Choosing a type of amplification for a rental company gets more complicated every day. The variety on offer and the need for uniformity across systems force us to think very seriously about which power amps to choose, not only because of the most obvious features such as price, quality or performance, but also others that are less obvious yet can prove crucial, after years, in the kind of work our gear has been put through. The CS series stands apart within the PEAVEY range, presenting these power amps as the powerful, reliable option without reaching astronomical prices. We have to consider PEAVEY's association with CREST, both for the technical contribution of the most influential amplification brand of the '80s and for the commercial space each company must leave the other, seeking the most suitable applications for each.
That is why I'm going to try to guide the decision-making process in which this power amp is among the ideal choices, above all looking for its most suitable use, while advising against the applications it isn't equipped for.

Our first decision will be whether the system we want should be self-powered or not, which is surely the trendiest question in the Western market today. And although it may seem an easy decision, it is not at all, since it involves highly debatable price contrasts, as processing, amplification and speakers can be combined into a single package, so tuning problems are solved at the factory.

But this is not the end of classic amplifiers; rather, from an electronics lover's point of view it is the beginning, since the question raises new challenges and brings out the great advantages of the traditional approach. Using power amps benefits us mainly in their power delivery, in the ability to choose from a very wide range, and in being able to size systems according to our own criteria, dependent only on the job at hand.

The cost of classic systems is still lower today than that of self-contained systems, including very expensive signal processors and top-quality cabling, not to mention shock-mount racks and other accessories. Self-powered speaker systems pack proven solutions into a smaller volume, which don't depend on the skill of setup technicians, so they save money on specialized staff salaries.
The bottom line is simple: if you know how to configure a system and you have to deal with different configurations, then you should buy power amps. If your systems are always the same, don't hesitate—you know what to do.

On the outside
The CS800H comes in the best market style, meeting increasingly current demands. It includes every control you might need, except for Ethernet control and other niceties from the digital world, which are available on other products from the brand. The front panel features good, large attenuators of palpable quality, complete LED meters in the style of its CREST cousins, handles and rack ears, plus dedicated protection and temperature LEDs and a good power switch.
The chassis finish is more than adequate without adding excessive weight to the already painful nearly fifteen kilos of dead weight typical of a power amp of this wattage with a conventional power supply, with a toroidal transformer of respectable size. The grilles are well finished, as are the screws and trim, giving a good overall look.

Around back
This is where we realize that today's product has been quite carefully made. The factory-included crossover per channel with a function selector (full range, high-pass or sub) stands out, and the standard inclusion of SPEAKON outputs and binding posts is welcome, since there are times when you have to cut a cable. Access to the mains fuse is correct and by now almost standard, and finally, the availability of electronically balanced XLR inputs and unbalanced inputs leaves no room for complaints in this respect.

In operation
PEAVEY's product renewal shows, and how, in the CS 800H. It has given me a new impression compared with those early-'80s power amps, which, although they now seem like real hunks of iron, have held up to this day—and it's high time for a refresh. Power delivery is quite fast and, without being brutal, has drive and a great deal of honesty, reaching its clip limits without flinching and with low distortion levels. The strong point of this gear is its low-end delivery—impactful and, as I said before, terribly honest—while it weakens slightly in the upper mids, mainly due to a nonlinear rise in distortion near its limits.

The rush of power is also acoustically very pleasant if we're working with recorded music, which, combined with how well the CS 800H withstood the extreme treatment we gave it, could make this series of power amps the princesses of the clubs, well above brands more established in the Spanish market.
For live use we'll run into two basic difficulties. The first is weight, where we clash head-on with the power supply design as a starting point, especially compared with more modern (and more expensive) switch-mode supply systems. The second is signal quality above 2.8 kHz, where a higher damping factor would be welcome. With respect to these obstacles, the first thing we should think about is the balanced cost of this gear, which we can take on without a debt that's hard to pay off, and which we can afford, for example, if we have to replace (and it's only an example) the amplification for ten monitor sends. The second reason that might push us toward the CS series is the convenience of a configuration solution that needs no prior signal processing, thanks to the factory active crossover, which gives us additional savings when adding a sub section or actively amplifying a passive system.
These last features place the PEAVEY CS in the mid-to-high segment of the market, with guarantees of clean, long-lasting performance and good working flexibility. Knowing they start from a middle position on the starting line, they can leave behind many competitors of more distinguished lineage. The "Made in U.S.A." stamp also carries some weight in our world, although let's not kid ourselves—I prefer to test first.

The whole series features DDT, a fairly well-designed protection and limiting system that doesn't square off the signal excessively and adds little distortion. It proves quite useful against DJs' "flooring it," and with its own LED on the front panel, acting as a clip indicator, it's easy to see there's nothing more to give.

Operation at two ohms is handled with enough elegance, with more than adequate delivery and, admittedly, an increase in its main flaw: distortion above 2.5 kHz.

Otherwise, performance is a little above what its spec sheet tells us. We measured and "felt" quite a few more watts than the two hundred fifty promised per channel at eight ohms—a sensation and measurement that doesn't increase as much relative to the stated values when lowering the output load or switching to bridge mode, which has its own SPEAKON output on the back.

To our taste, the most positive result came when powering a JBL dual 14" bass cabinet, 500 RMS, with good resolution. The result was also more than adequate with two passive monitors where we set the high-pass at 40 Hz, responding linearly and without too much strain, and of course in a mobile DJ setup with two SPA cabinets that pounded away beautifully.

Conclusion
The CS 800H is a very smart buy if we keep in mind the proper application of its capabilities, which are much broader than they might seem at first glance, with a good finish and a certain solemnity in the company's history, now twinned with CREST, not to mention its processing features, its two-rack-unit size and bombproof durability. The big caveat arises if we want to build an entire P.A. with them, where much more expensive ranges, both from this company and its competitors, have their place.

The CS's price is fair, although we would have expected a bit more from the strength of the euro against the dollar, but if we analyze the product in depth we'll see it is in a logical range. Otherwise, it has nothing to envy its competitors, offering appealing new features not very common at its level.