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Crown XLi 800 Power Amplifier Review

AudioLover73

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Some people use powerful amplifiers for increased headroom, which comes in handy with material high in dynamic range and/or low in compression. One hit of a kettle drum might require a great deal of power to reproduce but it certainly won't heat the amplifier up enough to cause its fan to run. I had a Sansui G22000, and not once did I ever see its fan come on, and I've definitely driven it to its limits. Speaking of the Sansui, I'd love to see how something like that would perform in these tests, and I'm curious how something this old would compare to a more modern amp in sound quality, even something like a Behringer A800. Some of the Sansui's specs are 220 watts per channel into 8 ohms, both channels driven, from 5-20,000Hz with 0.009% THD. It even lists the frequency response as DC to 300,000Hz at +0/-3dB. Here's the brochure.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiwpNv58b3uAhWFHc0KHYgqDPEQFjAEegQIAhAC&url=https://www.vintageshifi.com/repertoire-pdf/pdf/telecharge.php?pdf=Sansui-G-33000-22000-Brochure.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3tmUa-MFPuyhprkUomn2gQ

If one buys a high powered PA amp whose fan never turns on, could we say that they're not being worked hard enough? And if they're not working it hard enough, then why did they need a PA amp with all that power in the first place?...
 

rdenney

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I spec'd one of these amps in a PA system at my church. It's been turned on for four years now with nary a complaint. It's perfect for small PA duty.

I've certainly used PA amps in my home system before--I'm looking at an older Samson Servo 500 right now, sitting here waiting for a new assignment. But it's not the quietest amp I've ever owned in terms of quiescent noise, and that's was a bit annoying.

And I currently use a Carver PM300 commercial amp for my upstairs office system. It's not as dynamic and I think that's because it limits sharp peaks in dynamic music. It really works best with efficient commercial speakers, I expect. But solid as a rock.

Both the Samson and the Carver have both balanced and unbalanced inputs, but the latter use quarter-inch phone plugs instead of RCA plugs, typical of commercial gear.

I bought all of these to get lots of power for minimum dollars, and they did that.

Rick "who keeps a stock in case something blows up" Denney
 

DougNoOnions

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I have a modest system, I am bi amping my speakers, and the "bass" region I am using the Crown XLi for curiosity, and it performs really well (I have an active crossover @ 1.5kHz), the middle + highs I use a Cambridge Audio CXA81, that I am going to retire soon
 

djtetei

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Could an amplifier like Crown XLI 800 be used into a home audio environment? Of course it can!
Suppose you are a person who enjoys music and like to party, but does not want or cannot afford to spend thousands of dollars/ Euros on a high-end "audiophile" amplifier, featuring very low THD (0.00X) 3 or 4 line and phono inputs, built-in digital to analog converter, line and phono preamplifiers and with power ratings similar to Crown XLI 800. In this situation Crown XLI 800 can be used with no issues at all, knowing that it is capable of driving 8 ohm/100 W and 4 ohm / 150 W speakers with a clean signal, in small to medium rooms and is reliable enough to serve you for years with proper maintenance. Connect it to an affordable but very good quality mixer, like Allen Heath Zed-6, and never have to worry about keeping the amplifier input levels under control, while keeping other connectivity options opened.
Price wise one can find cheaper alternatives, like T.Amp E800 and Behringer KM1700, both capable of doing a wery good job of driving various speakers, bookshelves or floorstanders, and even subwoofers.
In conclusion, who can use an amplifier like the Crown XLI 800, T.Amp E800 and Behringer KM 1700? Pretty much everyone who wants to enjoy music and life more and worry less about SINAD numbers.
 
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rdenney

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As mentioned, I’ve used the Crown tested here, and for a small PA system it’s solid. It measures noisy, but quiescent noise is low enough that I can’t hear hiss. It also includes attenuation and the gain structure can be tailored.

A Buckeye NC502MP is more expensive, but still quite affordable and even more powerful. And it’s easier to live with—smaller, lighter, quieter—in a home system. And the performance is about 50 dB better.

Rick “better than it needs to be rather than being merely good enough” Denney
 

Katji

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There are a couple of commonly used definitions for the PA abbreviation: Public Address or Pro Audio, @amirm used the correct definition for this amp: Public Address. ;)

- Rich
Correct... Well, all my life/decades, I thought PA meant Public Address. Only since a few years ago did I find it meaning pro audio.
 

DSJR

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PA to me has always been 'Public Address' as in loud and cheap!!!!

Just looked at the incredibly cheap Thomann Tamp E400


Is it really crap I wonder?
 

Katji

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Well, the part i didn't mention there is that to my mind, it's associated with those metal loudhailer things and those old station things. train announcements.
...The word 'Tannoy' comes to mind too, but maybe that's a mistake.


[edit/PS] No, not a mistake.. They are still called tannoys.
not quite...the thing, but this was the best I found. And if you don't LOL at the end, there's something worng with you. :D
 
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djtetei

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PA to me has always been 'Public Address' as in loud and cheap!!!!

Just looked at the incredibly cheap Thomann Tamp E400


Is it really crap I wonder?
T.Amp E series amplifiers are used by many in Europe, both in home audio environments and for event parties.
There are some people who use multiple T.Amp E400 in home theater environment, connected to an AVR with multichannel line outs, to drive the front, center, side and rear speakers, while the subwoofers are driven by a T.Amp E800 or T.Amp E1200 amplifier.
T.Amp E800 and E1200 are mostly used for small to medium events, being preferred over Behringer's counterparts, because of Thomann rapid response on possible repairs.
 

djtetei

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I noticed that some of you consider the lack of a built-in DSP unit in an amplifier to be sort of an issue, which, as a matter of fact, is not always true.
If you need digital sound processing, consider the fact that converting from analog domain to digital domain and back to analog domain doesn't come free of charge and the price you pay is the sound quality (what comes in is not the same when it comes out).
Some amplifier manufacturers may choose to tradeoff some sound quality and processing features, in order to remain competitive in terms of price, meaning that the built-in DSP is working at lower sample rates and bit depths than possible. Whenever you have to convert from analog to digital domain and back, using the highest sample rate and bit depth possible is a must.
That's why I recommend the use of standalone DSP units / crossover network or speaker management system, because these can feature very high quality DSP units, able to work at sample rates of 192 kHz and bit depth of 32 bit, preserving as much details as possible from the analog source, while offering other useful features.
 
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Coleyzzz

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Look, guys, manufacturers design PA amps with very specific applications in mind, such operation in public settings and open spaces. They don't do this to be different. They do it because it allows them to design and build a product that fits it's designed purpose without having to worry about achieving SOTA, or even good results, in areas where it isn't needed.

As you move from a public space to the average home, the importance of certain performance parameters change. These include:

- High output. You no longer need hundreds of WPC because the distances are small and the ambient noise is low.

- Power efficiency. Home users aren't plugging into highly branched/taxed circuits of some old, hoary, dance hall. Home circuits are very conservatively arranged in order to be fool proof. Indeed, successive National Electrical Codes make it exceedingly difficult to overload modern home circuits.

- Strength in middle frequencies. Helps in getting the gist across iaw Fletcher/Munson, but the low noise of private homes allows, and indeed supports, critical listening. So linearity of FR becomes more important.

- Grounded gear is no longer critical because homes are classed as enclosed weatherproof structures. Double insulation is more than sufficient to meet electrical safety needs, especially since there is a much smaller risk of ground lifts (routinely used in PA because there isn't time to trace group loops) and moisture that can lead to electrocution in public settings.

@amirm's Test Results show a great deal of how the difference in design philosophy result in higher SINAD, lower SNR, and roll-off in FR for the PA amps he's tested. He, and people other than me, have talked about a variety of issues that make them less than ideal in most home settings. The manufacturer's even go so far as to talk about their designed purpose. These are real things, guys. It's displayed in black and white for us. So what is it about these issue that you're not getting?

Consciously ignoring test results, manufacturer warnings etc. to justify your own biases is one thing. Arguing with people who point out the obvious is another. Hence my original post on militant stupidity, which was not directed at anyone specific despite the now obvious fact that a few people are trying their utmost to display it.
HOW RUDE
 

djtetei

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What I would have loved to se on Crown XLI series power supply boards is more clearance around the capacitors so I can replace the stock ones with bigger capacitance capacitors.
Take the Crown XLI 1500 as an example. It is rated 2x330W at 8 ohms and 2x450W at 4 ohms and used 4 capacitors (10000 uF / 63 V).
450W at 4 ohms requires a current of 10.60 A RMS.
Unsing the rule of thumb that for every Amper RMS we need at least 1000 uF, the 10000uF / 63 V capacitor fitted on XLI 1500 seems to do a good job.
But, there is room for improvement.
Why not use the peak current value to give the amplifier some more room to breath?
10.60A RMS x 1.41 = 15 A peak
15 A peak x 1000 uF = 15000 uF
So now you could fit high quality and readily available 15000 uF / 63 V capacitors.
 
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Composer799

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The manufacturers make this clear in the literature across the entire product range. Their specs reflect it. Your results show it.

Too bad we have so many militantly stupid audiophiles claiming these "pro" things are great for critical listening at home. They're not.

Just another audio myth, shattered by the cold truth.
These amps are great to use for horizontal Bi-amping. I'm using one in conjunction with a Marantz 8012. The AVR powers above 400 hz. The Crown powers 80-400Hz. 80 & below fed to subwoofers.
 

sealman

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My son has been running one (XLI800) that I gave him over 6 years ago. It is powering two 10inch subs just fine which is exactly what I bought it for. I keep trying to upgrade him with 15's but either he or his SO keeps resisting. :facepalm:
 

Eric Auer

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Excellent amp to drive bass cabinets.

Bass guitar > Pre Amp > Crown > Cabinet.

No reason to confuse this with anything Home Hi-Fi at all.
 

aschemkes

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Being a cretin of the highest order I strongly recommend the Crown XLS drivecore 2 amps. I got tired of recapping my ancient
Pioneer SX727 and bought the cheapest and weakest XLS...a 1002. I was totally thrilled with how it sounded...and was then not
too happy with my ancient Bose 301 speakers...they did not go high or low enough to suit me.

Being a person who remembers the 70s well I decided to buy a good 3 way speaker...back in the 70s they were common
home stereo speakers. I did not find any consumer speakers that I liked so I bought some sound reinforcement/PA
speakers from JBL. I chose SRX 835 passive speakers and bought a Crown XLS 2502 Drivecore 2 amp to power them.

Mission accomplished. Everything sounds fantastic through them...very high SPL is easy too. Detail and imaging are EPIC.
Bass is superb. I have the best stereo now I have ever owned. Unlike most consumer speakers full frequency response is
published by the manufacturer. The speakers are heavy at 95lbs each and different in construction compared to the powered
version. The powered version has a much simpler front baffle and it uses built in EQ to be flat. The passives have 4 port tubes
under the 15 inch woofer...and the passive crossover network is a thing of beauty. The resistor board is in a vented portion
of the top of the cab for cooling.
Way overkill for home use. Which for me, is just right.
I love this! Dare to be different, your ears will decide
 
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