Actually good amps for PA speakers?

[bachatero]

In one of my gym audio setups, I'm using a pair of EV Eliminator Double speakers from 2004 (3 way) which are rated 400 watts at 4 ohms each. They're connected to a Crown CE2000 amplifier which is also from around 2004. With how poorly PA amps tend to be rated (the Crown XTI4002 has only 66dB THD+N), are there any better options that can drive these speakers at a high wattage with low distortion? I don't care about DSP or if they need DIY assembly. My budget is a few hundred dollars.

 

[staticV3]

A few hundred dollars I'm afraid won't get you 400W at 4Ω and low noise+distortion.

High power - Low price - Low THD+N
Choose two

Edit:
This may be useful

Amplifier SINAD list ASR + 3rd parties

I wanted to compare amplifiers measured elsewhere to the ASR standard measurements: SINAD at 5W in 4 ohms, and power at 1% THD+N in 4 ohms. So I chose some amplifiers that interested me more (let me know if you wish I can add more), read their graphs, converted to SINAD, color coded and created...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[MaxwellsEq]

the Crown XTI4002 has only 66dB THD+N

Distortion at -66dB is quite hard to hear. Noise at -66dB is probably audible with efficient speakers in a quiet environment (or with your ear close to the speakers).

I might be wrong, but I would assume a gym is normally sufficiently noisy to mask the amplifier's limitations.

 

[AnalogSteph]

Just how big is that gym? The speakers are rated 100 dB / W / m anechoic, and a gym is among the furthest from things I would consider anechoic. I find it hard to believe that you would need anywhere close to full power output on a regular basis. Things are likely to look a lot less concerning at a few watts. And don't get me started on the distortion of those horns.

BTW, there is a very detailed service manual available for the CE series amplifiers. The voltage amp stage is not the most linear thing (I've seen similar in Behringer PA amps) but I guess gets the job done, and the output stage is a 2-stage quasicomp assisted by the main outputs, again all npn and normally inactive until "woken up" by greater power demands.

These also seem to have a reputation for being tough as nails, which arguably is among the most important criteria for a PA amp.