r/SoundSystem • u/LouieTushuze • 2h ago
Building a Cubo Sub + Celestion CKT-TF1225 stack. Amp advice? (Behringer vs Crown vs CVR)
Hey guys, doing some digging before I start cutting wood. I'm building my first real system and want to start small and add to it.
Phase 1 is one Cubo Sub (the 18") loaded with a B&C 18TBX100 (8Ω, 6.2Ω min, 1200W nominal / 2400W program) and one Celestion CKT-TF1225 top (8Ω nominal, 6.5Ω min, 250W AES woofer, 400W EIA system). Phase 2 is a second sub and top, and later I want to add Cubo Kick 15s in the middle.
Use is backyard hangs and small gatherings, maybe a festival camp for 30-40 people. Not a concert rig, I just want it to sound good and not be underpowered. I'll run a miniDSP 2x4 HD for crossover/EQ and have a friend helping me tune with a mic. Planning to cross the sub around 80-90Hz and the top above that.
Where I'm stuck is amps. Budget isn't super tight (a few hundred over is fine) but I'd like to keep it in check:
- Crown XLS 2502 (open box, ~$539) for the sub, XLS 1002 for the top(s) later
- Behringer NX3000D (~$339) with the built-in DSP, or an NX4-6000 (~$469) to cover everything with 4 channels
- CVR D-1002 (~$699). A friend says plenty of people run these without issues
What I keep going back and forth on:
- Is the Behringer's listed 440W @ 8Ω real or just peak, and does it matter for a sub at my listening levels?
- Has anyone had Behringer NX amps die on them?
- Would you take the CVR over the Crown for subs?
- Should I use the 4Ω version of the TBX100 to get more out of the amp?
What would you run? Any gotchas with the Cubo Sub + TBX100 combo I should know about? Appreciate any help.