Ziggurat Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 I recently purchased a Crown Macro-Tech 2401, based on discussions here and elsewhere about building a system around the 402's. I had absolutely no idea what I was buying - it just happened to come up locally and I grabbed it for some solid state bass control - thinking I would run my Prima Luna somehow on the tops. It was going to sit idle until I work out exactly what direction I am going to take with the system build, but the other day I bought some XLR to RCA plugs and connected the Crown to my MHDT tube dac. First thing I noticed was the fan... it's amazing the amp didn't levitate with the squall of air gushing through it. I took the panels off and gave the old beast a clean, then replaced the fan with a quieter set of fins. Plugged back in, I set about some serious listening. Running the Altec 19 bottoms and crossovers and the k402's on top, the first thing I noticed was how much I have been missing at the top and bottom. Second thing was the GRIP and SLAM. Then I noticed that my favourite Dire Straits album just didn't seem as 'listenable' as was on the Prima Luna - a harsh edge here and there - but then, there was also features of the music that I had never heard coming through before. A few albums later, the penny was really starting to drop. Feed the Crown exceptional recordings and it delivered exceptional sound; but the slightest hint of weakness in source material would be utterly laid bare. I listened to a cluster of known -gem recordings - a couple of Diana Krall offerings, Yello, etc. On these, I have never heard anything come close to the sound I was hearing - a crystal clear deep wall of shimmering magic. The 402's were gone, and the room was filled. Immense. Switching back to the PL, I can listen to anything and everything. It does a smashing job as jack of all trades - but the Crown is master, and has made me see a new way forward. Alas, our time together has been cut short by blown resistors. I hope I can get it up and running again so I can experiment with a new concept to me - taming the raw beauty of a monster solid state amp with the Xilica, and just maybe some additional tubes up front. Tonight I dine on Prima Luna mush - it's easy to chew and to swallow - and tastes sweet every day. But I have been to the butcher's block and tasted his wild venison - rare, thick-cut and bloody. I want some more. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 all amplifiers are exactly the same... they all produce the same transient response, the same dynamic range and the same noise floor. 1 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggurat Posted August 13, 2019 Author Share Posted August 13, 2019 5 hours ago, Schu said: all amplifiers are exactly the same... they all produce the same transient response, the same dynamic range and the same noise floor. You either have a marvelous sense of irony or some serious Ear-Shu's 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parlophone1 Posted August 14, 2019 Share Posted August 14, 2019 Do you have any idea why resistors went off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggurat Posted August 14, 2019 Author Share Posted August 14, 2019 3 hours ago, parlophone1 said: Do you have any idea why resistors went off? Yes, I'm starting to think a couple of missing screws allowed the bottom panel to press against the main pcb and possibly create a hot point or a short. I can't be certain though. The problem happened after i put it on some small risers which would have localised the pressure points to the four corners of the bottom panel. I may just replace the resistors and try my luck, or I may send her to the tech for an overhaul - see if we can't keep her on the road for a few more sets 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggurat Posted August 16, 2019 Author Share Posted August 16, 2019 Well, some things happen for a reason huh? Made a call to a local tech - Can you please fix my Crown? No mate, he says, but I can do you a deal on a few I have laying about here.... All going, all in good nick, and for a very nice price (I am sitting here calculating my watts-at-8-ohms-per-dollar ratio). So now I have a fun weekend ahead of me.... Hope y'all do too! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parlophone1 Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 Seems like a nice setup to spend a few hours with 😂. Good luck this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 Get a K2 and go Fanless 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave A Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 18 minutes ago, Coytee said: Get a K2 and go Fanless Say by the time I need fans I can't hear them anyway😀 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 Probably a good point....besides, the fans will help drown out the wife yelling at you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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