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The Crown K2 has landed!


stormin

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I find if I have the gains wide open I get a lot of hiss at idle. (not huge deal with music turned up)

Can't help but think you have something in the chain causing this or your amps need service. Wish other folks with K2's would speak up about idle hiss.

I serioulsy just took a Marantz 250M out of the chain and dropped in the K2. With he Marantz which is an exact match for my preamp there was an audible hiss. But with the K2 I have zero, notta, nothing, zip, hiss either at full gain with preamp at max volume. Actually kind of werid I've never had this where there is no audible hiss through my horns.

So I have my source maxed out on volume and my preamp maxed out on volume and gain swtiched in back to 1.4 volt for full output of amp and the gains on front maxed out and it is if the thing is off. I would think yours should be working out the same Coytee.

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The important question is what does the K2 cost?

Memory (poor) tells me I paid about $650 each for mine, before shipping. Here's a couple right now on the bay

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38.l1313&_nkw=crown+k2&_sacat=See-All-Categories

One BIN 675 and one BIN at 750. Perhaps it was 750 I paid... I don't really remember. I passed on some of the beat units. Not that mine are pristine but they're in pretty good cosmetic shape on the front of them.

Nice thing is, if someone buys one for about that price you have very little downside risk should you decide it's not for you.

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I serioulsy just took a Marantz 250M out of the chain and dropped in the K2

I've been curious about that amp but never experienced one.

How would you describe the differences between the Crown and QSC compared to the Marantz?

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I serioulsy just took a Marantz 250M out of the chain and dropped in the K2

I've been curious about that amp but never experienced one.

How would you describe the differences between the Crown and QSC compared to the Marantz?

Well, funny thing is I am a huge fan of all three.

The 250M paired with the 3600 is very sweet on horns with a very solid low end. It packs a heck of a punch. It was among Marantz better attempts at SS amplification IMHO. Doesn't really do anything bad.

The QSC is a great sounding amp on horns as well. The SRA 2422 is very powerful and yet very smooth. Images well produces a descent soundstage. Has a very low input impedance(10 k ohms unbalanced) so is very difficult to pair with a tubed preamp which would be nice. This amp can really wake up a woofer.

The Crown K2 is very neutral. I am feeling and hearing the full audio spectrum. Thing hits like a jack hammer. Images great with a wide soundstage. Again it has the same problem as the QSC with its low input impedance of 10 k ohms unbalanced. Quicksilver pre would probably work very favorably and add some tubes to the mix. Throw in a tubed CD player and I doubt a person could want for anymore unless change is just to their liking. I've owned Chorus II's for nearly 20 years so I'm not into the change game so much as long as I like what I'm hearing.

I don't want it to sound like I like every SS amp there is and especially all of them with horns. These three in particular are unique in this quality if you ask me. Trust me I've heard some real ear piercing SS gear on these Chorus II's. Its been some of the gear that some folks recommend. So different strokes for different folks I guess plays out here. Heck some folks don't even like Chorus II's so go figure.

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I recently picked up my latest K2 on the local craigslist for 250.00 in mint condition. Passed up another one for 450.00 last month.

i hate you

last year was apparently an inopportune time to build up a PA, I was paying $400 for MT1200's that are going for $200 today....

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Craigslist is hit and miss......also bought a Mackie VLZ12 channel mixer with effects for 50.00 in new condition last month. But missed a pair of JBL 250 (originally 2500.00) big boy speakers that went for 40.00 ( had bad surrounds )...that is likely the best deal I've ever seen on there...missed them by 10 minutes.[:@]

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  • 4 weeks later...

After spending much more time with the K2 I am still finding it very fun to listen to.

For all the talk about crown sounding cold and harsh(you know finger nails on a chalk board) I am finding the K2 to actually have a laid back midrange. Cymbals have lingering shimmer that sounds right. It is very quick on the notes an immediate attack. The bass is some of the most authoritive I've ever heard and so right where as the bass guitar stands out nicely from the kick drum. There isn't any one note and done with this amp. And probably the most noteable experience that I have had is the absolute dead quite background. The notes literally appear out of nowhere. I have never heard an amp this dead silent. Heck maybe its broke or something. LOL.

But hey, for the price these things are going for these days you just can't really lose. If you don't like it pass it on to someone who surely will.

Back to the QSC 2422 vs the Crown K2, the Crown is more lifelike. The QSC is smooth maybe almost to a fault. Now the QSC SRA 2422 is the Class H design so maybe that plays to some of the artificial flavoring it produces.

Patricia Barber /Modern cool is absolutely fantastic. From jazz to rock this setup is working very well.

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glad you're digging it- can you imagine two of those at full bore leaning on a four pack of Klipsch 18" woofers? That's what my PA does. And deadly quiet in between songs (except for my turbo fans to keep em cool).

Rock on Bro! See you at the next Pilgrimage, right?

Michael

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glad you're digging it- can you imagine two of those at full bore leaning on a four pack of Klipsch 18" woofers? That's what my PA does. And deadly quiet in between songs (except for my turbo fans to keep em cool).

Rock on Bro! See you at the next Pilgrimage, right?

Michael

I can only imagine what your PA sounds like. I've just got to hear it one of these days.

Yes, you can count me in. I will be there.

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.......Still using it with your Marantz preamp?

Having been using the same pre for some time now......I would imagine the K-2 and the Marantz are a very good match. The signal that the 3600 puts out to the bass is very strong....and very musical to say the least.

Glad to hear you're happy with the Crown. [Y]

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.......Still using it with your Marantz preamp?

Having been using the same pre for some time now......I would imagine the K-2 and the Marantz are a very good match. The signal that the 3600 puts out to the bass is very strong....and very musical to say the least.

Glad to hear you're happy with the Crown. Yes

Yep, the Marantz is working exceptional with the combo. The signal on the Marantz is indeed plenty strong for the K2. The combo is so dead silent its scary.

You going to make it to the Pilgrimage this year? I havevn't been to one so I'm looking forward to it and meeting as many of us crazy Klipschsters as I can.

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