I remember a Stereo Review article from 1992 that reviewed this Adcom and several other 200 plus watts per channel amps, the Adcom was king to everything else which was discussed relative to the Adcom even models with more on paper watts. Amazing how a traditional big transformer design from 30 years ago can keep up with its modern counterparts . . .
In an electrical circuit, 3dB gain theoretically would double the energy. In an acoustical setting, 3dB is perceived as slightly louder because the human ear is not a linear organ, but a logarithmic one. It would take about 10dB spl to really perceive it as 'double' the loudness and it would take about 10x the amplifier power to get twice as loud.
Wow, extremely surprised the Adcom took the win over the QSC. Classic vintage power amps always have tons of power on reserve. Although unscientific, a very informative and fun test! Definitely worth a subscribe, vintage CV for the win!!!
Old made in USA Adcom gear designed by Nelson Pass is very good. Try some old Bryston, Accuphase, or Krell gear but wear two sets of hearing protection. Best part about quality A/B amps is the music is very clean, detailed with tons of headroom. Qualities you won't find in pro audio gear
Great video. I'm just starting my "HiFi" journey, and a buddy suggested Adcom. Ended up with a GFP-555, GFA-545II, GFA-555II, and a GFA-2535. I'm VERY impressed so far. Right now I have a set of RE-30s and VS-120s, and it's loud. What's crazy is I'm running the VS-120s off the 2535 and the RE-30s off the 545II; and it sounds amazing! Can't wait to push the VS-120s after I get them refoamed. Love your channel, subbed for sure.
I love the content!!!!! I was surprised you only got 110 out of them. BUT VERY RESPECTFUL!!!! 110 LOL Food for thought and please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm not familiar with that adcom gear you have but if it's home audio, the RCA voltage should be .775 and the pa amplifiers need more voltage then that going Into their inputs to push to their full potential. I use crown drive core 2 power amplifiers because of the that issue. It has a output switch to use for home audio use. I'm very familiar with the euro power amplifiers aswell, I had to use a mixer in order to get my home preamp to work properly with p/a amplifiers. I love my crowns, they're not for everyone but theyre easy to put into any system.
I think it would be fair to compare these amps in an area where they would play for several hours and really see how they hold up. QSC & Behringer are commercial amps & designed to run for hours on end like let's say a night club or a street party. I think that's where you will get the best results. Which amplifier will be able to stand the heat at high volumes for hours before clipping. This was a really cool comparison though.
You are 100% correct about the QSC and Behringer amps. I have no doubt that they're more durable both physically and mechanically as that would have been the main focus when being designed. I just did this test for fun because I seen a lot of people using these amps for home applications. I have used the Adcome GFA-555 amp a few times to run 2 8 ohm 18" bass bins wired in parallel with the amp bridged. It preformed wonderfully but definitely got hotter than the pro amps, but never hot enough to kick itself into thermal overload which is at 75°C (167°F). In that particular application the QCS or Behringer would have been the better choice because the Adcom amp was not rated for 2 ohm loads per channel even though it does do it quite well.
Why not run the QSC and Behringer wide open like the Adcom runs (it doesn't have volume trims on the amp)? You had both the former amps running about 2/3 max output.
We used that QSC with Cerwin Vega V-152 at the start of the warehouse AV project, it was simply terrible. Behringer was also a known budget amp that was a little less than stated. Never been a fan of the budget PA amps but keep hearing Crown budgets are good. We ended up with Yamaha's, starting with P3200 then it was a rack of P3500S and P5000S for all channels. My lad now uses a P3200 with Cerwin Vega V152 often.
I did basically the same test . Used my Adcom GTP 500 II to drive my Adcom 555 II series compared to my Behringer Europower EP 4000 . I challenged them on my Cerwin Vega AT-15s. As a Adcom fan I have to admit the EP 4000 won! I had the setting on the EP4000 in stereo full range flat. Now that is in stereo mode for both amps. Not to sure what the outcome would be in Mono mode. Thank you for the great video that inspired me to have this comparison test fun.
Great vid man I actually just picked up an Adcom 555 off marketplace and using it on my VS 120s. This combo sounds kickass! Also I noticed the front of your adcom has a different faceplate with no handles whereas mine has handles and looks more like a pro amp style faceplate. Any idea why? Mines also a mk1
Just a pro audio style. Other than looks the only difference is your's has circuit breakers for the output transistors where mine has fuses. Great amp though I wish they would have added a cooling fan. The mk1 does still have a thermal overload protection circuit that cuts out at 75°c. They added a indicator light for this on the mkII.
@@SavingVegas Oh okay wasn't aware they made two different styles for these since it's the same model name. Thanks for clearing that up! Most of the ones i've seen have the face that yours has. I wonder if the faceplate varied by the year they were made or something
Bro, As usually another great video! all 3 amps kicked ass obviously, that Adcom aint no joke Holy Shit .Just goes to show ya higher wattage does not necessarily contribute to louder! heat sinks capacitors circuit boards class A Definitely play a role as you know. I get a kick when my buddy says he has a 500 watt Sony, Ya ok but against my 200watt Proton amp it will blow the doors off yr Sony, Nothing wrong with Sony but you get my drift ,And again watts dont necessarily mean Everything Mean everything my wife's hair dryer has 15000 watts Lol Still have my Original VS120s in Great shape Im a Huge Fan of Vegas... Like you said Big or Small Save Um All... Appreciate your Videos! Also I am a Subscriber to your channel Peace out, Looking 4ward to yr next Vi d, Have a Great Day..... IceMan👍👍
Thanks. Always good to hear that people enjoy the videos as much as I do making them. At first I thought it might be hard to keep coming up with ideas for videos but its actually the opposite. I have tons of ideas now and many custom builds I hope to start soon.
I bet on the GFA555 delivering the goods, the other 2 are budget pro audio, and most Hi Fi amps have a serious dynamic power. Watching Williston SUdio's channel some of the HIfi and pro audio have serious reserve power. Still got my AT-20s 30 years old next year, still in regular use.
I agree, I also follow Williston Audio and that always seems to be the case with most well built HiFi amplifiers. The Adcom having a toroidal transformer and 4 big (15,000uF if I remember correctly) power supply capacitors makes for lots of dynamic power on tap. This is definitely one of my favorite amplifiers to use with pretty much any speaker I hook up to it. Running 2 of these amps in mono on a set of D-9's is nothing less than unbelievable. Enjoy those AT's.
The Adcom is only rated at 200 watts per channel at 8 ohms but dynamically it will do closer to 350 watts. As far as I can remember I think it will do around 600 watts per channel at 4 ohm dynamically. Lots of power on tap thats for sure. The Behringer EP1500 does a hell of a job running 2 of my 18 inch bass bins. Thats what I use it for mostly because it will safely run a 4 ohm load bridged.
Adcom always wins, I am running 5 GFAs 555II in mono with Klipschorns, & KLF 30s and a single Klf C7 with 2 Sunfire True signature 12 inch subs rated at 2700 watts each . Bring it on!
If you don't bridge the amps and run them in stereo mode, at least on the main, full range speakers, it will probably sound much better. If your speakers have the connections, do a vertical biamp instead. It will be much easier on your gear, and should make an overall improvement in sound quality.
Agreed if i was was running the Adcoms on a power starved low ohm speaker. The KLS 30 can be vertical Bi amped but they sound better with Adcoms in mono because the separation and of course the added power. Of course I tried in stereo mode. Sounded fantastic. I had the 4 amps already from over the years and when I decided to power the C7 I just wanted to keep the amp tones equal. It is amazing how these very efficient Klipsch perform and handle so much power. I had to have 20 amp breakers installed. Those amps draw so much power the lights were dimming in the house to the bass notes. Dont forget the Adcoms are 1 ohm stable.
Very loud yes, although they lack on the bottom end. Don't put out a whole lot from about 45Hz and lower. Ment to be run with a set of bass bins to fill in the lower frequencies.
Yup, there is the argument that the pro audio amps would've preformed better with a higher input signal. But with that said I got the idea for this video from seeing so many people running these amps in their home with home audio gear. I'm not saying people shouldn't do it but if you are they are not outperforming home audio hifi amps with lower wattage ratings.
@SavingVegas dude what I typed makes no sense. I don't even remember what I was trying to say. But I could hear the distorted mic, so I know the adcom was louder. Oh, if I type adcom, my phone changes it to accompanied, lol
Those specific pro amplifiers have terrible damping factor. Harsh when cranked, uncontrolled. Due to the very low number of output transistors and type of transistors used (for durability, no sound quality) since the PSU's in them are rated for half their claimed output wattage. Put a QSC mx 1500 or 1500a up against both those pro amplifiers and watch what the same headroom as the adcom can do. I put my qsc 1500a's up against my crest ca9's and the qsc 1500 watt amplifier had higher current and voltage than the crest ca9 (2,000 watts). I've been DJ'ing and modifying and repairing amplifiers since 1992. The biggest thing killing amplifiers now is the IEC computer cord connectors on the back of the amplifiers. I have 20 cerwin vega CV-5000 's. The stupid 20 amp IEC connector on the back and the wimpy 14 guage wire it's molded to limited my cv-5000's to 2,925 watt bursts. There was a voltage difference of 20 volts between the wall plug hot side and the power switch inside the amp during testing. I hardwired a 10 guage power cord with a twist lock plug at the end to the amplifier... it needed 58 amps running 2 ohms per channel!. It put out 6,600 watts (3,300 per channel). I despise anything other than neutrik power connectors on the back of amplifiers.
Cool, good info! I don't deal with pro audio gear that much. I use a Yorkville px1700 for my 2 18" bass bins that I run with those CV 215P's and that's about it. Hifi power amps for all my home audio CV's.
Closest thing I found to hifi sq are the old yorkville audiopro series from the 90's (silverface ap1200, ap3000 and ap3400) all class AB before they came out with the 800, 1020, 2020, 4020, 4040, 6020 and 6040. Only issue I have with them is undersized transformer and the current limiter built into the amp (limits to 13 amps power draw). As for sq - my friends with nakamichi high end nelson pass (threshold brand inside) were jealous when I did an true SQ test (no phone or media players, cd player with DAC pre amp using the album Dire Straights song - brothers in arms)
BGW !!!! 750G driving 18" TAD's (in folded sub horns), i had the chance in life to hear them at SONIC LEVELS, Club ZANZIBAR(1985 to 1990) and the PARADISE GARAGE (1987 in NYC). Both sound systems put together by the one and ONLY.... RICHARD LONG.
been looking into a new receiver i have a technics sa dx-930 and i got 4 vegas plauged into it a pair of ls12 and vs 120 and they use more power then my thing can put out anyone got suggestion on what i should get ? and should i get somthing more modern or stick with more ventage ?
Vintage or modern comes down to your preference. If you are looking to power both sets of Vega's with one amplifier you want to find something thats 2 ohm stable seeing that both sets you have are a 4 ohm speaker. If your current amplifier is capable of running 4 ohms and has pre outs for the front channels you could just look for a power amp to run off of those pre outs. In that case you just need to find one thats capable of handling 4 ohm loads instade of two. My rule of thumb for amp wattage for CVs is I always try to get close to double their rated power so you have lots of headroom to avoid any chances of clipping. The fuses in these speakers will tell you when its too much lol.
I'm not really a big fan of any (Crown included) PA amps. They have their purpose and the Crown amps including the XLI series which is what I'm assuming you ment, do their job well. Ment to be rugged, durable and ran hard all day and night. At the same time they are made to put out impressive power numbers and be able to drive low ohm loads(most of them anyways). The XLI series appears to be Crowns budget level series and it would be hard to beat the power per dollar value no doubt but I have a hard time jumping on the Crown amp band wagon. I get why lots of people go this route but I prefer class AB high current power amps. Since this video I have sold every PA amp I have owned aside from my Yamaha P2500S. Great match for my 18" bass bins and it has a variable speed cooling fan that is super quiet, plus I picked it up for like $150 so why not right.
This is so far off , That receiver signal at full volume , is only enough voltage to produce half the power the qsc has available . Hence “ commercial power amp”. The Adcom is getting enough voltage for full operating power. Give the qsc. A 2v signal it needs , and it will cleanly and dynamically ,blow the drivers out of those Vegas.
Good point but, if you look up the specs for the Adcom GTP-500 pre amp that I'm using you will find it has a rated output level of 2V RMS and 10V RMS maximum.
Those certain Vega pro audio speakers are beautiful I love those speakers I did have a set of 15s but it was it was the same drivers it was just in they're both sharing a cabinet is a guitar amp stack is it was it was a PV box to pv15 and it had to be I think 215-in service in the place of those two 15s that blew out and me I think serve a Vega is just a really good quality set of speakers I'm not the biggest fan of their newer stuff though I like their 90s audio stuff and '80s and 70s I have yet to get a surfing Vegas stroker and I want one really bad I'm just going to be on the lookout for those I'm going to probably look at getting one when the prices go down so I'm going to wait a few months and see where that goes
I paired my 215Ps up with some 18" Yamaha bass bins. Sounds pretty killer. Those Yamaha bass bins are soon to be one of my next projects. It may involve some CV equipment upgrades 🤫
You can't tell how powerful a power amp is by looking at the specs. That said, it wasn't a fair comparison. On the 2 pro amps you had the gain set very high while on the Adcom, you were using the volume control to adjust how loud the system was. Of course the Adcom is going to play louder and cleaner because you are not overdriving the inputs with too much gain.
I was just having some fun and was quite obviously not a scientific test seeing as I was using a song rather than a 40Hz or 1000Hz test tone. I was not trying to make a video on how to properly set gains, there are many videos on that anyways. Plus I do not have the proper equipment to execute the process properly anyways, maybe one day I will. Anyways I hope this explanation clears some things up, thanks for watching!
@@SavingVegas I was just pointing out the obvious. "I was not trying to make a video on how to properly set gains, there are many videos on that anyways." I get that, but you did make a comparison video where your gain settings were completely off. You don't need any special equipment or knowledge to set your gain structure, but you still have to set it if you want to do a test like this and get meaningful results. Do you know what the difference is between a gain control and a volume control? I think if you knew that, you would see my comment is valid. If you are wiling to have a civil conversation, I can also explain why amplifier power ratings are virtually useless. But that's up to you.
Civil, yes I like civil. I'm always willing to have a conversation. That's a big part of why I started this channel because my wife, kids and some of friends are probably tired of hearing me talk about it 😆 Making these videos and interacting with viewers is a great way to get out there and more involved with the community. How do you set your gains and with what equipment? Would love to hear it as well as I am sure others that may read this would too. Most of what I know about setting gains revolves around car audio, which was the first time I encountered it when I was teenager. Would it be much different or no?
@@SavingVegas Gain isn't that difficult to understand, but you need to know how it works or you can find yourself in a position where can go crazy trying to get something to sound right. Gain controls are on the input section of a component, and have the potential to overdrive and distort the signal. Volume controls are on the output of a component, and they can't distort the signal. They just attenuate. So, for example, if you are having gain related noise or distortion, you will fix it by adjusting gain, and you can eliminate all of your volume controls as the problem. And that's where you can become very frustrated because gain and volume controls operate like they do the same exact thing. Gain is not meant to be used as a volume control. The way things were set up in the video, the gain was set right below clipping, and the lights appeared to be flashing at times. You weren't pushing the amp too hard, you were pushing the input too hard. Simply put, you were distorting the signal before it even got to the amplifier. Its easy to forget that the main amplifier isn't the only power amp in the system. You also have line level amps in all of your components. You need them to transfer the signal. They're much smaller, but a line amp is no different than the main power amp. Care has to be taken to ensure they are operating properly, just like the main amp. How should you set your gain structure? Its not hard at all. Start off by striving for unity gain. If you look carefully at things like mixers, and other devices that have gain controls, you should see ranges of numbers that go from negative, up to 0, then into positive. You want to be at 0. That's called unity gain. If all of your gain controls are set to unity, you can't distort or overdrive the signal. From that point, if you have something like a source component that has a weak output stage and needs more volume, it should be no problem. Unity gain is very conservate, so if you need to raise the gain to help something like a weak source, it can be done responsibly. There's no exact figures because how hard you can push a component is dictated by design and parts quality. A gain control can't make your amp perform better. The volume control unlocks the power of your amp. You need just enough gain so the volume control can release all the power your amp has to offer, but not any more. More gain than just enough is of no benefit. Hope this helps. I'm not very good at explaining things, so if anyone doesn't understand something, just let me know and I'll try to do a better job.
I have a pair of AT-100s (AT-15s) driven by a DBX BX-3 MK II. 400Wx2 0.01% THD. Dynamic power 900Wx2, both at 4 ohms. I've heard better sounding speakers, but none can shake my guts like these.
That really is what these speakers do best. I absolutely love my Vegas for this reason, as well as just the awesome sensitivity. I have other speakers I use for more critical listening, CVs are not always the greatest for this. But if you are just trying to blow the roof off they are hard to beat.
You need to turn the gain up all the way to get max output Don't tell me you hooked up the pro amps with r c a jacks because that would be jacked .not high enough input signal to achieve maximum output
Do you know what the input sensitivity is of these amps? Do you know the output specs of the pre amp I'm using? Without knowing this information how are you able to make that assumption?
@SavingVegas I don't make assumptions. Any one with half a brain could see that you are in the dark on amp testing when you do a power test and the gain on the amp your testing is not all the way up . How can you get maximum power when you are not at max gain .max gain won't do you any good if you feed your input signal through a rca from your pre-amp, you won't have enough input signal to reach max gain anyway Don't be insulted just do it right next time
Judging by this statement I can tell you have no idea. I'm not trying to be rude but if you think you can't get full output of these amps unless the gain is cranked that tells me you don't know what a gain control is. Do some more research and we'll talk later 😉
@SavingVegas vega you should be a rocket scientist. They need your help to get to Mars Go to SpaceX tell them Jeff recommended you talk to Elon and make sure to tell him to turn the gain way down when the rocket is trying to reach orbit Why even turn the gain up and leave it on zero Should make the same power according to vega's misinformation.
I remember a Stereo Review article from 1992 that reviewed this Adcom and several other 200 plus watts per channel amps, the Adcom was king to everything else which was discussed relative to the Adcom even models with more on paper watts. Amazing how a traditional big transformer design from 30 years ago can keep up with its modern counterparts . . .
+3dB = twice the power!
Nice video's. Greetings from Amsterdam
In an electrical circuit, 3dB gain theoretically would double the energy. In an acoustical setting, 3dB is perceived as slightly louder because the human ear is not a linear organ, but a logarithmic one. It would take about 10dB spl to really perceive it as 'double' the loudness and it would take about 10x the amplifier power to get twice as loud.
Wow, extremely surprised the Adcom took the win over the QSC. Classic vintage power amps always have tons of power on reserve. Although unscientific, a very informative and fun test! Definitely worth a subscribe, vintage CV for the win!!!
That was a lot of fun!
My old 1986 555 is mothballed now but many hours of enjoyment into Apogee Stages, biwired.
Old made in USA Adcom gear designed by Nelson Pass is very good. Try some old Bryston, Accuphase, or Krell gear but wear two sets of hearing protection. Best part about quality A/B amps is the music is very clean, detailed with tons of headroom. Qualities you won't find in pro audio gear
Great video. I'm just starting my "HiFi" journey, and a buddy suggested Adcom. Ended up with a GFP-555, GFA-545II, GFA-555II, and a GFA-2535. I'm VERY impressed so far. Right now I have a set of RE-30s and VS-120s, and it's loud. What's crazy is I'm running the VS-120s off the 2535 and the RE-30s off the 545II; and it sounds amazing! Can't wait to push the VS-120s after I get them refoamed. Love your channel, subbed for sure.
I love the content!!!!!
I was surprised you only got 110 out of them. BUT VERY RESPECTFUL!!!! 110 LOL
Food for thought and please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm not familiar with that adcom gear you have but if it's home audio, the RCA voltage should be .775 and the pa amplifiers need more voltage then that going Into their inputs to push to their full potential.
I use crown drive core 2 power amplifiers because of the that issue. It has a output switch to use for home audio use. I'm very familiar with the euro power amplifiers aswell, I had to use a mixer in order to get my home preamp to work properly with p/a amplifiers.
I love my crowns, they're not for everyone but theyre easy to put into any system.
Nice vid bro that Adcom is a BEAST!!
Loving your channel! I have the AT-15’s (purchased new as a teen) powered by the Adcom GFA-555 II.
When measuring the SPL of music, set the meter to C or Z weighting. A weighting makes the meter essentially deaf to bass.
I think it would be fair to compare these amps in an area where they would play for several hours and really see how they hold up. QSC & Behringer are commercial amps & designed to run for hours on end like let's say a night club or a street party. I think that's where you will get the best results. Which amplifier will be able to stand the heat at high volumes for hours before clipping. This was a really cool comparison though.
You are 100% correct about the QSC and Behringer amps. I have no doubt that they're more durable both physically and mechanically as that would have been the main focus when being designed. I just did this test for fun because I seen a lot of people using these amps for home applications. I have used the Adcome GFA-555 amp a few times to run 2 8 ohm 18" bass bins wired in parallel with the amp bridged. It preformed wonderfully but definitely got hotter than the pro amps, but never hot enough to kick itself into thermal overload which is at 75°C (167°F). In that particular application the QCS or Behringer would have been the better choice because the Adcom amp was not rated for 2 ohm loads per channel even though it does do it quite well.
Why not run the QSC and Behringer wide open like the Adcom runs (it doesn't have volume trims on the amp)? You had both the former amps running about 2/3 max output.
Because those are gain level controls not volume attenuators.
There is heavy bass hip hop royalty free music also. You can give the speakers and amplifiers a good run without the ear protection.
We used that QSC with Cerwin Vega V-152 at the start of the warehouse AV project, it was simply terrible. Behringer was also a known budget amp that was a little less than stated. Never been a fan of the budget PA amps but keep hearing Crown budgets are good.
We ended up with Yamaha's, starting with P3200 then it was a rack of P3500S and P5000S for all channels. My lad now uses a P3200 with Cerwin Vega V152 often.
i like to see that you use the A filter. i use that to.
I did basically the same test . Used my Adcom GTP 500 II to drive my Adcom 555 II series compared to my Behringer Europower EP 4000 . I challenged them on my Cerwin Vega AT-15s. As a Adcom fan I have to admit the EP 4000 won! I had the setting on the EP4000 in stereo full range flat. Now that is in stereo mode for both amps. Not to sure what the outcome would be in Mono mode. Thank you for the great video that inspired me to have this comparison test fun.
As it should, there is some big wattage there.
@@SavingVegas Like you say....WOW Thank you.
No replacement for Copper!. Lots of power supply reserve in the Adcom. The Vegas are kicking too!!!.
That was a cool ass video, Brah brah!
Great vid man I actually just picked up an Adcom 555 off marketplace and using it on my VS 120s. This combo sounds kickass! Also I noticed the front of your adcom has a different faceplate with no handles whereas mine has handles and looks more like a pro amp style faceplate. Any idea why? Mines also a mk1
Just a pro audio style. Other than looks the only difference is your's has circuit breakers for the output transistors where mine has fuses. Great amp though I wish they would have added a cooling fan. The mk1 does still have a thermal overload protection circuit that cuts out at 75°c. They added a indicator light for this on the mkII.
@@SavingVegas Oh okay wasn't aware they made two different styles for these since it's the same model name. Thanks for clearing that up! Most of the ones i've seen have the face that yours has. I wonder if the faceplate varied by the year they were made or something
Bro, As usually another great video! all 3 amps kicked ass obviously, that Adcom aint no joke Holy Shit .Just goes to show ya higher wattage does not necessarily contribute to louder! heat sinks capacitors circuit boards class A Definitely play a role as you know. I get a kick when my buddy says he has a 500 watt Sony, Ya ok but against my 200watt Proton amp it will blow the doors off yr Sony, Nothing wrong with Sony but you get my drift ,And again watts dont necessarily mean Everything Mean everything my wife's hair dryer has 15000 watts Lol Still have my Original VS120s in Great shape Im a Huge Fan of Vegas... Like you said Big or Small Save Um All... Appreciate your Videos! Also I am a Subscriber to your channel Peace out, Looking 4ward to yr next Vi
d, Have a Great Day..... IceMan👍👍
Thanks. Always good to hear that people enjoy the videos as much as I do making them. At first I thought it might be hard to keep coming up with ideas for videos but its actually the opposite. I have tons of ideas now and many custom builds I hope to start soon.
Wow!!! U got a proton amp. Cool.
I had the D940. 40. Watts. Was ok.!
What track is this??
Thats what iiii like to see , thank you
I bet on the GFA555 delivering the goods, the other 2 are budget pro audio, and most Hi Fi amps have a serious dynamic power. Watching Williston SUdio's channel some of the HIfi and pro audio have serious reserve power. Still got my AT-20s 30 years old next year, still in regular use.
I agree, I also follow Williston Audio and that always seems to be the case with most well built HiFi amplifiers. The Adcom having a toroidal transformer and 4 big (15,000uF if I remember correctly) power supply capacitors makes for lots of dynamic power on tap. This is definitely one of my favorite amplifiers to use with pretty much any speaker I hook up to it. Running 2 of these amps in mono on a set of D-9's is nothing less than unbelievable. Enjoy those AT's.
I bet that adcom amp is a bit more than either of the other 2! that was strokin' those vegas! the behringers are good bang for the buck though.
The Adcom is only rated at 200 watts per channel at 8 ohms but dynamically it will do closer to 350 watts. As far as I can remember I think it will do around 600 watts per channel at 4 ohm dynamically. Lots of power on tap thats for sure. The Behringer EP1500 does a hell of a job running 2 of my 18 inch bass bins. Thats what I use it for mostly because it will safely run a 4 ohm load bridged.
I have 2 Crown XLi 1500's and a QSC GX5 on 6 15" Cerwin Vega's..I really want to compare a true home audio amp for comparison.
Those are very nice pro amps. The Xli 1500 is very underrated. The Adcom 555's have awesome dynamic power.
Adcom always wins, I am running 5 GFAs 555II in mono with Klipschorns, & KLF 30s and a single Klf C7 with 2 Sunfire True signature 12 inch subs rated at 2700 watts each . Bring it on!
If you don't bridge the amps and run them in stereo mode, at least on the main, full range speakers, it will probably sound much better. If your speakers have the connections, do a vertical biamp instead. It will be much easier on your gear, and should make an overall improvement in sound quality.
Agreed if i was was running the Adcoms on a power starved low ohm speaker. The KLS 30 can be vertical Bi amped but they sound better with Adcoms in mono because the separation and of course the added power. Of course I tried in stereo mode. Sounded fantastic. I had the 4 amps already from over the years and when I decided to power the C7 I just wanted to keep the amp tones equal. It is amazing how these very efficient Klipsch perform and handle so much power. I had to have 20 amp breakers installed. Those amps draw so much power the lights were dimming in the house to the bass notes. Dont forget the Adcoms are 1 ohm stable.
Man those speakers must be pounding.
Very loud yes, although they lack on the bottom end. Don't put out a whole lot from about 45Hz and lower. Ment to be run with a set of bass bins to fill in the lower frequencies.
I could hear that that accompanied was louder than the other cause of the distortion from the microphone. Crazy
Yup, there is the argument that the pro audio amps would've preformed better with a higher input signal. But with that said I got the idea for this video from seeing so many people running these amps in their home with home audio gear. I'm not saying people shouldn't do it but if you are they are not outperforming home audio hifi amps with lower wattage ratings.
@SavingVegas dude what I typed makes no sense. I don't even remember what I was trying to say. But I could hear the distorted mic, so I know the adcom was louder. Oh, if I type adcom, my phone changes it to accompanied, lol
Yeah I kinda figured lol its all good.
Have you ever tried a athem?
I have never owned one myself but I am familiar with them.
Those specific pro amplifiers have terrible damping factor. Harsh when cranked, uncontrolled. Due to the very low number of output transistors and type of transistors used (for durability, no sound quality) since the PSU's in them are rated for half their claimed output wattage. Put a QSC mx 1500 or 1500a up against both those pro amplifiers and watch what the same headroom as the adcom can do. I put my qsc 1500a's up against my crest ca9's and the qsc 1500 watt amplifier had higher current and voltage than the crest ca9 (2,000 watts). I've been DJ'ing and modifying and repairing amplifiers since 1992. The biggest thing killing amplifiers now is the IEC computer cord connectors on the back of the amplifiers. I have 20 cerwin vega CV-5000 's. The stupid 20 amp IEC connector on the back and the wimpy 14 guage wire it's molded to limited my cv-5000's to 2,925 watt bursts. There was a voltage difference of 20 volts between the wall plug hot side and the power switch inside the amp during testing. I hardwired a 10 guage power cord with a twist lock plug at the end to the amplifier... it needed 58 amps running 2 ohms per channel!. It put out 6,600 watts (3,300 per channel). I despise anything other than neutrik power connectors on the back of amplifiers.
Cool, good info! I don't deal with pro audio gear that much. I use a Yorkville px1700 for my 2 18" bass bins that I run with those CV 215P's and that's about it. Hifi power amps for all my home audio CV's.
Closest thing I found to hifi sq are the old yorkville audiopro series from the 90's (silverface ap1200, ap3000 and ap3400) all class AB before they came out with the 800, 1020, 2020, 4020, 4040, 6020 and 6040. Only issue I have with them is undersized transformer and the current limiter built into the amp (limits to 13 amps power draw). As for sq - my friends with nakamichi high end nelson pass (threshold brand inside) were jealous when I did an true SQ test (no phone or media players, cd player with DAC pre amp using the album Dire Straights song - brothers in arms)
BGW !!!! 750G driving 18" TAD's (in folded sub horns), i had the chance in life to hear them at SONIC LEVELS, Club ZANZIBAR(1985 to 1990) and the PARADISE GARAGE (1987 in NYC). Both sound systems put together by the one and ONLY.... RICHARD LONG.
There is a BGW 750c for sale I have been thinking about purchasing. I don't know a whole lot about them but they look well built.
@@SavingVegas don’t know if you went for it, but you will not be disappointed!
been looking into a new receiver i have a technics sa dx-930 and i got 4 vegas plauged into it a pair of ls12 and vs 120 and they use more power then my thing can put out anyone got suggestion on what i should get ? and should i get somthing more modern or stick with more ventage ?
Vintage or modern comes down to your preference. If you are looking to power both sets of Vega's with one amplifier you want to find something thats 2 ohm stable seeing that both sets you have are a 4 ohm speaker. If your current amplifier is capable of running 4 ohms and has pre outs for the front channels you could just look for a power amp to run off of those pre outs. In that case you just need to find one thats capable of handling 4 ohm loads instade of two. My rule of thumb for amp wattage for CVs is I always try to get close to double their rated power so you have lots of headroom to avoid any chances of clipping. The fuses in these speakers will tell you when its too much lol.
You should have tried a Crown xti2500 with them: It would have destroyed those Vegas … and the Adcom!!
I'm not really a big fan of any (Crown included) PA amps. They have their purpose and the Crown amps including the XLI series which is what I'm assuming you ment, do their job well. Ment to be rugged, durable and ran hard all day and night. At the same time they are made to put out impressive power numbers and be able to drive low ohm loads(most of them anyways).
The XLI series appears to be Crowns budget level series and it would be hard to beat the power per dollar value no doubt but I have a hard time jumping on the Crown amp band wagon. I get why lots of people go this route but I prefer class AB high current power amps. Since this video I have sold every PA amp I have owned aside from my Yamaha P2500S. Great match for my 18" bass bins and it has a variable speed cooling fan that is super quiet, plus I picked it up for like $150 so why not right.
With the meter on dBA you're only measuring the loudness of the highs. It will give you roughly the level of phons but ignores most of the bass.
Thanks. I have never really paid that close of attention to that or even read the owners manual for that matter lol. Right you are! 👍
This is so far off , That receiver signal at full volume , is only enough voltage to produce half the power the qsc has available . Hence “ commercial power amp”. The Adcom is getting enough voltage for full operating power. Give the qsc. A 2v signal it needs , and it will cleanly and dynamically ,blow the drivers out of those Vegas.
Good point but, if you look up the specs for the Adcom GTP-500 pre amp that I'm using you will find it has a rated output level of 2V RMS and 10V RMS maximum.
Those certain Vega pro audio speakers are beautiful I love those speakers I did have a set of 15s but it was it was the same drivers it was just in they're both sharing a cabinet is a guitar amp stack is it was it was a PV box to pv15 and it had to be I think 215-in service in the place of those two 15s that blew out and me I think serve a Vega is just a really good quality set of speakers I'm not the biggest fan of their newer stuff though I like their 90s audio stuff and '80s and 70s I have yet to get a surfing Vegas stroker and I want one really bad I'm just going to be on the lookout for those I'm going to probably look at getting one when the prices go down so I'm going to wait a few months and see where that goes
I paired my 215Ps up with some 18" Yamaha bass bins. Sounds pretty killer. Those Yamaha bass bins are soon to be one of my next projects. It may involve some CV equipment upgrades 🤫
Plot twist: the Adcom clip lights don't work 🤣
They almost never come on, mine feeds Apogee ribbons no trouble.
You can't tell how powerful a power amp is by looking at the specs. That said, it wasn't a fair comparison. On the 2 pro amps you had the gain set very high while on the Adcom, you were using the volume control to adjust how loud the system was. Of course the Adcom is going to play louder and cleaner because you are not overdriving the inputs with too much gain.
I was just having some fun and was quite obviously not a scientific test seeing as I was using a song rather than a 40Hz or 1000Hz test tone. I was not trying to make a video on how to properly set gains, there are many videos on that anyways. Plus I do not have the proper equipment to execute the process properly anyways, maybe one day I will. Anyways I hope this explanation clears some things up, thanks for watching!
@@SavingVegas I was just pointing out the obvious.
"I was not trying to make a video on how to properly set gains, there are many videos on that anyways."
I get that, but you did make a comparison video where your gain settings were completely off. You don't need any special equipment or knowledge to set your gain structure, but you still have to set it if you want to do a test like this and get meaningful results.
Do you know what the difference is between a gain control and a volume control? I think if you knew that, you would see my comment is valid.
If you are wiling to have a civil conversation, I can also explain why amplifier power ratings are virtually useless. But that's up to you.
Civil, yes I like civil. I'm always willing to have a conversation. That's a big part of why I started this channel because my wife, kids and some of friends are probably tired of hearing me talk about it 😆 Making these videos and interacting with viewers is a great way to get out there and more involved with the community. How do you set your gains and with what equipment? Would love to hear it as well as I am sure others that may read this would too. Most of what I know about setting gains revolves around car audio, which was the first time I encountered it when I was teenager. Would it be much different or no?
@@SavingVegas Gain isn't that difficult to understand, but you need to know how it works or you can find yourself in a position where can go crazy trying to get something to sound right.
Gain controls are on the input section of a component, and have the potential to overdrive and distort the signal. Volume controls are on the output of a component, and they can't distort the signal. They just attenuate. So, for example, if you are having gain related noise or distortion, you will fix it by adjusting gain, and you can eliminate all of your volume controls as the problem. And that's where you can become very frustrated because gain and volume controls operate like they do the same exact thing. Gain is not meant to be used as a volume control. The way things were set up in the video, the gain was set right below clipping, and the lights appeared to be flashing at times. You weren't pushing the amp too hard, you were pushing the input too hard. Simply put, you were distorting the signal before it even got to the amplifier. Its easy to forget that the main amplifier isn't the only power amp in the system. You also have line level amps in all of your components. You need them to transfer the signal. They're much smaller, but a line amp is no different than the main power amp. Care has to be taken to ensure they are operating properly, just like the main amp.
How should you set your gain structure? Its not hard at all. Start off by striving for unity gain. If you look carefully at things like mixers, and other devices that have gain controls, you should see ranges of numbers that go from negative, up to 0, then into positive. You want to be at 0. That's called unity gain. If all of your gain controls are set to unity, you can't distort or overdrive the signal. From that point, if you have something like a source component that has a weak output stage and needs more volume, it should be no problem. Unity gain is very conservate, so if you need to raise the gain to help something like a weak source, it can be done responsibly. There's no exact figures because how hard you can push a component is dictated by design and parts quality.
A gain control can't make your amp perform better. The volume control unlocks the power of your amp. You need just enough gain so the volume control can release all the power your amp has to offer, but not any more. More gain than just enough is of no benefit.
Hope this helps. I'm not very good at explaining things, so if anyone doesn't understand something, just let me know and I'll try to do a better job.
I have a pair of AT-100s (AT-15s) driven by a DBX BX-3 MK II. 400Wx2 0.01% THD. Dynamic power 900Wx2, both at 4 ohms. I've heard better sounding speakers, but none can shake my guts like these.
That really is what these speakers do best. I absolutely love my Vegas for this reason, as well as just the awesome sensitivity. I have other speakers I use for more critical listening, CVs are not always the greatest for this. But if you are just trying to blow the roof off they are hard to beat.
adcom was clearly (flexin more muscle) ...pushing those cones harder :)
You need to turn the gain up all the way to get max output
Don't tell me you hooked up the pro amps with r c a jacks because that would be jacked .not high enough input signal to achieve maximum output
Do you know what the input sensitivity is of these amps? Do you know the output specs of the pre amp I'm using? Without knowing this information how are you able to make that assumption?
@SavingVegas I don't make assumptions.
Any one with half a brain could see that you are in the dark on amp testing when you do a power test and the gain on the amp your testing is not all the way up .
How can you get maximum power when you are not at max gain .max gain won't do you any good if you feed your input signal through a rca from your pre-amp, you won't have enough input signal to reach max gain anyway
Don't be insulted just do it right next time
Judging by this statement I can tell you have no idea. I'm not trying to be rude but if you think you can't get full output of these amps unless the gain is cranked that tells me you don't know what a gain control is. Do some more research and we'll talk later 😉
@SavingVegas vega you should be a rocket scientist. They need your help to get to Mars
Go to SpaceX tell them Jeff recommended you talk to Elon and make sure to tell him to turn the gain way down when the rocket is trying to reach orbit
Why even turn the gain up and leave it on zero
Should make the same power according to vega's misinformation.
You know you could just Google it instead of getting Elon involved lol.
Behringer is just copy of qsc rmx series
Why play the crappiest music?
Limited options for royalty free music