![pcr 800 soundcraftsmen pcr 800 soundcraftsmen](https://www.hifishark.com/imgproxy/ce8f464dad5e/b4/8c/s/i.ebayimg.com/images/g/4ZcAAOSw6idg42do/s-l200.jpg)
Unless some physics major steps in and destroys my logic, I think you'll agree the heavier guy has more. Next, a guy weighing 250 punches you at 40 MPH. As he punches you a disinterested, but decidedly weird, third party clocks his fist at 40 MPH. Consider getting punched by two different guys. Now let me tell you about balls if you don't already know. I decided that the amp simply lacked balls. In order to get to my desired headbanging levels I saw that I was flirting with tripping the clipping meters. Otherwise, it was touted as the same amp. I bought a PCR 800 and liked it a lot but, driven by a need to have more excitement in my life, I traded it in on a Soundcraftsmen ProPower Four (or was it Powerline Four?) which featured a double row of twenty LED power indicators along with two LED clipping lights. My recommendation would be to use it for the treble amp in a bi-amped system. Let me know if you’d like me to post a couple pic’s of the AB1 I have a lot of high power vintage gear and could use anyone of them as my main rig. I’ve had a few PCR 800, PM860’s and the MTX versions apart and they all pretty much look the same and have the same output’s from what I recall. I was told that the different nomenclature for the Soundcraftsmen “shoebox” amps was a marketing ploy and that the different power ratings were more a matter of changing the THD or ohm rating than any real differences in the actual power. If you are going to bi amp your speakers, than it’s just a matter of an RCA Y adapter. Some other Soundcraftsmen amps have a mono switch and most of the Soundcraftsmen preamps have a way to bridge these amps as well. Part of the reason I’ve had so many of these amps is that I had to buy a pair of two amps just to get the AB 1 so I could bridge my amps. Soundcraftsmen sold what they called an "autobridging" (AB1) adapter back in the day that was used to bridge these amps. Send me a PM with your email and I'll send you a test report.Ĭlick to expand.Pete, unfortunately, these amps do not have a built in bridging switch. This rig has played outdoor parties at insane levels for hours with zero issues. My bridged setup is capable of SPL’s approaching live concerts. I even visited the factory in Santa Ana before MTX bought them. Yeah, they are stamped steel construction and don’t look impressive with the covers off, like some of our vintage Japanese gear, but the performance is over the top as far as I’m concerned. They can drive a 2 ohm load without any trouble. In mono mode we're talking 600 watts each. I love the MOSFET sound which is often compared to tube amps, but with 20X the headroom of most valve amps.Ī single PCR 800 with 205 wpc is more than adequate for most of us, but a pair bridged with the AB1 or a Soundcraftsmen or other preamp that can bridge a pair of monoblock amps, produce power that is simply off the chart. Very robust, powerful and for me, trouble free. I've had a total of 5 of these amps over the course of 10 years and never had a problem with any of them. I have two PCR 800's as the heart of my main rig, bridged with the AB1.