Pro audio amp vs. residential amp

I purchased a Crown XLS 1500 amp at Guitar Center (30 day money back) about 3 weeks ago.It has boat loads of clean power and is dynamic and detailed. I like it, and it cost $350
as they matched Amazons price. It's quiet, I don't hear the fan at all. Low noise floor,it's not a perfect amp, but it is very good. My 2 cents. Well worth the $350 for sure...

I also purchased the Crown XLS 1500, not primarily for 2 channel stereo, but for a small rehearsal PA system. On a whim, I decided to try it in my main living room 2 channel system. I currently use a pair of Channel Islands D-200 class D with a pair of SP Tech Timepiece 3.0 speakers, which are low efficiency but highly revealing speakers. The Crown sounded like a tin can. Then I hooked up an old pair of cheap high efficiency Tannoy PBM speakers and they sounded just fine. My point is that if you have really revealing speakers with neutral upstream components, then the Crown may not be a good idea. If you have less expensive speakers that are colored or warm sounding by nature, then the Crown may work just fine. It's totally speaker dependent.

My experience has been the Crown XLS1500 sounds superb with all my speakers. I've found the amp to be extremely revealing and delicate with gobs of power. A full and totally open sound.
Very similar to my el34 based amp, but with much better grip on the bass. One thing I will say about the Crown, it needs about 400 hours,to totally open up.
It will drive 2 ohm loads with 775 watts on hand, so hard loads are a piece of cake. This amp give you a type of sound that should not be had for $350, it is an exception. As always of course YMMV!

ADS L780
Vienna acoustics Haydn
B&W DM2a transmission lines

This may really spoil the party, but guess what ? Amps sound different, on different speakers, and different preamps.
Example - I got rid of an Adcom 555 that was bright and hard, and 2 dimensional on my old Von Schweikert VR 4's
I traded with a` local guy who had the Spectron Amp that Albert Von Schweikert suggested.
He had Vandersteen 3's, and did not like the sound of the Spectron on them.
I gave him my Adcom 555 and some cash, and he gave me the Spectron amp.

Once I got home, and played the Spectron, it was like my Von Schweikert VR 4's transformed. They became warm, rich, and so 3 dimensional, it was almost spooky!

Surprisingly, the guy I traded with called to THANK ME, for the Adcom 555
Said they transformed his Vandersteen 3's

Hard to believe, but true

The lesson here is, there are no shortcuts, you must listen to an amplifier over a period of time in YOUR system, with YOUR Preamp, and YOUR Speakers.