DizRotus Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 A good friend of mine wants a vinatge Crown amp, integrated, if available. He's not a hardcore audio enthusiast, but he wants a vintage Crown amp. I told him that I have a bunch of friends (this grerat Forum) with knowledge and opinions about things audio, including vintage Crown amps, and that I'd get some suggestions for him. Any recommendations of models, years, etc. to look for or avoid? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 Bump with a more descrptive subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I’ve used Crown amps since my very audiophile “beginning” (1972). In retrospect, I should have spent the extra bucks for the Audio Research tube gear of that time ~ but I was naïve and the Crown had better “specs”. That being said, I still own my original Crown D-60, and have purchased many Crown pieces over the years. The D series equipment and associated preamp/control centers like the IC150 didn’t seem to gain much appreciation from the audiophile community, especially as the years went on, although they were often regarded king of the hill for a while. The DC300 is probably one of the most durable and reliable power amplilfiers ever built. The IC150 series in particular was a little “edgy” and bright sounding. And efficient speakers like Klipsch and JBL didn’t help the situation. All Crown gear is engineered extremely well to work hard under the most demanding always-on conditions, real “meat & potatoes” type gear. But keep in mind, THAT IS WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED FOR (not necessarily the best sound quality). In recent years they’ve also expanded their product line to cover many more price points. If you want their best amplifiers to date (that I’m aware of) it would most likely be their Reference Series (circa late 80’s/early 90’s?) ($$$$$ just like everything else in that quality category). Crown also made a series of amps called “Straightline”, SL-1, SL-2, PL-2, etc. These were actually very good sounding but Crown was slowly pulling out of the audiophile market at the time and these never quite caught on. They can usually be had for a good price. The SA series amps sound very good ~ smooth with horns. The only caveat are the always-on cooling fans which seem to run more and at higher speeds when the amp is at idle or low power. If your friend is interested, I have the legendary Crown DL-2 preamp/controller/power module up for sale ($300). To my knowledge, Crown never made an integrated amplifier or receiver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 Artto, That's exactly the kind of feed-back I was hoping to get. I didn't think Crown ever made an integrated amp. My friend is not a serious audio enthusiast. He's more into nostalgia than measurable performance. After speaking with Michael Colter and reading your thorough response, I'm going to advise him to reconsider. The fact that he asked about an integrted amp indicates his desire for minimal hands-on involvement. He seems to want plug and play. Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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