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Thread: CROWN PSL-2 (Straight Line Two)

  1. #61
    Senior Member BMWCCA's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hjames View Post
    Just found a recycler type place somewhat local to me that seems to have a few Crown PS-400 amps for sale. I expect to go pick it up Friday for under $300 including tax (no shipping fees - which they listed at $50).
    It doesn't have the knobs or shafts - a common mod from what I've seen on Crown gear to keep the unauthorized from dinking with the levels, so I'm looking to find thos parts to restore the control function.
    More when I know more ... A blurry scanned service manual is available at HiFi Engine ...
    Crown offered a kit for knob delete which consisted of a tube to push the attenuator shafts inside the faceplate and some dummy knobs that snapped in the holes left by removing original knobs and pushing the shafts inside. Love to see what they did to yours.
    ". . . as you have no doubt noticed, no one told the 4345 that it can't work correctly so it does anyway."—Greg Timbers

  2. #62
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    Crown PS-400 amp

    Quote Originally Posted by BMWCCA View Post
    Crown offered a kit for knob delete which consisted of a tube to push the attenuator shafts inside the faceplate and some dummy knobs that snapped in the holes left by removing original knobs and pushing the shafts inside. Love to see what they did to yours.
    I have not picked it up from what appears to be a recycler type biz, but I plan to go there on Friday,
    Here's an image from the ebay ad - looks like gromets or collars on openings in the front panel where I'd expect the shaft from the volume pots to protrude.
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    Senior Member DerekTheGreat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hjames View Post
    Just found a recycler type place somewhat local to me that seems to have a few Crown PS-400 amps for sale. I expect to go pick it up Friday for under $300 including tax (no shipping fees - which they listed at $50).
    It doesn't have the knobs or shafts - a common mod from what I've seen on Crown gear to keep the unauthorized from dinking with the levels, so I'm looking to find thos parts to restore the control function.
    More when I know more ... A blurry scanned service manual is available at HiFi Engine ...
    Would they happen to be like these?:
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/32518563330...Bk9SR6jO857dYQ

    Reaaally cheap units there, but I've stayed away as I noticed the knobs & shafts are missing. Although I had two PS-400's very briefly that I had to send back due to issues. But I had the cover off of them to adjust DC offset before I put them into my shit stack. While I was doing that I noticed there are just tiny allen head screws which lock that shaft in place. I tried contacting the seller of those cheap 400's to ask about that and didn't get a response. So I took that to be an indicator of their customer service and so decided not to buy from them. Plus, it would drive me bonkers to not have the knobs, and part prices are usually outrageous compared to full units.

  4. #64
    Senior Member BMWCCA's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hjames View Post
    I have not picked it up from what appears to be a recycler type biz, but I plan to go there on Friday
    Probably a good idea to take an iPod or some other portable source with cables and adapters to the Crown 1/4" input jacks and a pair of headphones. I've done this when buying Crown amps in-person as they all have monitor jacks for headphones (1/4-inch) on the front panel. Of course having functioning input attenuators helps but just keep the iPod volume down so you don't blow your ears out!

    ". . . as you have no doubt noticed, no one told the 4345 that it can't work correctly so it does anyway."—Greg Timbers

  5. #65
    Moderator hjames's Avatar
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    Thats them. Basically a 45 minute drive from me, close to where I grew up in Maryland.
    Phil's comment on carrying an iPhone and large headphones to test it is a good idea -
    I did something similar when I bought some large UREIs 811Cs in West Virginia ...
    (the seller hauled them over from Ohio - we met midway, I hauled them home in my CRV).
    But when my contract job ended shortly afterwards, I sold them in a panic ...

    Quote Originally Posted by DerekTheGreat View Post
    Would they happen to be like these?:
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/32518563330...item4bb692fc16

    Reaaally cheap units there, but I've stayed away as I noticed the knobs & shafts are missing. Although I had two PS-400's very briefly that I had to send back due to issues. But I had the cover off of them to adjust DC offset before I put them into my shit stack. While I was doing that I noticed there are just tiny allen head screws which lock that shaft in place. I tried contacting the seller of those cheap 400's to ask about that and didn't get a response. So I took that to be an indicator of their customer service and so decided not to buy from them. Plus, it would drive me bonkers to not have the knobs, and part prices are usually outrageous compared to full units.
    2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
    7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460

  6. #66
    Senior Member BMWCCA's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hjames View Post
    Phil's comment on carrying an iPhon and large headphones to test it is a good idea -
    Don't know about them new-fangled iPhons. I'm sure you've got an old iPod with a real output jack on it around somewhere!
    ". . . as you have no doubt noticed, no one told the 4345 that it can't work correctly so it does anyway."—Greg Timbers

  7. #67
    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hjames View Post
    Basically a 45 minute drive from me, close to where I grew up in Maryland.
    Sound like you haven't gotten too far...
    The again, I was born about 30 minutes from where I've ended up myself.

    Quote Originally Posted by hjames View Post
    But when my contract job ended shortly afterwards, I sold them in a panic ...
    Bummer.


    Widget

  8. #68
    Senior Member BMWCCA's Avatar
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    Crown Security Knob kit

    I took this photo last night and sent it to Heather.
    Figured it might have some historic value posted in this thread, too:

    ". . . as you have no doubt noticed, no one told the 4345 that it can't work correctly so it does anyway."—Greg Timbers

  9. #69
    Senior Member DerekTheGreat's Avatar
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    Ah, well if that was the case with the seller's amplifiers, you'd still see the shaft just sans knob. Collars are still there, but no shafts with these. I suspect either the shafts were removed to prevent tampering in their original installation or that these have become parts units and have more going on than what meets the eye. Unfortunately for me, they did not reply to my message about that. Although perhaps that is unfortunate for them, as I'd have bought two if they could have told me they work and are actually just missing the shafts. Once you pop the top cover, you can still adjust them. However, I am OCD and that would kill me. Not to mention I've never seen those for sale so not sure what four shafts & knobs would run a fella. Probably cheaper to buy a complete amp.

  10. #70
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    Yeah, Phil sent me an aside that Crown recommendation is to set Vol at 12:00 and control vol with preamp etc ...
    Pretty much what I did with the JBL/UREI amps on the 4341 system and similar power amps I've had in the past.
    Still making my mind up whether I'm going to pick them up today.
    But I promised Emma a stopover at a tropical plants shop, and an authentic type jewish supermarket/deli in Montgomery County ...


    Quote Originally Posted by DerekTheGreat View Post
    Ah, well if that was the case with the seller's amplifiers, you'd still see the shaft just sans knob. Collars are still there, but no shafts with these. I suspect either the shafts were removed to prevent tampering in their original installation or that these have become parts units and have more going on than what meets the eye. Unfortunately for me, they did not reply to my message about that. Although perhaps that is unfortunate for them, as I'd have bought two if they could have told me they work and are actually just missing the shafts. Once you pop the top cover, you can still adjust them. However, I am OCD and that would kill me. Not to mention I've never seen those for sale so not sure what four shafts & knobs would run a fella. Probably cheaper to buy a complete amp.
    Agreed - thats what I would have expected. But, the one amp just needs 2 shafts.
    I've got a dremel so maybe I can fab up a pair of shafts if they're actually not there - and I have plenty of knobs with setscrews that go to 11
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    Couldn't resist. Just picked it up at the library to watch this weekend.
    https://youtu.be/IHCmkV27200

  12. #72
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    We went by their facility, but, there were signs on the door that it was not a public space, and some guy with a heavy russian accent said go to the loading doc
    and he'd bring the amp there for me to pick it up. Frankly, I wasn't going to pay for it unless I could at least run some signal through it and make sure it was actually working.
    That didn't look to be happening - didn't seem like they were going to offer me a place to plug it in.
    I think he was trying to be friendly, but it felt like customer service was lacking!
    "I got a bad feeling about this ..." so we just got back in the car, just bailed, and left the amp with them.

    Sadly, the Jewish grocery store I remember was under new owners and nowhere near its former glory (the deli no longer existed no ruebens!) ...
    But the tropical plant shop afterwards was very cool - A large number of greenhouses behind a rural house ...
    I got a mid-sized Pony Tail palm plant, and Emma found a prayer plant and a succulent.



    Quote Originally Posted by hjames View Post
    Yeah, Phil sent me an aside that Crown recommendation is to set Vol at 12:00 and control vol with preamp etc ...
    Pretty much what I did with the JBL/UREI amps on the 4341 system and similar power amps I've had in the past.
    Still making my mind up whether I'm going to pick them up today.
    But I promised Emma a stopover at a tropical plants shop, and an authentic type jewish supermarket/deli in Montgomery County ...



    Agreed - thats what I would have expected. But, the one amp just needs 2 shafts.
    I've got a dremel so maybe I can fab up a pair of shafts if they're actually not there - and I have plenty of knobs with setscrews that go to 11
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    Parkway Deli on Grubb Rd in Silver Spring can get pretty close but I don't know anyplace in Mo Co that one can find a real NYC style Rueben. Sticky Fingers in Columbia Heights made a pretty good vegan version, proof once again that eating vegan should never be confused with eating healthy.
    Quote Originally Posted by hjames View Post
    ...Sadly, the Jewish grocery store I remember was under new owners and nowhere near its former glory (the deli no longer existed no ruebens!) ...But the tropical plant shop afterwards was very cool - A large number of greenhouses behind a rural house ...I got a mid-sized Pony Tail palm plant, and Emma found a prayer plant and a succulent.

  14. #74
    Senior Member BMWCCA's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hjames View Post
    Yeah, Phil sent me an aside that Crown recommendation is to set Vol at 12:00 and control vol with preamp etc ...
    Pretty much what I did with the JBL/UREI amps on the 4341 system and similar power amps I've had in the past.
    To be clear, Crown's recommendation through their (now-defunct forum) was always set the amplifier input attenuators so that the normal listening range of your system could be achieved somewhere around the middle range of your pre-amp volume control. Now this may be assuming that your pre-amp's volume control is at unity gain at 12-o'clock, which may not be the case for many consumer pre-amps.



    I always figured it was safer anyway in case someone cranked up the volume and then switched inputs or something like that. It generally works out in my systems where the Crowns or JBL/Urei amps get set to 12-o'clock anyway.
    ". . . as you have no doubt noticed, no one told the 4345 that it can't work correctly so it does anyway."—Greg Timbers

  15. #75
    Senior Member DerekTheGreat's Avatar
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    That dude selling those shaftless PS400's? He dropped the prices on both big time. I couldn't resist, made an offer and ended up with one of them about a month ago. Turns out it is the first PS-400 I've bought that works correctly! It was a PITA to adjust the input level attenuators to where they need to be, both the top and bottom cover had to come off and my fingers are short & stubby so not much room in there to grab 'em & turn. This unit had fans (which I've never seen before) that I removed when I set the DC offset and cleaned up it. Despite how awful it looked in the ad, the thing really cleaned up well. Be wary, the other unit the guy has for sale is actually the unit I bought, he's got the ads flip-flopped. I saw both and made an offer on the fan-less unit as I thought it was in better shape, but ended up with it anyway. Glad it worked out that way though, didn't know the fans were an option from Crown.

    Anyway, I swapped the PS-400 in place of the Adcom GFA-555II and have to say I'm quite impressed with it. The 555II is muddier and bloated compared to the PS-400. The 400 lays down some tight, accurate bass, really makes the 2245H's I've got shine. Lastly the 400 seems to punch just as hard as the 555II too. With all that said, the 400 has become my new standard, the 200 too! These amps are amazing compared to all the stuff I've tried so far, especially for the price. I've now got three 200's and two 400's. How did that happen?? I'm rather anxious to get them all down to AE Techron for a check-up, two at a time.. The one 400 I've got goes silent on channel 2 once it warms up and one of the 200's has a dead IOC and signal presence light. Eventually I will have a quad-amp'd system, pretty stoked for that. Perhaps no clip lights for me?

    Lastly, if anyone has a set of shafts, collars (the deal with the allen head fasteners which secure the shaft to the input stub) and knobs for a PS amp, please let me know! Would like to buy them to make my PS-400 whole.

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