Vintage office system moves up another notch....

[Vintage Pete]

Just over a week ago, my Crown-based vintage office system moved up another step. You may recall 2 weeks ago, I posted a thread detailing the addition
of the Crown Distinction series EQ-2 Equalizer to that system.

http://www.audioaficionado.org/vinta...wn-system.html

In that thread, I discussed the three components that comprised the Crown Distinction series of components, which was pretty much Crown's flagship line
of components in the era when Crown was establishing a very well respected reputation for manufacturing top notch components for home audio use.

This latest arrival is very welcome, that being a very nice example of the Distinction series SA-2 amplifier. Styled very attractively and similarly to the EQ-2 equalizer,
the amplifier was rated at 220 watts RMS/channel in stereo, and 700 watts in mono operation. This amplifier came from the same seller as the equalizer, and there was
a certain amount of drama leading to its arrival and integration in the system, first as the seller discovered an issue with the unit prior to shipment, and had the unit
serviced prior to shipment at no additional cost to me. That meant another week of anticipation for me as I awaited resolution of the issue.

Let's have a look at this amplifier right out of the box, with just a minimal amount of cleaning and detailing:










The next hurtle I had to deal with is the fact that Crown opted to supply the amplifier with a 20 amp power cord and plug, for which I had no suitable outlet:




Crown used to supply an adaptor cord with these amplifiers so users could run the unit on a standard 15 amp circuit, but this adaptor was long gone. To my surprise,
while these adaptors are relatively easy to order, you won't find one off the shelf. At least, I couldn't here locally. So, long story short, I had to build my own unless
I wanted to wait for Amazon to ship me one (I didn't want to wait! )

So, here are the parts I had to buy:



The finished product:




Now, we are in business.....let's get the amplifier installed. She's a beauty....











A look at the rear apron:



(Please don't laugh at my cables guys....all in due time!)


The Differences

From the outset, it is readily apparent that this amplifier is in another league altogether, an entirely different animal compared to the venerable DC-300A
that it is replacing in my office system. It is much more sophisticated, utilizing on-board analog computers to monitor the safe operating areas of the output
devices, dual-mono power supply configuration with two power transformers, and a forced-air cooling system. The front panel, with its recessed slots on each
side of the panel, is more than a pretty face. These slots are actually vents for the rear mounted two-speed fan to exhaust warm air. The entire top of the
amplifier is covered with a very heavy duty metal screen for ventilation. Then you have the very cool LED ladder display, which contains 30 green LED's covering
a 42 db range for level indication, with peak holding indicators that hold for 4 seconds before displaying an updated peak indication; two amber standby LED's to
indicate in the unlikely event of a condition that requires a temporary shutdown; and two red IOC (input-output comparator) LED's that warn if distortion levels
exceed 0.05%. Upon turning on the amplifier, the front panel display runs through a short self-test, giving you a very cool little "light show" upon start up.


Ventilating the SA2

The photos above show the amplifier as it is currently installed in the system. At first, I installed it in the very nice walnut cabinet that I had my DC-300A in. Although
the SA2 can be mounted in it, it is not the correct cabinet. It is about 1-1/2 inches shallower than the SA2, and it lacks any top ventilation screens. I found that, when
mounted in this cabinet, the SA2's thermal sensors activated the higher fan speed rather quickly, more often than I would like. In that mode, the fan is rather loud. In the
normal, low speed mode, it is inaudible unless you put your ear right up to the amplifier's front panel vents. So, I chose to remove the unit from the walnut case until such
time as I can locate one of the deeper cabinets that were offered by Crown that also featured metal ventilation screens on the top.

It does look gorgeous in a cabinet, as we can see here:



If anyone has a lead on the correct cabinet, please let me know. (The cabinet that was offered for the Crown Power Line Four would be ideal).

Since I removed the amplifier from the non-ventilated case, it is much happier, and it is still very attractive to look at.


The Sound

As I mentioned, it is readily apparent that the SA2 is in a different league altogether from the DC-300A. Its sound is much more refined, and is deliciously revealing.
The character and timber of various instruments shine through beautifully. It's not hard to tell when one is listening to a truly high end amplifier, and this one fits squarely
in that category. It also has a beautiful bottom end, apparent even with my modest near-field monitors (JBL 4401) and small JBL consumer sub (PB10). That's not surprising,
since the amplifier has a rated damping factor of 700.


Minor quirks

Being over thirty years old, it's not fair to expect everything to be perfect, though this unit is close to it. There are two minor issues with the LED display-the first is that, when
the display peaks exceed the 24db mark on the right channel scale, that LED stays lit, until the level again falls below that point, at which time it resumes normal operation. Also,
at very low levels, the left channel ladder seems a bit more sensitive than the right, until the volume is increased a bit. these are both minor issues that aren't particularly troublesome.
I am however, researching a bit in my service manual how exactly this is set up and may be able to remedy these little bugs at my leisure.

Conclusion

This amplifier is a keeper....its sound and overall workmanship grows on me by the day. It's a joy just to look at, and even more to listen to. It's easy to see why this was in Crown's
flagship line. The little bit of drama before its arrival and slight pampering that it requires were and are worth the trouble, for this is a splendid amplifier.

One has to wonder where Crown would be today, had they stayed in this direction to the present. Their Pro audio commitment is obvious today and they are very viable in that market.
It's a shame they drifted from the home audio realm. I believe they would be a leader today had they not.


Thanks for looking guys!


Pete

[redm]

Nice looking upgrade Pete. Just curious why you didn't just replace the wall outlet with NEMA 20 outlet instead of building the extension/adapter?

[Vintage Pete]

Originally Posted by redm

Nice looking upgrade Pete. Just curious why you didn't just replace the wall outlet with NEMA 20 outlet instead of building the extension/adapter?

A valid question. First, the outlet is not at all convenient to access. It would be a significant hassle. Secondly, other devices are plugged into it via a 6-outlet adaptor. That's necessary because half of the outlet is controlled by a wall switch. The side that is unswitched powers a surge suppressing outlet center, which in turn powers the system.

Pete

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by Vintage Pete

[B]



(Please don't laugh at my cables guys....all in due time!)

Pete.......What happened to the two lamps you stole those wire from?

I just kidding, of course. What an excellent write up on your new Crown SA2 Distinction Series power amplifier. She's a beauty. Love all the photos, too.

[Vintage Pete]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Pete.......What happened to the two lamps you stole those wire from?

I hang my head in shame, Dan...

Pete

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by Vintage Pete

I hang my head in shame, Dan...

Pete.......Didn't mean to hurt your feelings.

It's clear that is actually speaker wire. I see the red tracer. I have the same wire on my vintage system from my MA5100 and the JBL 4312A's, so don't feel bad.

We all have skeletons in the closet.

[prepress]

Did those binding posts on the SA2 come with it or are they add-ons? Those are nice, I like them. And though low-cost, AQ Diamondback is supposed to be pretty good. Nothing wrong with them, I'd say.

[Vintage Pete]

Originally Posted by prepress

Did those binding posts on the SA2 come with it or are they add-ons? Those are nice, I like them. And though low-cost, AQ Diamondback is supposed to be pretty good. Nothing wrong with them, I'd say.

Prepress...the SA2 does come with pretty good quality binding posts, but I think what you are looking at are the adaptors that I am using that go from binding posts that accept spades to banana plugs. These are available at Radio Shack (another skeleton comes out of the closet...!). They really aren't bad and are gold plated. These adaptors are two-conductor with standard 3/4" spacing. Very convenient.

Pete

['cisco]

Pete.....I think we can call you the "Crown Man" now ....a beautiful setup and congrats.

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by Vintage Pete

These are available at Radio Shack (another skeleton comes out of the closet...!).

Pete.......OMG! What's next.