I was sick while making this video, so I kinda rushed it. Residential audio equipment tends to vary from .775v to 2v line level. So some home gear will be fine as is but a preamp, mixer, or DAC with volume level is recommended to control the amps volume since you'll want the gain knobs on the amp itself to be set at max. Another way to control these pro audio amps is with any old home theater receiver that has Pre-Outs on the back, MOST of them will put out 2v line level on the Pre-Out.
Thanks for your video. I purchased and use the XLS1502 DriveCore 2 preamped from my Denon receiver to drive my front stereo mains in my home stereo/theatre setup, with input sensitivity @.775 Vrms .... Unreal power and sound! The realism and soundstage it brings to my stereo music, I close my eyes and the artists are in the room with me! Clean, pure, neutral sounding power that simply allows your sources & speakers to determine your sound signature. Noise floor is dead, dead quiet. Never going back. :-) Thanks again.
@Michael T RCA cables from my receiver's front channel Left & Right (L & R) pre-outs to the Crown inputs. This sends the front L & R channel signals from my receiver to the Crown XLS amplifiers, which then feed my front L & R speakers. Hope this helps.
@Michael T I have mine set to .775 Vrms, which is the most sensitive setting. This is recommended for most consumer grade components. I have my gains turned up to about three quarters of the max, which gives me a lot of headroom in my system. I never touch these but rather control the volume from my receiver. I leave these on all the time and never have to mess with them. They just sit quietly in the background pumping out tons of power when needed! 😊
line is from 0,3V to 0,5V but full balanced signal is supposed to be 1,2V but can be even higher, most tests are made with 2V so that is a whopping 12 to 18 db more than full line level. To use rca equipment with a PA amp you need a preamp, with your real volume knob, (because the two knobs are not volume knobs but anti-explosion volume limiters) and you are good. Typically you use a usb to xlr audio interface and you get the full sound level. You will get the same power at 25% volume than the line level with amp at 100%. so clarity will be up, hum will be down etc.
Thanks for your run down & tutelidge )on the crown amp XL.. Because of the difficult circimstances concering hooking it up to audio componets i I dont think id purchasde it.Ill just stick with the usual componets from harman kardon & Nackmichi knowing what to expect!!...Ps yours is the most through review ive seen of this crown amp.
Look for a used Preamplifier that will deliver the necessary voltage out that you require. Many older and well regarded preamplifiers put out at or above 2 volts before clipping. You can start on eBay and look up the specs outside of the listing, of any that appeals to you.
Used a xls 1500 bridged to a 18" Stereo Integrity, never had a problem with the inputs but i used the 1/4" plugs with rca adapters. This amp wasn't big enough, it clipped out on a few songs driving that 18. I ended up using a Behringer 3000 for it, and that made it move some more. Still think that 18 could take more power.
@@nathanrood6863 if its hooked up to a preamp its fine. This Amp you are supposed to set the Lineout and then never touch it again. You need a way to control volume like a preamp to do the job.
I’m using this amp to power up my Jl audio 13.5 W7. Main audio From Peavey mixer.2 DBX drive rack, split sound to EVENt Project powered studio speakers, crown for sub. This amp can do more at home if connected properly.
Nice video but viewers should know this amp does not have 5-way binding posts, it has standard terminals and SpeakON jacks. The red/black terminals will not accept spades because they could lose contact with the metal post as the other contact areas in the screw-down gap are plastic only. For spades the terminal screw-downs need to have a fixed metal washer to securely hold the spade as it's tightened against the post's metal base to ensure connectivity. Such terminals are common on consumer grade home stereo amps but are seldom used on professional amps. 5-way posts will accept: 1. Banana plug in the hole, 2. Bare wire thru the post with the screw-down tightened on it, 3. Bare wire wrapped around post with the screw-down tightened on it, 4. spade on the post with the screw-down tightened on it, 5. Spade on the post with the screw-down tightened on it AND banana plug in the hole, same time same post (bi-wire).
The biggest benefit of using a gain matching/ line boosting device is not having the possible issues of max gain on the gain pots (floor noise, gain hiss). Crown designs them to be fairly clean even if max gain is set but at that point you're really trying to force the amp to reach a decibel level it can't create with the incorrect line level. I'm not trying to be rude or anything my friend and I can tell that you're really in to the gear and hobby. I enjoy seeing people like that. I'm also not claiming to be any sort of expert either, because I'm not. I have the exact same Crown XLR 1000 that I have daisy chained in "pre out and main in" set of rcas on my home receiver. I use the Crown to power two subwoofers that are paralleled together and use the Crown in mono lowpass mode. In between the two I use a Rolls MB15b Promatch as a gain matching device and use balanced XLR from Rolls to Crown. The balanced XLR signal (from the Rolls) and cables automatically give a +6db boost as compared to unbalanced RCA's. The Rolls can also be gain boosted beyond the 1.4 v standard via the potentiometer. It also has outputs for .775v RCA so I can send the correct home audio standard signal back to my Onkyo receiver and it will have signal to use its own amp to power the rest of the speakers. I didn't want to overdrive my receiver with the 1.4v load. Anyway, I ran the Crown on my subs for about a year without the Rolls MB15b and the difference in sound quality and richness was astounding after adding the Rolls and I no longer need to max out the Gain even when I feel like bassing out.
Kevin good answer ,the kid wanted to use the amp but was in no way prepared to tackle the problems that go with of matching home to pro gear .you gave a simple good solution ,if he follows your advice he will be more than happy with the sound . I hope he does and doesn't give up ,if you want big power it takes time and work to eliminate associated bugs .you said the magic words ,impedence match and Ballanced input .
I know this comment is old but I just got the crown amp and it seams like I have my gains up high. I even tried putting voltage at 775. If I get this rolls mb15 do I put crown amp on 1.4 or 775 and then how do I adjust the criwn amp and the rolls
Ya I was testing 27 hz at 99 db and I never got the fan to come on. I’m lucky all my amps pull from behind makes air management much easier when all the fans go the same way
Depends what you'll be using it for. For intended use as a stereo or mono amplifier its a great amplifier in terms of power per dollar. I would not consider it "audiophile" or "hi-res" and I would not use Crown XLS anything for home theater subswoofers as they only play down to 30hz.
I just got a qsc and I'm running rca to wire from my phone and the wires going to my input on the amp are very thin and it don't get as loud as I thought I'm waiting on a couple adapters so I can use my mixer that has bluetooth I'm hoping it get louder
"Input Y" is exactly that. It isn't a crossover function. It is an internal function that feeds a single input signal to both amplifier channels. You use this function in place of a Y-adapter cable.
You were talking about line input on the amplifier not being enough. You totally need a pre amplifier. This is just a power amp. You can buy a pre amplifier with the proper voltage to drive this unit.
Yes, if your AV receiver has Pre-outs you should be able to use it as a Pre-amp for the Crown. Only other issue is if the Pre-outs aren't a full 2v line level, if not the Crown won't run full power.
For subs they are real winners, with more than enough to power most subs in bridged so I have a couple. The x-over gets the job done but you can do better with a better separate. Doing so it also boosted output voltage. That said using it to power full range speakers with internal passive x overs doesn't sound good to me at all. Its harsh and doesn't come nowhere near a good class A or A/B amp for sq. PA speakers are a better match. It lit my 15" JBL monitors like a champ. In a house I didn't get near its limits. Half gain was more than enough to be loud af and keep a party thumping hard.
That is how the Crown is designed. Its a line/gain control, not a preamp control. You set the line level and then you pretty much never touch the amp again. You control the volume from another device, like a Pre amp. With a lineout if you start messing with the knobs you can blow you equipment. Its a pro amp not a home amp, yes it can be used at home, but its not a plug and play solution, like a AVR
Thank you. Those are the SE9 MKiii. Sold them to a friend, awesome speakers. My channel is just out of hobby, I do video's for fun. Not a product pimp cranking out 10 minute video's like many other channels. Just having fun sharing the hobby.
Thanks for all the comments. Sorry about the poor video quality but I just use my phone and all my audio equipment is in the basement. In the future I should have better lighting and maybe a better camera. I only do this on the side to share my opinion or help out others that may have the same issues and questions like with this Crown amp. I was also sick when making this video so talking was tough.
Hi sir...I am from India I have crown xls 2502 I am also suffering with same gain problem...so I can't decide Rolls mb 15b or art clean box pro 2...please tell me rolls mb15b is perfect match to me ..any humming issues..? Thanks
@@sudhakarbejavada9928 get the art clean box pro 2. rolls is discontinued if need you can probably find it used but art clean box would be my choice now.
will this have an issue if i am planning to integrate this in my home theater for either sub or for front speakers? asking about input gain issue thanks
This amp can be used for both of those purposes long as you run a preamp or signal booster that puts out at least 1.4v. Another really good option is the Crown XLi800 or XLS1002 they both have a switch on the back now to set them to .775v so they work with home audio.
@Land of pîss and pôôp I didn't know this way back when I made this video because I m2ever had to deal with line level voltage. 2v rms is the standard and some consumer gear does have it other consumer gear may only have .775v. I haven't read it into because I really only bought the amp for review and sold it right after. But I'm not sure why Crown went with 1.4v line on the first gen and not just the standard 2v. On the second gen I know they added the switch .775v so it could be used with more consumer gear. Either way 2nd gen Crown XLS is still pretty much king when it comes to power per dollar with decent audio quality.
i just control my sources volume. never had a problem really. just the occasional laggy hiccup since most of the time im using my old phone which actually has a better headphone jack output level than my newer note 9... yikes. I should just purchase a yamaha mixer that has like maybe 4 or 6 channels and really get it crankin. Either way, I need to figure out some way to have a master volume remotely so i can like, step outside my house and still control it. maybe scare the shit outta my friends. Using the pc to have spotify on, then control spotify from my phone for volume and song switching isnt bad either just not 100% reliable for volume.
useless info alert, just tested my old samsung s4 headphone jack and it only outputs .2v at max volume. lmfao jesus... note 9 only does .4v Looks like im missing a shit load of volume. Im already scary loud. heeheehee
That amp is part of a series of live sound amps not home stereo amps lol. I use an XTI 2002 and they are high current amp meant for pa speakers. You can damage speakers or the amp using the wrong type of speakers. You need to preamp your signal I run my sound from a Soundblaster Xfi hd Titanium Pro soundcard to an American DJ mixing board. I run to a DriveRack PA then to a BBE sound maximizer for imaging on my JBL JRX 125's and then two JBL EON 618S Active subs.
As stated in my other comments I started using a SMSL SK10 DAC with it which has a 2v line level out and volume so I could control volume. You got quite the pile of gear....lol, little overkill for my needs. I sold the crown for Behringer NX1000D so I could toy around with built in DSP.
i think that usually the best way to drive these pro amps is via the XLR inputs. A nice sounding little mixer is very cheap these days. I had a nice one by Peavey even with usb input ... it sounded very very clean and low noise. (images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81CuEn205BL._SL1500_.jpg _ Even better should be a nice balanced line preamp that is what i would use for serious listening. What i mean is that if very good sound is the target a little investment on gear pays out.
i run these amps for live sound, it obvious you really didn't do your research..... with that being said if you had, I sure you would have chose another amp. I have run my 2 2500 xls and 1500 xls for 9 years Live sound, they are azz kickin amps!! no hick up at all from these amps
I hadn't done much with power amps and was just getting back into audio at this point. Thought about doing a redux of this video I have since done plenty of reading up on them. I didn't question its build quality and lots of people use these for home applications so not sure what your on about but its good to hear they are serving you well. I only bought the amp to try it out, never had any intention of keeping it or using it long term. I was also sick on top of my ignorance so this video basically sucked....lol.
That's why the guy who sold it to you got rid of it, it wasn't loud enough. You could have used the Sony speaker output to feed it. In fact that way you could even have used the balanced inputs.
just buy a good pre amp on amazon for 100 buck p1 pre amp very small one of the best pre amps hhok up your crown to it I have a crown xli2500 750 watts 4 ohms im running 15 ich Rockwell speakers using p1 also bluethoth has 1.4 mvoutput p1 preamp made by douk audio you hook up your cd player to pre amp also has tubes 6j% you will hear a huge diffents in sound class a which mine is class ab yours is class d
fyi those amps do not put out what they state. even if you have the correct input voltage it will clip way before the watts stated. i made this mistake buying two of them. sent them back same day u get what u pay for
@@Monkeyseemonkey79 high end pc via hdmi passthrough to rotel prosessor to antimode v2 uaing fully ballanced xlr to amp. Btw the Jury is already out on this amp. 2 other pro audio amps tested and are fine. 1 quarter price spend through national dealers uk wise results in one quater sound.
Nick FYI if you if you have no clue ,then you won't get the advertised wattage .your comment should read ,I don't know what I am doing and could not get this amp to perform to specifications .Don't blame equipment ,blame the actuall cause ,and don't talk smack to thousands trashing amps just because your a dumbass ,you probably should read the manual and look at the specs in different configurations
You set the line amp for desired gain , done ,set crown to 11 done , use your preamp for volume .the one flaw is you dont know wtf your talking about .
Yep. I used the SMSL Sanskrit 10th DAC as a preamp and got the volume I was expecting. I only bought this amp to review it and try it out. Had it for about a month sold it and moved on to something else. May do another Crown amp video in the future but for now I'd rather use the Behringer A800 for home stereo.
Not all preamps will do 1.4v on the line out. Best option I've found now is a small DAC like the SMSL SK10, it does 2v line output. Works great and is a great upgrade to the old crappy DACs found in basic cd players and preamps.
@@iowaudioreviews wrote, "Not all preamps will do 1.4V on the line out." Example, please? Every preamp I've encountered is good for at least 2V, sometimes much more. Designers know that some power amps need 2V in, to reach max power.
You run into this problem with just about ANY power amp. You HAVE to have a mixer OR a preamp. PERIOD. That being said, you're better off with a QSC. There hasn't been a reliable Crown since Harmon bought Crown then Samsung bought Harman and really the LAST GOOD Crows went away when the company stopped making Microtech and Macrotech amps. Crown build "cheap" entry level amps that FAIL. REPEAT. THEY FAIL!. QSC very, rarely does.
I've learned a lot about these amps since I made this video. I agree, Crown isn't what it used to be and the XLI or XLS series mostly just give lots power for the money. Granted in the home these amps probably hold up better than in the pro space where they get worked much harder all the time. I'm using a Behringer A800 Reference now and I like it but wouldn't mind trying something else. Do you recommend any specific QSC for home use under $300. Used is fine, I only ask because I have no experience with QSC. But I have wondered about the GX3 for a while now.
I believe you're thinking of the capacitor problems they had in one line a while back - IIRC it was the XTi models. They would shut down at random times. Other than that, I haven't heard of reliability issues with Crown. We've had one running 24/7 at a local skating rink for many years now, with not a single hiccup. It also survived a failure in an EQ unit driving it, which caused 8V pk-pk 120Hz square wave to the input of the amp.
No. Since when does anyone have to know everything to do a TH-cam video. I'm not getting paid, I do this for FREE just to share my interest in audio and maybe help someone else with the same questions. If your such a master do your own video and you better get every detail right bud!!! TH-cam is about community and sharing that's why its free and for everyone.
Crown DriveCore XLS 1002 PA are ugly pro amps. But they are crazy powerfull for the money 280euro. And with two amps in bridge (mono) mode they can power anything: crazy powerfull for the money. You can still color/colour the sound with preamps (tubes). I think the XLS1000 needs a preamp. Preamp with bluetooth and phono and multiple rca inputs.
I was sick while making this video, so I kinda rushed it. Residential audio equipment tends to vary from .775v to 2v line level. So some home gear will be fine as is but a preamp, mixer, or DAC with volume level is recommended to control the amps volume since you'll want the gain knobs on the amp itself to be set at max. Another way to control these pro audio amps is with any old home theater receiver that has Pre-Outs on the back, MOST of them will put out 2v line level on the Pre-Out.
And if you don't have a pre out you can get a Russound Line Level Adaptor so you can use your speaker outs up to 225 watts
My Marantz sr6009 is 2v out.
Thanks for your video. I purchased and use the XLS1502 DriveCore 2 preamped from my Denon receiver to drive my front stereo mains in my home stereo/theatre setup, with input sensitivity @.775 Vrms .... Unreal power and sound! The realism and soundstage it brings to my stereo music, I close my eyes and the artists are in the room with me! Clean, pure, neutral sounding power that simply allows your sources & speakers to determine your sound signature. Noise floor is dead, dead quiet. Never going back. :-)
Thanks again.
Patrick do you think it’s good for watching movies too
@@derrickmcpherson44 Yes, excellent for home theatre. I use it for both music and my home theatre.
@Michael T RCA cables from my receiver's front channel Left & Right (L & R) pre-outs to the Crown inputs. This sends the front L & R channel signals from my receiver to the Crown XLS amplifiers, which then feed my front L & R speakers. Hope this helps.
@Michael T I have mine set to .775 Vrms, which is the most sensitive setting. This is recommended for most consumer grade components. I have my gains turned up to about three quarters of the max, which gives me a lot of headroom in my system. I never touch these but rather control the volume from my receiver. I leave these on all the time and never have to mess with them. They just sit quietly in the background pumping out tons of power when needed! 😊
Hi guy, What front speakers do you have?
line is from 0,3V to 0,5V but full balanced signal is supposed to be 1,2V but can be even higher, most tests are made with 2V so that is a whopping 12 to 18 db more than full line level. To use rca equipment with a PA amp you need a preamp, with your real volume knob, (because the two knobs are not volume knobs but anti-explosion volume limiters) and you are good. Typically you use a usb to xlr audio interface and you get the full sound level. You will get the same power at 25% volume than the line level with amp at 100%. so clarity will be up, hum will be down etc.
Thanks for your run down & tutelidge )on the crown amp XL.. Because of the difficult circimstances concering hooking it up to audio componets i I dont think id purchasde it.Ill just stick with the usual componets from harman kardon & Nackmichi knowing what to expect!!...Ps yours is the most through review ive seen of this crown amp.
Look for a used Preamplifier that will deliver the necessary voltage out that you require. Many older and well regarded preamplifiers put out at or above 2 volts before clipping. You can start on eBay and look up the specs outside of the listing, of any that appeals to you.
Used a xls 1500 bridged to a 18" Stereo Integrity, never had a problem with the inputs but i used the 1/4" plugs with rca adapters. This amp wasn't big enough, it clipped out on a few songs driving that 18. I ended up using a Behringer 3000 for it, and that made it move some more. Still think that 18 could take more power.
The XLS drive core 2 amps have a selectable input gain now to address this when using home level stuff.
still doesn't work well enough with out some sort of line driver
@@nathanrood6863 if its hooked up to a preamp its fine. This Amp you are supposed to set the Lineout and then never touch it again. You need a way to control volume like a preamp to do the job.
@@4dchessplayer516 the Sony was the pre out....
@@nathanrood6863 Works great with my setup here at home.
get an ART CleanBox Pro to increase your levels and you'll be set. I have the XLS 1500 and I had to do the same thing. Fixed all my issues
Hey jinx Canada what model of the art cleanbox pro did you get by any chance for this amp ?
@@christopherwilson6825 ART CleanBox Pro 2 is what i have and it works flawlessly
@@JinxCanada thanks very much !
I’m using this amp to power up my Jl audio 13.5 W7. Main audio From Peavey mixer.2 DBX drive rack, split sound to EVENt Project powered studio speakers, crown for sub. This amp can do more at home if connected properly.
Nice video but viewers should know this amp does not have 5-way binding posts, it has standard terminals and SpeakON jacks. The red/black terminals will not accept spades because they could lose contact with the metal post as the other contact areas in the screw-down gap are plastic only. For spades the terminal screw-downs need to have a fixed metal washer to securely hold the spade as it's tightened against the post's metal base to ensure connectivity. Such terminals are common on consumer grade home stereo amps but are seldom used on professional amps. 5-way posts will accept: 1. Banana plug in the hole, 2. Bare wire thru the post with the screw-down tightened on it, 3. Bare wire wrapped around post with the screw-down tightened on it, 4. spade on the post with the screw-down tightened on it, 5. Spade on the post with the screw-down tightened on it AND banana plug in the hole, same time same post (bi-wire).
The biggest benefit of using a gain matching/ line boosting device is not having the possible issues of max gain on the gain pots (floor noise, gain hiss). Crown designs them to be fairly clean even if max gain is set but at that point you're really trying to force the amp to reach a decibel level it can't create with the incorrect line level. I'm not trying to be rude or anything my friend and I can tell that you're really in to the gear and hobby. I enjoy seeing people like that. I'm also not claiming to be any sort of expert either, because I'm not. I have the exact same Crown XLR 1000 that I have daisy chained in "pre out and main in" set of rcas on my home receiver. I use the Crown to power two subwoofers that are paralleled together and use the Crown in mono lowpass mode. In between the two I use a Rolls MB15b Promatch as a gain matching device and use balanced XLR from Rolls to Crown. The balanced XLR signal (from the Rolls) and cables automatically give a +6db boost as compared to unbalanced RCA's. The Rolls can also be gain boosted beyond the 1.4 v standard via the potentiometer. It also has outputs for .775v RCA so I can send the correct home audio standard signal back to my Onkyo receiver and it will have signal to use its own amp to power the rest of the speakers. I didn't want to overdrive my receiver with the 1.4v load. Anyway, I ran the Crown on my subs for about a year without the Rolls MB15b and the difference in sound quality and richness was astounding after adding the Rolls and I no longer need to max out the Gain even when I feel like bassing out.
Kevin good answer ,the kid wanted to use the amp but was in no way prepared to tackle the problems that go with of matching home to pro gear .you gave a simple good solution ,if he follows your advice he will be more than happy with the sound .
I hope he does and doesn't give up ,if you want big power it takes time and work to eliminate associated bugs .you said the magic words ,impedence match and Ballanced input .
I know this comment is old but I just got the crown amp and it seams like I have my gains up high. I even tried putting voltage at 775. If I get this rolls mb15 do I put crown amp on 1.4 or 775 and then how do I adjust the criwn amp and the rolls
A car radio with 2-3 or 4v preouts (most have 4v preouts) will do great.
Ya I was testing 27 hz at 99 db and I never got the fan to come on. I’m lucky all my amps pull from behind makes air management much easier when all the fans go the same way
Hi the amplifeer crown xsl 2500 is good? I want buy but i want now more. Thanks
Depends what you'll be using it for. For intended use as a stereo or mono amplifier its a great amplifier in terms of power per dollar. I would not consider it "audiophile" or "hi-res" and I would not use Crown XLS anything for home theater subswoofers as they only play down to 30hz.
So a preamplifier is not needed? Since it gives a good power? Sorry i dont know much about audio. And I want to put together a sound at home. Thanks
@@euclidesortiz7766 preamp is needed i have seen people use epicenters to use the crown amp as mono for subwoofers
Denon Dnp-800ne got variable output of 4.5volt and can be used as volume control
could a car EQ be used to give the crown amp that extra boost since it has a higher line level output than the receiver?
I just got a qsc and I'm running rca to wire from my phone and the wires going to my input on the amp are very thin and it don't get as loud as I thought I'm waiting on a couple adapters so I can use my mixer that has bluetooth I'm hoping it get louder
The mixer should have a standard line level out of 2v or more so it definitely get louder then just sending a signal from your phone.
"Input Y" is exactly that. It isn't a crossover function. It is an internal function that feeds a single input signal to both amplifier channels. You use this function in place of a Y-adapter cable.
Wrong
@@claudiacarrillo9733 How?
You were talking about line input on the amplifier not being enough. You totally need a pre amplifier. This is just a power amp. You can buy a pre amplifier with the proper voltage to drive this unit.
What is warmth to you?
I have a crown xls 1000 and Yes the fan turns on it’s VERY quiet
Sold I would imagine is that correct
Sir i am buying crown cts 600 for home stereo may i used crown power amp with my av reciever i am using Pardigm studio 100v3 please help thanks
Yes, if your AV receiver has Pre-outs you should be able to use it as a Pre-amp for the Crown. Only other issue is if the Pre-outs aren't a full 2v line level, if not the Crown won't run full power.
That's made in 2011! You purchased it now? For what deal?
He said 120$ shipped lol
buy a cheap car parametric eq, upto 2Vrms. these will run on 12v wifi adapter, class D amps are best for subs.
For subs they are real winners, with more than enough to power most subs in bridged so I have a couple. The x-over gets the job done but you can do better with a better separate. Doing so it also boosted output voltage. That said using it to power full range speakers with internal passive x overs doesn't sound good to me at all. Its harsh and doesn't come nowhere near a good class A or A/B amp for sq. PA speakers are a better match. It lit my 15" JBL monitors like a champ. In a house I didn't get near its limits. Half gain was more than enough to be loud af and keep a party thumping hard.
That is how the Crown is designed. Its a line/gain control, not a preamp control. You set the line level and then you pretty much never touch the amp again. You control the volume from another device, like a Pre amp.
With a lineout if you start messing with the knobs you can blow you equipment. Its a pro amp not a home amp, yes it can be used at home, but its not a plug and play solution, like a AVR
Thay do need a preamp .
Dang! Love Paradigm's old monitor series! Dig your channel compared to those caviar audio reviewers.
Thank you. Those are the SE9 MKiii. Sold them to a friend, awesome speakers. My channel is just out of hobby, I do video's for fun. Not a product pimp cranking out 10 minute video's like many other channels. Just having fun sharing the hobby.
Thanks for all the comments. Sorry about the poor video quality but I just use my phone and all my audio equipment is in the basement. In the future I should have better lighting and maybe a better camera. I only do this on the side to share my opinion or help out others that may have the same issues and questions like with this Crown amp. I was also sick when making this video so talking was tough.
it is not a Integrated Amplifier you need a preamp and a Rolls MB15b converter for gain.
Hi sir...I am from India I have crown xls 2502 I am also suffering with same gain problem...so I can't decide Rolls mb 15b or art clean box pro 2...please tell me rolls mb15b is perfect match to me ..any humming issues..? Thanks
@@sudhakarbejavada9928 get the art clean box pro 2. rolls is discontinued if need you can probably find it used but art clean box would be my choice now.
will this have an issue if i am planning to integrate this in my home theater for either sub or for front speakers? asking about input gain issue thanks
This amp can be used for both of those purposes long as you run a preamp or signal booster that puts out at least 1.4v. Another really good option is the Crown XLi800 or XLS1002 they both have a switch on the back now to set them to .775v so they work with home audio.
@Land of pîss and pôôp I didn't know this way back when I made this video because I m2ever had to deal with line level voltage. 2v rms is the standard and some consumer gear does have it other consumer gear may only have .775v. I haven't read it into because I really only bought the amp for review and sold it right after. But I'm not sure why Crown went with 1.4v line on the first gen and not just the standard 2v. On the second gen I know they added the switch .775v so it could be used with more consumer gear. Either way 2nd gen Crown XLS is still pretty much king when it comes to power per dollar with decent audio quality.
i just control my sources volume. never had a problem really. just the occasional laggy hiccup since most of the time im using my old phone which actually has a better headphone jack output level than my newer note 9... yikes. I should just purchase a yamaha mixer that has like maybe 4 or 6 channels and really get it crankin. Either way, I need to figure out some way to have a master volume remotely so i can like, step outside my house and still control it. maybe scare the shit outta my friends. Using the pc to have spotify on, then control spotify from my phone for volume and song switching isnt bad either just not 100% reliable for volume.
useless info alert, just tested my old samsung s4 headphone jack and it only outputs .2v at max volume. lmfao jesus... note 9 only does .4v Looks like im missing a shit load of volume. Im already scary loud. heeheehee
That amp is part of a series of live sound amps not home stereo amps lol. I use an XTI 2002 and they are high current amp meant for pa speakers. You can damage speakers or the amp using the wrong type of speakers. You need to preamp your signal I run my sound from a Soundblaster Xfi hd Titanium Pro soundcard to an American DJ mixing board. I run to a DriveRack PA then to a BBE sound maximizer for imaging on my JBL JRX 125's and then two JBL EON 618S Active subs.
As stated in my other comments I started using a SMSL SK10 DAC with it which has a 2v line level out and volume so I could control volume. You got quite the pile of gear....lol, little overkill for my needs. I sold the crown for Behringer NX1000D so I could toy around with built in DSP.
I use a all tube line driver.
do u need the miniDPS too?
No, but you could use a minidsp with it to get the correct line level or as a preamp.
Needs a SE preamp that puts out at least 2v (or a balanced pre that puts out 4v) and set the amp to 1.4v to get full power from the amp.
i think that usually the best way to drive these pro amps is via the XLR inputs. A nice sounding little mixer is very cheap these days. I had a nice one by Peavey even with usb input ... it sounded very very clean and low noise. (images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81CuEn205BL._SL1500_.jpg _ Even better should be a nice balanced line preamp that is what i would use for serious listening. What i mean is that if very good sound is the target a little investment on gear pays out.
Thank you 😊
Those plugs were to stop people in Europe from plugging in any electronics in there
drive 2 fixes this issue
You need a pre amp
i run these amps for live sound, it obvious you really didn't do your research..... with that being said if you had, I sure you would have chose another amp. I have run my 2 2500 xls and 1500 xls for 9 years Live sound, they are azz kickin amps!! no hick up at all from these amps
I hadn't done much with power amps and was just getting back into audio at this point. Thought about doing a redux of this video I have since done plenty of reading up on them. I didn't question its build quality and lots of people use these for home applications so not sure what your on about but its good to hear they are serving you well. I only bought the amp to try it out, never had any intention of keeping it or using it long term. I was also sick on top of my ignorance so this video basically sucked....lol.
It needs a preamp.
That's why the guy who sold it to you got rid of it, it wasn't loud enough.
You could have used the Sony speaker output to feed it. In fact that way you could even have used the balanced inputs.
just buy a good pre amp on amazon for 100 buck p1 pre amp very small one of the best pre amps hhok up your crown to it I have a crown xli2500 750 watts 4 ohms im running 15 ich Rockwell speakers using p1 also bluethoth has 1.4 mvoutput p1 preamp made by douk audio you hook up your cd player to pre amp also has tubes 6j% you will hear a huge diffents in sound class a which mine is class ab yours is class d
Come on dude you need a pre amp you should know it a power amp and requires a pre amp
fyi those amps do not put out what they state. even if you have the correct input voltage it will clip way before the watts stated. i made this mistake buying two of them. sent them back same day u get what u pay for
what was your source equipment?
@@Monkeyseemonkey79 high end pc via hdmi passthrough to rotel prosessor to antimode v2 uaing fully ballanced xlr to amp. Btw the Jury is already out on this amp. 2 other pro audio amps tested and are fine. 1 quarter price spend through national dealers uk wise results in one quater sound.
Nick FYI if you if you have no clue ,then you won't get the advertised wattage .your comment should read ,I don't know what I am doing and could not get this amp to perform to specifications .Don't blame equipment ,blame the actuall cause ,and don't talk smack to thousands trashing amps just because your a dumbass ,you probably should read the manual and look at the specs in different configurations
@@nickb7040Why would an XLS1000 be expected to put out 2k @4 ohms? That's not the rated power.
You set the line amp for desired gain , done ,set crown to 11 done , use your preamp for volume .the one flaw is you dont know wtf your talking about .
Splice some rca,s and plug them into your speaker outs on your stereo receiver. Problem solved 😌
Oh lord 😂😂😂😂
@@lancestephenson9375 tell me it won't work?
We have all been there not gonna lie 😂😂😂😂😂
@@lancestephenson9375 😁😁😁😁
buy pre amp you will thank me
It's Not the Amp that has a FLAW--it's Your Knowledge of Electronics. Hey, Plug yur Fone into it--Hahahaha
Um...what. Like play music off my fone?
your crowm amp will sound 100 times better with preamp 100 dollars thar it you will thank me you will see your sony cant even come close preamp
Yep. I used the SMSL Sanskrit 10th DAC as a preamp and got the volume I was expecting. I only bought this amp to review it and try it out. Had it for about a month sold it and moved on to something else. May do another Crown amp video in the future but for now I'd rather use the Behringer A800 for home stereo.
use it for bass
You need to get the model 1002
Get a PreAmp !!!
🤣🤣🤣!!!
Just get a preamp.
Not all preamps will do 1.4v on the line out. Best option I've found now is a small DAC like the SMSL SK10, it does 2v line output. Works great and is a great upgrade to the old crappy DACs found in basic cd players and preamps.
@@iowaudioreviews wrote, "Not all preamps will do 1.4V on the line out."
Example, please? Every preamp I've encountered is good for at least 2V, sometimes much more. Designers know that some power amps need 2V in, to reach max power.
You run into this problem with just about ANY power amp. You HAVE to have a mixer OR a preamp. PERIOD. That being said, you're better off with a QSC. There hasn't been a reliable Crown since Harmon bought Crown then Samsung bought Harman and really the LAST GOOD Crows went away when the company stopped making Microtech and Macrotech amps. Crown build "cheap" entry level amps that FAIL. REPEAT. THEY FAIL!. QSC very, rarely does.
I've learned a lot about these amps since I made this video. I agree, Crown isn't what it used to be and the XLI or XLS series mostly just give lots power for the money. Granted in the home these amps probably hold up better than in the pro space where they get worked much harder all the time. I'm using a Behringer A800 Reference now and I like it but wouldn't mind trying something else. Do you recommend any specific QSC for home use under $300. Used is fine, I only ask because I have no experience with QSC. But I have wondered about the GX3 for a while now.
I believe you're thinking of the capacitor problems they had in one line a while back - IIRC it was the XTi models. They would shut down at random times.
Other than that, I haven't heard of reliability issues with Crown. We've had one running 24/7 at a local skating rink for many years now, with not a single hiccup. It also survived a failure in an EQ unit driving it, which caused 8V pk-pk 120Hz square wave to the input of the amp.
A lot of I thinks in this video.
Get it together.
No. Since when does anyone have to know everything to do a TH-cam video. I'm not getting paid, I do this for FREE just to share my interest in audio and maybe help someone else with the same questions. If your such a master do your own video and you better get every detail right bud!!! TH-cam is about community and sharing that's why its free and for everyone.
Crown DriveCore XLS 1002 PA are ugly pro amps. But they are crazy powerfull for the money 280euro. And with two amps in bridge (mono) mode they can power anything: crazy powerfull for the money.
You can still color/colour the sound with preamps (tubes). I think the XLS1000 needs a preamp. Preamp with bluetooth and phono and multiple rca inputs.