Crown D45 Enough For a 2446H?

[robertg]

I’m running a D75 right now and it has more than enough power for home use, but I don’t like the noise that it makes when I shut it off. I’ve read here that the D45 doesn’t make any noise at shut down.

I would like to stick with a 1U amp because I’m running out of room in my rack.

[robertg]

There won’t be any l-pads, this is part of an active 3-way, soon to be 4-way. I have a few UREI 6215 amps that would work fine, but two are having problems and my tech is having a hard time repairing them. At least they are quiet on shutdown.

Looking on eBay, the D45 amps seem like a bargain, and so do most Crown amps.

[BMWCCA]

I have three D45s I bought for a future bi-amping of my Dad's old 030 system with Crown VFX2A crossovers and a PS200 on the bottom. I've not had any turn-on, or turn-off thump issues with any of them and I have used them enough to confirm proper operation. But then I've never had that issue with the several D75As I have, either. The D45 is a very quiet amp.

Why do I own three of them? I purchased a pair together off Ebay and one arrived with a slightly damaged rack ear. It was easily repaired but not before I vented on the seller about their packing. To make it up to me, they sent me a third one at no charge! So I guess I have $66 in each of them and they now look and play as new.

[robertg]

I have three D45s I bought for a future bi-amping of my Dad's old 030 system with Crown VFX2A crossovers and a PS200 on the bottom. I've not had any turn-on, or turn-off thump issues with any of them and I have used them enough to confirm proper operation. But then I've never had that issue with the several D75As I have, either. The D45 is a very quiet amp.

Why do I own three of them? I purchased a pair together off Ebay and one arrived with a slightly damaged rack ear. It was easily repaired but not before I vented on the seller about their packing. To make it up to me, they sent me a third one at no charge! So I guess I have $66 in each of them and they now look and play as new.

Whenever I search Crown amps I usually run across your posts from this forum or others. I just ended up buying a couple of D45's on eBay to run my 2446's and 2405's. I have a McIntosh MC2500 for the bottom end, and hopefully I can find a Crown PS-400 for my lower mids, JBL 2206.

[robertg]

But then I've never had that issue with the several D75As I have, either.
I have a D75, the old silver one. I'm assuming the D75A is the newer version? I wonder if they changed anything in the newer models to get rid of the turn off noise?

[BMWCCA]

I have a D75, the old silver one. I'm assuming the D75A is the newer version? I wonder if they changed anything in the newer models to get rid of the turn off noise?Actually, I don't have that issue with the PS200 and PS400 used with the 4345s. I know they incorporated a turn-on delay which my previous D150A-II and DC300A-II didn't have and they did have a "thump" as the capacitors unloaded on turn-off. Barely audible on the PS-series now and certainly doesn't seem to be in the range of the compression drivers. I don't have a 75A or 45 hooked up or accessible right now to try but I can check. I'm a bit discombobulated right now as we're building a house (see Off-Topic forum). I use the Adcom ACE-515 in the big system but I doubt that affects the turn-off sound. :dont-know:

[1audiohack]

Hi Robert;

The D45’s do not thump on power down like the D75’s do. They do continue to pass signal while the power supply drains.

The difference in power will mean less than 3dB loss. I use them on a 2482/2426 mid and hf horn application and I have only clipped the IOC lights showing off.

Barry.

[robertg]

I ended up buying a PS-400 off eBay also. I'm also bidding on a Crown PSA-2 which looks interesting, however I can't find much information on it.

[Robh3606]

Here this might help you The Crown site has a bunch of stuff in the support section

[robertg]

I tried to register a couple of times on the Crown audio forum, but it never worked. I filled out everything but didn't get any response.

The PSA-2 went for $610.00 on eBay, way more than I was willing to spend.

[Mike Caldwell]

I tried to register a couple of times on the Crown audio forum, but it never worked. I filled out everything but didn't get any response.

The PSA-2 went for $610.00 on eBay, way more than I was willing to spend.


In case you have not heard Crown has all but pulled out of their original Elkhart, Indiana location and moved most of the production and service operation to Mexico with a customer service center located in Texas.

[BMWCCA]

Whenever I search Crown amps I usually run across your posts from this forum or others. I just ended up buying a couple of D45's on eBay to run my 2446's and 2405's. I have a McIntosh MC2500 for the bottom end, and hopefully I can find a Crown PS-400 for my lower mids, JBL 2206.How did the D45 work out?

[robertg]

I know they moved, but i doubt if I would call customer service for vintage amps.

I didn't pick up the D45's yet. I live in Canada but get them shipped to a USA address, probably going there on Friday. I ended up buying a couple of D75a's also.

[BMWCCA]

I didn't pick up the D45's yet. I live in Canada but get them shipped to a USA address, probably going there on Friday. I ended up buying a couple of D75a's also.
We'll have to compare our matching excesses of Crown amps some day! :cheers:

[robertg]

We'll have to compare our matching excesses of Crown amps some day! :cheers:

I'm up to seven Crowns now, however one old D75 doesn't work. I can also count seven other amps and two receivers. However I don't have anything that I can listen to without hooking something up. I think I like buying them more than listening to them.

[BMWCCA]

I'm up to seven Crowns now, however one old D75 doesn't work. I can also count seven other amps and two receivers. However I don't have anything that I can listen to without hooking something up. I think I like buying them more than listening to them.
I've owned Crowns since around 1970 and JBLs since my Dad bought his first one in 1957 but it wasn't until I joined this forum years ago that I got into the acquisition of Crowns as a hobby unto itself. I blame/credit a departed member here, Tom Loizeaux (http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?14123-In-Memory-of-Tom-Loizeaux) who shared my enthusiasm for Crown amps and introduced me to the PS-series:

79935

A quick count of what I have now would probably be close to 15 Crown amps from D45 to Studio Reference II.

http://s31.photobucket.com/user/BMWCCA1/media/PileofCrownampscopy.jpg.html

[robertg]

I picked them all up yesterday. One of the D-45A amps makes a big pop when I turn it off, It goes to about 2V on power down. The other D series amps are good.

The PS-400 which was working perfect according to the eBay seller has 65V of DC offset. it was thrown in a box with a few bubble pillows. It didn't get damaged externally. Is there a chance that something internally was damaged to cause the DC offset issue?

[Mike Caldwell]

I picked them all up yesterday. One of the D-45A amps makes a big pop when I turn it off, It goes to about 2V on power down. The other D series amps are good.

The PS-400 which was working perfect according to the eBay seller has 65V of DC offset. it was thrown in a box with a few bubble pillows. It didn't get damaged externally. Is there a chance that something internally was damaged to cause the DC offset issue?

Some peoples concept of proper packing amazes me!

Can you hear any loose parts inside falling around when you shake the amp?
It could be a loose screw stuck somewhere it shouldn't be, a dead rail on the power supply, shorted output transistors though that normally blows the power supply fuse.

Do you have any recourse with the seller with their lack of proper packing that may have caused the hidden damage.

[robertg]

I can't see anything loose on the PS-400. The seller is willing to co-operate, I just have to get a repair estimate. The rest of it looks clean, just one ear bent from the poor packaging.

The D-45A has a couple of black spots right under R1 and R2, hopefully it's a simple fix. I've read that those resistors overheat. It's hardly worth fixing a $75.00 amp, however it's worth nothing now.

[grey]

I went down the same path with a filled half rack and looking for a 1U. These units just sit there and cook with marginal to no ventilation. Add hot equipment above/below or both and you have guaranteed failure.
Most likely there will be another solution which is going to make my life easier in the long run. Greg uses sweet little integrated amps for tweeters that have a bypass selector and relay. I'm almost with him on this.

I have a newer D-45 from China and it has mild DC output on turn on. The turn off slowly ramps up to over 1v DC. I'm not comfortable with using this on NLA diaphragms.

There are two dead 6215 units here and one is almost working. R50 and the surrounding area was cooked beyond well done. That resistor and area is part of the protection circuit. I've repaired traces, put in stouter components, and added a gap between them and the board.
I need to go back and confirm one channel before powering again. That could involve pulling transistors, diodes, stk module. Beware of fake stk modules floating around while we're here.
Hardly worth it and it doesn't inspire confidence when the protection is the first thing to burst into flames. The rest of this series of UREI amps are solid.

[Mannermusic]

I'm up to seven Crowns now, however one old D75 doesn't work. I can also count seven other amps and two receivers. However I don't have anything that I can listen to without hooking something up. I think I like buying them more than listening to them.

FYI - There is a D60 as well which is my favorite - it sounds better than the D75 (to me) - smoother top end, tight bass, all around better amp - and has no turn-off bump. Have used them for 35 years!

[BMWCCA]

The D60 was one of original amps I took home to audition back in 1970, or so, when I was looking to replace my Fisher SA1000 tube amp. The Crown/McIntosh dealer sent me home with the D60, D150, and DC300. I felt the sound of my JBL 030s improved with each more powerful amp but the D60 was more in my price range and the DC300 was far beyond it. So I compromised and bought the D150—which I still own today. I've not pursued the D60 in my Crown collectivism simply because I think the newest D60 is several years older than the oldest D75A or the D45s made in that same more-modern front-panel look (Macro-Tech knobs). I could be wrong and, to be fair, I've not compared the D60 to the D45 or D75A.

Riddle me this: Why is the D45 the "D-45" and the D75 the "D-75" but the D60 is the "D 60" without the hyphen? The D150 didn't grow a hyphen until the "D-150A SERIES II". Same with DC 300 which didn't grow its hyphen until the "DC-300A SERIES II". Sort of like the Ashly XR1001 and the XR-1001. :dont-know:

[Mannermusic]

The D60 was one of original amps I took home to audition back in 1970, or so, when I was looking to replace my Fisher SA1000 tube amp. The Crown/McIntosh dealer sent me home with the D60, D150, and DC300. I felt the sound of my JBL 030s improved with each more powerful amp but the D60 was more in my price range and the DC300 was far beyond it. So I compromised and bought the D150—which I still own today. I've not pursued the D60 in my Crown collectivism simply because I think the newest D60 is several years older than the oldest D75A or the D45s made in that same more-modern front-panel look (Macro-Tech knobs). I could be wrong and, to be fair, I've not compared the D60 to the D45 or D75A.

Riddle me this: Why is the D45 the "D-45" and the D75 the "D-75" but the D60 is the "D 60" without the hyphen? The D150 didn't grow a hyphen until the "D-150A SERIES II". Same with DC 300 which didn't grow its hyphen until the "DC-300A SERIES II". Sort of like the Ashly XR1001 and the XR-1001. :dont-know:

Yeah - I lost track. These D60s were part of my old tri-amp set up from back in the seventies/eighties. Agree re the D150 sounding best.

[robertg]

I saw a few D60 amps for sale, however they were all really old. I think I had enough of old amps.

My tech looked at the PS400 and confirmed it has some shorts, however he doesn’t want to touch it. I think it’s pretty complicated to work on. At least the seller refunded me the money that I paid for it and hopefully I can find someone to work on it.

The seller of the bad D45 is going to send me another one if I pay for shipping. Hopefully this one will work.

[Mannermusic]

I saw a few D60 amps for sale, however they were all really old. I think I had enough of old amps.

My tech looked at the PS400 and confirmed it has some shorts, however he doesn’t want to touch it. I think it’s pretty complicated to work on. At least the seller refunded me the money that I paid for it and hopefully I can find someone to work on it.

The seller of the bad D45 is going to send me another one if I pay for shipping. Hopefully this one will work.

They are old. Bought mine new in 1979 - pretty much the end of production prior to D75 release. Also, were never abused - TLC. I have a number of old amps on the shelf needing work but doubt they will ever see the light of day - some use proprietary parts. Also, I have found that repairs with today's parts never result in comparable performance. It's a losing battle. Gotta move on. Mike