If you think Crown would gracefully sunset the popular Macro-Tech line of tour-grade audio power amplifiers, well you are in for a surprise. The new Macro-Tech i Series provides a decent series life extension by keeping the front-panel look and feel, while sneaking in some of the same technology from the I-Tech series amplifiers. One could spend a lot of time comparing the I-Tech with the Macro-Tech i, but the little time I spent on this tells me there are both similarities and differences.
The Gear
On the similarities side, the new Macro-Tech i Series does get a pair of Class I power amp stages; and depending what size MAi amp you buy, you get either 2,000-, 3,000- or 4,000- watts per channel at 4-ohms ratings. The Crown MA9000i amplifier I received has 3,000 watts per channel at 4-ohms, but also does about 4,570 watts impulse power with 1,500 watts per channel at 8-ohms and back to 2,500 watts at 2-ohms. The Macro-Tech i Series also has a similar switching power supply as the I-Tech amplifiers with a separate cooling fan for the supply.
On the front panel, the Macro-Tech look and feel is preserved by the grille work, logo plate, two volume knobs, signal/ready LEDs and power button. Three more LEDs handle the power, bridge mode and data traffic indications. The front also takes in cooling air and lets the two rear fans exhaust the heated air.
The rear panel has more of an I-Tech look and feel, except for missing the colorful paint job on the I-Tech rear panels. The Crown MAi power amplifiers have a 20-ampere IEC inlet next to the power supply exhaust fan and resettable circuit breaker. The middle of the chassis contains the analog and control jacking, with in/out XLR connectors for each channel and a RJ-45 ethercon connector by Neutrik for data control. Three momentary push-button switches handle the sensitivity selection (1.4V/32 dB/25 dB), input mode selection (stereo/bridge/Y-mode) and network reset control.
The remaining rear panel features are the power amp exhaust fan, and the speaker output connections. The beefy 50-ampere-rated Neutrik Speakon NL4 connectors handle each channel’s needs, with channel one connector having channel two’s outputs on the +/-2 circuit contacts. In addition, there are the expected 60- ampere-rated binding post connections for traditional in-rack or install wiring.
I took the time to break out the Torx 10 bit on my electric screwdriver and popped the bottom cover off the MA9000i amplifier. What I found was a lot of nice surface-mount technology (SMT) circuit components intermixed with power supply reservoir capacitors, power transistors, and large inductors for the class I switching. The design of this amplifier is meant to stay very cool, and the near 90% efficiency of this amplifier will keep it that way.
The Gigs
Living up to the Macro-Tech durability and large power output capability is no easy walk in the park. So, I was merciless in torturing the MA9000i amplifier, both in subwoofer duty and on top-boxes. I normally do not try 2-ohm operation, but I had to do it just because so many club installs in my area inflict that kind of loading all the time on MA5002 amps. While each channel of the MA9000i loaded at 2-ohms (two 2×18” sub cabs) does not stand a chance against stereo 4-ohm loading, it did do much better than what a MA5002 could handle, even with similar power ratings.
So, the 3,000 watts per pair of subs does kick ass and take names. Many of its high power amplifier peers can occasionally fall short in speed to handle top-box duty. The Crown MA9000i was a nice and expected exception in that clean highs and good mid-range fidelity came to my top-boxes with this amplifier. While 3,000 watts is a bit much on monitor wedge duty, I am sure that plenty of MA5000i amplifiers will work fine in this application.
I checked out the System Architect software that came bundled with the amplifier. The features are ideal for most touring application, but will not have speaker processor filter features that are used in top of the line touring amplifiers like the I-Tech. But you do get amplifier volume control, load and amplifier monitoring, and compression and limiting thrown in for good measure.
In summary, the Crown Audio Macro-tech i series amplifiers are beautiful products that fit the practical/durable description. While there’s nothing wrong with the previous Macro-Tech amplifiers, the 28-pound weight of the new amplifiers is appreciated in portable applications, and the huge power ratings make the new i series an obvious winner for live sound professionals.
Crown Macro-Tech i Series Amplifiers
What It Is: Tour-grade audio power amps.
How much: Crown Audio MA9000i: $5,200 SRP.
Pros: Rugged, lightweight, high fidelity.
Cons: Nada.
Web site: www.crownaudio.com
