Looking for a Cost effective Amplifier

[Shadow351]

Hello all, I just recently built a set of 12" 8 Ohm PA Subs rated 500 W RMS 1000 W Peak. Originally I intended to drive them with my 1800W (250W x2 RMS @ 8Ohm) Rack mount Amp but after being in storage for almost a year the gain dials are scratchy and only intermittently work like they are full of dust and it really isn't big enough. So I decided to look for another Power Amp. As a college student I'm looking for something Cost Effective, It doesn't need to be top of the line, It will only get occasional use for parties etc.. A Few I am looking at are:

Used Behringer EP2500 on Ebay (I got Outbid by $2.50 at the last second) $182.50 If I could find another that would be great

Behringer EP4000 for $307.94 (A little More than I was looking to spend but the specs look right on)

Pyle Pro PQA5100 for $209.99 (This one says 600 + 600 @ 8 Ohms but it doesn't say if this is RMS or Max, I Emailed Pyle a over a Week ago with no response Does anybody have any experience with this line of Pyle Amps, I have a little 75W Pyle amp and it is surprisingly powerful)

MARATHON MA-DJ4000 for $213 (According to Sonic Electronix it is 500 W x2 RMS @ 8 Ohms But I have never heard of this brand before.)

I am looking for a 2U(or smaller) 19" Rack-Mountable Unit or possibly 2x 1U Units (one for each speaker if I find 2 cheaper amps that can be bridged to drive each sub ie less than half the cost of a single amp running stereo) Anybody have good/bad experiences with any of these amps or brands? Any other amps that might be good for my setup? thanks
-Brad

 

[blackhawk1928]

Just wondering, is this for your car?

Also, I recommend checking out Kenwood. I used Image Dynamics and Kenwood for the majority of my car's sound system. Kenwood make solid amps for solid prices, depending on the specific product of course, but they are generally very good. Haven't had too much experience with Behringer or Pyle so its hard to say.

 

[jacobboe89]

pyle and berhinger is lower quality stuff from what i have heard and seen i do think berhinger is a step above pyle though . if you are looking at these brands , i would recommend you take a look at crown amplifiers . read their warranty and you will see they have a solid amp . i have seen new from a bout 300 a crown amp that will produce 275 watts rms x 2 @ 8 ohms and more power at a lower impedance .the kind of power you are looking for a little more cost 500 watts.keep in mind these amps are bridgeable too so maybe you buy one slightly smaller amp to start and another later and run them bridged .i know too well about being on a tight budget . my advice is spend a little more than you were planning and get something worthwhile . the old saying you get what you pay for is true , i would plan on pyle's warranty being crap and berhinger ? i'm not so sure . you may also find pyle's numbers are exaggerated if you buy one . a good place to find out what you are looking at is amazon.com read the customer reviews on things usually gives you a good idea of what to expect

 

[Shadow351]

blackhawk1928: No This is for my (somewhat) portable Rackmount DJ Stereo, I have Pioneer Amps + Subs in both my car and my truck.

I did look at Crown Amps but they were 2 to 3 times as much for an amp with comparable rms specs.

The reason I chose those 2 (the Pyle and the Berhinger) was because of the reviews 4 stars for the Pyle (one reviewer disliked the input types it offered) and 4.5 for the Berhinger (a few reviewers didn't read the specs and were expecting 2000W x2 @ 8 Ohms)

After Reading many Pyle Reviews (not just for this amp but others as well) it seems most complaints are by people who don't actually read the specs and just go by the peak power, (yea the motor in my vacuum cleaner will put out 1/2 hp just before the it burn up, but it still has 1/2 HP labels all over it). I know the Pyle wont actually push 5100W, and I wont expect it to but I think it should be powerful enough as I am currently driving my subs at 250W each and they sound decent but the gain dials are messed up so it is difficult to set the volume, accidentally touching the dial can make all the sound go away.

The Pyle has a 2 year Warranty where the more expensive Berhinger only has a 1 Year Warranty. And like I said before I currently have a smaller Pyle (have had for 4+ years) and it works great. As for the Marathon, I can't even find a manufacturer's web site. I think the Pyle is the best choice for my situation. However, I am going to hold off on purchasing anything for a while as something has come up and I will keep an eye out for a used amp on Ebay in the meantime. Thanks for the input.
-Brad