Any experience with Krell KRS-2 6-chasis version

I still have a KRS-2 and I substituted the Spectrol Wirewound pot with the Penny + Giles RF15. What a huge improvement! Also all the darkred RDE caps and orange bigger ones were substituted with Panasonic FM series and Vishay 021 for the axials.

I own a KRS-2 and love it. You all are correct it has a very nice phono section. Only thing better would be a CAT preamp. Which I owned at one time. Wish I still did. But thats another story.

Hi

I know this is an old add, but if it can help, I have some experience. I owned two KRS-2 and one KRS and the KRS 100 watt monos as well. I heard another KRS at a friend. In direct comparison with my own KRS-2 and my at that time KRS, the KRS-2 won. Less grainy and better bass. Sure, the KRS had a bit bigger sound in the bass, but it was a bit massive. My own KRS-2 is the best preamp I've heard to date! The KRS-2 were excactly 50% cheaper than the balanced model - it's the same circuit, but unbalanced. If you do not need balanced, go for the KRS-2. All KRS models I've heard sound different by the way, my father bought my number two KRS-2, and it sounds different. thanks

I believe the 6 chassis balanced unit was called the KRS and was in the $8000 range. The 3 chassis unit (power supply transformer was the third piece so you can separate from phono section) was the KRS-2 which sold for about
$4500 in 1987. Stereophile writers loved it, for whatever that's worth to you.

It probably was the first preamp with a really neutral line stage. It's contemporaries were so colored, they provided inspiration for the passive line drives of that period, which had their own serious problems. As previously noted, the phono section is excellent.

One obsolete feature, however, is the CD input. Players were so bad in that period that the KRS-2 routed the CD input through an adjustable phase correcting filter. Krell provided settings for various makes of players in their owners manual. You should use the aux input with todays CD players for flat response.

Thanks Edward,
I've got answer from Patrick at Krell and he's confirmed that the 6-piece KRS-2 was Balanced one, but he also mentioned that it used a special DC cables which no longer produced by Krell.
Do you know any cables on the market can be used to replace for it ?

The KRS-2 is a wonderfull piece. It had a world class line stage, and it's excellence was it's phono circuit.

Much more dynamic than the SP-11 of the day, but one would expect that, given the solid state design.

The guys at Krell are probably the best in the industry at repair and support of product, but My experience with them is that they rarely praise anything but the current production model.

This unit was made for a short few years, and at the time Dan D, was hot in pursuit of pushing the Balanced (XLR) technology. So once they had the ability of balanced inputs to the KSA-80b and the KSA-200b this piece had to be replaced with the KBL. And then they added an outboard box for the Phono.

These rarely ever hit Agon.

Let me know if you need any more info on this unit.

Thanks rcprince, I tried to contact Krell both by phone and email, but haven't got any answer yet.
You're right, the 3-piece set has separate power supply which counted as 3rd piece.

Any related info would be greatly appreciated.

You should ask Krell. My recollection, which is hazy, is that the KRS-2 was a two chassis preamp (separate power supply). About $4500, list, when it was new in the late 80s (I got an ARC SP-11 instead of the Krell at the time).