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Alesis
Alesis RA500 Stereo Power Amplifier
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Alesis RA500 Stereo Power Amplifier

The Alesis RA500 is an excellent choice to either power studio monitors or for live gigs. The RA500 power amplifier works great to power near or medium field studio monitors as well as PA speakers. If you are mixing rap or rock music this is a good power amp. The Alesis RA series power amps are made for recording studios, broadcast and post-production rooms as well as serve as a power amp for small PA systems. The construction is somewhat more substantial than their previous power amps.

Alesis RA500 Power Amplifier Features
  • XLR, 1/4 inch TRS and RCA inputs
  • Speaker protection circuit
  • High Quality Power Supply
  • 3 rackspaces
  • 250 Watts RMS per channel into 4 ohms
  • 125 Watts RMS per channel into 8 ohms
  • 500 Watts RMS bridged into 8 ohms
  • Signal to noise >105dB
  • 10Hz-70kHz frequency response
  • Distortion of <0.02% at 4 ohms 20Hz-20kHz
  • Fanless convection cooling
  • Matches the power needs of most studio monitors
  • A great amp in the studio or the P.A. rack.

The Alesis RA500 is a stereo (2 channel) power amp with 250 watts per channel at 4 ohms. It takes up 3 rack mount spaces in a 19 inch rack. The amp's rated output is 250 watts RMS per channel at 4 ohms, 125 watts RMS per channel at 8 ohms, and 500 watts RMS, bridged mode at 8 ohms

While supplies last, the RA500, the biggest amp in Alesis' reference-quality RA Series, is the least expensive model in the line. Don't miss this opportunity to own this fantastic studio/stage power amp.

The RA500 is convection-cooled with no fans. This is one of the reasons why the amp is great for recording studios, It's very quiet. It has a nominal frequency response of 10Hz-70 kHz but its power band is probably near 25Hz to 16 kHz. The specs say 22Hz to 22 kHz. Either one is great. Each channel of the RA500 has three types of inputs: XLR (balanced), 1/4 inch TRS, and RCA inputs. The TRS input can also accept a -10dB line level (guitar cable) so the TRS input accepts both balanced and unbalanced connections. There is also a line level RCA input (-10dB).

Alesis has beefed up the RA500's power supply by using a heavy-duty stacked steel IE laminated transformer along with the high power rectifiers and capacitors. The power supply is one of the most important components of a power amp. If it's underpowered then the amp will clip and not have very good low end frequency response.

With the addition of a DC servo circuit, the RA500 will remove any DC component from the output signal. Actually it removes it in its preamp stage. This is used to protect the speaker and output transistors from being overloaded and burned out. If the amp detects too much DC (short circuit) Alesis put in a relay that will disconnect the amp from the speaker. This circuit is also used to mute the outputs while the power supply's capacitors are charging so you don't get a Thump.
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Alesis RA500 Power Amplifier Specifications
    Rated Output per channel:
      250 watts RMS at 4 ohms @ 1kHz, .02% THD+N
      150 watts RMS at 8 ohms @ 1kHz, .05% THD+N
      500 watts RMS at 8 ohms, bridged mono mode
    Signal to Noise Ratio: 105dB, 22Hz-22kHz bandwidth referenced to rated output
    Frequency Response: 10Hz-70kHz +0,-3dB
    Damping Factor: 200
    Slew Rate: 60 V/µs (two channel), 120 V/µs (bridged mono)
    Input Sensitivity: +4dBu (1.23V) for rated output with input control at maximum
    Maximum input level: +26 dBu
    Input Impedance: 20k ohms, balanced 10k ohms unbalanced
    Crosstalk:85dB, 1kHz
    Size (WxHxD): 18.9 x 5.63 x 10.71 inches
    Rack Units: 3 rack spaces tall
    Weight: 28.5 lbs.
    All measurements done over a 20Hz-22,000Hz range with 1KHz sine wave at Full Scale, except for the dynamic range which was done with a -60dBFS 1KHz sine wave.

 
 
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12 people rated this item
The Other Guy from Barrington, NH, USA
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Subject:Value, Value, Value
Quality: I consider this amp solidly built. Time will tell.
Features: All types of imputs is great in the studio. If I could add a feature I would add analogue meters, but then the price would go UP! So at the price I'll skip the better meters.
Ease of Use: Veery easy to use.
Sound: Sound quality is very impressive. The amp sounds great powering Hafler M-5's, all the way up to JBL MS115's. Smooth top to bottom.
Do you own this product?: Yes
Date submitted: 6/2/09
 
Wagenet from Tulsa, OK
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Subject:Great Whisper Quite Amp
Quality: I do not have a lot of expereince with this kind of gear but this handily beat my opld amp.
Features: I had a cheap amp the roared everytime I turned it on. I had to turn the sound up just ot get past that. This thing makse no noise at all at first I did not even think I had turned it on. I use it for karaoke, with a small vocopro mixer. It soudn so clean even my kids could notice the differnce.
Ease of Use: Plug and play. Can not be any easier. I only wish it had quater in speaker jacks. NO reall biggie, I jsut bough t some 1/4 in to banana clip cables and was set.
Sound: Bee U T Full. Clear and warm.
Value: It is a great value. It is heavy and appears very well built.
Do you own this product?: Yes
Date submitted: 10/22/2009
 
JD Letson from San Antonio, TX
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Subject:What a Bargain!
Quality: Good quality, well designed. Just give it plenty of breathing room. I have owned both the RA150 and the RA300 and found them both to run hot if on for several hours. Haven't seen the RA300 get hot yet.
Features: Great inputs with consumer hifi level RCA and pro level XLR/TRS balanced. You can plug this into a subwoofer output of a stereo receiver or into your pro mixer.
Ease of Use: Could not be simpler, the LED meters are helpful to me.
Sound: Sound is good, I compared it in bridged mono against an older Crown D150A Series II (rated at 310 watts bridged) and found the Crown to sound a little stronger in low frequencies despite the rating difference. The Crown is probably very conservatively rated in watts.
Value: Calculate the cost per watt and try to find a cheaper amp.
Do you own this product?: Yes
Date submitted: 10-20-09
 
Lawrence from Out on the Range , California
kessmonster@yahoo.com
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Subject:Lots of clean Power for a little dough !
Quality: Have Owned many Alesis products and been very happy with them.
Features: Nothing fancy needed here just a massive solid Power Amp.
Ease of Use: Hook up speakers and turn it on. Pretty darn easy .
Sound: Very clear and true sounding.
Value: Great Value here all the way !
Do you own this product?: Yes I do !
Date submitted: Oct /11/09
 
Joe from Spring Hill, Fl U.S.A.
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Subject:Outstanding Value
Quality: It's apparently built like a tank, I'm no electronics engineer, but based on reviews I've dug up, it should hold up plenty long to derive full value from it. Massive transformer, equally massive heat sinks.
Features: RCA inputs are unusual and handy. If your board is going out to multiple units, it's a great alternate way into the amp.
Ease of Use: Simple, in / out. Again RCA's are very cool. Xlr's and 1/4" also. Very thorough manual.
Sound: Compared to a Crown and a Behringer that each cost more, sound quality is excellent from top to bottom. Easily as quiet, and @ 8ohm the 125 watts seems quite valid. Pushes 15's just fine for any small to medium room.
Value: Not only "for the price" which people usually say about something that doesn't cost alot, but it performs very well, period.
Do you own this product?: Yes
Date submitted: Oct 8, 2009
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"Great biz! Looking forward to buying from them again. Love the Payment Plans. It's perfect for a person who is on a budget! Oct '09