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First impresssions - Crown X4000 amp

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Posted on October 9, 2014 at 14:39:33
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37460
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since:
April 5, 2002
Last week, BigguyinATL brought to our attention a sale of Crown amps for lots of watts for just a few dollars. While I confess my initial experience with Crown (albeit in the 70s when I was a teenager) was mixed - reliable and rugged but hard sounding - I decided to experiment and buy an X4000 for myself for the princely sum of $300. It arrived in under a week's time. I was just curious as to what I might find.

The X4000 is touted for 1000 watts per channel at 8 ohms. Mind you, that is rated using EIA specs so that number is a bit inflated. And, when one looks at the back panel hear the (20 amp) IEC jack, you find this label: "120V - 60Hz 700W". Hmmm. The last time I've seen watts rated that way was when I purchased my first and only stereo receiver when I was 13 - The Electrophonic T600!



Physically, the unit is utilitarian. And I use that term in an entirely positive light given the expense. I've always favored components that look instrument grade devoid of light shows. It is quite heavy with a huge toroidal power supply with the case wrapped in a pebbly finished grey rolled steel. The finish is attractive in an Eastern Bloc sort of fashion. Reminds me of when I looked at and touched a MiG-21 up close and personal. Or an AK-47. Functional and practical. Not at all flimsy or overtly cheap looking.



The front panel is assembled in a no-nonsense fashion:



It's wired using balanced inputs and spades to the speaker connectors. It really is intended for using Speakon connectors. First of all, this is not a switching amp like many today. I'm not sure if it runs multiple rail voltages, but is conventional in operation. And there are no DSP processors, tricks, or crossover networks to be found. It's just a power amp with gain controls. So, how does it sound? Drum roll, please!

Surprisingly, quite decent even driving the Sound Lab stats! The reactive load doesn't seem to bother it a bit. Ultimately it lacks finesse at the top, doesn't provide the "breath of life" in the midrange with vocal content and isn't particularly holographic in its presentation, but its sins are largely those of omission. Which is why I've been happy with a couple of pieces of NAD gear over the years. Somewhat opaque, but not objectionable at all. Fan noise is not bad, but audible. There are zero openings in the top and bottom chassis panels with all the air flowing from the rear fans out through the front vents.

I plan to spend a lot more time evaluating this interesting find. So far, so good! It may well be just the thing for those on a budget who happen to enjoy inefficient speakers - like Maggies, vintage acoustic suspension speakers of all manner, etc. I plan to try it out in the garage with the Acoustats and a pair of New Advents that will likely mate pretty well with it.

More to come...


 

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RE: First impresssions - Crown X4000 amp, posted on October 9, 2014 at 15:06:38
AudioSoul
Audiophile

Posts: 4594
Location: north central AZ
Joined: July 9, 2005


After it breaks in the top end may settle down a bit. I am sure Crown has learned some things since the 70's.....

 

RE: First impresssions - Crown X4000 amp, posted on October 9, 2014 at 15:28:51
Oh no, it can't be any good for home audio use. After all (he says sarcastically) some Inmates at AA said so very recently ;-)

But seriously, I'm pleased to read that you actually purchased one to review. Good for you. Although I'll probably never buy one unless it's for my home theater I think that this Crown could be just the ticket for the low budget music lover (I fear to use the name "audiophile" in this context) who is in the market for a basic power amplifier with lots o' (you guessed it) POWER.

Cheers,
Al

 

thanks for the initial review, posted on October 9, 2014 at 17:02:40
G Squared
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  Since:
May 23, 2023
i still have my DC 300A in my stack of equipment not being used at the moment.
Gsquared

 

OK, posted on October 9, 2014 at 22:29:21
Penguin
Audiophile

Posts: 7116
Location: Delaware
Joined: August 5, 2001
So you say it sounds not horrible, but can it really drive inefficient speakers well? :) I am driving my soundlabs with a pair of Llano CAS 300 stereo amps in a vertical bi-amp config, and trust me they poop out on the old crossover, and they are conservatively rated at 300 watt/channel :) So it would be interesting to see if they would collapse on an unmodified soundlab :)... but hey they are 300 bucks. the Llanos set me back 7K all for the pair years ago...

dee
;-D

True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.

quote by Kurt Vonnegut

 

RE: First impresssions - Crown X4000 amp, posted on October 10, 2014 at 06:28:46
Awe-d-o-file
Dealer

Posts: 21037
Location: 50 miles west of DC
Joined: January 10, 2004
Thanks for taking the money and time on this. Good call getting the stripped amp only model. I always knew these were the watts per dollar king but am happy to hear they are as usable as you say. I would have thought they wouldn't sound quite as good as you say.


ET
ET

"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936

 

RE: thanks for the initial review, posted on October 10, 2014 at 06:30:06
Awe-d-o-file
Dealer

Posts: 21037
Location: 50 miles west of DC
Joined: January 10, 2004
You can short the output terminals and it will finally shut down after a while. Very rugged.


ET
ET

"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936

 

RE: thanks for the initial review, posted on October 10, 2014 at 09:45:52
E-Stat
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Posts: 37460
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April 5, 2002
When I had my D150, I was resident the high school audio geek and was asked to use my system for the 1974 Miss RHS Pageant for playing contestant's music. The amp was hidden under a covered table and while hooking it up in the darkness I inadvertently shorted the leads with a screwdriver (oops, it's on!) - which became lightly "welded" to a binding post! Amp shut down and I switched if off. Yanked off the screwdriver, completed the wiring and powered it back up.

Worked fine afterwards. :)

 

Intriguing..., posted on October 10, 2014 at 11:19:19
Dman
Audiophile

Posts: 7211
Location: Kansas
Joined: January 28, 2001
Even if it sounds decent (read; not incredible or "audiophile"), my main concern with something in this price range is reliability- will it still be alive 6 months from now? If companies like Behringer have taught us pro and working musicians, sometimes you truly do get what you pay for (good or bad).

At the other end of the scale, my early 90's vintage $1200 SWR Stereo-800 power amp (400Wpc @4 ohms, 800W bridged at 4 Ohms) is STILL pumping along fine after all these years, driving my rig along at club and stage gigs AND providing the power to my subwoofers (50hz and down) in my Analog Rig at home. No cap replacements (yet) and not even one minute spent on the workbench!

Cheers,
Dman
Analog Junkie

 

You are welcome to give my , posted on October 10, 2014 at 13:35:23
G Squared
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  Since:
May 23, 2023
DC 300 A a shot.

155 WPC stable into almost any load
Gsquared

 

I bet it wont do much better than the amps i have, posted on October 10, 2014 at 13:51:08
Penguin
Audiophile

Posts: 7116
Location: Delaware
Joined: August 5, 2001
But for kicks, we can try next time you come up here :).


dee
;-D

True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.

quote by Kurt Vonnegut

 

Interesting and very detailed write up..., posted on October 10, 2014 at 22:25:43
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 46196
Location: USA
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since:
February 2, 2002

I am surprised that it doesn't sound horrible.

I had a pair of Samson pro amps that were border line horrible. They were cheap and powerful so I used them as rear channel amps in a budget home theater setup many years ago.

When I used the Samson amps for the main 2-channel stereo setup , they were pretty bad, very grainy and harsh overall.

BTW, I've never touched a MiG but I almost touched an SR-71 and have a SIG. I would have touched the SR-71 but it was roped off with guards surrounding it with M16 rifles. Oh well.

Looking forward to your Crown follow up.

 

RE: thanks for the initial review, posted on October 11, 2014 at 08:14:53
Awe-d-o-file
Dealer

Posts: 21037
Location: 50 miles west of DC
Joined: January 10, 2004
thats an old Crown for sure! Too funny


ET
ET

"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936

 

RE: Intriguing..., posted on October 14, 2014 at 08:59:35
Hornlover
Manufacturer

Posts: 2529
Joined: March 8, 2002
Behringer is known for reliability problems. Crown and QSC have good reliability records. We use both Crown and QSC at our church, and they have been trouble free for over a decade, so far.

 

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