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oldschool
03-03-2006, 10:01 AM
I have been thinking about trying a crown k1 amp for just 2 channel hifi,i was on the crown forum checking it out,and saw people use these for home use.has any body here used these amps for stereo,how they compare to consumer amps.

louped garouv
03-03-2006, 12:41 PM
I use some older crown D series amps at home....

I like them alot

JuniorJBL
03-03-2006, 01:32 PM
I used a pair of K2's and they did fine. As far as consumer stuff I found I liked some other amps better for full range reproduction. For the price vs performance they are pretty good.

I still use my K2's for sub duty and I like them just fine.
;)

pelly3s
03-03-2006, 04:29 PM
i love the k1 and k2 they are the best amp for the money. i personally havent run into anything i like better especially in the low end.

scott fitlin
03-03-2006, 05:26 PM
K series, good for LF! For serious home hi fi sub bass duty, good choice, because the K,s have no fans, easy on the electric, and alot of power!

For full range, though, I find the K,s to be a bit harsh in the HF.

:)

Baron030
03-03-2006, 06:39 PM
Hi OldShool
About 5 Years ago, I upgraded to a Crown Power K1 for my old 030 system. And I have been am very pleased by it's performance. And last year, I embarked on a very major audio upgrade and I have found the Crown K series to be excellent choice for powering low frequency drivers.

But, I also ran into a very interesting and funny problem with the crown K series amplifiers. This problem presented itself, when I used a crown K1 to power a pair of 2446 HF drivers. The amplifier would act very strangely. And I noticed that this problem would only occur, when I was listening to music at very low volume levels. The K1 was acting like there was some kind of a noise gate built into it. So, I contacted Crown about this problem and here is their explanation.

When a crown K series amplifier does not recieve any input signal for a period of time. Then the amplifier will go into "Sleep" mode and it will shut down its power supply. This is done to reduce power and the assocated heat load on the amplifier. In older models of the K series amplifiers, this time period was only 5 seconds. While, in the newer models, the time period has been increased to 56 seconds. For owners, like myself, of the older K series amplifiers, it is possible to have this time period increased to 56 seconds by any crown authorized service center.

Since, the 2446 drivers have a sensivity of 110db per watt and at very low listening to levels, the power used is so very small, my K1 was cycling in and out of "Sleep" mode. :snore:

As a work around to this problem, I now use the K1 to power some lower efficiency 2012 drivers and the power supplies are able to staying awake during bouts of low volume levels. Oh, my solution for 2446 the drivers, was to use 2 crown D-75A amps in wired in bridged mono mode –sweet.

Baron030

JuniorJBL
03-03-2006, 07:02 PM
Yeah this was a small prob for me as well but I found running full range to a full range speaker was not a prob.
All that said I found I like my KW500 or my Proceed HPA2's better for full range.

The Crown K2's still Kick ass on sub duty tho:applaud:

oldschool
03-03-2006, 11:18 PM
yea that's what i was wondering,how it compared as the main amp in stereo,that would be my use.as full range it sounds like it may not have the air of a good comercal amp.i never heard it,i may be wroung,that,s why i'm asking here..

JuniorJBL
03-04-2006, 11:54 AM
I would also say that if the funds are not available for a better amp then this it will provide a stepping stone that will have value when you are done with it.:D

oldschool
03-04-2006, 08:45 PM
how would this amp compare against a rotel 1080 or nad or odyssey statos,or comparable amp,the k1 full range.sounds like there lacking in mf and hf,i will be getting a new amp in the near future, and just trying to narrow the field.Thanks :blah:

JuniorJBL
03-04-2006, 11:44 PM
I have a 1080 as well. The rotel will not have the umph that the crown will have. the rotel will have nicer hf than the crown and it will image better.
The crown will have more low end punch than the rotel.
I would try to see if you could get a Rotel 1090 instead.;)

Lakanta
03-05-2006, 02:02 PM
I used a PSA-2 in the Bass. Absolutly great!
(Don't trust a lightweight amp!)

oldschool
03-05-2006, 02:37 PM
yes i like rotel,my brother has the 1080.i have been trying to get a deal on a real nice hk signture series 1.5,from somebody i know.if we can work the price.

scott fitlin
03-05-2006, 04:57 PM
I used a PSA-2 in the Bass. Absolutly great!
(Don't trust a lightweight amp!)Absolutely GREAT amp for subs! But, and I use these still, they arent great at full range!

This amp kicks MUCH harder than their ratings imply! MUCH! And, the sound of bass from these amps is good, not bloated or muddy, not too lean, or too light, and they get down low, or at least they sound like they do!

:D

sa660
03-09-2006, 06:05 AM
I believe that the sleep mode can be switch off. This is only a power saving feature used for pro audio. At home Crown should be able to guide you for bypassing this feature.


Hi OldShool
When a crown K series amplifier does not recieve any input signal for a period of time. Then the amplifier will go into "Sleep" mode and it will shut down its power supply. This is done to reduce power and the assocated heat load on the amplifier. In older models of the K series amplifiers, this time period was only 5 seconds. While, in the newer models, the time period has been increased to 56 seconds. For owners, like myself, of the older K series amplifiers, it is possible to have this time period increased to 56 seconds by any crown authorized service center.

Since, the 2446 drivers have a sensivity of 110db per watt and at very low listening to levels, the power used is so very small, my K1 was cycling in and out of "Sleep" mode. :snore:

Baron030

Tom Loizeaux
03-09-2006, 07:31 AM
I use a Crown PS-400 for the lows and a PS-200 for the mids & highs. These run in class A at lower levels and switch to Class A+B when the need increases. I'm very satisfied with them when driving efficient speakers like JBL studio monitors. Less efficient speakers may need more power.
I feel the K series might lack a little refinement on the high end for audiophile listening. ?
If you want to stay with Crown, you could look at the Studio Reference 1 & 2 amps. Most everyone who hears them say very nice things about them, but they are $$$$!

Tom

oldschool
03-18-2006, 10:55 AM
has anybody tried tube preamps with these amps,and if this changed the mids and upper end sound to having more air and sweetness.:)

JuniorJBL
03-18-2006, 12:02 PM
Yes
My KW500 is a tube pre and solid state back-end integrated amp. The better the pre the better your crown will sound