Crown DC-300A

EndersShadow
EndersShadow Posts: 17,598
edited August 2011 in Electronics
Is this a decent 2 channel amp? Its pretty old and looks like its got some decent power specs......

Looks to be 175 wpc @ 8 ohm, 305 @ 4.........

http://www.crownaudio.com/pdf/legacy/dc300a2.pdf

http://www.broadcastbaron.com/infocrowndc300a.htm

Also would this be an amp that I could use for SDA's......
"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
Post edited by EndersShadow on
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,598
    edited August 2011
    morning bump.....
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • Cayuga
    Cayuga Posts: 480
    edited August 2011
    Depends on what your looking for, its 180 watts and has a bluebook value around $250.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,598
    edited August 2011
    Cayuga wrote: »
    Depends on what your looking for, its 180 watts and has a bluebook value around $250.

    Thanks, means the seller has it over valued by a bit.

    Was curious if anyone had any experience with it.

    Thinking about it as my amp for my dedicated 2 channel upstairs in the office. Right now its running Monitor 60's but eventually I am thinking Carver Amazings, Carver AL-III's or some LSi's....

    So 4 ohm ratings are decent on this guy and it looks like some folks say it can handle loads below 4 ohm....
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,252
    edited August 2011
    I wouldn't expect it to sound as good as a decent home amp. In general pro amps aren't designed with musicality in mind. I'm sure now that I've said this 10 people will come out of the wood work and claim it's as good or better than anything out there. (you know the people I'm talking about)

    There are so many better choices than to use a pro-audio amp in a 2 channel rig. If it was free, that might be a different story. I say move on and look at something more musical. This is a popular amp for dj's, etc.......you can't find anything on the 'net about it?

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Puritan Audio PSM136 Pwr Condtioner & Classic PC's | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,598
    edited August 2011
    heiney9 wrote: »
    I wouldn't expect it to sound as good as a decent home amp. In general pro amps aren't designed with musicality in mind. I'm sure now that I've said this 10 people will come out of the wood work and claim it's as good or better than anything out there. (you know the people I'm talking about)

    There are so many better choices than to use a pro-audio amp in a 2 channel rig. If it was free, that might be a different story. I say move on and look at something more musical. This is a popular amp for dj's, etc.......you can't find anything on the 'net about it?

    H9

    I found a little bit on the web, but didnt spend a massive amount of time there. Just because info is on the web about it doesnt mean its accurate or trustable (gotta know and trust the source). Hell according to the web Elvis was abducted by aliens.

    I read spec's and whatnot on the web and occasionally reviews, but here when the usuals here chime in with advice, they have a track record with me and there are some whose opinions I value and others (who remain nameless) I ignore :smile:. Plus normally you guys have all the info I need anyway.

    So this forum is to an extent my fact checker/somewhat trusted source :wink:.

    I thought Crown made some non pro audio gear and that this was one of those pieces. Didnt have the usual fans that tend to let me know that.

    Will keep looking.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,252
    edited August 2011
    AFAICT, they were used in sound reinforcement in the 70's and 80's. Don't think it's a home unit and it may even have a fan. I know Jinjuku had a few of these and thought they were the crown jewel (pun intended). Not sure what value you give to his opinion.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Puritan Audio PSM136 Pwr Condtioner & Classic PC's | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,598
    edited August 2011
    heiney9 wrote: »
    AFAICT, they were used in sound reinforcement in the 70's and 80's. Don't think it's a home unit and it may even have a fan. I know Jinjuku had a few of these and thought they were the crown jewel (pun intended). Not sure what value you give to his opinion.

    H9

    LOL..... no comment.

    It doesnt have a fan, its just got funky fins sticking out the back.

    Looked intriguing, but the price is waaayyyy out of line.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,252
    edited August 2011
    I heard one a long time ago as a green audio salesman. The one my buddy had had some static issues and of course back then I didn't know what I know now or have that much experience behind me as far as critical listening.

    I just think you could do better, especially since this if for a 2 channel rig.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Puritan Audio PSM136 Pwr Condtioner & Classic PC's | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • JPSmario
    JPSmario Posts: 142
    edited August 2011
    I've had my DC300A for 20 years or so. it lives in a rack in storage right now because I'm not playing professionally any more.

    Pro-audio is what is was designed for. while you saw them in some home audio shops back in the 70's, I think they carried them primarily due to it being the most reliable amp out there with that kind of power (180 watts/ch into 8 ohms was a LOT of power in the mid 70's). Phase Linear had amps in this power class back then, but they had a tempermental rep for blowing up. Crown DC300's were much harder to kill. I attended a Herbie Hancock-Headhunters/Return to Forever concert where they ran these amps with 2 ohm loads (they had to have 20 in. fans on the back of their power racks to keep the thermal protection circuit from shutting them down:biggrin:)

    In terms of pro-audio, it was clean and quiet in it's time, but mine is in storage because it can't play in the same ball park as my Rotel. In comparison, the Crown may have a little more punch, but it's noticeably noisier and grainier.

    I hope this helps.

    Jim
    Dual 1229/Grado Gold/Rotel RCD1070/RC995/RB980BX/Pioneer 7100/Denon DRM710/Monster HTS3600MKII/PolkAudio SDA2B/TL's
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  • thsmith
    thsmith Posts: 6,082
    edited August 2011
    See if you like any of these and are in your budget range.

    http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1318184094&/Adcom-GFA-555ll

    http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1318184187&/Belles-Model-One

    http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1318045225&/Harman-Kardon-Citation-16A

    http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1317824127&/nad-c272-new-old-stock
    Speakers: SDA-1C (most all the goodies)
    Preamp: Joule Electra LA-150 MKII SE
    Amp: Wright WPA 50-50 EAT KT88s
    Analog: Marantz TT-15S1 MBS Glider SL| Wright WPP100C Amperex BB 6er5 and 7316 & WPM-100 SUT
    Digital: Mac mini 2.3GHz dual-core i5 8g RAM 1.5 TB HDD Music Server Amarra (memory play) - USB - W4S DAC 2
    Cables: Mits S3 IC and Spk cables| PS Audio PCs
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 34,186
    edited August 2011
    The old Crown solid state amps are well-built, bullet-proof, rugged and sound just awful. Their contemporary ss preamps sounded even worse.
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  • Joe08867
    Joe08867 Posts: 3,919
    edited August 2011
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    The old Crown solid state amps are well-built, bullet-proof, rugged and sound just awful. Their contemporary ss preamps sounded even worse.

    +1.

    It is made for sound reinforcement and not audiophile sound.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 34,186
    edited August 2011
    Well, there are good sounding commercial/sound reinforcement amps, too (even today!).
    ... and the Crown pre- and power-amps of that era found there way into lots of home hifis.
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