Small amp for 2405?

[Doc Mark]

Greetings, All,

I've been considering amplification for the 4-way, active, system I've been wanting to setup, and would appreciate some suggestions for a small (10-15W) amp for the 2405's. The drivers are 2245, 2123, 2445, and 2405, and the amps will be Crown CD-300A's (bridged) for each 2245, H/K 870 for 2123, internal amp from H/K AVR 20 for 2445, and the only smaller amp I have on hand is a 45W Nikko integrated set, on which the high end sounds brittle, edgy, and shrill, at least to my ears. I've also given thought to running the 2445 and 2405 with the same amp, and regular crossover, and just going active on the bottom and mid drivers. But, I would prefer to keep the entire system active, if possible, so your suggestions for a decent small amp for the 2405's would be appreciated. Cost is definitely a consideration, but I'd still love to hear what's out there today that would work in this system. Thanks, Merry Christmas, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

P.S. Just before our most recent snow and ice storm, I brought up the recent 4645 enclosure (thanks, Grumpy!), and SB gave a bit of a gasp when she saw it, and the 4645 I already have!! Though she is all for me playing around with these goodies, and loves our current system, she was a bit unprepared to see TWO 4645's together, AND the L300's, all in the same room!!

[grumpy]

I was recently contemplating this:

http://www.diyaudio.com/store/amplif...ca-bundle.html

for 2405 application. (can't specifically recommend it, esp. re noise, as I've not
tried it yet... just looked like fun)

[Tim Rinkerman]

For high-fi sound reinforcement we used to use BGW 750's powering 4 slots per channel. Amplifiers have to work really hard to reproduce high frequency information accurately. The ultimate choice is the one that sounds the best to you..

[JuniorJBL]

I have some Niles Audio High current 2 channel 50 w per and they sound really nice. They have pretty nice power supplies as well. YMMV

[Rapidan]

I've had good luck and good sound from those little T-amps, if 10-15 watts is really all you need a Topping TA20 or similar might fill the bill. I use one in my office and it sounds pretty good, very smooth high end.

Doc Mark, I believe I have met you over at Spiritburner.com? If so, hello and small world!

[robertbartsch]

i cannot hear much from a 2405 slot.... too old now... this was confirmed by a hearing test.....

[Dan]

For my 3 way active I'm using

2245 - Crown K1
2118 - Hifimediy T1 (tripath 2050 chip) 50 watts
Tad 2002 - 41hz Amp 6 (tripath 2020 chip) 12 watts, output in parallel, battery powered, 1 amplifier per driver.

The Tripath amps are very smooth. The 2020 chip is a lot smoother than the 2050 chip.

I also have 2 of each, Crown D-300II and D-150II that I don't use.

Dan

[1audiohack]

If you use a Crown D75 you will have to use a protection cap for your 2405. They have a DC bump several seconds after power down. The D45's do not do that. I have directly driven my 2404's and 2405's with D45's for years with no issues ever. If I remember right the D45's are about 13V max out so they will clip at about 14 Watts into a 12 Ohm load like the 2405. At home everything else is usually plenty loud. I have never lit the IOC lights at home.

Oh yeah, I think they sound fine on top.

All the best,
Barry.

[robertbartsch]

I bought my first pair of slots (077) in 1975. Since then, I have accumulated three other pairs (2405s) and also a pair of 075s (bullets).

I remember seeing them for the first time in sound reinforcement applications - like sets of 15 per side in rock concerts.... I'm not sure how they were driven..... ...probably Crown solid state.... This was the era when JBL blew past Altec in sound reinforcement ....

I'm not sure when they went out of production but the run was very long because nothing else can touch them... I assume this had something to do with the advent of titanium frams...

[BeDome]

I own a number of vintage amplifiers and if I was going to classify one amp as incredible on HF or almost anything it would be my ancient Yamaha P2050 (P-series in general - I own several). The entire series, actually. If I can find it I will post the amp attempting a five Hz square wave. The factory tested them this way before they shipped them. I kept the test papers for some of the early ones I have.

The test graph looks really close to a square wave ... at 5Hz, 100Hz, 1KHz, 10KHz. But, I know, we would all like to see how they perform at 20KHz or maybe 100KHz.

What else I can tell you is that they are quiet. So little hiss that you will never notice it sitting a couple of feet away.

[BMWCCA]

Hmm … I hear no hiss when I put my ear right up against my 2405s driven by a Crown PS-200.

[Doc Mark]

Evening, All,

Ok, so if the hunt for a small amp is narrowed down to older, more affordable, Crown amps, which is the "Best of Breed", D45, D60, D75, or D75A? I had decided that, just to cover the base, a protection cap would be used for both the 2445, and the 2405, no matter which amp I choose. So what are the pluses and minuses of this stable of older Crown amps? Which would you choose, and why? Thank, and God Bless!
Every Good Wish,
Doc

[Doc Mark]

Greetings, All,

Forgot to tell you: I pulled the trigger on a very nice Crown D150A SeriesII a few days ago! Today, visiting a friend in San Diego, a huge and heavy Peavey CS1200X Professional amp came home with me, as a gift. Don't know, for sure, what this big amp will do, if anything, in my project system, but it was a fun gift, anyway! So all that's left, for the most part, is a small amp for the 2405's. Seeing all this finally coming together is really enjoyable and fun! Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

P.S. The D150 II is for the 2445 drivers.

[Doc Mark]

Evening, All,

Ok, so if the hunt for a small amp is narrowed down to older, more affordable, Crown amps, which is the "Best of Breed", D45, D60, D75, or D75A? I had decided that, just to cover the base, a protection cap would be used for both the 2445, and the 2405, no matter which amp I choose. So what are the pluses and minuses of this stable of older Crown amps? Which would you choose, and why? Thank, and God Bless!
Every Good Wish,
Doc

Evening, All,

So, any help on which of the smaller Crown amps might. Be "Best of Breed"? Thanks, and Merry Christmas!

Doc

[Mannermusic]

Evening, All,

So, any help on which of the smaller Crown amps might. Be "Best of Breed"? Thanks, and Merry Christmas!

Doc

Hi Doc - I ran D60s on a tri-amp (077 UHF) for a couple decades with good results. Recommend getting any old stuff "refreshed," as you know. I've used Crown amps (new) since the seventies and they all finally degrade in one way or another. Noise, stability. Sneaks up on you! But, you know the drill! With the drivers you are using, the 3155 network (bi-amp) would make the whole exercise simpler. Similar to Giskard's 4345 project (thread). Mike