Crown XLS Amplifiers

[superstardeejay 0]

We've just taken delivery of some of the (fairly) new Crown XLS602 amplifiers, they are part of the XLS range which go from around 150W up to about 600W per channel. They'll drive into 2 ohms /ch (though the manual dissuades you from designing-in this load in an install) and can be bridged for mono 4-ohms.

 

I've taken one apart just to look at build quality, I'm familiar with the Microtech and Macrotech amps whose legendary reliability and performance have guaranteed their use by most well-known band tours and concerts, then again they cost around £3500 against the £400 for the XLS600.

 

With the lid off it's plain how they've reduced the price, they are chinese through and through, although, unlike most chinese brands, these amps do have the familiar TO3 metal output transistors, twin fans and multiple-fin high efficiency heatsinks of their more expensive brothers...they're definitely Crown designed inside & out. Circuit design is simple, its all toroidal transformers and linear outputs, no surface-mount. Casing is mild steel, no carry-handles, and a large airflow grille without filter.

 

There are only a few facilities: Left and Right attenuator pots, mains on/protect/clip lights, mains switch, thermal overload (cutout). IEC inlet, XLR inputs and speakon outputs. There are also the usual american/japanese - style banana posts for bare speaker wire.

 

There's an inrush soft-start, and speaker protection relays. The output has current-limit to protect agains wiring shorts.

 

Sound-wise, they're fine, they have a damping factor of 'better than 200' and if you want a no-frills reliable amp with a 3-year warranty then look at these. There are certainly cheaper units around, its difficult to say at this stage whether the extra money for the Crown is going on the name or the tried-and-trusted design they have. Time will tell!

 

It's interesting to note that Crown are now owned by the omnipresent US company Harman International who also own Soundcraft, JBL, BSS, AKG, DBX, DOD, Lexicon and Studer-Revox. (they also owned Allen & Heath until about 5 years ago).