Studio/Performance Amps for High-End Systems?

Is there something I'm missing here?

Amps for studios tend to be very precise.

Amps for high end audiophiles tend to be "softened".

Crown and Bryston are are simply excellent amps but the harshness you get with precision is not necessarily what domestic owners like. Some will claim it is distortion from SS high power designs and high amounts of negative feedback but I think it is more a factor of designs slightly tailored to cater to the tastes of the two camps. (Precise "you get what you get" versus a more relaxing laid back or "musical" sound)

Some audiophiles will complain that studio gear sounds like a PA. On the flip side, studio professionals will often complain about the coloration introduced by home consumer systems.

Audio engineers will often spend time listening to their mixes on "dumbed down" consumer systems rather than rely on just the studio sound. this is in order to see how the mix "translates" to the widest audience.

So what you get on most commercial recordings is dumbed down (especially dynamically) from the real thing anyway.

If your tastes run towards the precise approach then you are lucky because, indeed, some pro gear is good value compared to audiophile designs. However, teh converse is also true...some pro gear is stratospherically priced and many top studios are well over $1 million invested in gear/acoustics.

Good points. Pro amps cover two markets => venue sound reinforcement and recording studios. Only the studios will go for the higher quality sound (similar to audiophile except slanted towards precise/forward sound) whereas the sound reinforcement and music store rental gear tends to be low cost highly reliable high power but lower quality sound.

I stand by the statement

Some audiophiles will complain that studio gear sounds like a PA.

Those who categorically dismiss all pro power amplifiers are simply showing their prejudices. The truth is they tend to sound quite different because they are targeted at different types of listener. Huge power is often necessary for realistic unclipped sound reproduction on studio music that has not yet been dynamically compressed/squashed for consumers. Most audiophile speakers would not last five minutes in a studio before the tweeters were blown and the power amp output transistors fried.

I've worked on High-End and pro gear for years, and have yet to see the pro gear built with the quality of components(passive or active) that are utilized in High-End audio equipment.

Then you have simply not come across EMMLABS and other high-end pro gear with similar quality build to high end audiophile gear.

EMMLabs is used by as James Guthrie (Pink Floyd sound engineer).

Here is a list EMM Labs Users

I agree about Peavy and others you mention - these are high power but low quality stuff and have a "PA" sound.