Anybody happy with high power Krell?

Hi,
I have very power-hungry speakers that I really love, Avalon Osiris. They image , they are musical, they have excellent balance of midbass , midrange and highs. BUT, they are power hogs and on they need testosterone-filled SS amps.I actually would try tubes, but I have my system tied into a home theater surround system and the amps are on all the time.

David

I have heard that Boulder or Spectral are very special with Avalon speakers. Check with Cornfedboy. He probably knows more about amp wire combinations with Avalon speakers than most reviewers.

These are very rare; 2 versions - KAS-1 and KAS-2. They were the first Krell amps to use the Auto-Bias circuit and could drive anything, including Apogees.

The KAS series amps, to me, sound much better than their current line. The current line of Krell amps are not as tough as they used to be, because the trend in speakers these days in high impedance and easier to drive (ie, Avantgard Horn vs Apogee ribbons).

I have had Wilsons with Mark Levison gear run me from the room, I'm not sure the Krells were necessarily the problem there. I have owned several Krell amps over the years. My current one is a KSA 250. Before that I had a pair of the KMA 100 mkII, and before them a KSA 50 mkII. So you may guess where I'm headed. I like the Krell amps, but not all of them. The KSA 50 and the KSA 250 are considered to be two of the best amps they ever made. I like the pure class A power and detail, and their bass cannot be beat. I have not liked the S series amps as much as the KSA series. I'm now auditoning a FPB300. The FPB is much more open and detailed than my KSA 250, but also, so far, seems lighter weight. The bass is tighter than the KSA but not as dramatic.
Like any other component, it will depend on other equipment, the room, and your tastes. There is no perfect anything out there.

Class-A may not be the right thing for you if the amps are on all the time, they will generate a lot of heat (they are not proper Class-A if they don't).

But there must be something wrong if a 350W Jeff Rowland amp isn't enough. I would try other options, remember that the Krell only gives you a 3db upgrade.