I'm looking into sub amps to drive a pair of Stryke Audio AV12 subs. Ideally I'd like 1kw of power each into 4 ohms, but due to the cost my preference at present is for a local Biema PA amp which puts out 450w x 2 into 4 ohms and costs $AUD 450 on special. (Available at Altronics)
This amp is of the brand Biema: http://www.biema.com/
Altronics Amp
Has anyone had experience with Biema amps?
Has anyone heard anything about them?
Comments, suggestions, anyone?
http://www.altronic…"]PDF data sheet with specs[/]="http://www.altronic…"]PDF data sheet with specs[/]
Comments
The amp is rated at 450w @ 4 ohms with 0.1% THD at 1kHz. Does t
The amp is rated at 450w @ 4 ohms with 0.1% THD at 1kHz.
Does this mean that the distortion will be much higher?
Or that the power rating is inflated?
Given the applicatin I don't think distortion will be a problem, but power handling is important here ...
What about Nady amps? I have heard they are good value ...
Well, for example, that rating on the harmonic distortion is at
Well, for example, that rating on the harmonic distortion is at a fixed hz..ie 1000hz....this is not even close to the area where your going to try and reproduce a signal...do they show a frequency/power rated chart?to run a set of subs you will need a power amp that will operate with some sort of efficiency at frequencies under 125hz.....most amps will produce a fairly clean signal with minimal disortin and a full power band @1Khz....the main reason this will matter in your application is if that particular amp has a power slope that begins to fall off quickly in the under 60hz range then as a sub-woofer pwer amp its gonna lack...it will also have to work extra hard at the frequencies its deficient at and will be a good candidate for failure...and if you're like me, equipment failure during a performance is unacceptable...the QSC stuff mentioned is very good gear for the money and will operate as you need it to...the Crown CE series is also cheap power but still has a good enough range to handle your needs...Crest is a brand that can be found used throughout the world and they work great....if you dont mind the weight, strap an old Peavey CS-800 to it and run it in mono 4 ohms...their slew rate is rather slow but perfectly fitted to sub-woofers...and they usually can be run continuously for several years at a time without failure..
I can vouge for the good ol' Peavey CS-800X! Running them at 4O
I can vouge for the good ol' Peavey CS-800X! Running them at 4Ohm Mono will get them hot, but they will handle it as long as you leave some headroom (the non "X" model is not rated for 4ohm bridged). I thought their slew was 40v/microsecond? And 80v/Microsecond bridged? Not too shaby from what I recall. I actually got to meet the guy who designed it about 7 years ago at a Peavey Advanced Sound Reinforcement Seminar in Meridian, MS. A nice dude :)
I did notice quite an improvement going from the CS-800X (in 4 ohm stereo - one channel per sub @ 400WRMS ea) to the QSC RMX-1850HD (600WPC). Not just louder, but tighter (and lighter too) ;)...
Go with something with a good "real world" reputation. I don't know if you've seen Nady's latest rack gear, but it appears to be sub-Behringer :( (Now, that is a HUGE diss!)
:cool:
It is likely worth $450 AUD ($335 USD), but that is not saying a
It is likely worth $450 AUD ($335 USD), but that is not saying alot about its quality. The spec sheet is fairly minimal, so they are likely hiding the poor specs. Never heard of them BTW.
Look into Crown's cheaper line - the "CE" line. The CE1000 would be on par power wise, but you may want to look into the CE2000 for your desired power ratings. You get what you pay for.
The QSC "RMX" series is another "budget" line of amps that perform well IMO. My QSC RMX-1850HD runs my two JBL 4 Ohm 18" subs no sweat (600 watts RMS ea).
:cool: