Cheep amp for back up or other use

roccus

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You'll blow your ears out kid
#1
Last summer I blew out my stock 400, I had it powering subs... may have been pushing it to much for a stock amp so the right channel gave out. I need to find something to replace the 400 to drive subs and came across the Crown CL1. This is a great amp and built like a tank. If you need a cheep backup amp I recommend these it's a lot of amp for the money. I will use 4 ohm drivers for the subs and this amp will give me 450W per channel. I offered $135 for one and he took it. The amp works flawless and is very clean Crown CL1 Crown CL1 Specifications I am still using my WOPL 400 to drive my mids
 
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AngrySailor

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---not quite right
#2
A friend of mine uses a crown xli (I think) for his garage system powering two 18's, 400wpc, cheap as dirt. works good but nowhere near the cool factor of a PL! I scored a bunch of QSC stuff that came from bars and clubs that went under. Big power for cheap, I use that in the shop, PL & vintage gear going in the house.
 

orange

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Broken beyond repair but highly affable
#3
I had a friend who ran college dances with a Crown and he had a Marantz woofer's voice coil catch on FIRE. I frantically pointed it out and he just pulled the speaker wire out like nothing happened and didn't miss a beat on 3 speakers. I blew a Pioneer SA-1040 tripping over one side's wires so that was a stout amp.
 

roccus

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You'll blow your ears out kid
#4
A friend of mine uses a crown xli (I think) for his garage system powering two 18's, 400wpc, cheap as dirt. works good but nowhere near the cool factor of a PL! I scored a bunch of QSC stuff that came from bars and clubs that went under. Big power for cheap, I use that in the shop, PL & vintage gear going in the house.
Yea I was looking at QSC as well again they look like a big bang for the buck and still US made, my big system is out in my shop as well... wife says it's to big to have in the house and she can't hear TV when I run it! lol
 

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roccus

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You'll blow your ears out kid
#5
I had a friend who ran college dances with a Crown and he had a Marantz woofer's voice coil catch on FIRE. I frantically pointed it out and he just pulled the speaker wire out like nothing happened and didn't miss a beat on 3 speakers. I blew a Pioneer SA-1040 tripping over one side's wires so that was a stout amp.
I know the CL1 does not have speaker protection in them, they must have some sort of bleed off though as when you shut it down it does not pop like the stock PL's do... I will run in line fuses to the speakers but not sure what amp to use for fuse. For now I am using the 18" woofers in my old speakers, I disconnected the mids and tweeter horns in them, they put out a lot of bass but I want to go to 4ohm to put in the sub cabs I want to build this summer.... I will have to check one of the 18" woofers as when the stock 400 right channel blew out it blew a fuse in the 400, I too a volt reading on the right output channel and got near 85V on it (yikes) so I figure that woofer did get hit with 85 volts briefly before the fuse blew, question is did it damage the woofer? I will just put an ohm meter on it and if it is about 8ohm then I will assume it is ok
 

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AngrySailor

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#7
Man you got some sweet shop gear there. Mrs. AngrySailor got all upset when I wanted to put my vintage stuff in the house too. There is an upstairs and downstairs living room, I told her she could put all the decorations she wanted upstairs and downstairs was the music room/man cave. She wasn’t having it and didn’t want my “junk” in the house. Funny thing was it was MY house... Anyways Mrs. AngrySailor2.0 digs the stereo so alls good.

These amps are what they are, not much cool factor but most have very respectable specs and are workhorses that you don’t feel bad about abusing the Sheiit out of. Some people complain about the cooling fan noise but that just means you have the volume knob too low.
 

orange

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#9
Yea I was looking at QSC as well again they look like a big bang for the buck and still US made, my big system is out in my shop as well... wife says it's to big to have in the house and she can't hear TV when I run it! lol
WOPL that.
 

roccus

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#10
Man you got some sweet shop gear there. Mrs. AngrySailor got all upset when I wanted to put my vintage stuff in the house too. There is an upstairs and downstairs living room, I told her she could put all the decorations she wanted upstairs and downstairs was the music room/man cave. She wasn’t having it and didn’t want my “junk” in the house. Funny thing was it was MY house... Anyways Mrs. AngrySailor2.0 digs the stereo so alls good.

These amps are what they are, not much cool factor but most have very respectable specs and are workhorses that you don’t feel bad about abusing the Sheiit out of. Some people complain about the cooling fan noise but that just means you have the volume knob too low.
Thats how I feel, they are not eye candy but do the job well. The fan is variable speed/thermostatic controlled, never comes on or at low speed at low volume but when it does run at full speed it is noisy but when cranked up a bit I can't hear it I usually am sitting back from the system to listen... maybe if I lised to my music with my ear directly on the amp it may be an issue. It took me 3 months to get the Mrs. out to the shop to listen to these Altecs. I cranked it up and she smiles and told me "Don't you ever sell these speakers" nothing ever impresses her but these sure did as anyone else who has stopped by for a listen. I say this is music you don't just hear but feel and see as well!!
 

roccus

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You'll blow your ears out kid
#16
I'm sorry Ray, yes you...
Fantastic!! So sweet I get goose bumps some times. I really lucked out and found those mid cabs so close and so cheap. I am very happy I went with an active Xover instead of trying to build passive ones to find the sweet spots to get all 3 speakers to work perfectly together in my surroundings. I think I can safely say I have joined the hi fidelity club with this set up. My old ears are hearing things I have not heard in awhile and even hearing things I never heard before. Nothing ever impresses my wife but she is blown away from this system as is everyone who has stopped by for a listen. For me nothing like warping a fatty to kick back with, get the music going it's like being in heaven, not a care or worry in the world. But I suspect that is why most of here has a love our music so much..... Lee did you ever get the top of the line preamp set up going???
 

laatsch55

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#17
Yes I did....I have found my pre-amp for life.
I feel the same way about my K's...
Goosebumple stuff...
 

roccus

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You'll blow your ears out kid
#18
Yes I did....I have found my pre-amp for life.
I feel the same way about my K's...
Goosebumple stuff...
I know you were extensively upgrading your K's. Did you get them to their final destination??
 

roccus

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You'll blow your ears out kid
#20
Crap just missed out on a deal on the Bay there was a crown CH2 amp I wanted, I watched it for 4 days and was going to offer him $80 for it but could not do it till Friday after I collect a few bucks for a small job I did. Before I headed out to the shop I checked and yep still there. Later that afternoon I collected my money. I went in the house to the pute and first looked at my email and their was an email from the sell offering it for $75. I was like wow $5 less than I was going to offer. I went into the bay, my watch list and........ it was sold, someone else jumped on it. (I don't blame them lol) But is it only me this shit happens to or is this normal???
 
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