Crown Audio (or just Crown) is probably best known for their
power amps, but they also have a very unique line of microphones. Crown is actually owned by Harmon (AKG,
Infinity and JBL, among many others).
The Crown company extends back to 1947 when they made tape
recorders. They introduced mics to their
lineup in the early 1980s.
Crown microphones are unique in their
application. Probably their best-known
specialty mic series is PZM (pressure zone microphone). They are typically a flat mic mounted to a
plate. Along with Crown’s PCC (phase
coherent cardioid), Crown created the industry standard for stage microphones,
largely because they can lay flat on the floor or wall and pick up a wide range
of sound. PZMs are small and
inconspicuous, and Crown offers several models as surveillance equipment. They also offer lectern, clip-on and
conventional hand-held microphones.
Chances are, you have already heard a Crown
microphone. They are immensely popular
for school or community theaters. The
PZMs are inexpensive and very user-friendly. Crown microphones start below $70. The
PCC-160 is around $290.
