question about power amps

He_Who_Forgets

alright, i'm a total noob when it comes to about anything electronical, so basically i need an education on power amps. me and my buddy are putting together a pa system to practice/play bars/parties with and i don't have much experience with this kind of gear.

here's a couple models i'm looking at/ were recommended:

crown xti 1000, 2000
crest cc 1800

my budget for the amp is $500ish, give or take. if a little more (or less) would do, no big deal. ideally, i want something that'll be good enough if we get a little more serious, so i don't have buy something else in a year or two.

thanks in advance.

edit: also, is this something to buy used, or do they get abused and fuck up easily?

ianvomsaal

You'll just need to make sure you get an amp that pushes enough at 8ohms, which is your standard single 12" or 15" speaker.
Typically you'll want at least 400-watts A SIDE at 8ohms (for two mains).
But you'll probably want more watts if you want to also run monitors.
You'll need to run them in series from each side (like monitors out of the right side, and mains out of the left, hence more wattage).
The Crown XTI 2000 runs 475W/ch @ 8 ohms - you might be able to get a refeb from Musicians Friend for $550.
I'd say this is the minimum wattage needed (without running monitors).
The XTI 4000 is better (650watts a channel at 8ohms - unfortunately the 4000 is out of your price range).
Other amps closer to your price range that MIGHT work for what you want.
FIND A DEALER (actual store) AND YOU CAN PROBABLY GET THESE FOR LESS:
Crown XLS 802 might work (500watts a side at 8ohms) - $599
YamahaP5000s (500watts a side at 8ohms) - $599
QSC RMX2450 (500watts a side at 8ohms) - $629
I'm not sure about reliability, but the Samson SX2800 (700 Watts per side @ 8 Ohms) - $549.
FOR THE $$$ THE SAMSON IS THE BEST DEAL (plus you can run monitors), BUT AGAIN, DO SOME RESEARCH ON RELIABILITY.
Cheers . . .

- Ian C.T. vom Saal

Side Note: the easiest way to blow a speaker is to under-power it - just something to remember.

kigcat

may i also suggest an Allen and heath PA series mixer