Crown Audio STUDIO AMPLIFIER - Manual (Page 7)

Page 7
Studio Reference IIIII & II II II II II
Professional Studio Amplifiers
1 Welcome
The stunning realism you will experience when listen-
ing to a Crown
Studio Reference ™ amplifier will
redefine your expectations. The evolution of this studio
standard ushers in a new era of powerful, ultraquiet
amplifiers capable of faithfully reproducing the most
demanding signals that state-of-the-art 20-bit digital
recording systems can offer. This kind of sonic integrity
does not happen accidentally. It demands the leader-
ship and technical excellence for which Crown has
long been known.
With the best transfer function in the industry, ultra-high
dynamic range and extraordinary damping factor, your
Studio Reference amplifier comes closer to the ideal
“straight wire with gain” than any other amplifier. As
you listen, it will become apparent—the amplifier’s low-
frequency transient response is the standard by which
all others must be judged.
We have taken great care at every step in the creation
of your amplifier—from the selection of its components
to the routing of each wire. It is our goal to provide you
with total satisfaction. This is one reason why we have
spent considerable effort in providing you with the
most complete
Owner’s Manual in the business.
Please read it carefully—especially the instructions,
warnings and cautions. It will help you successfully
install and use your new amplifier. Be sure to read
Sections 3.3.2 and 3.3.3 if you plan to use one of the
amplifier’s two mono modes.
Please send in your warranty registration card today
and save your bill of sale because it is your official
proof of purchase. We hope you enjoy your new ampli-
fier, and thank you for choosing Crown.
1.1 Features
Studio Reference amplifiers integrate several cutting
edge technologies that make them the most accurate
reference amplifiers available. For example, in Stereo
mode each channel can actually be treated as a sepa-
rate amplifier because of its separate high-voltage
power supplies and ultra-low crosstalk. Here are some
of its many impressive features:
❏ Crown’s unconventional grounded bridge ™ circuitry
delivers incredible voltage swings without using
stressful output transistor configurations like other more
traditional amplifiers. This results in significantly lower
distortion and superior reliability.
❏ Patented ODEP ® (Output Device Emulation Protection)
circuitry detects and compensates for overheating and
overload to keep the amplifier working when others
would fail.
❏ IOC ® (Input/Output Comparator) circuitry immediately
alerts you of any distortion that exceeds 0.05% to
provide dynamic
proof of distortion-free performance.
❏ P.I.P. (Programmable Input Processor) connector
accepts accessories that tailor your amplifier to suit
specific applications.
❏ Extremely wide dynamic range capable of accurately
reproducing 20-bit digital recordings.
❏ Ultra-high damping factor delivers superior loudspeaker
motion control for the cleanest, tightest, chest-thumping
bottom end you’ve ever felt—or heard.
❏ Super-low harmonic and intermodulation distortion give
your amplifier the best transfer function in the business.
❏ Two mono modes (Bridge-Mono and Parallel-Mono) for
driving a wide range of load impedances.
❏ Custom-designed, tape-wound, low-noise toroidal
supplies with extremely high power density.
❏ High-voltage headroom and high-current headroom
provide energy reserves that make it easy to drive low-
impedance loads and highly reactive loads to full power.
❏ Full protection against shorted outputs, mismatched
loads, general overheating, DC and high-frequency
overloads. Full overvoltage and internal fault protection.
❏ Indicators include Enable, ODEP, IOC, Signal Presence
and the Dynamic Range/Level meter.
❏ Balanced phone jacks and XLR connectors are pro-
vided for input. Two pair of 5-way binding posts per
channel are provided for versatile output connection.
❏ Ground lift switch isolates the AC power and phone jack
audio grounds.
❏ Efficient heat sinks and a self-contained, on-demand,
infinitely variable forced-air cooling system prevents
overheating and prolongs component life.
❏ Internal three-position input sensitivity switch provides
settings of 0.775 volts and 1.4 volts for standard 1 kHz
power, and 26 dB gain.
❏ Mounts in a standard 19 inch (48.3 cm) equipment rack,
or units can be stacked directly on top of each other.
❏ Three year “No-Fault” full warranty completely protects
your investment and guarantees its specifications.