Amps for KEF Blade 2

e91811,

It has been a year since the last post here. I was wondering how you liked the AHB2 with your Blade 2? What is the rest of your system?

I am all over the map on DAC | Pre | Amp choices for the Blades (for my living room). I am going to try and listen to the Theta Prometheus, Bryston 7BSST3, and the AHB2 with the Blades . If I go this route I am thinking of something like a Briscati M12 (includes DAC + analog volume + soon to be Roon Ready via ethernet).

The other option which I think will definitely work great is getting high quality separates for the Blades. However, there will be a substantial increase in costs doing this. Your approach of using the AHB2 is something I thought might be a way to get around high cost amps for the Blades.

e91811,
Thanks for the feedback. I will have to do the home demo with the Benchmark amps. I was also thinking of the PS Audio DS or the Briscati M12 (soon to include ROON via ethernet).

dbphd,
I think the Ayre maybe a little weak for the Blades from what I have read about the Blades.The JC1 is a popular amp for the Blades. I heard the Hegel 360 integrated with the Blades and it can drive it well. Another alternative amp, and 1 I am considering along with the Benchmark, is the Theta Prometheus. A fellow A’Goner sent me an email indicating that it was a phenomenal combo with the Blades. A well known KEF rep came to his house and said it was one of the best Blade + amp combos he had ever heard. I won’t get into details of the email since it was a private message. The Theta measures similar to the Benchmark but 2x the cost..

I also have the KEF LS50 and I am amazed at how good it now sounds with my new integrated, a PeachTree Nova 150 ($1500). My prior amp, a Parasound A23, never sounded this good with the LS50,

dbphd,
I only noticed today that you had asked me about whether I had the Blades in a previous post. Sorry for not responding. I do not own them yet but today I have the money to buy them (worked a 2nd job for them). So some time in 2018 I will buy them.

I am actually now going for the Blades for my office because I have a new baby (who is very active at 19 months) and I am seeing that the living room could be problematic. Another poster on A’Gon related that he was able to get the Blades to sound good in a 14 x 13 room so that gives me hope for the office.

Just as an FYI, I have a few choices in electronics to figure out from the following list:

1) [PS Audio DS DAC or Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC] + MD 102 Analog Tuner + new Luxman 509x integrated. Not sure if it has enough power, but most reviewers state that Luxman underreports the power specs. I we see soon enough.

2) Briscati M12 (DAC + analog volume) + MD 102 Analog Tuner + [Theta Prometheus or Benchmark AHB2 or Luxman m900u or Briscati M15]

3) Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC (cannot use my MD 102 tuner here) + [Theta Prometheus or Benchmark AHB2 or Luxman m900u or Briscati M15]. Sell the tuner and listen to my beloved KRCW via internet.

I had a large list of high end integrated’s I was looking at but I am starting to see that there are a few really high quality DACs with good volume control or preamps with built in DACs.

KEF uses a variety of amps to demo the Blades. The latest love connection seems to be with Hegel. The new Hegel 590 integrated and the Blade have some sort of development deal.

The amp I am looking at if I ever get space for the Blades is the new KRELL KSA-400i. I never heard it and it is very expensive. However, I own the KRELL XD175 and this new amp is priced 5x more than my amp, has great power, and the same plus more features as my amp.

There was a review in Tone (I think) of the Blade by Roy Gregory (sp?) and he described his journey with power and the Blades. He needed more power than he initially tried.

My KRELL Dou 175XD likely is under powered for the Blade. The new KSA-400i, is not and it likely sounds like an even better version of the 175XD.

I sold my CODA #8 today after reading about the new KRELL. I was originally thinking of using the CODA with a future Blade.

 

I have heard the T+A HV gear that he is referring too. It is warmer than the Hegel gear. More like my KRELL XD amp but with more power. I heard it with Wilson top end speakers. It sounded great.

I bought a second Benchmark AHB2 for 1 on my systems (maybe future Blade) last week. I am debating between using current KRELL 175XD, current Benchmark AHB2 monos, or buy one of the following, CODA #16, Rotel Michi M8 monos, or the new KRELL KSA i400 amp.

Most likely upgrade the 175XD for KSA i400 

This is going to be step 1 though only with 2 monos.

Kef blade meta quad amped with benchmark ahb2. - Imgur

 

 

I heard the T+A top of the line stuff with close to $100K Wilson speakers (and other top end accessories). It sounded great but I think you are paying a premium for T+A that I feel you can get from similar gear (see end of post). The gear sounds a bit on the warm side and is very attractive physically.

I have been researching Blades and amps for a while now. I was seriously considering T+A (especially the integrated amp for simplicity) but decided not too because I like the KRELL XD amp sound more. I have the brand new KRELL KSA i400 amp as my top contender. I think the following 3 are similar sonically and also on my list for warm but not too warm gear, T+A, Luxman, and KRELL XD.

The Hegel and T+A are not similar sounding to my ears. I really enjoyed the Hegel top end mono blocks with the Blades. It was not the cleanest nor smoothest sounding, but it was a super fun listen. I think it was the massive power of the Hegel that made the old Blade 1 sing. The demo was over an hour in a big room (mostly just me) at a Los Angeles audio show. I still remember that sound, so engaging.

Another amp that I think could be fun with the Blade is the Rotel Mitchi monos. It is very similar to the Hegel monos I heard with the Blade 1. I heard the highest powered Mitchi integrated amp with B&W and it seemed like it was a good sound. The demo room was too bright with a lot of glass. Though it did not sound as good as the KRELL K-300i integrated amp (an XD version) that I owned.

The other sound I like is the Benchmark AHB2 (maybe my fav). I have AHB2 monos with KEF LS50 Meta and the recent Stereophile Blade 2 Meta review used the AHB2 monos. Even though the reviewer loved it and bought the speakers, I do not think it would be a good match power wise. A shame because I love the sound of the amp. The CODA #16 sounds somewhat like the AHB2 and is my second choice (and maybe more practical choice, $$ and size).

I heard the top end Chord monoblocks with the old Blade 1 about a decade ago and that was what made me want the Blades. However, it was the speaker that blew me away. The amps were OK, they did not sound as good as the KRELL XD stuff.

I think I can easily beat an integrated amps sound with a top end amp (maybe from the same brand) using a very clean preamp and good DAC. So, my future Livingroom system will be the following:

- KEF Blade 2 Meta (color TBD)

- Musetec 005 DAC ($3200) (have this already in storage in my garage)

- Benchmark LA4 preamp ($2500) (already have this in my office 2-channel system)

- KRELL KSA i400 ($35K) or CODA #16 ($15K no meters)

I have owned gear from KEF, KRELL XD, CODA, Musetec, and Benchmark. I have mixed and matched all of this gear. I am certain my choices will be perfect for my ears. The only thing I am getting dealer advice on is the speaker cables from the KRELL XD to the Blades. I think it was this one that I am getting if I buy the KRELL.

Solo Crystal Oval 8 Speaker Cable - Analysis Plus

BTW - most people would not use such a low-priced DAC and preamp, but I know what sounds right to me. Spending more on more MUSICAL gear has left me disappointed with the sound. Saying all of that my fav system right now is my tube RAAL VM-1a headphone amp + Benchmark DAC3B + RAAL SR1a/CA-1a. I think it will take the Blade system I am building to beat the RAAL office headphone system.

 

 

There is a Hegel H30 on USAM for $6K. I was under the impression that the upgrade to the H30I was due to part not being available to make more H30's.

I just found out that the KRELL KSA i400 was shipped out today, $36.5K

 

The fact tact that it does not weigh much is really a feature and not a bug. Ever see the demo with the quarter on edge on top of the Blade while some hard rock is played through them. That is some space age engineering. The Blade does not need concrete like weight to be stable.

Interesting that you thought it was lifeless. For me it produces the most realistic sound, especially for live performances. The sense of being in the audience is unparalleled with anything I have heard, even at 10x the price.

Good thing there are so many different speaker choices for everyone.

 

 

Yea, like some of the Wilson or Darth Vadar speakers (as my wife said to the Wilson rep).  A Wilson demo with close to $300K speakers and Dagastino gear was really great but was it fun, I am not so sure. I was more fascinated by the price of the gear than into the music. I like the sense that you are transformed to the live show and I get that with the Blades. 

I like the old Blades even more than the great Vivid Giya (the most recent iteration) and that is a $100K speaker. 

Another that came to mind was MBL with all MBL gear in a large room. I did not understand the hype.

I was considering using 2 amps for the Blade that I am getting. I already had a KRELL Duo 175XD and I could get a Dou 300XD for $6-7K used. However, after some research on this I came to the conclusion that a single amp is better than 2 amps, unless they were 2 amps built as mono. I sold the 175XD to buy a more powerful amp.

The Rotel Mitchi mono and the Hegel mono are what I would look at for overwhelming power and still very good sonics. Do not discount the Mitchi because of Rotel. It is a very nice sounding unit. I heard the much lower powered integrated.