Pair KEF 104/2 with Crown CE1000?

[MarcusT]

I am building a home system around a Denon turntable, primarily to listen to vinyl and CDs.

I just purchased a pair of KEF 104/2s and they are great, even driven by an old Technics SA-AX530.

I want to get an amp to suit these speakers and am considering using a Crown CE-1000 that I already own, coupled with some preamp.

My concern is whether the Crown might overpower or damage the KEFs.

Second consideration is what type preamp might work best.

I am new at this, so any suggestions are welcome.

 

[goodolpg]

Use common sense. If the sound is distorted turn it down.
It the amp gets too hot turn it down.
They are 4 ohm speakers and your Crown should work just fine with them.
Numbers don't tell the whole story. Many times they are a suggestion rather than an iron clad rule.
I've used a Crown 650 watt amp with 250 watt speakers. I have no doubts it would work fine with a pair of 150 watt speakers I have, provided I use it sensibly.
But I'm not trying to replicate live concert level sounds or impress my buddies two towns away.

 

[MarcusT]

Use common sense. If the sound is distorted turn it down.
It the amp gets too hot turn it down.
They are 4 ohm speakers and your Crown should work just fine with them.
Numbers don't tell the whole story. Many times they are a suggestion rather than an iron clad rule.
I've used a Crown 650 watt amp with 250 watt speakers. I have no doubts it would work fine with a pair of 150 watt speakers I have, provided I use it sensibly.
But I'm not trying to replicate live concert level sounds or impress my buddies two towns away.

Thank you. Do you have a thought about the relative value of buying a preamp and using the Crown vs buying an old standard receiver and running the speakers straight from that?

 

[Paddy Garcia]

I can 100% guarantee that the 104/2 will reveal limitations in your electronics. Mine sounded great with an Onkyo TX-108 receiver. Better with a Pass B1 preamp and Adcom GFA-555. Better still with a pair of Bryston 2 amps replacing the Adcom. Better again with an excellent Class D amp. A leap ahead with a B1-Korg preamp.

Feed them well and they will reward you many times over.

 

[goodolpg]

Thank you. Do you have a thought about the relative value of buying a preamp and using the Crown vs buying an old standard receiver and running the speakers straight from that?

Your KEF's were quite well regarded speakers, so "good" components upstream might provide better sound quality than lesser gear. And a receiver is probably not the best power source for your KEF's.
The Crown, being a "pro" amp*, might require a bit more input level, so that might be a consideration while you look for a preamp..
I've paired a Crown XLS 2000 amp with an NAD 1700 preamp. The 1700 has "normal" and "high" outputs, I called Crown and asked which I should use and they said the "high" outputs would be the better match though either would work. I was happy with the pairing, but I also switch the Crown out with a Rotel amp at times. My ears aren't as good as many other peoples ears so I'm not as particular as others may be.
Someone smarter than me could better explain input matching and such.

*Pro amps seem to be a matter of personal preference. Some AK'ers wouldn't use one if it was free. Other AK'ers use them in their main systems.
JMO, since you already have it why not use it.

 

[halkaloogie]

It all depends on your own personal experience, but as has been said 104/2 will be happy with any amount of power that you throw at them, as long as they are in good shape.

Personally I prefer mine with high powered mosfet amps, and have converted quite a few people to that combination.

The crown will work fine, but my experience with professional amps is that they are somewhat sterile sounding. They work well with subs, but I always find them a little lacking for main amps in a hifi setup.

 

[Lou G]

A good high power, high current solid state amp will do wonders for your 104/2s. Some that I have found to mate nicely with the 104/2s are McCormack, Belles, B&K, Parasound and Acurus.

The Crown amps do have a noisy fan that could be irritating at lower listening levels. From my experience, they are not as clear and smooth sounding as a good SS amp.