Could i please have some input on power amps . I have the Allen & Heath Mixer and i want to buy a power amp to connect to it and then out to a pair of PV Vintage SP2 Speakers . They are rated at 150 watts continues at 8 Ohms. What is the best power amp out there in the 300 dollar range that would work well with this set up ? I know there is Crown/ QSC/PV/Among other names .Which power amp would give the most bang for the Buck give the best performance and quality ? I was looking at the crown xl100 which on weighs around 12 lbs or so .I thought about that one but the weight of this amp seems to have be a little wondering. Is the weight a factor at all ?
Thanks for your support ,
Greg
You really are going back decades with those speakers, maybe around middle Elvis. I'm assuming by "PV" you mean "Peavey".
Any current amp is going to have more than enough power, since modern speakers usually handle far more power. For example, the $300 Crown power amp at Guitar Center puts out 700 watts per channel into 8 ohms. That's not a problem unless someone accidentally turns the volume knob well up, and then there go your speakers. The speaker's 150 watt rating is an upper limit for power handling, remember. Just be careful.
Remember that "vintage" is the yuppie word for "old", and in the case of speakers, old means "engineered to withstand what was en vogue when they were manufactured", and a 2012 power amp is likely to blow the bejeezus out of 40+ year old speakers. The efficiency of modern speakers is FAR better than on the legacy boxes. Be careful or you will be buying speakers soon whether you want to or not.
Hey Gregg! I have a pair of Peavy SP2A speakers and a Crown XLS 802 amp and I have used them outside under extreme conditions and never have hurt them. I don't use them anymore because they are too heavy for me to handle but they really sounded good. occ
Try the new amp with the "old" speakers first, it may be all that you need right now.
I'd recommend the QSC amp for this purpose, their designs are seeming to be the most robust out there in the field at this point in time, less complex design = less repairs in the field.
It is better to use a power amp that is actually rated at higher wattage than the speakers are, rather than one that is anemic. The lower power amp will be forced into clippling sooner and that can burn speakers faster. Just don't overdo that idea too much. For example, the aforementioned 200 or so watts is likely to work just fine. I'd consider any amp capable of making up to twice the rated power of each speaker as being okay.
--Mac