The Crown XLS DriveCore Thread

[ahblaza]

EV, would disengaging the peak limiters also defeat the soft clipping? Thanks

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

While the heavyweight ATI is adequate for my needs, so I'm not looking to get rid of it, I often wish for an 11 pound solution rather than a 95lb solution.

I think the Crown and other less expensive amps are great for budget. I think they sound as good as any. But we all have our comfort zones.

I'm not comfortable with replacing my ATI anytime soon.

 

[slipperybidness]

Hey Slip, Saturday Night Fever was my favorite movie at the time, I also was at the pinnacle of my disco career then.

I hear ya.

Before my time, but I see those old clips from the discos and it certainly looks fun. I admit, I do still like the disco tunes.

 

[ahblaza]

I hear ya.

Before my time, but I see those old clips from the discos and it certainly looks fun. I admit, I do still like the disco tunes.

I don't remember too many of the tunes, that was also the era of mind altering episodes... Hey brother congrats on the Rythmik..

 

[slipperybidness]

I don't remember too many of the tunes, that was also the era of mind altering episodes... Hey brother congrats on the Rythmik..

Thanks. Yeah, price I couldn't pass up, the blemish is so minor it's a moot point.

Off topic for this thread, but I did talk to him briefly about his HT setup. He says he swaps out the subs a lot, I think he may personally put each one through its paces on his rig as part of his QC. But when just enjoying it himself he uses one of his 12s.

Also, he runs a Denon (forgot to ask model #) for HT, and has Ascend for his 2 channel rig.

Just a little info on what some of the guys in the HT industry prefer to use in their personal setups.

 

[ahblaza]

Thanks. Yeah, price I couldn't pass up, the blemish is so minor it's a moot point.

Off topic for this thread, but I did talk to him briefly about his HT setup. He says he swaps out the subs a lot, I think he may personally put each one through its paces on his rig as part of his QC. But when just enjoying it himself he uses one of his 12s.

Also, he runs a Denon (forgot to ask model #) for HT, and has Ascend for his 2 channel rig.

Just a little info on what some of the guys in the HT industry prefer to use in their personal setups.

Makes sense to use Ascend, Dave sells his subs over at the Ascend site, Dave has been quoted saying that he decided that Rythmik subs were an ideal design and decided not to persue his own designs but rather partner with Brian with his subs. Ascend and Rythmik, good marriage.

 

[Irvrobinson]

Am I correct in assuming most pro amps have variable gain staging, as opposed to fixed gain on consumer gear. EMO amps are an example of high gain (32dB), correct? I guess the 6dB is not relevant, if so, why is the 1000 97dB compared to the rest of the XLS series at 103dB? Thanks my friend for the reply.

Pro audio amps have variable gain controls because the range of equipment that they might be used with, both for input devices like mixers and huge variations in speakers, is much broader than you see in consumer systems. Being able to customize the gain hierarchy is critical. In theory home amplifiers should all have level controls too, but they add cost to cheap amps, and audiophiles are convinced potentiometers are evil, making them rare in high-end designs.

I've always guessed that Emotiva amps have very high gain (6db is quite relevant) for use with cheaply-designed receivers with tight power and heat budgets that don't have proper line-level driver stages.

I have no idea why the SNR specs for the Crown amps vary, and guessing is pointless.

 

[Irvrobinson]

Maybe the pro amps have those bright lights so that it's easier for someone with multiple amps and speakers in a larger soundstage to quickly see if one has gone down? Just a thought.

I'm sure that's the case, but even on stage there are lots of times you don't want a row of bright blue lights distracting the audience, and sometimes there's no good place to hide the electronics. The LEDs could be dimmer, red, green, or whatever, but bright blue can be very annoying. All-in-one PA systems like bands often use, for example, seldom have indicator lights on the front.

 

[GranteedEV]

EV, would disengaging the peak limiters also defeat the soft clipping? Thanks

Peak Limiting is just a fancy way of saying soft clipping.

 

[ahblaza]

Pro audio amps have variable gain controls because the range of equipment that they might be used with, both for input devices like mixers and huge variations in speakers, is much broader than you see in consumer systems. Being able to customize the gain hierarchy is critical. In theory home amplifiers should all have level controls too, but they add cost to cheap amps, and audiophiles are convinced potentiometers are evil, making them rare in high-end designs.

I've always guessed that Emotiva amps have very high gain (6db is quite relevant) for use with cheaply-designed receivers with tight power and heat budgets that don't have proper line-level driver stages.

I have no idea why the SNR specs for the Crown amps vary, and guessing is pointless.

Irv, to my knowledge there are four models in the XLS series, I just don't understand why only the 1000 has the lower SNR, no big deal just curious as another person on AVS did notice the noise floor was higher on the 1000 compared to the rest. I guess Emotiva has carved a niche in the receiver as preamp camp....

 

[ahblaza]

Peak Limiting is just a fancy way of saying soft clipping.

Thanks, ADTG said he tried with and without the peak limiters engaged and heard no audible difference, When he talks everyone listens..

 

[Irvrobinson]

I guess Emotiva has carved a niche in the receiver as preamp camp....

ATI has high gain like the Emotivas through the RCA inputs, but 4db lower sensitivity through the balanced inputs. The niche is apparently bigger than one would think.

 

[DS-21]

*** But I honestly can't imagine a better amplifier being available in the whole world at any cost.

Nope, just better-looking ones with 12V triggers or auto-ons.

(And better-looking matters for many. Reasonably so. Also, unfortunately many higher-end media cabinets - including all of BDI's - can't fit rackmount gear.)

But if appearance isn't an issue, and one can fit them, one is IMO silly to look elsewhere.

There is no hiss at all from 1 ft away. But I don't get the blue LED either. Why don't they just make the amps simple like those old NHT sub amps? Or the Outlaw monoblock amps? Just simple. No need for flashy lights or anything.

The Outlaws are just cheap knockoffs of the NHT A1's, except that NHT is a conscientious firm that gets its electronics NRTL safety certified and Outlaw is too cheap/lazy/callous to do so.

Hi, guys. Do you have any idea how these Crowns would compare against an NHT Power 5 amp?

The Crown is better. The older Icepower modules vary more with impedance. See measurements of some of the Bel Canto stuff. The newer Icepower ASX2 modules are competitive with the XLS Drivecore.

Man, y'all are showing your age

When was the last time one of you went out clubbing in the downtown nightlife?

Last Friday night.

(True, then I felt old most of Saturday...)

Why is the Crown CT8150 DriveCore so expensive? It's only 125wpc x 8ch = $2500.

8 channels, 1RU, passive cooling (that is to say, no fan. It's a trick piece. Probably the most interesting amp on the market IMO. I see the better-looking and marginally-more-expensive-at-best Lexicon DD8 in my future.

My ElectroVoice CPS-8.5 was a grand more than the CT8150, though some of that is likely because German labor is more expensive than Chinese labor. It's also 5x as powerful at 4Ω, 8 channels driven. And bridgeable. But it's also fan-cooled and twice as tall.

 

[ahblaza]

ATI has high gain like the Emotivas through the RCA inputs, but 4db lower sensitivity through the balanced inputs. The niche is apparently bigger than one would think.

Irv, I do tend to believe that.........

 

[cubazuelen]

I have a xls 2500 on the way that is going to be used to power a pair of magnepan 1.6's through a HK 3490. Can I use the high pass filter on the crown for bass management? Thanks!

 

[jinjuku]

I have a xls 2500 on the way that is going to be used to power a pair of magnepan 1.6's through a HK 3490. Can I use the high pass filter on the crown for bass management? Thanks!

Bass management is a bit more than a high pass filter but you can use it as a start.

 

[cubazuelen]

Thanks! I am hoping that between the high pass on the XLS and the low pass on my sub (rythmik f15hp) that I will be able to get a better integration than I have now as I am sending full range signal from the 3490 to both the sub and mains and only using the LPF on the sub.

 

[GranteedEV]

Thanks! I am hoping that between the high pass on the XLS and the low pass on my sub (rythmik f15hp) that I will be able to get a better integration than I have now as I am sending full range signal from the 3490 to both the sub and mains and only using the LPF on the sub.

The best way to do this will be to measure the results, make a change, measure, change, measure. I hope you've got a mic set up.

 

[cubazuelen]

I plan on setting one of these up on a tripod,
Sound level meter and 1/3 octave band real-time analyzer NA-28 RION CO., LTD.

The plan then is to blast pink noise, monitor the 3rd octave levels, and adjust as needed. I think this will be more efficient than sending out individual tones and, in the end I should be able to dial everything in quite well.

But, if anyone has set up a system like mine differently, or has any tips, please pass them along!

 

[Irvrobinson]

I plan on setting one of these up on a tripod,
Sound level meter and 1/3 octave band real-time analyzer NA-28 RION CO., LTD.

The plan then is to blast pink noise, monitor the 3rd octave levels, and adjust as needed. I think this will be more efficient than sending out individual tones and, in the end I should be able to dial everything in quite well.

But, if anyone has set up a system like mine differently, or has any tips, please pass them along!

I found 1/3 octave granularity wasn't enough for deep bass, and used a 1/6 octave display worked better.