Crown XTI-1000 power amp

[smokin_dave]

This will be my first foray into the seperate amp/pre-amp route and I feel that this amp will suite my needs but I'm alway's looking for second opinions.This amp will run in into my Eden 410XLT cab set at 8 Ohms.For the money($500.00)I feel it's a great bargain.Anybody with a Crown amp feel free to pitch me the pro's and cons.I will be using my SF-2 Superfilter as a pre-amp.Sorry QSC users but I just can't come up with the bread to buy that brand but I wish I could.
Thanks club mates.
http://www.crownaudio.com/amp_htm/xti.htm
PS...I am looking for an F-1X to go with this setup also.I've been wanting one for a very long time.

[dela217]

David... That sounds like it will be a nice rig.  I don't think that you can go wrong with Crown.  I know it's apples and oranges, but I had an old Crown DC 300 that was abused for many years.  It was awesome.  I had it since the mid 70's and it finally died in the Katrina flood.  I also had a QSC RMX 1450.  It was not bad, but in my opinion was too deep and weighed a ton.  It had to be mounted in a deep amp rack.  The Crown XTI's are only 12 inches deep!  You can get by with a shallower rack.  I really like that a lot!!!  I am also considering one of the XTI 2000's with 2 Eden 2x10 XST 4 ohm cabs.  I would run it stereo with an F2B.

[bsee]

Well, there are several schools of thought on power amps.  One school is interested in low cost and light weight while still providing excellent sound.  The champs in this category have been the QSC PLX and Stewart World lines.  The Crown you identify is a new player and looks really nice on the specs.  The four items I would be looking at in this genre are the QSC PLX 2502/1802, the QSC PLX 1804, the Stewart World 2.1 and the Crown XTi 1000/2000.
 
The QSC xx02 amps are 21 lbs and all around great performers in the $800-1000 price range.
 
The QSC 1804 is the light weight champ at 13 lbs and about $700, but doesn't bridge and lacks some of the nice filtering features found in the xx02 series.  
 
The Stewart gets great kudos for tone, but lacks speakon outputs for convenience.  It's a middleweight at 17 lbs and can be found in the $800 price range new.
 
The Crown is the definite price leader and has some funky digital effects built in.  If not needed, this new tech seems like a risk to me.  The software to manage it is just coming out now..  Also, they only have XLR inputs, no 1/4 at all.  That just means some converter cables, though.  These are middleweight at 17 lbs.
 
The other genre is the I want THE tone at any weight category.  Crest seems to be the king here with the CA series amps.  Either that or the super-expensive boutique tube amps.  These things are in the 50 lb plus weight class.  
 
On a budget, there's also the Carvin DCM line that gets some praise.  The DCM1500 is about the same power as the Crown 1000 and 34 lbs, but is only $399 factory direct.
 
With the exception of the Crown XTi, these have all been on the market for long enough that they can be had used to save a few bucks.
 
(Message edited by bsee on July 27, 2006)

[2400wattman]

I have a Crest CA/6 and I can attest that it DOES NOT WORK WELL WITH THE F1-X-SF-2 set up. avoid the Crest at all costs! I just could not get the pre amp vol. up enough(to push more tone into the amp)w/out it clipping to hell and back. Nothing is wrong with the amp, it just can't handle the load from the preamp/SF-2. I bought a fairly used Crown K-2 and it has cured my issues w/loading the input stage of the amp and I can now get my levels up to par w/the rest of my band. I also have a Crown Macro Tech 2400 for my other rig w/ an Aguilar DB680 pre which sounds killer!! Oh, by the way, I'm running these rigs into 8x10 cabs and my band has a very large amount of stage vol. So with this stated you can tell I'm a Crown fan. I've used one QSC & it failed miserably, the Crest was fine w/ my Ampeg preamp but there is no way to buffer the input stage of the amp(at least that's what the Crest guys told me) to avoid clipping w/ the F1-x,SF-2. The Crown XS series have been pretty good amps from what I understand and very affordable. I don't know about the xti series but I'm sure it will be a fine amp especially for your use. The only cons w/ alot of Crown amps is the weight but there are ways around it if you want the reliability and performance that is Crown. Simply put your amp in a seperate rack from your other gear and that makes lugging it around much easier. Don't worry about the software for the amp, it's probably just for x-over points that you more than likely won't be using since you'll be pumping it through a 4x10. Hey, lot's to say about this but good luck, i've got to get to bed. snoooooorrrrrrrr,snooooooorrrrrrrrrhaahhhha

[bsee]

The XTi amps actually have a 4-6 band digital EQ and some DSP, including a delay and a subharmonic synthesizer to boost low frequency content.  They do offer configurable crossover points as well.  The configuration for stereo/bridge mono operation is even done through the software.
 
Crown is great, but I am still skeptical about the new tech here until it gets some more air time.

[bigredbass]

HEY Dave, good to see ya.
 
I'm with bsee:  Crown is fine, I'm a little leery of a power amp with built-in Effects/DSP and too new too have a track record.
 
I do have a shopping tip, though:
 
For power amps or any pro/touring sound type gear, I've found very interesting deals by going to a pro sound manufacturer like Meyer or EAW and looking at their dealer/user lists.
 
I was in Meyer's website last week and they listed Blackhawk Audio (www.blackhawkaudio.com), one of many touring sound companies here in the Nashville area.  They've got a whole raft of    used QSCs they're selling, as well as PM4000 Yamaha boards, Meyer cabinets, etc.  Of course this stuff has to be in good working order for their clients' shows.  Power amps are popping up like this as so many touring/flown cabs are now powered. Meyer, for instance, only makes ONE unpowered cab across its entire product range, and the rest are following suit.  And a lot of the analog consoles are being replaced by digital boards (Blackhawk's replacing their PM4000s with the DM-1 digital Yamaha live console, like a lot of people are).
 
You can find these for sale sections at lots of touring sound websites.
 
J o e y

[smokin_dave]

Good points made by all.As it stands,I went ahead and purchased the Crown.Used it last night and will again tonight and I'll give a full report when I get a bit more time.
Hey Joey,I got a bud who moved to Nasville and I may be down there in the future for some gigs.Look for Don Pedigo down Nashville way and check him out.Songwriter from Freetown Indiana.
Dave

[smokin_dave]

And away we go.
I didn't have much time between initial purchase  
and gig start time but I got it
set up in the garage and tinkered with it.
Pretty bold move on my part to dive headlong into a gig with very little getting used to it time but sela.
I also had to rethink the way I use the SF-2 since I am using it as the sole  
preamp.I made it through two shows and had it sounding pretty good but I know it can  
be better.The amp itself runs cool as a cucumber
and fairly easy to set up.Decent manual and simple programing.I had it running at an  
out door gig in 90 degree heat and humidity  
and at the end of the show it was cool to the touch.Impressive.My SWR SM-400 would've been
egg frying hot but they have that reputation anyway.So far so good but I really need to get  
a better grasp on the SF-2 and I think I'm going  
to ditch the Eden and get an ACME 4x10.Plus,hopefully,
an F-1X.  
I got the GAS blues.

[smokin_dave]

A final update before this thread dies,
I was having a serious overdrive problem,distortion at higher volume levels and in general, crappy sound when I pushed the amp.Sounded fine at low volume.Then it dawned on me that when I first purchased my SF-2 13 years ago,I had opened the unit to switch the jumper pin to +20db.I switched it back to +10db and WOW.....I have NEVER been more happy with my sound.I may end up keeping my Eden cab after all.
Alembic sound.What a great feeling.
 
(Message edited by smokin dave on August 07, 2006)

[David Houck]

Good catch Dave!  I would have completely forgotten about making a change like that.

[smokin_dave]

Discovering things about this amp all of the time.
Here's a neat little feature.
When in bridge mode,you can use the stereo outputs
of your pre-amp and connect them to the channel  
#1 and 2 inputs on the XTI thus giving you volume
control from both channels.So from my SF-2,I have all the low end coming from channel 1 and highs
from channel 2.I have independent volume control
over each channel at the amp plus the signal mixing capability from the SF-2.It's like it's bi-amped but at the same time mono.
When I get my F-1X to add to this signal/soup,I'll try to bend Paul TBO's ear for some Tweak Peak advice.
 
(Message edited by smokin dave on August 21, 2006)
 
(Message edited by smokin dave on August 21, 2006)