Crown Power AMPs? For home or football fields

[similost]

Several of you guys mention that the Crown or other pro amps are great. I ask "Great for what, and compared to what?"
I assume you guys like loud rock in big rooms with big speakers. I'm just curious because there isn't a lot of context in the posts (except the posts about bi-amping the bass which makes perfect sense).
TIA

Big amps are good for running stuff like this...

And that's still not much compared to what I used to have in the livingroom..

Believe it or not.. those speakers would run on your SET amps too... BUT.. they sound better with serious wattage.. It's all about headroom using pro amps..

 

[michaelhigh]

Just because an amp is rated at x watts per channel they don't have to be operated at that watt level. Headroom allows an amp to operate at less than full power and avoid square wave distortion and clipping that underpowering speakers can cause. Remember, power in hand is better than squarewaving a speaker and smelling burnt copper.

 

[dusty42701]

I have used the XLS 402 amp and I have to say that the fans are QUITE noisy.
Other amps have quiter fans so I would research up a little.

 

[whoaru99]

Just because an amp is rated at x watts per channel they don't have to be operated at that watt level. Headroom allows an amp to operate at less than full power and avoid square wave distortion and clipping that underpowering speakers can cause. Remember, power in hand is better than squarewaving a speaker and smelling burnt copper.

I understand what you mean but, for clarity, the problem isn't underpowering the speaker, it's overdriving the amplifier. Also, clipping or "squarewaving" a speaker isn't necessarily a recipe for disaster unless the higher average power causes it to thermal out. The waveform shape itself really isn't the problem.

 

[world-]

I have been using a Ashly FTX-2001 for years at home and I love it. Just set the gains on the back down to match speaker ratings and your'e good to go.

 

[whoaru99]

Yes, reducing the gain setting will lower the output for any given input signal strength. But, if you increase the input signal strength the amp output will still increase for any given gain setting.

So, the point is that gain controls are not power controls/limiters, they merely scale the output to input ratio. A power amp is quite capable of putting out its full power at a very low gain setting as long as the input signal is stnong enough.

 

[clydeselsor]

Crown makes great stuff! They used to be made in Elkhart, IN. just an hour or so from here. I'm not sure where they are now...

 

[jamisue]

I have a yamaha pc2002m i think its one of the best sounding amps i have ever owned.

 

[rileysaudio]

I love my Crown XLS-1000 Drivecore. It sounds better than an Outlaw amplifier I was using a while back. It has more power, built in crossovers, is lighter, and stays cooler too. I plan on getting a XLS-1500 to run bridged for a passive sub too. I'd recommend to anyone looking for an amazing sounding reliable amp for very cheap.

 

[70salesguy]

Several of you guys mention that the Crown or other pro amps are great. I ask "Great for what, and compared to what?"
I assume you guys like loud rock in big rooms with big speakers. I'm just curious because there isn't a lot of context in the posts (except the posts about bi-amping the bass which makes perfect sense).
TIA

I'm going to give you the benefit of doubt in that you just don't know what kind of construction and specs you get with a vintage Crown amp such as the PS-400. So here's the details for you.

http://www.crownaudio.com/pdf/legacy/k1073-4.pdf

Compare this to the "flavor of the month" darling power amps that have come and gone. You know, the ones that everyone oohed and aahhed over and wet their pants to pay thousands for.

If you are happy with 4 watts and single drivers, then nothing else matters.

 

[BMWCCA]

Several of you guys mention that the Crown or other pro amps are great. I ask "Great for what, and compared to what?"
I assume you guys like loud rock in big rooms with big speakers. I'm just curious because there isn't a lot of context in the posts (except the posts about bi-amping the bass which makes perfect sense).
TIA

Most of you younger guys don't remember that forty-years ago Crowns were sold right alongside McIntosh as TOTL consumer amps. My first audition was at a Crown/Mac dealer and for years after I bought my first D150 I'd take it to the Mac Clinics where the Mac techs would test it and present me with a perfect graph of its performance and nod their heads approvingly. Granted this was probably before there was such a thing as a Mac solid-state amp and my Mac pre-amp (that the Clinic staff rebuilt more than once) was a tube piece.

Not all Crowns are 1,000-watt SR monsters. I used my D150 to replace a Fisher SA-1000 tube amp to power a pair of highly efficient JBL 030s for over forty years. It's still running my L112s. Quiet, clean power never goes out of date. Nothing clinical about it, especially at low level.

I use a DC300A-II and D150A-II to bi-amp my JBL 4345 monitors. Low-volume instrumental or vocal listening that will still thump you in your gut is their specialty. You don't expect to feel low frequencies at low volume but the Crowns and the 18-inch JBL do it so well many have called it a velvet hammer.

I have the D75A, D150, D150A-II, DC300A-II, PS200 and PS400 (and multiples of most) and the D150 has been with me for over forty-years and is still going strong. My 35th college reunion is coming up and many of my classmates will remember the parties in the foothills of the Blue Ridge where my old JBLs played outside to the mountains all day and night non-stop. They'd probably never think that old Crown amp was still alive today. But it is! Sweet. :thmbsp:

 

[sfox52]

Thanks for the info on the older Crown stuff. (Have you recapped any of them?)

 

[BMWCCA]

Thanks for the info on the older Crown stuff. (Have you recapped any of them?)

Me??
My original D150 went back to Crown for a noise in one channel probably over thirty-years ago, under warranty. Back when Amber Electronics was in Virginia and I bought one of their amps as a temporary replacement (sucked). One D150A-II off ebay popped an output transistor and the Crown repair shop in DC fixed it for free through a friend who owed me no favors. One PS200 I purchased used had just come back from Crown after a complete going-over including test sheet verifying original performance. I paid less for it than the service cost the original owner. The DC300A-II came out of a Lowe's movie theater and appeared to be unmolested. Its partner D150A-2 in my main system has never been touched and has been in constant use as a main and now bi-amp for the past 30-years since the D150 went into the bedroom system.

They all sound fine to me.

 

[sebrof]

I'm going to give you the benefit of doubt in that you just don't know what kind of construction and specs you get with a vintage Crown amp such as the PS-400. So here's the details for you.

If you are happy with 4 watts and single drivers, then nothing else matters.

Thanks 70s.
I am happy with 4 watts and single drivers, had them for about a year. Before that I had horns, and before that I had 325 watts per (Carver / Sunfire) driving electrostats. Heck, I was happy with that stuff, too. Many many ways to make a great sounding stereo.

 

[70salesguy]

Thanks 70s.
I am happy with 4 watts and single drivers, had them for about a year. Before that I had horns, and before that I had 325 watts per (Carver / Sunfire) driving electrostats. Heck, I was happy with that stuff, too. Many many ways to make a great sounding stereo.

Exactly! :thmbsp:

 

[cornwallguy]

personal taste man, personal taste, ive worked with Crown in the studio and installs and they are cement truck solid.
In the home enviroment i found they work really nice for powering Subs, especially pro subs in HT setups!

 

[ZappaLenco]

i remember helpin joe cocker w/stage equip(madDogs, swing auditorium), they had lots of those(crownAmps) mostly on jbl's(sum vegas, sum cerwin(hrn's), n sum cerrwnVegs), th JB's Way Sturdy(prevailed easy), th Rest waste of time, The band was so big(singers/drumms/effects) tho it trailed onto/into th flor below the stage, so i only imagine they did best can(Swing Aud, S.B. Ca.),


ANYBODY MEMBER THAT ONE????(Joe?)(Englishmen?)

 

[beemer]

i remember helpin joe cocker w/stage equip(madDogs, swing auditorium), they had lots of those(crownAmps) mostly on jbl's(sum vegas, sum cerwin(hrn's), n sum cerrwnVegs), th JB's Way Sturdy(prevailed easy), th Rest waste of time, The band was so big(singers/drumms/effects) tho it trailed onto/into th flor below the stage, so i only imagine they did best can(Swing Aud, S.B. Ca.),


ANYBODY MEMBER THAT ONE????(Joe?)(Englishmen?)

A great tour.....I remember. Your description is very interesting, however your take on the equipment is spot-on.

Kind of a waste of time discussing Crown products here in a sea of mediocrity of stuff that can barely handle 4 ohm loads. I've tried, however if it doesn't have 800 knobs, third octave EQ with lights set in a smiley face no one hears you.

It's like visiting some other area, where all they sell is Hamburgers. Ask for cheese on your Hamburger and they all look at ya funny.

Best,

Paul

 

[Rick Vestal]

Nearly pulled the trigger on a new Crown as they're one of the few with a fully adjustable crossover with their newer digital design. They can be VERY noisy tho. Ended up going with a Mackie for that reason.

 

[beemer]

Nearly pulled the trigger on a new Crown as they're one of the few with a fully adjustable crossover with their newer digital design. They can be VERY noisy tho. Ended up going with a Mackie for that reason.

Hi Rick:

Can you comment further on this? Were you looking at XTi series Crown or I-Tech?

XTi is a pro-sumer amp at a price point. I have an XTi2000 and it works fine considering it's cost.

The I-Tech Amplifier's processing is dead quiet, no noise whatsoever as I would expect from amps at this level. That and the ability to use aes/ebu and go full digital down the signal chain if possible. the System Architect software is quite in depth, and also allows firmware updates without pain.

Best,

Paul