These days the trend is unquestionably toward active monitors (speakers with built-in power amps). And actives are attractive; they’re convenient, compact, they require fewer cables, and so on. But that doesn’t mean that passive monitors (which require external power amps) are dead. Hot House has been offering the PRM 165 passive nearfields for some time, as well as a substantial line of power amps that can be paired with any passive monitors. We reviewed the PRM 165 back in October ’99, so the focus here will be on the Model Six Hundred power amp.

Simplicity is the word with the Model Six Hundred. There’s a power connector, power switch, inputs and outputs. That’s it. Plug it in, turn it on, and go.

The Model Six Hundred does its job well — in my trials it was clean and transparent, with excellent dynamics. Frank Wells at Pro Sound News also put the Model Six Hundred through its paces: “The highest praise you can give an amplifier is that it has no distinctive sonic signature. The Model Six Hundred performs as advertised, simply taking the input, making it louder, and driving speaker loads without audible artifacts. I used the amp with PRM 165s, Tannoy System 600s, cheapo consumer speakers that have proven a difficult load in the past, and even with a modest PA stack. In all cases, the Model Six Hundred performed its task with transparent ease.”

Frank also put the amp on the tech bench: “I measured the throughput gain at just over 28dB, with left and right channels matching within 0.01dB. The power ratings are conservative. I measured 184/285/325 watts/channel at the onset of clipping. Intermodulation distortion numbers were equally good, as was frequency response: I measured the 3dB down point at close to 100kHz, acceptable even for high-resolution audio.”

The PRM 165s are an excellent match for the Model Six Hundred. They provide great dynamics, surprisingly solid low end for a compact driver/cabinet, and excellent imaging. They’re un-hyped tonally; ear fatigue is not a problem. They’re revealing of negatives in a mix, particularly in the midrange. I found them plenty loud for nearfield applications.

POWER ON DEMAND

If you’re using passive monitors with a less than stellar amp, the Model Six Hundred will provide you with an instant upgrade. It’s powerful, dynamic, and transparent. Paired with the PRM 165s, you’ve got a high-performance monitor rig that can rival anything out there.