Seeking Comments from folks using Crown K1 or K2 on Home audio systems

[Baron030]

Hi
Over the years, I have owned several crown amps. The first being a Power-Tech 1, my impression of the Power-Tech 1 was that it was designed for DJ systems and while it had a very clean sound. The dynamics were not at all linear. It tended to exaggerate the dynamic range, almost like it had an expander circuit built into it. DJs must like it because it makes everything sound real loud. But, it’s not a “HIFI” kind of sound.

In upgrading to a K1 and I found that the sound to be much more natural, with a much more linear dynamics. At the time, it was driving my old 030 system and surprisingly the K1 had a much wider frequency response the Power-Tech 1 amp. More bass and more high end as well. The very high damping factor of the K series provides for a very tight and punchy bass sound, with excellent control over the drivers. And a K2’s higher voltage drive and power handling tends to tighten things up a little further.

I have since upgraded to a much larger quad amplified speaker system. And I am currently using a K2 to drive 15” woofers, a K1 to drive 10” mid-bass drivers and an array of 3 crown D-75A amps the for HF and UHF drivers.
I can recommend the K series amplifiers for driving sub-woofers, woofers and mid-bass drivers. But, I really can not recommend them for HF and UHF drivers.

For a very brief period, I did try to use a K1 to power JBL 2446H drivers. And surprisingly the K1 had grainy, almost metallic like sound. It was almost as if I could hear the switching of the transistors, it had an odd pixelated kind of sound. And the other problem that I encountered is that the amplifier wanted to go into sleep mode. The sleep mode issue is never a problem with lower efficiency drivers like woofers. But, with the 2446H’s 113db per watt efficiency, they just did not use enough power to keep the amp awake. So, the HF horns would not cut in for the first few seconds of a song.

For the HF and UHF drivers, I have found that the Crown D series amps have a much smoother and cleaner sound than the K series. And considering how rarely the green “signal present” light turn on in the D-75A amps, I suspect that the D-75As are actually running in a pure “Class A” mode and they are only switching over to their “Class AB” amp mode during the loud passages, which might be another reason why the Crown D-75A amps sound so much better than the K series.

So, I don't think switching amps and HF and UHF drivers are a good mix.

Baron030

[martin2395]

Baron030, I fully agree!
The K are simply subwoofer powerhorses with no finesse at all...

I'm now seriously considering the biggest Macro-Tech 5000VZ or 5002VZ...why the biggest ones you might ask?
Simple, they are the only Macro's I know with normal fans and they are temperature controlled.
(The older Macro-Techs have moto-fan that also produced low voltage for some sections of the amp, without the fan they wouldn't even power up)

Finally, yes the Vandersteens will soak up power like a sponge with their 87dB effiicency and 4 ohm minimum impedance but me thinks that 250W @ 4 Ohms would be plenty

[gferrell]

Heather,
I have been buying older Ashly amps. When I first heard one hooked up to my XPL 200' s I decided I would stick with these forever. Plus you can pick them up for $100 or so. Or you can find them being sold out of theaters or churches. I have had many amps but these are the best mosfets I have heard. FET-or FTX models if you can find one. The fans are fairly quiet or you can modify the amp or just take the lid off. I put thermal switches on mine that cycle the fan on and off so they don't run at start up and when the music is playing I cant hear it. The specs. are very impressive and they still support these at the factory and they even kept enough Hitachi Lateral Mosfets to service these amps for a while longer.

[hjames]

Interesting - thanks.

At the moment I am not biamping them. I have them connected to a B&K ST202plus (200w/ch) using the MIT Terminator 2 Biwires I got last year off CL.
Richard Vandersteen recommends biwiring over biamping - and since I got those fancy cables cheap, seems to work fine.

But if I got a second B&K St202plus, I might try vertical biamping ... (I don't think you can bridge those amps)

I haven't pulled the HK Citation off its bridged subwoof duties, but I probably will at some point ... just to see how that works ...

I'll more likely get another B&K than I am to find an affordable Krell or some such ...

But I'll keep an eye out for a PS400 or 2 ...

Might be time for a Mid-Atlantic Amp Shoot-out at Heather's soon!

I'm in for at least one Crown PS400 (we can bridge 'em for fun) and one Studio Reference-II. Might call for new shocks in the old car though.

Are you bi-amping the Vandies?

[JayH]

What is the old adage, double the power, gain 3 db. Maybe you should think about at least 400 watts per channel, and it that doesn't work then think about a good active crossover to bi-amp with. Yes, MR. Vandersteen wouldn't recommend it but that's because it can be done wrong, and you would be placing his hard work to build that crossover into the dumpster! (yes the rest of the crossover will still be used) To do it right you will need to use his crossover points for starters, but remember his is a passive and reacts with the drivers differently even with the same slope and crossover points. The woofer will love you for going active as it will see the amp directly instead of having miles of wire in front of it, you will find much more control over the cone. I won't go into all the advantages and disadvantages here and it will provoke a fight if I did as there are two camps to that idea. Have fun, all you can do is learn from it all.

[hjames]

For the newcomers - I ran a fairly extensive biamp system when I had a pair of JBL 4341 4 way monitors, first with JBL/UREI pro amps,
and later with a pair of 1st gen Adcom GFA-555. Since then I have uncomplicated the system greatly, and while I still have an Ashly active crossover
on hand and could set it up easily enough, I am trying for another approach here.

The system as is has been fine for watching movies and other multimedia fare, but when I play 2 channel music - it seemed a bit lacking.

Interestingly enough, I just added an Emotiva XDA-2 DAC to the system today, connected to the Airport Express I use for lossless file streaming through the house.
It has really done something impressive to the music - and even if its just added a couple db to the level, it seems enough to have woken up the system.

I ran out of time for further demoing today, but perhaps I can do more testing tomorrow, and see how much is improved.

[BMWCCA]

I won't go into all the advantages and disadvantages here and it will provoke a fight if I did as there are two camps to that idea.

I realize this is your first post here but we don't fight . . . and many of us bi-amp already.

Welcome.

[BMWCCA]

Interestingly enough, I just added an Emotiva XDA-2 DAC to the system today, connected to the Airport Express I use for lossless file streaming through the house.
It has really done something impressive to the music - and even if its just added a couple db to the level, it seems enough to have woken up the system.

You know I value your opinion—especially when it agrees with mine!

I'm very happy with my Emotiva XDA-2.

Now maybe you could try some JBLs in that system!

[hjames]

You know I value your opinion—especially when it agrees with mine!

I'm very happy with my Emotiva XDA-2.

Now maybe you could try some JBLs in that system!

I was debating on some museum fresh 250tis that popped up on my local CL,
but some out-of-towner rode in and took them away ...

I know, cash talks ...

[Robh3606]

Hello Baron, Heather

I have been using the PS series in my "big system" for years. I have PS-200's on the E-145's 2123's and 435Be's. I use a PS-400 on my pair of B380 clones. They sound better to me than the D series and are also old school power amps with no fans. I have never ever had the overload/clipping lights come on with music. Even at stupid loud levels where I could easily hurt myself. I have never used the mega watt crowns as I don't see the need for them in my set-up. I have an XTI 2002 for my HT subwoofers that's the most powerful Crown I own.

I agree about them staying in class A. With the sensitivity based on my E-145's I am looking at about 111 db from the pair with only 10 watts. Given that they are running at low power even at quite loud levels you don't have any issues with power compression from the speaker drivers as well. A win win combination.

I really like the XTI 2002 for HT subs. Nice DSP capability built in and really impressive control of the 2266 woofers. Same basic alignment as the B 380's without the BX-63. You can use the DSP to replace the Q2 26hz bump and roll off in the box.

Rob

[hjames]

Been looking around for PS400s - keeping an eye open but haven't seen any of them lately.
Lots of K2s and similar tho .. think I'll pass on that model - I already have the Citation 22 for the JBL sub.
So over the weekend a friend recommended the Crown PSA-2 amp -
tweaked up like the ShowCo amps of yore ... I don't have any first hand experience with larger Crown amps -
I did have a D75 way way back before I got the 4341s, but back then, it didn't have enough beans for any of the projects
I had going so I sold it off after a few months ...

Sounds intriguing, none-the-less ...

[BMWCCA]

Been looking around for PS400s - keeping an eye open but haven't seen any of them lately.

Reading between the lines on a pair of them on from the same seller on Ebay, looks like the ask was $365 plus shipping and one went for that and the other for a "best offer" (higher than mine!). Later versions. Looked nice.

Remember I'm a bottom-feeder (that was my "rank" here for quite some time, self-proclaimed). I like them for around $200. My nicest I bought for $100 off DC Craig's List a while back. I'll buy 'em all day long for that. Then I like them so much, I keep them all! Can't have too many spares. Makes it easier to loan them to Heather to try out, too! I can't even count all the PS200s I have. One fine amp.

A PS400 and a pair of L7s make a very nice $400 basis for a system.

[grumpy]

So over the weekend a friend recommended the Crown PSA-2 amp -
tweaked up like the ShowCo amps of yore ... I don't have any first hand experience with larger Crown amps -

iirc, Toddalin had at least one of those he was happy with.
hard to know how hard they've been ridden.