WTD - Crown Power Amp

[icehockeyboy]

Preferably one of the more powerful ones, anyone selling?

[Arkless Electronics]

Which models specifically? I have a DC-300A here if it's the classic old ones you want.

[struth]

they were crackin amps those 300's

[jandl100]

I have a refurbed vintage Amcron / Crown DC300a .... and you can't have it! :ner: :eyebrows:

Or did you mean the new class D ones like my Crown XLS1500 that I had for a while?

http://www.hifido.co.jp/photo/01/127/12779/a.jpg or https://images.static-thomann.de/pics/prod/252276.jpg ?

[icehockeyboy]

Second option of Jerry's gentlemen.

To use as it's actually meant to be used, not in a hifi set up. ��

[mad-moon]

"are" cracking amps....ahem..
they were crackin amps those 300's

[jandl100]

Yep, a DC300a is doing a mighty b fine job with a pair of Maggie 1.6qr for me :)

[icehockeyboy]

Yep, a DC300a is doing a mighty b fine job with a pair of Maggie 1.6qr for me :)

That was the amp that introduced me to powerful American hifi!

[Barry]

The D60s would be the ones to interest me.

[jandl100]

The DC300a has quite impressed me - loads of grunt and driving power (which the Maggies need) but not quite up with the best in terms of resolution or imaging, but still a good listen.

What does the D60 bring to the party, Barry, I've not come across one? .... a mere 35wpc. Pah! ;)
--- ah, an interesting write-up here by DSJR http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=71336

[cjm123]

I have a D60 that I have owned from new that I bought in 1974. Although the smallest of the D series Crown amps it is incredibly transparent and arguably the sweetest sounding of the Crown D series amps and has a kick like a mule. Do not be fooled by the conservative specs. These amps were designed to work flat out from DC to >30KHz 24/7 and 365 days a year for the professional market.

It is mine, all mine and staying that way!:D


Anyway good luck with finding your Crown amp! It will be well worth the effort.

cheers


Chris

[jandl100]

Coo, I shall keep my eye out for a D60 :)

[icehockeyboy]

Cancel this please, I've picked up a Harrison P900 for a great price, and a true output rating, not 65000 watts into a quarter of an ohm at 1000hz one channel driven!

[Barry]

The DC300a has quite impressed me - loads of grunt and driving power (which the Maggies need) but not quite up with the best in terms of resolution or imaging, but still a good listen.

What does the D60 bring to the party, Barry, I've not come across one? .... a mere 35wpc. Pah! ;)
--- ah, an interesting write-up here by DSJR http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=71336

Now do you understand my comment Jerry?

[jandl100]

Now do you understand my comment Jerry?

Yep - and I've just bought a D60 on eBay :)

-- will need a checkup / re-furb, I think, but that's OK as it cost me peanuts.

[Barry]

Yep - and I've just bought a D60 on eBay :)

-- will need a checkup / re-furb, I think, but that's OK as it cost me peanuts.

Cool - let us know how you get on! :)

[cjm123]

Hi Jerry,

Yes you can pick them up for beer money and a good one is a bargain IMHO. I am grateful to DSJR who checked mine over for me and after 41 years the main PSU Mallory Caps were still measuring in spec and all that needed changing were 4 caps on the PCB, one of which had been inserted the wrong way round :doh:by the outfit (no names no pack drill) that did the last service! Surprised it worked at all actually? The re-cap by DSJR transformed its sound from muddy to transparent, literally a night and day change. Anyway I find that in my 17X13X8Ft room through 82DB/w LS3/5as it has enough poke for me and can generate highish levels. I am more interested in clarity than SPLs and I use an NVA P50 passive pre-amp with it which works fine and the P50/D60 combo is incredibly transparent.

I hope you get on well with it.


Chris

[jandl100]

Interesting - thanks, Chris.

I should get the amp next week then it'll be off to an audio engineer for the necessary tlc (assuming it's in good enough condition to save!).

[cjm123]

Hi Jerry,

DSJR will if he is reading this thread correct me if I have go this wrong but I think he used Nichicon caps of the appropriate values.

all the best with the refurb:)

Chris

[DSJR]

The D60s would be the ones to interest me.

You can't have mine neither ;) I have three plus a second bridged pair coming in August (I repaired the other one I was given and the original owner has it back now and loves it, driven by an NVA passive preamp - it all too clearly showed the musical-damage an active preamp can cause).

Not enough power in stereo for difficult loads and brick-walled when pushed. No harshness or strain, just the sound farting (I cannot express it any differently). OK on peaks and when new, full measurements of the sample were given in the incredible owners manual, which assumed that owners knoew a little bit about what they'd bought.

One final thing I'm sure Jerry wouldn't mind me mentioning. He likes a bit of clean detailed treble and I'm sure the XLS1500 fitted the bill perfectly (incredibly cheap too) and offers some genuine innovation. The D-60 is lively as well and if not pushed beyond it's 40 odd Watts, was a domestic favourite at KJ (Ken Rockwell has raved about the replacement and more modern D-75 - NOT the 75A!!!). The 150(A) and 300A are a little milder mannered up top if working correctly and I can well understand of jerry feels the last nth of detail is missing for him in the treble regions.

I did this in defence of BC1's and shall do this for the Crown 'D' series as well - these amps are forty years or more old and it's incredible that they still sound as good as they do (shows how far ahead of the game they were at the time). For careful domestic use, a serviced and checked sample would be good these days in a domestic system, BUT, I would hesitate to give them a new life in a non-domestic/PA style of setting as they're old timers now.

Craig, I do hope the above helps a bit rather than hinders. I really wouldn't go back further than a K2 or similar, although the XLS would be new and cost/sound the same...

[DSJR]

The electrolytic caps Crown used on the board were sealed and pretty good quality. I've not seen any bulging ones as the Roe caps used to do and even the bipolar input caps are good IMO - only the DC300A went all the way down to DC. Chris's amp had four coupling caps replaced with unknown quality 'replacements' and one was the wrong way round (apparently Naim power amp owners have been experiencing this ever since the brand started ;) ). I have used Nichicon FG's for years and rate them, so used these for both Chris's D-60 and my HH VX300 boards, the supply caps on both amps are fine.

Jerry, the D-60 won't even look at the Maggies and like I said, it lets you know immediately if it's clipped. Hope you find the midrange to be nice as I do...

[jandl100]

Thanks dave, the D60 won't be going near the Maggies, the dc300a does a mighty fine job there, but it should handle my MBLs without a problem