Crown XLS 2500 - the best amp value per dollar?

One correction. Crown calls there amps Class I amps not Class D. Class I is a proprietary patent they hold.

Raymonda: I leave both gain dials at 100% because I have a preamp with a volume control and I hear no hum or noise of any kind.

Thanks for the tip on the gain settings. My Y connection cables came in today so I will be setting up the 2500 XLS as I originally planned, horizontally bi-amped on the woofers with my Adcom on the uppers. The dual channel gain controls on the XLS will make it easy to balance the amps even though they are of different watts and gain.

I have never listened to a top of the line Class A amp so I can't speak to differences. If there is a "huge" difference then I have got to listen to a Class A setup to hear it for myself to justify the exponential increase in cost over the XLS. Just a couple of weeks ago I was seriously considering buying two used Class A mono amps in the 100W plus range. Is the huge difference in sound also exponential to justify the exponential cost difference? I will just have to find out for myself somehow.

One concern I do have is the impact of near term evolution in Class D or Class I or whatever amp technology on the resale value of Class A amps? Paradigm shifts have a tendency to alter valuations significantly and I wouldn't want to be stuck on the wrong side of that one. Finding myself with a $7,000 room heater that takes 1 hour to warm up would not be fun, and that is a used room heater price.

Well, for now, I believe my weakest link in my system has shifted from my amplifier to my pre-amp so that is likely what I will be focusing on upgrading next.

This is an old thread I started but wow has my perspective changed since then. So much so that I consider my original post bordering on disinformation and I feel obligated to correct the record.

Since I purchased the Crown XLS 2500 I have acquired some other higher fidelity amps that taught me what musicality really is and the Crown XLS 250 just does not reach even a minimal level of musicality. I just didn't know better until I compared it to the other amps I acquired all of which I bought used at great prices. Those other amps in order of purchase are Yamaha MX-1000, Yamaha B2 (Vfet aka SIT), and finally a Cary V12R Tube amp (called V12 because it has 12 EL34 tubes).

In fairness to the XLS, it probably is ok for someone who just wants to play head banging heavy metal music, or uses it as a musician playing loud live music. But in a home system where one is going to really listen to music it just does not cut it.

So just over a year and a half since I started this thread. Cracks me up reading my personal evolution over that time.

@bombaywalla - you are so right. I almost sold the XLS 2500 but had put it away in a closet instead. I just pulled it out and connected it to the bass / low end of my Infinity Kappa 9’s and they really do well pushing the bottom end. It does very well at 3/4 gain. I wish all amps had a gain control per channel. It is so useful when bi-amping. The XLS 2500 also has a built in low pass active crossover setting so I can tailor it to just pass the low frequencies needed by the woofers.

I have tube amps (CAD 805AE’s) pushing the top ends of the Kappa 9’s and the combo is great. Seems kind of silly pairing amps on the top end that cost me a factor of over 15 times the amp on the low end but hey, if it sound good it sounds good.

The XLS 2500 is awful as a high fidelity amp for the upper end. But as a bass cranker bi-amped with a higher end amp on the top end it does just fine.

@boomzilla , BINGO!