Price Paid:  $69900.00 from Guitar Center

Summary:
This is not a consumer amp, but a pro amp used for sound reinforcement. Well, I'll tell you compared to my Onkyo M504 power amp this amp simply reproduces music with the kind of muscle one associates with a live performance. I get much tighter, deep, dry bass. To be honest the top end seems a little more sterile, but hardly what I would call harsh. Maybe a better word would be analytical. All in all I see no reason to look at a very expensive consumer amp again. I was very skeptical before I bought this amp myself, and I posted on many boards before buying. I have listened to music including live music for many years. My brother was a jazz guitarist for 35 years. His very good friend Gene Palumbo went on to arrange, and conduct for Judy Garland for a couple years before her death. I believe I have a well trained ear, and what it hears is very neutral reproduction. I'm sure a lot of these $5000.00 amps are excellent and produce better specs, but to tell you the truth after hearing Krell, Threshold, and some H/K Citations over the years, this Crown stacks right up there with the best of them. Even the fan which I thought was going to be the big issue has not come on once that I can tell. I'm sure under laboratory listening conditions, these high end consumer amps may reveal more detail, but I listen in my living-room. So far I feel like I stole this amp for $699.00. I'll never run out of headroom, and it with probably outlast most consumer amps. In the past I personally owned a Phase Linear 400 series 2, H/K Citation 16, and an Onkyo M504. Each amp failed for one reason or another within a 8 years span. I know non of these where ultra high end, but they represented a good buy in their day, and were not exactly cheap. The only component I have from the very early 70's that has continued to perform with no maintenance at all is my Crown IC-150. If I get half the life out of this amp I should be in an old folks home by then. I'm not trying to sway anyone here, just presenting the facts as I see them.

Strengths:
Very Powerful dynamic sounding (475 watts per channel into 8 ohms) amplifier. Extremely tight solid low end. Once I eliminated a ground loop issue the amp is dead silent. Built like a tank. left and right gain controls, and built in dsp. Lots of protection circuitry. Fan does not come on till heat sinks reach 150 degree. After heavy use for 3.5 hours the heat sinks reached 122 degrees. I doubt the fan will ever come on in a home listening enviroment.

Weaknesses:
None that I can tell.

Similar Products Used:
Phase lInear 400 series 2, Harman Kardon Citation 16, and an Onkyo M 504 power amp.