasons, but speakers are not resistors at all.
- So forget 8 ohm specs, look at the 4 ohm specs. Or 2 ohm if available. No 4 ohm spec? It's a weak amp. 4 ohm power not much more than 8 ohm? Weak.
- Even good specs are just a guideline, amplifiers can have the same rating but one can be much stronger into real speakers.

As for actually buying an amp, I think what you are saying is "What is a good cheap amp?" and then you want to buy that used even cheaper. But as others posted, that does not seem to be happening. AND you are in Denmark which few of us know the market. Also you did not mention WHICH speakers you have.
--> Suggest you look at what IS available to you and post those models here for opinions.
- For huge power at a low price, that is PA-style amps. Period, end of story. There are always opinions like "all PA amps sound terrible" or "every Class D amp is awful" but those technologies evolve over time and you can find counter-opinions as well.

BONUS: here are "Head_Unit’s Rules Of Protection":
1) If when things start to sound distorted or odd you TURN IT DOWN, you are unlikely to ever break anything.
2) If you constantly "turn it up to 11" you will break something.
NOTE: size and power ratings of speakers and amp do not affect rules 1 and 2. Speaker specifications are 92% meaningless (and I say that as a loudspeaker engineer). Specs for amps are not thorough since they are measured into resistors for pragmatic reasons and speakers are not resistors at all.

 

This should be the impedans of my speakers and around 85db



Bass requires more power than you think, clean power isn't the problem as long as you don't exaggerate the amount of wattage or try to play loud bass heavy music




what i want for my speakers is atleast 100 watt of clean power, meaning clean power up to 100 watt or more if bass heavy music requires it (high dynamic headroom or just more than 100 watt continous power) for that i would need atleast 125-150 in 8 ohm or 200 watt in 4ohm or just a little more so the amp are always in the low distortion part of their performance envelope even at high volume levels, and still have plenty of headroom if needed!

I would try to find a level (sweetspot) where it's loud at 3 o'clock with absolutely no distortion with plenty of headroom if needed!

I once had a pa amp but with 88 db speakers (sounds a lot louder than 84-86 db speakers) they had very low bass, it was to much, i din't play a little to loud because it was so much fun having all that power and all that power for the bass that already was very deep, this time i won't go so extreme (2x300 watt 1% thd 1khz in 4 ohm 2x450watt).

This made me experince that it's fun to a lot of clean power. I started with 50 watt now 80 watt (8 ohm)
i want a bit more, i do use attenuators -10 db so i don't play max volume at lets' say 10 o'clock, i have a wider volume range before music is loud, because of the attenuators and i like it

If you want to play loud you just need a lot more power than what is needed for your prefered max level IF you want a 100% clean and effordless sound.

I have a little hardware for sale i can't predict when it get's sold so that's definitely something limiting how much i can spend now on a amp but i won't go,expect to get a high end pa amps or hifi amps, i do go for something like a used behringer a800, crown xli800 and other amps like those.

 

Basically do like Zeos Pantera, just not as extreme

 

Neither meet my standards for sound quality, especially turned down. or for quiet. And for me it must sound good turned down. I also use efficient speakers. The Crown amplifiers I like are the older models (i.e. no newer than the Power Base) You're in Denmark, things cost you more money. The amplifiers you discuss are low end PA amplifiers. Why not look for a QSC older model or an older Ashly or something in that range, or even an old Peavey CS 400 or CS 800? Those are better.

 

Price and availability but also buying an old amp that mighty need new speaker relays or capacitors,condensators or other thing you can't always know = more money

 

When I recall high powered amps from "back in the day," hence more likely to be good deals on eBay and the like, I think of Phase Linear, Crown DC-300, and any of the Adcom GFAs. I have read too many scary things about Phase Linear to go there, but the Crowns and Adcoms bring back fond memories. There were also some fairly high powered Yamahas, but those tend not to come at bargain prices. Good luck shopping!

 

the NAD c275 or 272 used are excellent powerful amps

 

Thomann is musical isntrument/equipment supplier in Europe.
No experience with these particular models, but how about:
https://www.thomann.de/gb/the_tamp_e400.htm
https://www.thomann.de/gb/the_tamp_e800.htm
https://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_km750.htm
https://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_a800.htm

(oh, but you're specifically looking for used? Then I guess this doesn't apply. New options in the € 120-€180 range)