Crown DC300 v. PL400 and PL700 pricing
- Thread starter Gepetto
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- May 14, 2014
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- Southwest Kootenays BC
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- No such things as bad days, just bad moments
Is there a distinction between the DC-300 and amp I would not pick up these days and the DC-300a and amp that probably works? Especially as to lack of spare parts.
I know the a version was available in
brushed aluminum, with and without additional heat sinks, with and without IOC which could be retrofit, with solid or perforated covers top and bottom and different knobs.
satin aluminum with somewhat similar differences along the production run
the DC-300A II with black anodized parts.
Piles of different ones.
I know the a version was available in
brushed aluminum, with and without additional heat sinks, with and without IOC which could be retrofit, with solid or perforated covers top and bottom and different knobs.
satin aluminum with somewhat similar differences along the production run
the DC-300A II with black anodized parts.
Piles of different ones.
You're saying the unstable early DC-300 is essentially the same amp as the reliable multi-flavored DC-300a? I know all the 300a are kinda the same but not wanting to get familiar with the 300 sans a version I got no idea what its guts are. If the early amp is the same why is it unstable vs the "a" version?
I have a DC-300 service manual dating back to 1985, and you would not believe then number of part changes and service bulletins concerning the class A driver transistor, and mods to keep this transistor's substitutes stable in older circuit boards. Yes the DC300 is stable, but if it blows up, good luck! Without access to the bulletins, who knows how well the repaired amp will perform. My guess is the DC300a and II versions do not have issues.
I find the DC-300 sound to be thin and screechy. It would probably benefit from higher class AB bias, but the heat sinks (like the Phase Linear 400 4 fin) are too small. A modern Crest or old school Crown macrotech amplifier runs circles around the DC-300. The classic '60s system of Altec A-7 Voice of the Theater speakers and a DC-300 was flawed. The DC-300 seemed to exacerbate the worst qualities of the A-7.
I find the DC-300 sound to be thin and screechy. It would probably benefit from higher class AB bias, but the heat sinks (like the Phase Linear 400 4 fin) are too small. A modern Crest or old school Crown macrotech amplifier runs circles around the DC-300. The classic '60s system of Altec A-7 Voice of the Theater speakers and a DC-300 was flawed. The DC-300 seemed to exacerbate the worst qualities of the A-7.
