Anyone heard the KR Enterprise Antares????

I use a Tyler Acoustics amp stand filled with sand. It's the perfect size for the amp, and it weighs about 90 lbs once it's filled with sand. Also has spiked cone feet.

Kind of an old thread, but for the record, I just bought an Antares. It is a 30 watt SET using the KR300BLX tube. I bought this amp because I am intrigued by the potential of an amplifier designed by the same maker and designer of the tube it uses.....in essence, an amp designed for the tube. I didn't need an amp. Have a couple of very good ones worth much more money. And I had some reservations about buying a KR product, as KR has had reliability problems with some of their stuff in the past. I got sucked into buying some VT6000 monos a couple of years ago, and ended up paying $1000. to ship one of them to Prague to get it fixed. Bummer! KR has also had problems keeping dealers and distibutors in the States. I've heard several reasons for this, but what ever they may be doesn't matter anymore. The bad experience I had with the VT6000 doesn't matter anymore. Why? Because the Antares is one of the best amps I have ever heard, BAR NONE!

I replaced a highly modified $8000. tube amp with it, and was blown away. Detail, attack, decay, natural tonality, breathtaking soundstage, iron-fisted bass, and all the reviewer cliche's apply to this amp. It is stunning. You would never guess it was 30 watts. It functions flawlessly. It is dead quiet. It looks cool. Very good build quality. It comes in a wooden crate that makes a nice dog house for your chihuahua. And, if you can find one, you can pick up an Antares highly discounted from their $4000. retail price. This has got to be the best bargain in high-end audio. Even at $4000., it's a steal. And probably the best kept secret in high-end audio, too. Wanna read a reviewer's opinion? www.enjoythemusic.com. A very accurate review from what I'm hearing. If you can find one of these, BUY IT!! It is an absolute steal, and embarrases anything I've heard under $10,000. I don't know what you would buy that would be better....Tenor perhaps? Halcro? That's the league it's in. I'm not kidding. But don't go crazy with the speakers. Mine are 89db, 7 ohms nominal. I would recommend that you treat it like a 30 watter to get the best from it, even if it does sound like more.

Just found out that my Antares doesn't have the 300BLX in it. The later versions have the 842HVD tube. It's a drop-in replacement for the 300blx, but performs far better. Take a look and see what in yours. The HVD stands for "very high dynamics".

I let my buddy borrow the Antares to use with his BC Acousitque speakers. Now he wants one. Says it's the best amp he's heard. He was using an Air Tight. That's two friends who are buying an Antares after hearing mine. The other was using a Bel Canto 200.4. He spoke to Kron about the 842 tube. Kron says that it's much more dynamic, resolving, and powerful sounding than the 300BLX.

It takes about 250 hours to get the best sound from this amp. I noticed a huge improvement in soundstage width and depth, and it seemed to relax a bit tonally. I believe this is attributed to the tubes breaking in. I know from experience that WE 300Bs take about 500 hours. For the person that wants to know how you warranty the tubes for 20,000 hours....they are actually warranteed for 2 years. They come with serial numbers and a warranty form that must be filled out and returned to Prague. If you do the math, two years of continuous use is less than 20,000 hours, but that's pretty incredible just the same.

I don't about the mono configuration or the price of the Kronzilla. If you email KR, they will answer you usually within 24 hours.

Wouldn't you have to use two of the Gizas? I thought they were only 10" wide.

That would probably work pretty well then. Cheap too!

Where do you get the Neuance? Do they have a web page? Also, I remember now what my concern was about the Osiris. I once cosidered for my speakers. How wide are the Gizas not incluiding the extruded supports? If it's 12" or less, I don't know that it would work.

I'm sure it's just 1/2" MDF. What makes it work is filling it with sand. Then it weighs about 90 lbs. Tyler will custom make them for different sizes. I've tried many different stands including Grand Prix Audio, Polycrystal, Osiris (not the Giza but the one with the rubber air blatters...they leak), and Sound Anchor. I've found that the improvements or differences are very minor. What did make a bigger difference was using "Feet of Silence" under the amp. They are weight limited though, and the KR is too heavy unbalanced to use them properly.

By the way, the one criticism I have of the KR Antares is that it is very insensittive. Hard to use with a passive or a pre-amp without a lot of gain. But KR will make them with whatever sensitivity you need. I sold mine to a friend and ordered one with 1V sensitivity.

No, they have a repair contractor in Minnesota.