Crest Audio ProLite 7.5 7,580 Watt Professional Power Amplifier Amp

Description

Car Audio & Video
Pro Audio
Marine Audio
Lighting
Karaoke
Home/Portable Audio
Crest Audio ProLite 7.5 7,580 Watt Professional Power Amplifier Ultra-Lightweight Chassis w/ ACL Circuitry For Highly Efficient Trouble Free Operation
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Condition and Warranty
Condition:
SLIGHTLY USED, TESTED TO BE IN PERFECT WORKING CONDITION, IN GREAT COSMETIC CONDITION, AND INCLUDES ORIGINAL BOX
Warranty:
1 YEAR MANUFACTURER
Product Description
Authorized Crest Dealers!
Designed for years of reliable, flawless operation under rigorous use, the groundbreaking Pro-LITE™ series utilizes an advanced design that dramatically reduces weight, while increasing output power, reliability and thermal efficiency. Pro-LITE™ Series amplifiers are also designed with a resonant switch-mode power supply and a highspeed class D topology, that yields the highest audio resolution and efficiency available. This revolutionary amplifier offers the sonic superiority and unsurpassed reliability for which Crest® is famous, in an extremely efficient and lightweight design. Advanced technology and extensive protection circuitry allow operation with greater efficiency into difficult loads and power conditions. In other words, you get an amazingly powerful and efficient amplifier that won’t break your budget or your back! The ACL™ (Automatic Clip Limiting) circuitry ensures trouble-free operation into loads as low as 2 ohms. ACL™ protects drivers and ensures that sonic integrity is maintained, even in extreme overload conditions. The Pro-LITE’s high-efficiency design allows the amplifier to operate at very low temperatures, and does not require massive heat sinks to cool. For your safety, read the important precautions section, as well as input, output and power connection instructions.
Although the Pro-LITE™ amplifier is simple to operate and housed in an ultra-strong, ultra-lightweight chassis, improper use can be dangerous. This amplifier is very high-powered and can put out high voltages and sizable currents at frequencies up to 30 kHz. Always use safe operating techniques when operating this amplifier.
Review
Power:
Compared to the most expensive amplifier amongst my equipment (Crown Itech), the ProLite 7.5 does very well at all frequencies. The Crown iTech does not have the ability to sustain multiple kick drum hits as the ProLite does. Also the Prolite exceeds the iTechs 2 ohm power rating despite having a lower “burst” and RMS rating on paper. In real life the ProLite consistently achieved a slight lead over the Crown as far as headroom gpes in the real world. Only on a single 20ms burst could the Crown come out ahead (by 276 watts @ 4 ohms, the amp lagged by 200 at 2 ohms). However it’s worth noting in repeated bursts the ProLite 7.5 and IPR 7500 (IPR results were about 5% lower than the ProLite on the repeated kick drum test, but still higher than the Itech) both had a nearly 10 volt higher output into a 4 ohm load vs the iTech. This is significant as the iTech is rated at 3000 and ends up sagging on repeated kick drum hits.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE PRO LITE 7.5
Enter the ProLite 7.5…. Upon receiving the amp it’s worth noting the vastly improved casework compared to the IPR and I breathed a sigh of relief after noting it was x40 gain. Later I noticed the 2.0 and 3.0 models still appear to be .775 but on a amp this powerful a input sensitivity that high is a recipe for disaster, not to mention the lack of fixed gain…. OK off soapbox….
Compared to the IPR2 7500 amps that I own it has a circuit breaker on the front panel in the typical crest fashion as well as improved power supply storage via larger and higher quality capacitors. More on this later. Upon hooking it up I immediately noticed it sounded much better than the IPR 3000 and very much the same as the original 1600!!! In fact when you consider this amp is fully differential, it is a fully balanced design from input to output with ample reserves in the secondary capacitance. This reduces power supply ripple as it cancels out in the output and on top of that any interference picked up internally is canceled as well. This makes for an amplifier with a truly quiet background that details in the music leap out from.
Seeing no point with blind testing I took this amp to my local Magnolia HiFi store after hours (have a friend that works there) . We hooked this amp up to some 25000 dollar Bowers and Wilkins 800D speakers. With this amp the only comparison in the store was the 20 k, yes that’s right 20 grand McIntosh monoblocks. We honestly could not hear a difference.In fact the ProLite seemed to have a more extended low end from the Bowers and Wilkins 10 inch woofers.
Sound quality and the impressive lineage back to the IPR…
I have always been a fan of JD’s class D design as introduced on the IPR 1600 some time ago. Starting with the 1600 it was a great leap forward compared to other Class D designs that always seemed shrill and tinny. Also compared to competing designs, the IPR/ProLite amps have a rather low parts count and a simple single PC board approach that has been quite reliable(my own IPR 3000 and 1600 amps were purchased as soon as they were available)
Sound quality of course is a subjective characteristic and I have often resorted to blind testing amongst amplifiers. In many cases, people pick different with their eyes vs their ears. Example:
I set up a Crown XTi 4002, Crown Itech 6000, QSC PLX, QSC PL 380, Peavey 4080 hz and a QSC RMX 2450. Some of these amps I own, several I borrowed. This was nominalized so that output signal was matched to the x40 factor of the Peavey CS 4080.The test speakers at the time were Martin Logans. Basically some low impedance home speakers that are fairly inefficient. Very good for exposing amps that do not like low impedance loads. This is also very important as the output filter on class D designs and even the Itech makes for varying frequency response depending ohm load.
The almost unanimous winner was the IPR 1600 for sound quality, from full bass to detailed detailed, airy highs, it sounded more natural than the XTI, smoother than the iTech and very similar to the CS 4080 except it had better high end response. This blind testing amongst audio enthusiasts in the area was done a few years ago when the IPR was initially introduced. Also of course there was the typically torture testing and of course to demonstrate the amazing power to weight ration I took a IPR 1600 (on compression drivers) and a IPR 3000 ( running 2 ohms on mids) to a 1500 capacity night club to use on the top speakers for a concern.With the incredible 2 ohm power, I had decent head room, however you should have seen the look on peoples faces when the lifted the roughly 25 lb amp rack ( 1600, plus 3000 and of course the weight of the SKB rack) .
IN USE
Ok, so now it is time to beat on it. There is a local venue that I try to minimize my setup for. In this instance the amp will drive either four EAW sb 1000 boxes or 4 Peavey Versarray dual 18 boxes. In both instances it excelled even at 2ohms. Where my CC 5500s deliver only 2750 the ProLite gives me significantly improved headroom. In all honesty this one ProLite can replace 2 CC 5500s due to the improved Burst power, that helps with kick drum hits. Usually my amp racks consist of (1 rack per stack) 1Pro5200 on highs, a 9200 on mids and a Crest CC 5500 running 4 ohms on subs. For the IPR/Pro lite test, I brought out only 2 amps, a IPR7500 for mids/highs (switched the QW4s from Bi amp to full range) and a Pro lite 7.5. I truly intend to see if I can replace 6 amps with two and have a good show. All throughout that night and subsequent events this setup has provided plenty of headroom and clarity not to mention powering all of that off of 2x 20 amp circuits rather than the usual 4. Despite the 2 ohm loads, the amps just kept belching it out and delivering loads of SPL for the crowd.
Current draw, the GOOD
One thing I have loved about IPRs from the get go is the low current draw. Not only is the peak amperage low but an easy load. For example on the IPR 3000, it draws its ac load almost continuous as one channels outputs are inverted and the other channels inputs are inverted. This made it my go to backup amp because it can pretty much be plugged in anywhere, and get main PA speakers or even 2 ohm sub loads back up and running on virtually any circuit, even shared.
With the 7.5 I found myself using it on single 15 amp circuits, going where no amp this big should go… and guess what… NO BLOWN BREAKERS. NO EARLY CLIP LIGHTS, just good power, anywhere…
One memorable event was when a portable generator was not available to give me 3 phase 208. I had to use 320amp circuits for a Rick Trevino concert. I had 2 7500s and a single 7.5 running 6 monitor mixes on a single 20 amp breaker!Idiotic to try yes, but in a act of desperation it worked. Again no blown breakers, or early limiting and in fact the drum monitor was aqw4.
I had two other 20 amps running a 9200 and 5200 on one circuit and a 9200 by itself on the other (2 ohm subs). I still had to cut down by half in amp racks but the show happened. The Pro 200 amps albeit impressive did well , however putting a 3 high power amps on one circuit is a feat.
Current draw, the BAD
The Itech on the other hand lends to much worse memories. I remember a little cook off where I was running the amp stereo 2 ohms and despite having a 20 amp line cord and having its own circuit the amp would shutdown if pushed too hard and come back up (remember, this was with no clipping, signal lights would occasionally flicker -10 db threshold) . I had to aggressively set limiters and limp through the night. Somehow, even with PFC this amp is exceeding its rated 1/8 power draw…
Fan noise:
This issue has been brought up by many of the people who have either been apart of the demo or who have used other amps in a home or studio environment. The ProLite 7.5 ties the QSC lightweight models for fan noise however are at a lower frequency. This made it more pleasant and its worth noting in all testing the fans never ramped up to full 24 volts. The smaller Prolites such as the 2.0 are nearly silent and were the quietest in the group. This made both large and small ProLite’s virtually disappear in the home setting. While the Jaro fans are decently quiet on their own, another helping factor is the smooth ducting. Unline the CS and CC amps you are not blowing through turbulent heat sinks, the fans simply provide a draft through the amp case.
Quick and Dirty comparison
Brand
Model
Price
Watts @ 4 ohm per ch as RATED by manufacture
Fan noise at idle @1 m dBA
lbs
Sound quality grade as per blind tests
Comments
Notes
Crest
Prolite 2.0
379
550
42
11
A,A+ when bridged…
Most detailed amp of the bunch. Amazing bridged…. Sounded better than 7.5 bridged due to the more delicate nature in regards to high frequencies.
Crest
Prolite 7.5
1099
2022
52
15
A
Basically the same as the IPR below, more “Balls” on subs.
Peavey
IPR 7500
750
2400
52
15
A
Smooth, very natural, only beat by the bridged ProLite 2.0
Peavey
CS 4080
1300
2040
47
49
A
Good all around, smooth and powerful. Lacks 2 ohm capability. Low current draw for power.
Crown
iTech 6000
4000
3000
51
26
B
Harsh
Clipped early on full range signals, sounded good on 8 ohm loads but off on 4 ohm loads due to output filter. Faired better on subs
Crown
XTi 4002
1000
1150
44
18
A-
Sounded decent, early limiting in 4 and 2 ohm loads
QSC
RMX 5050
1100
1200
48
88
B
Powerful, not refined sounding. Imagine a veil over speakers…
QSC
PL 380
2400
2500
51
24
B
Warm, smooth and powerful. Not as detailed as IPR or ProLite
At this price point the Class D amps from Crest have NO competition. Since you can buy 4 prolite 7.5s for the price of a single iTech, you tell me which is gonna put on a larger show? Exactly… No competition period.
Features:
Crest Audio ProLite 7.5 Professional Power Amplifier Amp
ACL™ protects drivers and ensures that sonic integrity is maintained, even in extreme overload conditions
850w@8ohms
1500w@4ohms
2500w@2ohms
Crossover 100Hz switchable 2nd order high pass and 3rd low pass per channel.
Resonant switch-mode power supply
Highspeed class D topology
Cooling 3 temperature dependent variable speed fans.
Controls 2 front panel attenuators, crossover select switch for HPF, Normal and LPF
Indicator LEDs Five LED indicators per channel: Active, Signal, ACL, Temperature and DC
Protection Thermal, DC, subsonic, incorrect loads, under and over voltage
Inputs: Dual combination 1/4” XLR
Outputs: Dual 1/4” thru, one 2-pin & one 4 pin twist-lock connector
Construction 0.062” thick aluminum
Rated power readings made with BW: 20 Hz to 22 kHz. All power measurements made @ 120 VAC or 240VAC.
2 ohm steady state sine wave power is time limited by circuit breaker.
Bridge operation is not possible.
Net Weight does not include power cord.
Details:
Power Output 2ch x 2 ohms - 4800 watts 20ms repetitive burst / 3790 watts 1% THD both channels driven @ 1kHz.
Power Output 2ch x 4 ohms - 2810 watts 20ms repetitive burst / 2450 watts 1% THD / 2030 watts 0.15% THD, both channels driven @ 1kHz.
Power Output 2ch x 8 ohms - 1550 watts 20ms repetitive burst / 1425 watts 1% THD / 1200 watts 0.15% THD, both channels driven @ 1kHz.
Minimum Impedance 2 ohms
Maximum RMS Voltage Swing 124 volts
Frequency Response 20Hz - 25kHz; +0dB, -3dB
20Hz - 20kHz 2ch x 2 ohms <0.5% @ 3390 watts 20Hz to 4kHz, decreasing to 3100 watts @ 20kHz, both channels driven.
20Hz - 20kHz 2ch x 4 ohms <0.15% @ 1850 watts 20Hz to 20kHz, both channels driven.
20Hz - 20kHz 2ch x 8 ohms <0.15% @ 1170 watts 20Hz to 20kHz, both channels driven.
Input CMRR > - 75dB @ 1 kHz.
Voltage Gain x 40 (+32dB)
Crosstalk > -60dB @ 1kHz @ 1000 watts power @ 8 ohms.
Hum and Noise > -100dB, “A” weighted referenced to rated power @ 4 ohms.
Slew Rate > 12V/µs
Damping Factor (8 ohms) > 200:1 @ 20Hz - 1kHz @ 8 ohms
Phase Response +15 to -85 degrees from 20Hz to 20kHz
Input Sensitivity 2.25 volts +/- 3% for 1kHz 4 ohm rated power, 2.2 volts +/- 3% for 1kHz 2 ohm rated power
Input Impedance 20 kilohms, balanced and 10 kilohms unbalanced.
Current Draw @ 1/8 in VA (watts) 2210 (1440) @ 2 ohms, 1550 (950) @ 4 ohms, 985 (560) @ 8 ohms
Current Draw @ 1/3 in VA (watts) 4260 (3150) @ 2 ohm, 3120 (2160) @ 4 ohms,1890 (1200) @ 8 ohms
Idle Consumption 250VA, 120 watts.
Dimensions 3.5”x19”x 17” behind front panel + 0.6” for handle
Net Weight 14.6lbs.
Gross Weight 18.4lbs.
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Item Code: ProLite 7.5 U
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