I'm looking for Rack Mount Home Audio Power Amps. I'm needing 2 or 3 8 channel power amps to hook up to my home. Can anyone point me in the right direction or hook me up with a manufacturer name?
It depends on your budget and the speakers you have. Many speakers can benefit from high wattage and good damping.
ATI is an OEM manufacturer (they make amps that are re-badged for other companies) and also market their own amplifiers. Their new AT2000 series is balanced on both the input and output (which is rare at the price point)and cranks out a minimum of 200 watts into 8 ohms, has high-current, and has handles on the front for easier lifting placement on a rack. The 2000 series comes in 2 channels up to 7 channels and is built great. Made in Southern California and has a 7 year warranty.
They make less expensive amplifiers that are not balanced and have less power, such as the 1800 series (180 watts/channel). They also make a 3000 series that cranks out 300 watts into 8 ohms and is built to the same specs as the 2000 series. But unless you have very inefficient speakers and/or have the budget, 200 watts is plenty for most people's kit.
Of course, there are a few less expensive amplifiers (at similar power, but most don't have the build quality or the warranty) and a lot of more expensive amplifiers. But with ATI's you get very good build quality, warranty, along with top-drawer specs.
Most any amp can be rack mounted. Quite a few (sound reinforcement more than consumer) companies sell their components with the option of "ears" to extend the width of the component to a standard 19" rack width. By going to a metal working shop with your requirements and measurements for any given component they can manufacture these ears to mount to the side of the component cabinet and drill the appropriate holes to accomodate mounting. You will have to replace the original cabinet screws with longer units and will have to be certain the new screws do not extend into the component any further than the original screws did or at least make certain that the new screws do not touch any components or boards on the inside of the electronics. If you are in doubt of the component's cabinet strength to support the weight of a very heavy unit, normally only a problem with power amps not pre amps or processors or source components, you have four choices: call the manufacturer for a recommendation, extend the manufactured ears to extend the full depth of the unit and wrap under neath the unit slightly, try it and see what happens, or by a rack mount shelf. A rack mount shelf should be available at any shop that does sound reinforcement systems and is simply a shelf with rack mount ears already in place. The issue of rack mounting is more for height of a component than width or weight. Rack components are measured in "standard" 1/2" rack measurements. In other words you will see a component described as requiring 1 or 1 1/2 rack spaces. This is to accomodate the screw holes that are preset at specific distances for a predrilled rack. If a component falls outside of the standard dimensions, spacer plates are usually added between components to visually fill in the gap. Of course even with a predrilled rack you can always drill holes where they are needed to mount your components without any spacers. You will either have to tap the correct threads in the rack (and the threads on a rack are a standard spec also so they can be interchanged easily) or you will have to have access to the back of the rack and attach nuts and lock washers. This is a common practice among sound reinforcement guys who seldom let little things like protocol to get in their way. But really, the easier way is with the rack mount shelf. If you are looking for something that will simply bolt in and not need any modification or external devices look to companies that sell to the professional and consumer market. McIntosh has some excellent home theater gear and is rack mountable. Probably a company like Krell, Bryston and Mark Levinson can satisfy your needs if the budget fits.