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Ideas For A Beefy Solid State Amp For Subwoofer Duties

Hey,

I'm trying some different things with my system and having another dabble with DSP for LF, basically a revamp of a failed 'Swarm' experiment.

I have 4 subs where I've pulled the plate amps and I want to drive each from either a pair of stereo amps or 4 monoblocks.
Two of the drivers are high excursion 15" drivers and two are 12" diameter. The 15" were driven by older 400w plate amps and the two 12" have newer Dayton-Audio 500w plate amps. I don't want to retain any of the plate amps (longer story).

I'd like to budget around $1500 - $2000 max for the amps for all 4 subs, and would likely purchase used.

I've looked at a few pro amps including the Crown XLS2502 2 Channel which puts out a healthy 775w / 4 ohms and actually has a reputation for very good sound quality. Two of those come in under budget.

Then I've looked at a couple options from Bel Canto, but they come in above budget at the power level required.
The original NuForce 9's can be had for under a grand a pair, but they're less than optimal in terms of power. Obviously the common thread here is finding amps with a high damping factor.

Any suggestions?
Thoughts on pro audio gear for this type of application?
Is Class D the way to go?

Main speakers are Dunlavy III driven by Thor 60w tube monos.

Cheers
Rooze
128x128rooze

Showing 1 response by millercarbon

millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
The go-to amp for this application is the Dayton SA1000. It has all the power, with EQ, level, filters, boost, and phase adjustments that make it pretty much the perfect sub amp. Very affordable at Parts Express, great support and customer service too.  

I have 2 of them for 4 subs, but one would do just fine. You do not need 2 for stereo, that is a myth, there is no stereo. Simply wire the subs in series or parallel to achieve the total impedance load you want for the amp. Depending on your sub impedance you might want to use 2 amps, but it simply is not necessary otherwise. In any case you can get 2 of them brand new for well within budget. Totally the way to go.
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