Crown

[Odd]

The Crown Audio plant, part of Harman Professional, announced it will close its Elkhart plant.

[RMC]

what a shame... I FEEL BAD FOR ALL CROWN LOVERS, MOVING PRODUCTION TO ASIA?

[Wayner]

You guys, it's not just Crown. Harman Pro is shedding itself of roughly half its employees. Closing locations associated with Crown, BSS, Studer and Soundcraft. Some people are being asked to relocate to "centers of competence" but this is a wholesale jettison of people across the board. Northridge is one of these CoC sites but around 2/3's of the development people there will be terminated. Suddenly a pool of extraordinarily talented audio engineers, and other professionals, has become available.

I'll only add that I'm restraining myself from going into a rant.

[BMWCCA]

Sad, they were such nice folks to deal with for the past 50-years! Recently Crown had taken over distribution of JBL parts, too. I wonder if there will be a yard sale of all that "obsolete" stuff they have?

[Mr. Widget]

I'll only add that I'm restraining myself from going into a rant.

I bet. Good Luck! Very sorry to hear about this shortsighted decision, and am sorry for you too.


Widget

[1audiohack]

Centers of competence. Honestly I thought Elkhart was Harmans last center of competence.

I held out hope that Crown would remain at least to manufacture the mission critical I-TECH line in the US. It appears that my pending I-TECH order will come from Mexico. They are over three months late right now. I don't plan on following Crown out of the country.

Who's still making tour grade amps in the US?

I haven't looked yet but I don't recall Ashly or ATI making DSP touring grade amps.

My next might Linea Research. Started by some guys that left BSS when Harman aquired them. I had one to demo and really really liked it.

I wonder what the crew at AE Techron have been up to? I should call.

Barry.

[RMC]

I haven't looked yet but I don't recall Ashly or ATI making DSP touring grade amps.

Hi Barry,

Ashly still makes in the USA quite a few amps "Hand-built in Webster, NY": SRA series, NE series, NX series, TRA series, etc., in addition to some mixers and other stuff. Those made in the US are identified as such in each product data sheet. EQs and X-overs appear to come from China. Ashly is a division of Jam industries, a Canadian Company, remember your neighbours on the NORTH side Border? Jam operates in Canada under the Erickson name and is the largest audio distributor in Canada with many famous brands from everywhere. Divisions are called Erickson Audio, Erickson consumer, Erickson Pro, Erickson Music, etc.

Therefore, you still have the opportunity to purchase a good old American made Amp with a 5-year warranty, while the Company lasts, which is subject to people encouraging them by purchasing their products... Regards,

Richard

P.S. I'm considering some SRA series amps, but again I'm not in the same league as you are with DSP Touring grade amps.

[Horn Fanatic]

FYI -

Many years ago QSC was under contract to build amplifiers for JBL. Harman made an offer to buy QSC, but Pat Quilter and Barry Andrews declined the offer. It was shortly after that Harman bought Crown. It broke my heart to learn Crown sold it's soul to the devil, now look where they're at. Kicked to the curb like so much dead weight.

[1audiohack]

HI Richard;

I have perused the sites and there is some nice stuff out there. Few have the power density of Crown, Linea or Lab and fewer still can couple that with DSP at the level of the BBS onboard the I-Tech HD's or Linea's IIR, LIR and FIR loaded amps.

Linea's 20kW 2u amp is something to behold but this is about Crown.

I lost interest in Lab when they were bought by Music Group.

I checked on my order and it has been pushed back again. Very disheartening. It sounds like there is some small building in Texas to serve as a distribution point from Mexico. Yipee.


HI HF!

At least the brothers still have Crown Broadcast, where it all started.

At least Harman spun off Techron (Crown Industrial) and TEF and didn't just kill them off.

I am a manufacturer and my be overly sensitive to this, in short it really pisses me off.

Barry.

[allen mueller]

Crappy news but sadly I can't say I'm surprised based on Harman's past history. I've always been a big Crown fan.

Al

[RMC]

I lost interest in Lab when they were bought by Music Group.

Hi Barry,

Years ago I lost interest too in Music Group even though they have some nice names such as Midas, Klark Teknik and Lab Gruppen. Uli Behringer has had the idea, from the beginning, of making just about everything he sells in Asia for lower cost. No thanks for me. Though I don't live in the US it breaks my heart too to see these things happen repeadly, even in Canada going to the US (not much anymore) but more often than not going to Mexico or China... with no word said or effort done by the Prime Minister! What a shame!

I am a manufacturer and my be overly sensitive to this, in short it really pisses me off.

I don't think one can be overly sensitive about this. The manufacturing base, and the good jobs that come with it, in the US and Canada are being given/traded away for little in return... I'm as pissed off as you can be about it.

BTW The vast majority of my audio gear is older and was made in the USA, like: E-V mics, Mackie consoles (from the time Gregg Mackie owned the Company, and still working fine!), QSC/BGW amps, Rane EQ/crossovers, Audio Logic EQ (DOD's great high-end line but for a short period), some Furman Sound, etc. Plus I drive and enjoy (even if not popular in "auto circles") a small Buick Verano also made in the USA. Finally, every year we take our vacations on US beaches... No wonder I'm considering some Ashly amps to replace an aging BGW, plus an Audio Control Real Time Analyzer. Regards,

Richard

[BMWCCA]

Plus I drive and enjoy (even if not popular in "auto circles") a small Buick Verano also made in the USA.

Looks like you're out of luck all around then: "The Verano will be phased out from the US market after 2017 model year. The second generation Verano will be sold exclusively in China,^[14] leaving Buick once again without an entry-level sedan in the US market."

[RMC]

I wonder if there will be a yard sale of all that "obsolete" stuff they have?

Hi BMWCCA,

Sadly, I had a good laugh about that one from you. Thanks for the humor well placed in the circumstances... Looks like Harman will make Crown "obsolete" some day... Even though I don't own any Crown (it was way too expensive in Canada previously), I've always admired the Company for many of its products, such as PSA2 and Macro-Tech amps for example (not the cheap Chinese stuff). I still have on walls in my home studio, along with many more from other manufacturers, old Crown amp adds, one of them says in bold letters, above amp picture, "Imagine Getting Slammed In The Chest With A Sledgehammer." I guess these were the good old days now...

Looks like you're out of luck all around then:

As for the car, I knew some time ago it would not be replaced after 2017. Since I don't do a lot of mileage and tend to keep my things for a long time, it doesn't bother me any time soon. In case of total loss or stolen I'd buy a good used one again!

As for sound Equipment, I'd rather purchase quality and reliability and have it going for a very long time, like the gear I have now, than a lot of cheap disposable stuff we see today. I once purchased a Yamaha P series amp and after not so long it ended up on the side of the street next to the garbage can (seriously)...That's how build quality was, not worth the money to have it fixed. Sadly, It is getting more and more difficult to find good quality stuff made in North America (excluding Mexico) at a reasonable price... Regards,

Richard

[LostInTennessee]

Picture or scanned image please post!

[1audiohack]

Hi All;

As many of you may know, AE Techron is the industrial division amplifier company in Elkhart Lake only several miles from Crown. They shared many models together over the years from the D75 to the MacroTech line.

I dismayed as the list of Crown amps that Crown would service in the mother ship dwindled rapidly over the last couple of years literally down to only current models.

I have had near zero success with the four amps I have in the two current “Crown Authorized Repair” repair centers here in Las Vegas. Two of them actually worked properly when I picked them them up. Three of them went back multiple times and two are still, months later still there. One actually dropped burning embers out the bottom of it during it’s second hour of post repair operation. Pretty cool.

Two weeks ago I called Lisa at AE Techron as I now have one of their 30 year old amps that shut it’s self off and needs repair. Here is what I learned:

AE Techron is now not only a Crown Authorized service center but a warranty repair center as well. They picked up five of the best techs from the Crown facility and have opened a fourth division dedicated to the repair of Crown audio products.

Having utilized both facilities in the past (I have more than 20 AE Techron amps) I can say with absolute confidence that all our great experiences with the Crown mothership will be equalled or better with AE Techron.

The list of repairable models is very long so I have half a dozen amps going back this week that Crown said no to.

Also I think I know what my next two mono amps will be and where they will come from, a non shareholder owned company with old fashioned values that actually wants to stay in business. Discrete component, 900Watts from DC to 300kHz, current product made in Elkhart Lake Indiana USA. Hell yeah!

Barry.