QSC PLD4.5 4-channel amp

Alex Doll

Alex Doll

Freshman
Nov 3, 2013
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Florida, USA
I am new to this forum. I'm a Karaoke host / DJ in Florida, USA. I'm in the business now for almost 11 years.

I'm very interested in this new amp from QSC. 4 channels, 1150 Watts on 8 Ohm per channel... would be perfect to drive my mains and subs from one amp.

1. Has anyone hands on experience with this amp?

2. It looks like it has built in DSP and crossover. Would that mean I could get rid of my Driverack PA plus?

I'd appreciate your input on this, thanks!

At mods: Please forgive me if I posted this in the wrong forum and feel free to move it to an appropriate forum if needed, thank you.
 
Re: QSC PLD4.5 4-channel amp

I'd be worried about putting all my eggs in one basket like that. If the amp goes teats up on yah what now? With two separate amps you can limp by on one. I recently picked up a four channel amp for monitors but am having second thoughts about replacing my two IPR1600's with it even though I really need the extra 2U's for other things. I'm severely space constrained as my rig travels in my Scion xA hatchback and I'm adding some basic lighting now :?~:-?~:???:.
 
Re: QSC PLD4.5 4-channel amp

Ron Kimball said:
I'd be worried about putting all my eggs in one basket like that. If the amp goes teats up on yah what now? With two separate amps you can limp by on one. I recently picked up a four channel amp for monitors but am having second thoughts about replacing my two IPR1600's with it even though I really need the extra 2U's for other things. I'm severely space constrained as my rig travels in my Scion xA hatchback and I'm adding some basic lighting now :?~:-?~:???:.
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It depends on the strength of your basket. Clair has no problem using 4 channel Lab Gruppen amps.
 
And I have sent four of ours out for repair in six months.

I am sure Clair carries a spare, just like we do.

Still love them though.

To the OP, regarding the QSC amplifier, I have no experience with this product yet but typically QSC builds robust equipment, as does Lab Gruppen. Things happen...

You could get rid of you DR though.

Jason

Sent from some device, using some software, probably inconveniently. Apologies for any mistakes of grammar, spelling, or meaning.
 
Re: QSC PLD4.5 4-channel amp

Jason Misterka said:
And I have sent four of ours out for repair in six months.

I am sure Clair carries a spare, just like we do.

Still love them though.

To the OP, regarding the QSC amplifier, I have no experience with this product yet but typically QSC builds robust equipment, as does Lab Gruppen. Things happen...

You could get rid of you DR though.

Jason

Sent from some device, using some software, probably inconveniently. Apologies for any mistakes of grammar, spelling, or meaning.
Click to expand...
Thanks guys, and thank you Jason for answering my second question. :)
 
Re: QSC PLD4.5 4-channel amp

I have had my PLD 4.5 for a little over a month now, and it is serving me very well. The processing is really intuitivly laid out, and I was able to figure out how to use it without a manual. I was able to setup a crossover and some basic EQ within 10 minutes of having it out of the box. It sounds good and has plenty of power for the needs I purchased it for. (though i would love to see a beefier one for subs in the future)

QSC has always been good to me, and their amps have extremely rarely given me any problems.

I plan on getting more from the series soon for Bi-amped wedges.

speaking to the reliability, and all of your eggs in one basket folks I would agree that you should have at least some kind of backup plan should the amp go down on you weather that be that you have one powered speaker that normally is a monitor that could be used as a main in a pinch, or you keep some kind of spare (evan if its something old and/or cheap that you would not normally use) in the truck just in case
 
Re: QSC PLD4.5 4-channel amp

Sorry to be nit-picky, but where are the PLD amps manufactured at: USA or China? Reason I ask is because I had china amps (Example: Crown XLS 802) continually crap out on me whereas the USA-made are still cranking albeit old and heavy (Example: Carvin DCM2000).
 
Re: QSC PLD4.5 4-channel amp

Tommy Le said:
Sorry to be nit-picky, but where are the PLD amps manufactured at: USA or China? Reason I ask is because I had china amps (Example: Crown XLS 802) continually crap out on me whereas the USA-made are still cranking albeit old and heavy (Example: Carvin DCM2000).
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Tommy, that's an Apples to Oranges question there. The XLS is a budget amp and is not built for harsh road environments and longevity. The Carvin amp is "built in USA" from bottom of the barrel Chinese parts.

I had a bunch of Crown XTi4000s that was Made in USA and Made in China.... the only difference I saw was that the LCD screen was a different shade of blue. Also, the USA amp needed to have the ribbon connector reseated about once a year.
 
Re: QSC PLD4.5 4-channel amp

Tommy Le said:
Sorry to be nit-picky, but where are the PLD amps manufactured at: USA or China? Reason I ask is because I had china amps (Example: Crown XLS 802) continually crap out on me whereas the USA-made are still cranking albeit old and heavy (Example: Carvin DCM2000).
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PLD is neither old nor heavy, but it is made in the USA
 
Re: QSC PLD4.5 4-channel amp

Tim Padrick said:
Damn Steve, did you rob a bank?
Click to expand...

I have bought a lot of stuff lately.
I have sold a lot of stuff too (and will be selling more)

I plan gear changes out about 6 months in advance.
When the time to make it happen gets here, I don't mess around much.
 
Re: QSC PLD4.5 4-channel amp

Thank you all for your input. Another question, and I kind of know where this will go, but I'll ask anyway...

Option 1:
QSC PLD4.5 for $2400

or Option 2:
2 x Behringer iNuke 6000 for $800

2 pounds in weight difference between both options.

What do you think?

I'm not worried about the DSP option missing in the iNukes, I have other ways to do that in my signal chain.
 
Re: QSC PLD4.5 4-channel amp

Alex Doll said:
Thank you all for your input. Another question, and I kind of know where this will go, but I'll ask anyway...

Option 1:
QSC PLD4.5 for $2400

or Option 2:
2 x Behringer iNuke 6000 for $800

2 pounds in weight difference between both options.

What do you think?

I'm not worried about the DSP option missing in the iNukes, I have other ways to do that in my signal chain.
Click to expand...

I own a lot of pro audio gear from many of the top international manufacturer's. In the long term, QSC PL amps have been the most failure free and reliable product I have ever owned. I will allow that Behringer may be making better product today than they did in the past, I really wouldn't know. However, I am quite sure that the difference in prices between A QSC PLD4.5 and an iNuke6000 is not solely because Uli owns the forests. For the most part, QSC and Behringer make different products for different segments of the market. The iNuke may be all the amp you need. It depends on how hard you need to beat on it and for how long and if you only want to buy it once...
 
Re: QSC PLD4.5 4-channel amp

What would you buy to get 2 people to a single destination:
1 two passenger BMW, or 2 one passenger Yugos and enough money to buy another one when one or both of the Yugos break.

(and comparing Behringher to Yugo is being unfair to Yugo)
 
Re: QSC PLD4.5 4-channel amp

Alex Doll said:
Thank you all for your input. Another question, and I kind of know where this will go, but I'll ask anyway...

Option 1:
QSC PLD4.5 for $2400

or Option 2:
2 x Behringer iNuke 6000 for $800

2 pounds in weight difference between both options.

What do you think?

I'm not worried about the DSP option missing in the iNukes, I have other ways to do that in my signal chain.
Click to expand...

If you are interested only in initial costs get the Behringer. If you want long term quality and reliability, get the QSC. It's cheaper in the long run. I don't know who your clients are, but you are going to look better with QSC - it is SHOW business! QSC amps are used by some of the best in the business, Behringer screams Rookie!
 
Re: QSC PLD4.5 4-channel amp

Bought a QSC PLD4.5, tested it at home, played a few small gigs, took it to run four JBL 4719 (4ohm) subs for the first of a series of gigs at a club and without spills, without dropping, without any issues, on house power, it blew up at the start of the gig. Massive sparks, dead. Replaced it with four backup amps of course and the night was fine but the amp was not. Sweetwater customer service as absolutely perfect. We could not ask for better. The amp failed early but we liked it a lot before that. Magic in how much power it produced from one twenty amp circuit, and light even in a heavy case, we used it with a driverack in the case. We aren't afraid of QSC and figure it was an isolated problem. We will use the same model amp. If it is going to fail it will probably fail early and ours did. We expect the next one or two to do better, but we also have a Beheringer as inexpensive backup and some heavy iron amps along for the ride to sit and wait as understudies that don't have to be carried in unless they have to be carried in.
 
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