Budget 1U Power Amps - Crown D-75 or ?

JamesHE · Post by **JamesHE** » Thu May 07, 2009 5:10 pm

Currently I only have a vintage 80's mid fi Hitachi (!) receiver to power my Event 20/20's. It really hates pushing those 4ohm Events - sounds great with the small pinnacle bookshelf speakers that I have though.

So I'm looking for a power amp. My Budget is $175 at the most.

Id just go with an Adcom but I'd really like this thing to be ultra portable - Which means being able to easily throw it my 4 space rack with my Motu 828MKII and my modded Art Dual MP. The "studio" is currently in 2 different locations. I won't go into it in detail, but yeah I need it to be relatively lightweight, 1U, possibly 2U and not cook itself in the rack.

The suspects... (all likely used at my price point)

Crown D-75 or D-75A

Alesis RA-100 or RA-150

Samson servo ~

Art SLA-1

Ashly SRA-120

Hafler P-1000

These are some options I've seen on e-bay recently - or currently, in my price range.

Any opinions on these units? I am most interested in hearing opinions on the Crown D-75. How it performs pushing 4 ohms, what is the sound like.. etc.

rwc · Post by **rwc** » Thu May 07, 2009 5:23 pm

You want an amp to push a low impedance to high levels inside a very tiny case for a very low price.

I think this is not realistic. The best option might be a modern digital amp, because they have amazing amounts of power in a small size, however good luck finding it for $175.

I would cross samson and alesis off the list because in my experience, their products are junk.

wren · Post by **wren** » Thu May 07, 2009 5:34 pm

I have a Hafler P1500 and it's great. According to a quick Google search, the P1000 is rated @ 55 watts per channel @ 4 ohms.

My P1500's 75 watts @ 8 ohms are more than adequate for my Polk RT4i's; I'd assume that the P1000 (or a P1500, which is 85 watts @ 4 ohms) would be just fine for your 20/20's. Average ebay price for both units is right around your price range, or maybe a little over.

rwc wrote:I would cross samson and alesis off the list because in my experience, their products are junk.

+1.

markitzero · Post by **markitzero** » Thu May 07, 2009 5:45 pm

I have used a Samson Servo 120a for a few years to run my nearfields (a QSC runs my midfields), and I can honestly say it's really clean. Maybe underpowered for really cranking it, but no noise to speak of. No fans, so it's dead quiet in the control room. Reliable, too. No issues whatsoever, plus it's cheap.

I'd love to fully plant myself in the "Samson = shit" camp, but this amp doesn't suck at all. Most of their gear does suck, but like most budget gear companies, there are a couple diamonds in the rough.

JamesHE · Post by **JamesHE** » Thu May 07, 2009 7:14 pm

markitzero wrote:I have used a Samson Servo 120a for a few years to run my nearfields (a QSC runs my midfields), and I can honestly say it's really clean. Maybe underpowered for really cranking it, but no noise to speak of. No fans, so it's dead quiet in the control room. Reliable, too. No issues whatsoever, plus it's cheap.

I'd love to fully plant myself in the "Samson = shit" camp, but this amp doesn't suck at all. Most of their gear does suck, but like most budget gear companies, there are a couple diamonds in the rough.

Does it run hot at all? I can leave a space open if the amp is 1RU, and the pre amp is not very deep,I also don't run a lot of cabling, so I think I can get decent ventilation here.

What are you nearfields? 8ohms, 4Ohms (how critical is the load anyway? guess it depends on the amp.)

I have read reviews that the servos are 'brittle' in the highs. The 20/20's are maybe just a little too smooth in the highs, so maybe that will be ok.
The 20/20's are rather smeared in the lows, which is my biggest gripe with them (but I know them well) so I don't want an amp that's going to accentuate that though.

wren wrote:I have a Hafler P1500 and it's great. According to a quick Google search, the P1000 is rated @ 55 watts per channel @ 4 ohms.

My P1500's 75 watts @ 8 ohms are more than adequate for my Polk RT4i's; I'd assume that the P1000 (or a P1500, which is 85 watts @ 4 ohms) would be just fine for your 20/20's. Average ebay price for both units is right around your price range, or maybe a little over.

Great to hear!

rwc wrote:You want an amp to push a low impedance to high levels inside a very tiny case for a very low price

No. I want an amp to push 4 Ohms to moderate levels inside a standard size 4RU case with some other stuff. I am focusing my search to 1 and 2RU units which were designed (basically) for this purpose instead of something like an Adcom or a Digital amp which is not.

Thanks all.

BENDYmusic · Post by **BENDYmusic** » Thu May 07, 2009 7:56 pm

Chiming in here, +1 for Samson, I love mine. It powers my small speakers. Bryston on the biggers. Only have a third rack space clear above it, never noticed it getting too hot. It has a headphone out with a switch to mute the speakers, ultra handy feature. Got it used, had it for over 5 years. If it broke I would replace with the same thing. I hope you find something you like as well as I like this amp.

&e

Jeff White · Post by **Jeff White** » Thu May 07, 2009 10:02 pm

I run an Adcom GFA 545II on my main pair of NS-10M Studios in my basement studio space. However in my middle bedroom that I just finished I have my second paid of NS-10Ms hooked up to a Hafler P1000. This is my remote setup. I've had my Hafler on since 10am cranking out some tunes while I spackled and painted the bathroom all day. It's alone in a 4-space soft rack on the floor, and after being on for 15 hours today it's only warm, not hot.

Even though my P1000 needs to go into the shop to fix a slight distortion in the left channel (slight on extreme low end), it still kicks ass. If it died I'd get it fixed on pick up another P1000. I totally love my Adcom as well but I agree... sometimes you need things to fit in a rack.

Jeff

casey campbell · Post by **casey campbell** » Fri May 08, 2009 8:30 am

t-amp

underpowered, but should be good for mixing and not "impressing" clients.

JamesHE · Post by **JamesHE** » Fri May 08, 2009 2:57 pm

Just scored a Hafler P-1000 off ebay for $149 plus shipping. . Supposedly this unit is New In Box.

Was listed as a Haffler P-1000 (two f's)

(/me crosses fingers)

Thanks for all the input guys! I will report back when I get this setup.

JamesHE · Post by **JamesHE** » Tue May 19, 2009 6:37 pm

OK got the Hafler P1000 today.

This is/was a new unit. Defiantly looks it, i.e. no scratches at all. the power cord looked to never have been undone from it's twist-tie. The face and top are a little dirty though which is curious. Like the box was open for a while - I dunno.

I'm listening/ testing in a space I have not monitored in before. The corner of my bedroom to be precise. I have to be in this corner, the woman put her foot down! anyway...

I think it definitely needed to burn in, the first hour was a little rough. But I was also figuring out how to best position the speakers in this little bit of space I have to work with. I can only get them about 3 feet apart from each other, so I'm monitoring really close. I ended up with the 20/20's on their sides - tweeters in! Crazy I know, but I'm not losing the sweet spot as much (which is extremely small as I'm so close) I will be monitoring at relatively low levels here to minimize the room. The P1000 seems perfect for this.

There is nothing at all happening under 55Hz or so. I think I'm just too close, and I'm in a node. The bass sounds great under the desk though.
So I cheated and put the woofer from my crap multi-media setup in the corner fed by another output and blending to get just a little structure down there. Plus I'm far enough away from the sub for >50Hz to actually develop. I did something similar in my old "proper" studio space with these monitors.

I'm happy with my purchase so far. I also plan to use this in my guitar setup pushing an extension cabinet from some sort of front end I haven't found yet.

One thing that I don't like though. The headphone amp doesn't switch off the speakers! Might need to DIY a solution to that.

calaverasgrandes · Post by **calaverasgrandes** » Sat May 23, 2009 6:12 pm

haflers had good and bad models.
Like a lot of amp companies they started off really well and then got worse over time. Diluting the product line with half assed products and eventually got bought out.
I picked up an Adcom 535 a while ago. It is amazingly solidly built. Quite heavy for its watt rating. I had a loudness war with the fella I share a space with and it totally flattened his little Technics receiver he spent $500 on.
(Well I had JBLs and he had some technics tower speakers)
I bet teh halfer is decent, but if anyone else gets a similar Idea I think using a shelf to rack the hafler might be better, and cheaper.
OTOH the Haflers might have better connectors for a mobile rig. EG
1/4" balanced plugs and real 5 way binding posts!
Though retrofitting speaker jacks is super easy.

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Budget 1U Power Amps - Crown D-75 or ?

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