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My system (Crown amplifier controversy busted)

I have that same tuner around somewhere. That preamp is mated to it's matching Kenwood power amp in my garage. I trash-picked it and stuck some caps in. Had to bypass the remote control volume stuff though. I didn't have the remote, and for dumb reasons that preamp runs the volume control on the front in series with the electronic one from the remote. Found the chip that does that and soldered a couple of jumpers across it. I no longer have a working balance control but its the garage stereo and I don't care.
 
gadget73 said:
I have that same tuner around somewhere. That preamp is mated to it's matching Kenwood power amp in my garage. I trash-picked it and stuck some caps in. Had to bypass the remote control volume stuff though. I didn't have the remote, and for dumb reasons that preamp runs the volume control on the front in series with the electronic one from the remote. Found the chip that does that and soldered a couple of jumpers across it. I no longer have a working balance control but its the garage stereo and I don't care.
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I've heard about the volume control issue. I would like to make that mod. Do you remember what chip it was?
 
Not without a schematic. I think i just followed the traces from the volume control to locate it.
 
ZZwergel said:
70 volt can theoretically be used to run speakers throughout a house or outside in a large yard.
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But, if fidelity is important the endpoints (@ the remote speakers) the 70 volt to 4/8 ohm transformers should be carefully selected, as well as the chosen speakers (good ones are expensive), or one could end up having blue tooth type limited fidelity !

If only not a concern being primarily low level background SPL then the quality of them can be dialed back, but should be a better quality than a car dealership`s car lot, grocery store, etc. paging distribution quality if any resemblance of decent music audio performance is going to be important initially, or the near future !

Something to carefully consider going this route, as updating the distributed system later on, can be very time consuming and expensive !
 
Bill Ferris said:
But, if fidelity is important the endpoints (@ the remote speakers) the 70 volt to 4/8 ohm transformers should be carefully selected, as well as the chosen speakers (good ones are expensive), or one could end up having blue tooth type limited fidelity !

If only not a concern being primarily low level background SPL then the quality of them can be dialed back, but should be a better quality than a car dealership`s car lot, grocery store, etc. paging distribution quality if any resemblance of decent music audio performance is going to be important initially, or the near future !

Something to carefully consider going this route, as updating the distributed system later on, can be very time consuming and expensive !
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Do you mean it can sound tinny?
 
ZZwergel said:
Do you mean it can sound tinny?
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Yes, due to the endpoint (speaker locations) transformers not having beefy enough lamination stack to easily pass low audio frequencies very well !
Most commonly available start rolling off the lows around 100 Hz. from what I`ve read, unless their truly music quality rated, and those will tend to be pricy, just like HiFi type quality audio tube amplifiers output transformers are !
 
Akustic said:
I trialed the D-75 when it first came out and then again with the D-150 ..
But both had a hard edge to the top end that I didn't like ..
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This was the era of the Crown IC-150 that seems to have damaged the reputation of Crown power amps with its harsh sound. You said you trialed these amps so I'm guessing you did that with a preamp that you were familiar with and of similar sonic performance to the one used with the ML, JR and Threshold amps.
 
Bill Ferris said:
Yes, due to the endpoint (speaker locations) transformers not having beefy enough lamination stack to easily pass low audio frequencies very well !
Most commonly available start rolling off the lows around 100 Hz. from what I`ve read, unless their truly music quality rated, and those will tend to be pricy, just like HiFi type quality audio tube amplifiers output transformers are !
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exactly. The low budget ones are good enough for voice paging and background music but its definitely not what you want for high fidelity reproduction. I've got one in service behind a 1940s shortwave radio with 500 ohm outputs to make it drive a normal speaker but it doesn't need to be very good. I've also got one in use as a low voltage step-up to turn 6.3 volts at 60hz into about 15 volts. It will easily supply 5 ma but I don't know what its ultimate limit is.
 
Bill Ferris said:
Yes, due to the endpoint (speaker locations) transformers not having beefy enough lamination stack to easily pass low audio frequencies very well !
Most commonly available start rolling off the lows around 100 Hz. from what I`ve read, unless their truly music quality rated, and those will tend to be pricy, just like HiFi type quality audio tube amplifiers output transformers are !
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My job coach did say that the sound system at the Dick's Sporting Goods I work at in Homestead, PA sounds a bit tinny. This system contains four TOA mixer/amplifiers, one TOA mixer, A Play Network MC500 source, and a Crown CT-210 amplifier. Not sure what the speakers are though.
 
ZZwergel said:
My job coach did say that the sound system at the Dick's Sporting Goods I work at in Homestead, PA sounds a bit tinny.
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One can always try to push/boost with a low frequency EQ to compensate, but the low-low frequencies can, and probably become muddy as the transformer laminations become magnetically saturated, and to avoid that, the driving wattage level will need to be reduced, hence the speaker`s output SPL will also be reduced !
Never will be a free lunch !
Wimpy low to maybe medium SPL background music with paging the priority, which don`t ask for much, so the lowest design cost is paramount and HiFi SQ capability just `ain`t considered in the proposal/contract !
 
Wimpy low to maybe medium SPL background music with paging the priority, which don`t ask for much, so the lowest design cost is paramount and HiFi SQ capability just `ain`t considered in the proposal/contract !
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This system is rarely used for paging. Pretty much all cross-building employee communication takes place via 2-way radio. Overhead paging is only used in case of emergency and store closing. BTW the store was built and opened in 2001, one day after the collapse of the World Trade Center on 9/11.
 
Well others with a more historic perspective its an enjoyable read all this.

I find no brittle or insubstantial sound field in a much loved Crown XLS602 presently driving x 4 large main tower front stage. In a parallel wiring configuration its 830 watts into a stable 2 ohm load. Sonic performance is mind blowingly good. I doubt there are too many amplifiers in this world capable of it.

Yes it's home audio. Domestic hifi with hifi quality that eclipses a lot of systems out there with the use of a pro audio amplifier. I don't fathom why a clown would think a pro audio amplifier is a problem for home hifi. Perhaps your just unworldly, unresearched and wrongfully snobby due to a low self worth issue. Who knows who cares really.
 
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I find no brittle or insubstantial sound field in a much loved Crown XLD602 presently driving x 4 large main tower front stage. In a parallel wiring configuration its 830 watts into a stable 2 ohm load. Sonic performance is mind blowingly good. I doubt there are too many amplifiers in this world capable of it.
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Do you mean Crown XLS 602?
My system doesn't sound tinny at all. Especially with the Rockville subwoofer.
 
ZZwergel said:
Do you mean Crown XLS 602?
My system doesn't sound tinny at all. Especially with the Rockville subwoofer.
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Edited the typo. Yes XLS602 not XLD602.

I'm sure yours doesn't either. Someone earlier in the thread mentioned in by gone years Crown had a reputation for being brittle sounding which is why I wrote what I wrote that I found that comment amusing. It's most definitely not my experience with Crown.
 
I'm sure yours doesn't either. Someone earlier in the thread mentioned in by gone years Crown had a reputation for being brittle sounding which is why I wrote what I wrote that I found that comment amusing. It's most definitely not my experience with Crown.
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I think the person who describe Crown as having "3rd-rate" sound quality is either deaf or had ther perception of Crown tarnished in the 1970s by either the DC-300 or IC-150. I've heard that the early OpAmp that was used in the IC-150 made it measure well, but sound fatiguing. Also, The DC-300 has a habit of taking out speakers when they break.
 
Like many others I like and use Crown power amplifiers. The only Crown preamp I've ever heard was the IC-150. It sounded harsh and irritating to me. They also made some rather nice RtR tape decks.
 
ZZwergel said:
I think the person who describe Crown as having "3rd-rate" sound quality is either deaf or had ther perception of Crown tarnished in the 1970s by either the DC-300 or IC-150. I've heard that the early OpAmp that was used in the IC-150 made it measure well, but sound fatiguing. Also, The DC-300 has a habit of taking out speakers when they break.
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Quite possibly.

I've heard that the XLS2502 is another great sounding pro audio amp that works sensationally well for home theatre and hifi.

I think I paid about $250 for my XLS602 in about 2015. Absolutely impressed with it. I have 4 x Cerwin Vega CLS215's they are a 4 ohm load. With series wiring it's 370w and parallel 830w. It would cost me $20 000 for 4 x Rotel Michi S5"s for the sound to be any better. The quality is 99.9% as good so I'm a happy customer.
 
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