Crown XLS 1000

[djtrumptight]

I just went and bought one of these to power 2 DR 250's for now,4 by the end of march.Now i'm wondering if i should take it back before i even open it and get the XLS 1500,any thoughts on this ?

[DJPhatman]

I would get the 1500. I'd rather have it, and not need it than need it and not have it. BTW, I would not use any of the XLS for 4 T48s.

[djtrumptight]

Thanks alot Phatman,i figured someone that knows better than me would recommend the 1500.Also i was planning to buy a XLS 2000 or higher for my Titans,at this point i'm just looking to go lighter.So why is it you wouldnt use XLS amps on Titans ? Thanks again for the feedback.

[djtrumptight]

Also,the XLS 100 is 215 watts@ 8 ohms (about 41.5 volts) and
350 watts@ 4 ohms (about 37.4 volts).Bill has suggested that we limit the DR 250's to 40 volts as the Driver can handle 44.7 volts.
Bill has also stated that with the dr's running parallel,the voltage is constant so i would limit the same with 4 cabs as i would with 2 cabs (if i understood him correctly),.I would like to limit at 38 volts so shouldn't the XLS 1000 work or am i missing somethiing other than having more headroom on the amp ?

[SeisTres]

+1 on the upgrade. My mcm loaded jacks can take my xls402 (300 into 4 ohm) into the clipping and they do fine. Remember that you will never really be playing noise or sine waves and while most of the time the tops will only see about 5-10volts, those peaks are the ones that need a lot of power. And once the clip lights start coming on, there's not more headroom for those peaks.

That's the reason I prefer using the xls802 on my bp102's instead of the 402.

[DJPhatman]

The XLS2000 and 2500 don't have the power to push 3015LFs without clipping the amp. I would not use an amp not rated to at least the same as the sub drivers. That's 60V, and the XLS Drivecore just can't reach there. The XTi4000, however, can. XTi are my personal choice. Lightweight, solid power and pretty good DSP that is controllable via USB on the fly.

[LelandCrooks]

The xls amps will not run concurrent hp and lp filters, only one at a time. You can't hp them at 40 to protect your drivers. I recommend them for top duty. You can use them on titans/tubas, but you need to be very aware that they're unprotected at the bottom where they're most vulnerable.

Outboard crossover? Have at it if you have one.

[Bruce Weldy]

That's 60V, and the XLS Drivecore just can't reach there.

Sorry, but you are wrong there. My XLS Drivecore 1000 runs over 60 volts (1100 watts)in bridged mode at 4 ohms. And it is designed to run at that rating....that's how I run my subs. There's nothing wrong with having a little more power if you want to spend the money - but I want to keep the facts straight.

[djtrumptight]

Thanks again for the input fella's.I am buying this amp for top duty,to power 2 and sometimes 4 DR 250's.I dont need the built in filters,i have the DCX 2496,my only concern is the amp weight and power output in stereo.According to my math,the XLS 1000 puts out 41.5 volts@8 ohms and 37.4 volts@ 4 ohms.Bill has suggested that we limit the DR 250's at 40 volts.I'm thinking even at 4 ohms,37.4 volts isn't bad at all.DJ Phatman has suggested that i get the XLS 1500 instead but i dont see the logic in paying for extra power that i dont need only to limit that power.Whatever i'm going to do,i need to do it b4 this snow storm comes today,Michigan weather,hmph.

[Mikey]

i dont see the logic in paying for extra power that i dont need only to limit that power.

Heat. If you push an amp to it's bleeding limits (which is what you intend to do), you're creating maximum heat, which results in decreased reliability and longevity.

[DJPhatman]

That's 60V, and the XLS Drivecore just can't reach there.

Sorry, but you are wrong there. My XLS Drivecore 1000 runs over 60 volts (1100 watts)in bridged mode at 4 ohms. And it is designed to run at that rating....that's how I run my subs. There's nothing wrong with having a little more power if you want to spend the money - but I want to keep the facts straight.

I should have clarified my statement. Add to the end of my statement : without bridging the amp. But, that means twice the amps for your subs, so no savings or space.
Thanks for the correction, Bruce. And, yes, you can run them bridged at 4 Ohm. The question is, why? To run 4 T48s, I would much rather run a single XTi4000 in parallel/mono, 2 per channel, then haul 2 XLS to run bridged. Remember that running 4 Ohm bridged is even more heat-producing stress on an amp than running a single channel at 2 Ohms. And heat shortens the life of amps. Agree or disagree, how you run your equipment is your choice. I choose not to push any of my equipment to the edge of its limits for various reasons, and will always recommend this modus operandi, especially to those who are very new to sound reproduction.

[Bruce Weldy]

That's 60V, and the XLS Drivecore just can't reach there.

Sorry, but you are wrong there. My XLS Drivecore 1000 runs over 60 volts (1100 watts)in bridged mode at 4 ohms. And it is designed to run at that rating....that's how I run my subs. There's nothing wrong with having a little more power if you want to spend the money - but I want to keep the facts straight.

I should have clarified my statement. Add to the end of my statement : without bridging the amp. But, that means twice the amps for your subs, so no savings or space.
Thanks for the correction, Bruce. And, yes, you can run them bridged at 4 Ohm. The question is, why? To run 4 T48s, I would much rather run a single XTi4000 in parallel/mono, 2 per channel, then haul 2 XLS to run bridged. Remember that running 4 Ohm bridged is even more heat-producing stress on an amp than running a single channel at 2 Ohms. And heat shortens the life of amps. Agree or disagree, how you run your equipment is your choice. I choose not to push any of my equipment to the edge of its limits for various reasons, and will always recommend this modus operandi, especially to those who are very new to sound reproduction.

No argument on anything you said. Just wanted to clear up the fact that the amp will indeed do over 60 volts.

For someone that already has a quality dsp, there's no reason not to use these amps - they are light and work well. Now, if I was hammering them 4 nights a week, that might be a different story. But for weekend warriors who are watching their budget, I believe they are an unbelievable value - Crown quality with a 3 year guarantee.....why consider anything else? I sure wouldn't trade them for a Behringer, Peavey, or QSC at the same price point.

Just a side note....last Saturday we played the BBQ Cookoff for the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. Part of the deal was that they could use the PA for a Jukebox during the day. So, we had the system running from 10am until 10pm. Probably 7 hours as a jukebox and 5 with the band playing. Not a single hiccup from either the XLS 1000 or 1500.......but, it was one long-ass day.

[djtrumptight]

Ok,so i take the XLS 1000 back,pay the extra $100 and get the XLS 1500,get home,forgot to buy some balanced xlr cables to connect the DCX 2496 to the XLS 1500 (the cables i had were xlr to 1/4).So,back to guitar center to get the cables and i'm back home,about to read the manual before i even hook the amp up.It felt so weird carrying an amp with one hand thats capable of powering all of my tops,i was using a QSC USA 1300 for tops,it weighs 54 pounds,thats over 40 pounds i just got rid of.Next move will be the XTI 4000 for subs.Again,thanks to all for their input.Phatman,i like your "modus operandi",i cant afford to be on the bleeding edge with any part of my system,i'm always ready to spend what i need to spend to get the best performance,this is not my hobby,its part of my livelihood.Again,thanks all.