Class D versus the rest

OzarkTom · « **Reply #700 on:** 3 Nov 2014, 01:18 pm »

My 2000 amp is shipping back to the Ebay seller, but I have a 1500 coming in on Wednesday I bought it for $200 on Craigslist. There is a 1500 in Des Moines for $150 but I could not get any response. If I get one this cheap, I will buy it and set it out on an AC tour here. There are also two 1500's in Temple Texas for $200 each, but he is hesitant to ship them, no boxes.

Since the 70's, I have never owned a 2D sounding amp. I say the Crown is a forward amp, but if you have a recording that has info coming from far behind the speakers, that is where the Crown will put it. I will see if the 1500 sounds any better than the 2000.

And yes, banana plugs or bare wire works the best Mr. Bill.

Tomy2Tone · « **Reply #701 on:** 3 Nov 2014, 01:46 pm »

I picked up a used Crown xls 1500 just for the hell of it after reading this thread and I got to say it is very good! I've heard ICE,Pascal class d amps and also the Job 225 class A/B and this Crown amp is just as good if not better!

I got it used from B&H for $260 but it looks brand new. All the descriptions everybody has been giving this amp is spot on, very 3d with punchy bass. I cranked it up yesterday and was impressed how it handled loud volumes with all types of music. No harshness or fatigue at all.

It seems to have a softer presentation than the Job but more detailed. At first I wasn't sure what I was hearing and wondered what the fuss was all about but after playing for about 5 days it's very detailed and smooth with a huge soundstage.

I'm so impressed I ordered another one to try as mono's

For the money it's hard to pass up!

roscoeiii · « **Reply #702 on:** 3 Nov 2014, 02:00 pm »

Quote from: Tomy2Tone on 3 Nov 2014, 01:46 pm

I picked up a used Crown xls 1500 just for the hell of it after reading this thread and I got to say it is very good! I've heard ICE,Pascal class d amps and also the Job 225 class A/B and this Crown amp is just as good if not better!

I got it used from B&H for $260 but it looks brand new. All the descriptions everybody has been giving this amp is spot on, very 3d with punchy bass. I cranked it up yesterday and was impressed how it handled loud volumes with all types of music. No harshness or fatigue at all.

It seems to have a softer presentation than the Job but more detailed. At first I wasn't sure what I was hearing and wondered what the fuss was all about but after playing for about 5 days it's very detailed and smooth with a huge soundstage.

Hi Tomy,

Is your system in your profile up to date? Still using the DSPeaker, and is that functioning as your preamp? How well did the Crown pair with it?

And can you say more about the Crown presentation being a bit softer than the Job?

Thanks for your impressions.

mr_bill · « **Reply #703 on:** 3 Nov 2014, 02:07 pm »

Thanks gang,
Are the xls1500, 2000, and 2500 all the same or are you finding one to be better - power notwithstanding?
I need to order one!

Tomy2Tone · « **Reply #704 on:** 3 Nov 2014, 02:32 pm »

Quote from: roscoeiii on 3 Nov 2014, 02:00 pm

Hi Tomy,

Is your system in your profile up to date? Still using the DSPeaker, and is that functioning as your preamp? How well did the Crown pair with it?

And can you say more about the Crown presentation being a bit softer than the Job?

Thanks for your impressions.

Yes, still using the Dspeaker and it works great. I have played around with the gain on the Crown a little bit and it seems to sound it's best set pretty high, I have it about 3 notches below full throttle. The Songtowers are roughly 87db sensitive so maybe thats why it sounds better cranked up a little more than what others are doing , not sure.

When the Job was in the mix I thought it gives a great detailed presentation too but maybe in a more aggressive way. I think its gain is set at 35db.

Maybe softer is not the right word but is what came to mind when I was thinking about the differences. Smoother may be more accurate.

roscoeiii · « **Reply #705 on:** 3 Nov 2014, 02:36 pm »

Quote from: mr_bill on 3 Nov 2014, 02:07 pm

Thanks gang,
Are the xls1500, 2000, and 2500 all the same or are you finding one to be better - power notwithstanding?
I need to order one!

Hopefully OzarkTom can answer that question once he gets his 1500. A big question for me since I have some power-hungry speakers on the way...

Tomy2Tone · « **Reply #706 on:** 3 Nov 2014, 02:37 pm »

Quote from: roscoeiii on 3 Nov 2014, 02:00 pm

Hi Tomy,

Is your system in your profile up to date? Still using the DSPeaker, and is that functioning as your preamp? How well did the Crown pair with it?

And can you say more about the Crown presentation being a bit softer than the Job?

Thanks for your impressions.

Sorry if I didn't answer but yes I'm using the Dspeaker as my dac and preamp.

DaveC113 · « **Reply #707 on:** 3 Nov 2014, 02:46 pm »

My Crown XLS 1500 is still doing great! I'll probably pick up a 2nd one at some point as well....

roscoeiii · « **Reply #708 on:** 3 Nov 2014, 03:21 pm »

Quote from: DaveC113 on 3 Nov 2014, 02:46 pm

My Crown XLS 1500 is still doing great! I'll probably pick up a 2nd one at some point as well....

Tho it should be noted that Dave has very easy to drive speakers.

DaveC113 · « **Reply #709 on:** 3 Nov 2014, 03:44 pm »

True, but they are also not very forgiving speakers, any flaws in the system are very obvious with the Omega Super 3 XRS and the Crown doesn't do anything I can't stand... I'd still give the edge to my SET amp for most music at moderate to low volumes but the difference is really minor and I'd be happy with the Crown if it was the only amp I had.

jtsnead · « **Reply #710 on:** 3 Nov 2014, 04:03 pm »

Quote from: Tomy2Tone on 3 Nov 2014, 01:46 pm

I picked up a used Crown xls 1500 just for the hell of it after reading this thread and I got to say it is very good! I've heard ICE,Pascal class d amps and also the Job 225 class A/B and this Crown amp is just as good if not better!

How does it compare to the Pascal based amp, I think I know which one you have?

Tomy2Tone · « **Reply #711 on:** 3 Nov 2014, 04:50 pm »

Quote from: jtsnead on 3 Nov 2014, 04:03 pm

Quote from: Tomy2Tone on 3 Nov 2014, 01:46 pm
I picked up a used Crown xls 1500 just for the hell of it after reading this thread and I got to say it is very good! I've heard ICE,Pascal class d amps and also the Job 225 class A/B and this Crown amp is just as good if not better!

How does it compare to the Pascal based amp, I think I know which one you have?
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I was going to put it back in to compare but by memory I would say the pascal is more lively in its presentation and just as detailed. The crown in my system and my ears is more subtle in its approach but still very detailed and fun to listen to.

I think if the crown was packaged nicer with better connectors it would appeal to a lot more people. Sometimes it's hard to get out of your head that it's just a pro amp but that's why you got to hear it to appreciate it.

sonicxtc · « **Reply #712 on:** 3 Nov 2014, 04:53 pm »

Quote

Thanks gang,
Are the xls1500, 2000, and 2500 all the same or are you finding one to be better - power notwithstanding?
I need to order one!

I did some research on the Crown amps last week. It was noted on one site that the actual technology and noise floor starting with the XLS 2000 series (on up) is different than the 1000 and 1500 models. I do NOT know this for a fact. I also read that people who work at Crown were actually buying the 2000 or 2500. Again, I'm not stating confirmed facts, but maybe someone can find similar info. to corroborate these statements.

Here's one extraction from the net. This may have come from an Amazon review.

These amps never get more than a few degrees above ambient temperature either. Amazing. Crown claims they are 98% efficient and that's how. How come amps of this magnitude are so cheap? One reason is they have lost about 500 parts in making these compared to Class AB. How easy is it to configure this amp? Very, all settings are made by the buttons on the front below the LCD screen. How clear are the directions in the manual? Very, only a few pages for the whole manual. Go to Crown usa and check it out. Several Crown employees use these in Home Theater applications and/or home audio applications. Which model do they ALL use? This one. They said the two lower models are more stripped down and this one the 2000 or the 2500 should be chosen. How is their tech support? Excellent! I got in under a minute each time. These are built for pro use under often very demanding conditions and take a "lickin' and keep on tickin!" I read the transferable warranty to cover almost everything unless you drop it in a lake or throw it off a roof and is transferable and lasts 3 years under PRO use.

Folsom · « **Reply #713 on:** 3 Nov 2014, 06:50 pm »

The 1000 doesn't have as high of SNR, the rest have 105db.

OzarkTom · « **Reply #714 on:** 5 Nov 2014, 12:45 pm »

My 1500 will be here today. I also picked up a 2500 at a steal and hopefully it will be here on Friday. It will be interesting to see if there is any difference in these three amps.

mr_bill · « **Reply #715 on:** 5 Nov 2014, 02:08 pm »

Quote from: OzarkTom on 5 Nov 2014, 12:45 pm

My 1500 will be here today. I also picked up a 2500 at a steal and hopefully it will be here on Friday. It will be interesting to see if there is any difference in these three amps.

Keep us posted on the difference Tom!

jackman · « **Reply #716 on:** 6 Nov 2014, 06:43 pm »

I'm looking forward to hearing one of these on my system. Roscoe, hurry up and get one...

Just kidding, I may pick one up but my audio time is a little short these days. One thing I can say about my existing Crown amp (K1), it's an absolute tank in terms of construction and durability. It was shipped to me by an idiot (not an AC person, this guy was from Brooklyn) in a thin cardboard box with absolutely no padding or protection of any kind. He shipped it UPS ground and it arrived with half the box crushed, the thin single layer of tape completely off the top and the whole thing sitting on it's side on the concrete front porch of my house.

I was mortified and almost certain the amp was damaged and was pleasantly surprised that, aside from a little scratch on the front that was quickly rectified with a black Sharpie, the amp performed perfectly and has been in my system, powering my subs, ever since. The pots got a bit scratchy, but the K1 design makes them very easy to clean. It is not suitable for main amplifier duties (monitors) but I love this amp for subs.

If the new one (with built in xover) works as well, I'll keep it and ditch my current Crown. I'll also be happy to compare it to the nCore and a couple other amps I've got laying around. No bias on my part, I'll gladly sell my current amps if the new Crown sounds as good. Will start looking for one this weekend on ebay or craigslist.

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #717 on:** 6 Nov 2014, 07:51 pm »

Interesting to see John Meyer of Newform Research is also aware of these Crown amps. See the XLS 2000 in the fourth picture down in this 6 moons item:
http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/newform/1.html

Folsom · « **Reply #718 on:** 6 Nov 2014, 08:09 pm »

Quote from: Russell Dawkins on 6 Nov 2014, 07:51 pm

Interesting to see John Meyer of Newform Research is also aware of these Crown amps. See the XLS 2000 in the fourth picture down in this 6 moons item:
http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/newform/1.html

They have a crossover. I think they've been getting used for subwoofers for a bit.

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #719 on:** 6 Nov 2014, 08:41 pm »

Quote from: Salis Audio on 6 Nov 2014, 08:09 pm

They have a crossover. I think they've been getting used for subwoofers for a bit.

If you mean the speakers have a crossover–yes I can see it on the floor! I presumed the amp was driving the speakers full range, since it was apparently the only amp in the picture (I don't recognize that black piece of equipment to the right of the Crown - is that a crossover?). I guess I don't understand your post!