# Proton CA-261 High Current Mobile Amp



## JonBoy81 (May 18, 2013)

Hi, all. I recently picked up a Proton CA261. Google search yields almost nothing and this is just barely before my time it might seem, or just so obscure that I wasn't oogling it as a kid. Can anyone more knowledgeable shed some light on its capability/rarity?

I don't have a way set up to post pics yet but I can say it is a black brick of an amp in the style of mats dh200c. I noted a 25 amp fuse and right and left channel gains, which I know can be desirable for SQ setups. Any insight is appreciated. 

Thanks in advance guys


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## ATOMICTECH62 (Jan 24, 2009)

I remember the Protons.They had some kind of circuit like the Carver Magnetic Field amplifiers for the home.They were rated at like 50 x 2 RMS but could do short bursts of around 150 x2 for something like 100 milliseconds.
They were pretty good for their time but never caught on.


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## cajunner (Apr 13, 2007)

dpd, or dynamic power on demand, was 6 db of headroom as measured on 400 millisecond spikes, if I'm remembering correctly.

there were 3 I believe, the 250 and the 222, I think the one you have was a 50W/ch with 350W capable for short bursts.


the sonic signature of this kind of amp was similar to a 125W/ch normal amp, because music needs a certain amount of dynamic power to stay out of "sounds like clipping" modes.

If this amp is perfect it is valuable enough, as there are a small number of Proton home audio collector/users, who enjoy similar circuit designs in the home.

I always wanted one, or the NAD home equivalent, (sister company, similar circuit called Power Envelope, I think) but never had one.

I would value it like a nice 100W/ch amp, say 80 bucks in good condition on the used market, with some collectors maybe going to 100 or so in a bidding scuffle.


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## cajunner (Apr 13, 2007)

okay, tried to get the pictures in, it looks like a different variety amp than the ones that had dpd, still a nice amp.

maybe it's a 35/ch rated amp like the Harmon Kardon, with high current power supply capable of putting out more power in low ohm loads.

or, like Harman Kardon's CA240, capable of putting out instantaneous peaks of 25 amps on dynamic burst power.

it has the same purple look as the Harmon Kardon's later models, TCQ400 or 600, or something like that.


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## ATOMICTECH62 (Jan 24, 2009)

I remember they had a bigger one that was rated like 75 or 100 x 2.I read a review one of the car magazines did on it.Dont recall the model number though.


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## cajunner (Apr 13, 2007)

I seem to recall the Harmon Kardon newer series, with some re-branding factoids.

like, Coustic's XM-7 or whatever was an HK piece, and HK made car amps for a few companies, I want to say maybe Nakamichi, possibly Concord and this Proton one? Marantz had some amps made too, I think...

although Proton was one of those companies that built their own head units, I think they were like Concord in that way, a competitor to Alpine for the higher end stuff back then. They could have been the ones building the car amps and other companies rebadging as far as I know.


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## sqchris (May 27, 2013)

ATOMICTECH62 said:


> I remember they had a bigger one that was rated like 75 or 100 x 2.I read a review one of the car magazines did on it.Dont recall the model number though.


D275, I had one in 86 or 87. Great amp, love the dynamic power!


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## JonBoy81 (May 18, 2013)

Don't think the pics I linked worked
Welcome to Flickr!


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