2240H power handling

[clubman]

This is a mobile setup used to play at medium to larger sized dj gigs. Curently runing pioneer djm 3000 to a dbx DRPA then to Crown, XS and CE amps. The XS900 powers 2 JBL SR4725X tops in stereo(8ohm) CE1000 powers 2 single 2240H cabs underneath each SRX box. I have it wired parellel into 4 ohms bridged. The CE1000 is rated at 1100 watts into 4 ohms bridged. I am asuming I am corect in thinking at each 2240 gets aprox 550 watts half of the 1100 since they are both 8 ohm drivers. I am happy with the sound I am geting but it just seems the CE1000 is geting worked over pretty good. Ive been thinking of geting a larger amp for these drivers. I never run anything into the red and like to have plunty of headroom. Anyone have a good idea of what wattage these like to see. From what ive read I think their program is 600. Should I match this or double it?

[subwoof]

The CE series is the old, budget line of amplifiers from crown that CANNOT do high duty cycle, low impedance loads except for very short bursts. Physics 101.

Spend the bux and get a crown 3600 or 5000 off ebay and ramp up the power distribution. you can only get out what you *correctly* bring in. Leave the toy amps to the karaoke bandits.

And btw, lose the 1990 era 2240's before this happens to you ( see pix below )

This what happens to the older, heavy ferrites when the glue goes bad with age. The newer Nd magnets weigh 1/10 of the old and the power handling is 4X also....

sub

From left to right: 2404 2123 2225 2226

BTW - the 2240 and E140 are by far the most common to fail. The 2123 and E120 are right behind.


I have thrown away over a hundred of the ferrites over the years - the glue softens and when you drop the cabinet, it's all over. No recone, no repair and if you are lucky enough, the frozen voice coil will cook, short and take out your amp in the first song of a big gig.

[clubman]

yes I am well aware the 2240s are legacy gear, but for what I got them for...free... I need to keep them in service for a while. They probably see only 3 gigs a year. I aqquired them from a theater that was closing down and I knew the owner. He had both reconed(jbl recone) right before he handed them down to me. How much for a pair of the newer version, I wouldnt mind used if I knew the backround.

[SMKSoundPro]

Lose the CE1000!

I had a pair in the small dance floor. One for three single 2240 sub cabs, and the other 1000 for 4 himid EV himid cabs. HATED THEM!!!

clip...clip...clip!!! Whenever the mc or dj wanted to say something during the show, the amps would see it as an overload, and protection relays turn on! You couldn't play MC Hammer - "can' t touch this" without the sub amp taking a smoke break! They are just crap.

Then, stupid me, goes next door to the music store and trades them for the new CE2000's thinking it was a output power problem. Remember this is a full tilt gay disco nightclub that demands queer bottom boom-boom at high SPL.
No go!

I changed to Mackie 2600 & 1400. Better.

Then fired the offending dj's. Installed used Crown Macro 2400 and 1200 and have NEVER looked back! I also took out the 2240s and replaced them with 2241's. The recone price of $240 each was killing me! 2241 recone price is cheaper! Also installed a dbx166 limiter in the booth. Made a big difference, and have not reconed anything else in there for over a year and a half!!!

All in all, If you want, I still have the CE2000's. Still in the original boxes in storage. One sent back to Crown for service, never even plugged in...Cheap!

I have 8-18's in the big ballroom/dance floor. 4 on each side of the main stage. 4 are 2240 and 4 are 2241. 2 each running on a channel of 2 Crown Mac2400s. They work flawlessly. Both for the live variety drag show, and for the hiphop dj that comes in after.

I know there are guys here that will tell you to keep your 2240s at home and save them for your living room, but I got to tell you, I love mine. They seem to sound warmer than the 2241. But be careful about moving your speaks, and about those who help you move them in and out of the gig! They don't ever help pay for the repairs!!!

I believe the 2240 is rated at 300 watts. 2241 at 600, but the tinsel leads always failed before the voice coils, for me.

With today's music, the larger the gig in cubic footage and the energy level of the crowd I recommend doubling the amount of subs, and getting more reliable real power amps.

My very first posts here are the same as yours. "How come I am chewing up 2240 cones?"

Good Luck!
Scott.

[SMKSoundPro]

ps. UN-bridge that amp.

It doesn't help in my humble opinion.

run a 2240 on each channel of your amp. If that isn't enough volume, get a lot more gear!

Scott.

i have really been there and done that!

[clubman]

Remember this is a full tilt gay disco nightclub that demands queer bottom boom-boom at high SPL.

Sounds like my kinda place....

I am not a fan of bridging amps eather. At the club I have a 2 3600vz's pushing dual ev18s (one dual cab per channel) and I have never had a problem. Allthough all of our tops are mostly run off of CE2000s (JBL SR cabs) I have a few older Crown CSL1400s that wont quit for anything though. So I might be interested in those CE's for the club anyhow.

But for my 2240s I think Il get get another Crown XS900 and run them stereo off of that, its 600 into 8 ohm, Im just conserned about power consumption at a reception hall. At the most you usaly get 2 or maybe one dedicated 20A outlet. So runing a Macro would be pushing it I would think. Plus they are heavy as all hell. I agree totaly about the 2240s vs the 2241 much warmer in tone and seem to have less distortion. Maybe one day I will put them in the living room but I cant imagine dual 18s in the livingroom.

[SMKSoundPro]

Sounds like my kinda place....

But for my 2240s I think Il get get another Crown XS900 and run them stereo off of that, its 600 into 8 ohm, Im just conserned about power consumption at a reception hall. At the most you usaly get 2 or maybe one dedicated 20A outlet. So runing a Macro would be pushing it I would think. Plus they are heavy as all hell. I agree totaly about the 2240s vs the 2241 much warmer in tone and seem to have less distortion. Maybe one day I will put them in the living room but I cant imagine dual 18s in the livingroom.

Dear Clubman,

I respectfully disagree with your current draw assessment of a crown macrotech biamp rack.
I have been running a the above mentioned Crown Mac 2400/1200 amp rack for the past ten years for all of my mobile dj gigs, and have yet to ever pop a breaker!!!
Yes, they can be described as heavy when compared to the new K1/K2 style of switching power supply amps(qsc powerlights), but when the MAcros came out, they were x amount of watts per pound. Back in the late 80's, these amps offered a great amount of power in a 2 rack space package that took a licking and kept on ticking!

I run my 4 EN8 cabs at gigs with a 2240/ 2118 / 2404 in each, and I'm telling you, It is one nice looking and pretty good sounding rig that all of my competitors wish they had.

If you can get into a more pro amp package, you will be rewarded. They don't call Crown MacroTechs legacy amps for nothing.

Respectfully Submitted,
Scott.

ps. Lisa just looked at this post with the pictures and commented that it looks like MULLET rig. All business on the front side... and definitely all PARTY on the back side! smk.