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Crown k2 for bass guitar?
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2014 1:45 pm
by terminator
I use two acoustic 370s into four 2x15s. I need more watts. There's a few k2's on the local Craig's for $375.
Now, I've never used power amps. This one has the capability to do 2 channels down to 2 ohms @ 1250w.
Bridged, it only goes down to 4 ohms. So, I think I'll run all four cabs through the power amp in stereo.
Is there anything I'm forgetting or don't realize that won't make this work? The 370s have 2 pre outs, so ill only need one of them going into both channels on the crown?
Is this a decent model for dooming the shit out of a downtuned bass with all the fuzz dimed all the time?
Re: Crown k2 for bass guitar?
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2014 2:23 pm
by Jakezor
Power is power. If your Acoustic 370 has a output that works with the K2 and you're fine on the speaker impedance, you should be set.
I used a Line6 Pod X3 Live floor board into a Samson Servo 120a power amp to a 2x12 for quite a while.
Re: Crown k2 for bass guitar?
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2014 4:10 pm
by terminator
That's kinda how I'm looking at it. Power is power.
What I'm concerned about is how well the k2 handles loud distorted signals and how it sounds if pushed to clipping? I'm not sure if they have a tendency to melt down like some class d amps.
I need it to be fairly rugged.
Re: Crown k2 for bass guitar?
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2014 4:26 pm
by foomanfat
DFA dude pushed the shit out of power amps, right? What was he using?
Re: Crown k2 for bass guitar?
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2014 5:12 pm
by neonblack
Marshall I think. Dunno which ones. I'll be able to tell you in November when I see them

Re: Crown k2 for bass guitar?
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2014 8:01 pm
by terminator
I probably have the weird matching cabs for those old Marshall amps. But they suck. 2 10s, a 15, and an 18.
Anyone have k2 experience in particular? No bath salts.
Re: Crown k2 for bass guitar?
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 11:02 am
by whiskey_face
ive heard them used in a home theater setting. I was impressed with their ability to go down to 20hz FLAT as fuck.
"Frequency Response: ±0.25 dB from 20 Hz to
20 kHz."
FLAT AS FUCK to 20 hz is good shit.
however I swore away from crowns when I had 3 (!!!!WTF!!!!) different drive cores arrive NIB with 3 different issues.
as much as I HATE to admit it, I would be really really eyeballing some INUKEs with DSP built in. dsp seems like it could be the cats meow for getting that fuzz juuuust right and hammering out the lows with its built in EQs xovers and whatnot
just take the claimed power and devide by 40% that's real world numbers.
OR get a fucking CV5000 and miniDSP and win at life.
Re: Crown k2 for bass guitar?
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 11:20 am
by PetZounds
That sounds like a pretty cool idea, but you're forgetting one thing:
If you're only using one 370, your rig won't be as satisfyingly symmetrical.
Re: Crown k2 for bass guitar?
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 2:07 pm
by terminator
The inuke nu6000 only goes down to 4 ohms and the nu3000 is only 600w @ 2 ohms after multiplying 1500w by 40%.
I'm really reluctant to use dsp. Granted I've never heard it.
Are there any heavy ass older power amps that can do 2 x 2ohms at around 1000w? I don't need a class d amp.
And I'd stack it atop the single 370 so it'd still be symmetrical.
Re: Crown k2 for bass guitar?
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 9:53 pm
by whiskey_face
cerwin vega cv2800 does 2 x 2 ohms @1400 watts.
and cv historicly was joined with acoustics. . . they made the 189e for the 371 cabs.
cv amps are overbuilt too.

Re: Crown k2 for bass guitar?
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 12:18 am
by terminator
whiskey_face wrote:cerwin vega cv2800 does 2 x 2 ohms @1400 watts.
and cv historicly was joined with acoustics. . . they made the 189e for the 371 cabs.
cv amps are overbuilt too.

I like how you think
Re: Crown k2 for bass guitar?
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 1:39 am
by rfurtkamp
Power amps for PA-type purposes do not sound good if pushed to clipping. You're not going to get desirable, fun sounds out of them.
Also will depend on whether your existing amp's pre-out signal is clean and decent and liked by the power amp you end up using.
A lot of amp line outs are noisier than hell.
Normally I'd go with a dedicated, intended to be run into a power amp-type pre and call it good.
Re: Crown k2 for bass guitar?
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 1:19 pm
by terminator
Are there impedance issues I should know about between the pre and power amps?
Re: Crown k2 for bass guitar?
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 1:28 pm
by terminator
It seems the 370 has a 5k ohm line out and the crown k2 has a 10k ohm input impedance. Would that work? I only know speaker impedance shit.
Re: Crown k2 for bass guitar?
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2014 12:11 am
by rfurtkamp
Should be fine as long as it sounds good.
If you've got access to a mixing console/DAW interface/etc I'd consider plugging the 370's out into that and seeing if it's clean, sounds ok, etc.
Most amp line outs are flat out dismal, especially in that era. They're an afterthought or something that cost $3 to add that looked impressive on the spec sheet.