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[TrevorMilburn]

I bet they would sell a whole lot amps if they just sold the larger model for the lower model price.

It just seems a bit odd to me-that's all.

It's just the same in the world of cellphones (mobiles in the UK) - many of the cheaper models use the same chipset as their more expensive and better specced brothers but have their functionality (software) disabled. Hence the number of forums giving the activation codes for various phones to enable this 'hidden' functionality -  sounds crazy, but as with most manufacturing, it is cheaper to make all phones the same (case/innards/displays) and disable the more 'desirable' options on the cheaper model.

Regards,
Trevor

[Ivan Beaver]

It's just the same in the world of cellphones (mobiles in the UK) - many of the cheaper models use the same chipset as their more expensive and better specced brothers but have their functionality (software) disabled. Hence the number of forums giving the activation codes for various phones to enable this 'hidden' functionality -  sounds crazy, but as with most manufacturing, it is cheaper to make all phones the same (case/innards/displays) and disable the more 'desirable' options on the cheaper model.

Regards,
Trevor

I still say that amps are not the same as cellphones.  It takes more cost in terms of hardware/parts to provide more power.  Power is not a program.  Unless powersoft is doing something that nobody else is and their costs are very low to begin with.  I have no idea.

I don't know of any other manufacturer who "dials back" an amps capabilities for a lower cost/wattage unit.

Yes Crown used to use the same circuit boards on the smaller MA/MT (and others) amps as they did on the big boys.  But when you paid the extra money you got a lot more parts and a larger power supply.  It was not a "code" thing.

Yes QSC uses the same circuit boards for various models-but again-when you get the larger models there is more cost of parts involved.

In the days of the audio toolbox, when you go the physical piece-it was loaded with the full program, but you would buy the unlock codes to the modules you need.  There wasn't any additional cost to the manufacturer.

I have no experience with Powersoft, but others do, and it seems as if what they are saying is the case.  So I will stand still believe they are making a lot more money with the larger units, since when they sell a lower priced unit-they are still making money on the parts.  And you are just buying the "privledge" to get the extra power on the more powerful units.

But business is business and if it works for them and their customers-great.

[Darren Scaresbrook]

 Electronics these days are cheap! Components are cheap.
In a class D amp there is not all that much difference in components between output powers as there is in conventional amps with non smps and AB(usually) output stages.
Heatsinks cost more than semiconductors and due to the efficiency of class D large heatsinks are not necessary. Neither are large power transformers in the power supply.
Maybe JR can chime in about some of the $ saving practices used in manufacturing.
Darren

[Peter Morris]

I still say that amps are not the same as cellphones.  It takes more cost in terms of hardware/parts to provide more power.  Power is not a program.  Unless powersoft is doing something that nobody else is and their costs are very low to begin with.  I have no idea.

I don't know of any other manufacturer who "dials back" an amps capabilities for a lower cost/wattage unit.

Yes Crown used to use the same circuit boards on the smaller MA/MT (and others) amps as they did on the big boys.  But when you paid the extra money you got a lot more parts and a larger power supply.  It was not a "code" thing.

Yes QSC uses the same circuit boards for various models-but again-when you get the larger models there is more cost of parts involved.

In the days of the audio toolbox, when you go the physical piece-it was loaded with the full program, but you would buy the unlock codes to the modules you need.  There wasn't any additional cost to the manufacturer.

I have no experience with Powersoft, but others do, and it seems as if what they are saying is the case.  So I will stand still believe they are making a lot more money with the larger units, since when they sell a lower priced unit-they are still making money on the parts.  And you are just buying the "privledge" to get the extra power on the more powerful units.

But business is business and if it works for them and their customers-great.

FWIW - from powersofts website -

The K6, K8 and K10 all share the same hardware platform. This means that by purchasing a K6, it is possible –as your business and your power requirements grow- to upgrade the platform’s output power.
This is carried out using the Model Step-Up Card and each step costs, more or less, as the price difference between the various models. For example, one Step-Up will transform the K6 into a K8, two Step-Ups will make the K6 a K10.Of course the K8 can also be upgraded.
The K2 and K3 on the other hand, are based on a smaller hardware, so it is possible to Step-Up from K2 to K3, but not from K3 to K6. Same goes for the K20, which is also based on a different hardware, making the K10 the highest possible upgrade currently available.

i.e. they make 3 sizes in the K series. As a guess, the marketing team turned it into 6!

Peter

[Mike Christy]

It has been a while since Ive looked at it the schematic/BOM, but QSC does a similar thing - but in hardware. For the PLx3406 and PLx3002, if you could replace a handful of SMT resistors you'd get the 3403 performance out of the 3002. The Rs are in the bias/limiting circuit, if I recall correctly.

Mike

[Rob Spence]

Big truck engine companies have been doing this for years too.
Spend some more $$ and get a chip upgrade for more power and torque.

Yes, there are few differences between the PLX 3002 and the 3402.
I their case it would cost more for the chip to change things but if the design were a little more digital...

[Bob Lee]

It has been a while since Ive looked at it the schematic/BOM, but QSC does a similar thing - but in hardware. For the PLx3406 and PLx3002, if you could replace a handful of SMT resistors you'd get the 3403 performance out of the 3002. The Rs are in the bias/limiting circuit, if I recall correctly.

Mike

Well, you'd also have to revise the power supply to provide higher rail voltages.

[ProSoundWeb Community]