Electro-Voice P2000

Name: Electro-Voice P2000
Brand: Electro-Voice

A 50-pound tour-grade power amp that idles like a space heater and pushes 800 watts per side into 4 ohms.

Overview

The first thing anyone notices about the P2000 is the weight. It comes in at 27 kilograms, roughly 50.5 pounds, in a two-rack-space chassis. The chassis measures 483 x 132.5 x 426 mm, so it is full depth and takes up a lot of room behind the rack ears. This is not a hi-fi amp that happens to be loud. It is a working amplifier, built to be bolted into a touring rack and driven hard night after night.

The output section is the main event. Rated output is 500 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 800 watts per channel into 4 ohms. Maximum output at 1 kHz and 1% THD is 560 and 900 watts respectively. Bridged into an 8-ohm load, it is rated at 1600 watts, with a maximum of 1800 watts. The single-channel dynamic headroom figures are higher still. They are measured with the IHF-A dynamic headroom test signal, a 1 kHz tone burst, 20 ms on and 480 ms off. The amp delivers 650 watts into 8 ohms, 1150 watts into 4 ohms, and 2300 watts bridged into 8 ohms. Rated output voltage is 63.2 volts into 8 ohms, 56.6 volts into 4 ohms, and 113.2 volts bridged.

The rest of the spec sheet is just as serious. Frequency response is specified at 10 Hz to 30 kHz within -1 dB. The distortion-limited power bandwidth, measured at 0.1% THD into 4 ohms at half rated power, extends below 10 Hz and out to 50 kHz with the high/low-cut filters disengaged. THD at rated output power, measured with an 80 kHz measurement bandwidth at 1 kHz, is under 0.05%. SMPTE intermodulation distortion is under 0.01%. The damping factor is specified at greater than 300 referenced to 1 kHz at rated output. Slew rate is greater than 35 volts per microsecond, and DIM 30 and DIM 100 distortion both sit under 0.01%.

The input stage is fully balanced and active, with a 20 kOhm input impedance and a maximum input level of 21 dBu (9 volts). Input sensitivity for rated output is 0 dBu / 0.775 volts, or 6 dBu / 1.55 volts depending on how the amp is configured. A constant-gain option fixes voltage gain at 26 dB referenced to 1 kHz. Crosstalk is specified at better than -70 dB. The signal-to-noise ratio is quoted as greater than 105 dB A-weighted, RMS, referenced to rated output at an input sensitivity of +6 dBu. The manual's own noise table is more detailed. Unweighted noise from 22 Hz to 22 kHz gives a signal-to-noise ratio above 100 dB, CCIR-468 quasi-peak weighting gives above 89.7 dB, and A-weighting gives above 102 dB with the input sensitivity at 0 dBu. Raise the input sensitivity to 6 dBu and the A-weighted figure climbs to above 108 dB. Engage the 26 dB constant-gain option and it reaches above 113.5 dB. Equivalent input noise voltage is under 6.0 microvolts across those A-weighted conditions.

The P2000 is specified on an IEC 268 Part 3 / IHF-A basis, with 0 dBu defined as 775 millivolts RMS. Power supply tolerance is -10% to +10%. Power draw is where the amp shows its class. With no load it consumes 140 to 200 watts just sitting there. Under rated conditions at 800 watts into 4 ohms, the test data records 2950 watts drawn from the wall. Under standard test conditions at 80 watts into 4 ohms it pulls 1000 watts. At one-eighth rated output, 100 watts into 4 ohms, consumption is listed at 1100 VA.

Electro-Voice backed the P2000 with a three-year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship from the date of original purchase, per the Uniform Limited Warranty statement bundled with the manual. The same document notes that modification of Electro-Voice products is not recommended and that any resulting damage falls outside warranty coverage. Service documentation says there are no user-serviceable parts inside and that hazardous voltages and currents are present within the chassis. The service connector pinouts for the main PCB (86212) and power amp board (84158) are documented for authorized repair stations only.

A note on the sources: the P2000's technical record here comes from its own service and specification documentation, which is unusually complete for a pro amplifier of this class. The period press coverage that survives is thin and largely incidental. A 1989 DB-Magazine buyers guide correction and a 1999 Mix-Magazine live-sound item touch on Electro-Voice generally rather than the P2000 specifically. Treat the manual figures as the reference and be skeptical of secondhand spec claims.