I owned a DR9 at one time so I know what you are saying. The Krell amps I have listened to have sounded forward and a bit bright, the exact opposite of the Classe'. I don't have particular experience with the Krell amp you asked about, but I never enjoyed listening to a Krell amp. Perhaps thats why I own a Conrad-Johnson solid state power amp. |
stereo5 nailed it for Krell vs DR-9, although I find the Krell enjoyable and it will indeed give you absolute control over the woofers. I have the FPB-600c and the DR-9(s) and prefer the latter; sweeter, more delicate, lacking in nothing to my ears.
Two things re: the DR-9: 1) Make sure you are using the single ended RCA inputs and not XLR. The latter was a design afterthought on early Classe’ amps (Reich used a cheap opamp to convert to XLR) and sounds dull and closed in vs the SE inputs. 2) About one year ago, I bought three DR-9s within a week of each other. Two from one seller and one from another that had installed the Classe’ refurb kit (new main caps and different power transistors). The latter sounds much better than the other two "stock" units. Not even close. Much more open and dynamic. The "dark" sound is gone. Suggest you contact Classe’ about getting your DR-9 updated with this kit and hold off on the Krell.
Best to you thehorn. Whatever you do, DO NOT sell that DR-9.
Dave
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Thx Dave, thx S5.
Any idea Dave what Classe' dings ya for the referb work?
Hope to hear from KSA300s owners as well.
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Hi thehorn,
Wish I knew but need to find out. I bought the three with the intention of passing one to my best friend (which I did) and use the remaining two running in dual bridged mono. The refurb-kit amp has such a different sound (and plays louder) that I had to settle for using that one running in stereo for the time being. Honestly, I am so pleased with it that I have let time pass without finding out about the cost of bringing the other up to new spec. I got a jolt when the rumors began circulating that Classe' was kaput. Glad it is not so.
I may try to contact Classe' soon and find out. Or you could and let me know.... ;)
Dave
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Dave,
DR9's are not balanced, they are designed to operate in stereo & sound
considerably more open, real, as well as transparent than they do in bridged
mono even though they have the option to do so.
I bought my DR9's as a pair, and as much as I hated to part with one, after experimenting
with them in stereo/mono it was a no-brainer that they are a superior sounding
unit in stereo.
In mono, they sound a little flat, a little lifeless & not as involving.
Funny thing is even though they have twice the power bridged, the amp does
not have the same depth or the slam that it has in stereo due to the music
sounding veiled.
I was told by two separate shop owners who sold DR9's that this was the case, but didn't buy it until
I experimented for myself, and also found that the better the speaker the more
obvious it became (Technic SB-100 - Roger Sound lab Elans - Focal Electra 926 -
then Meadowlark Heron Hot Rods & now 946 Focal Electra's).
That said, after 27 years I recon the caps are getting kind of dry & a referb
can't hurt.
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Hmmm. I read lots of reviews in Stereophile, TAS, and others back in the day and they all claimed that the DR-9 sounded even better in bridged mono.
Personal experience rules, so I take your word it. I am not at all disappointed with the idea of continuing to use the one DR-9 in stereo, but would still would like to have the other one refurbed.
I am up on the single-ended design of the DR-9. The way that I wrote it was clumsy is all.
Thanks thehorn,
Dave |
There's a potential alternative Dave.
If you have the right set-up, bi-wire one amp in stereo to your woofers, & the other amp in stereo to your upper end.
Bit extravagant
but no more so than mono blocks.
Bill
Any comments
out there
from the Krell 300s camp ?
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Alas, my Thiels do not allow bi-amping.
I will let you get back to seeking input from 300s owners.
Thanks thehorn,
Dave
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One last thing to interject: You may find yourself listening to the 300S in your underwear as I did in mine with the FPB-600c. HOT. Very, very HOT.
Best to you thehorn,
Dave
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Hi everybody,
In my set-up, using two mono dr-9's yields a better sound than with a single stereo dr-9 .
More real, dynamic (better bass response), palpable, more musical.
I could have lived with a single dr-9 though, it's such a great amplifier.
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I have the same experience as I use 2 DR9 bridged with apogee speakers. As soon as I found an rca mit 350 twin cable of 20 feet for a good price I shall compare xlr and rca.
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Hi Dave,
Why not send me one of your DR9’s for safe keeping until you decide whether to refurb or not? :-)
I have a Classe CA200 on the sidelines currently. I blew the right channel with a static elec shock if you can believe it.
I have a tech who can fix it and I was also thinking about a recap since I have owned this amp for 20+ years. But I counted the caps and if memory serves me it was around 25 to 30! Yikes!
Happy with my Mcintosh 501’s driving Thiels but alway enjoy putting the Classe in for a while.
Re: thehorn I heard the 300S back in the day at retail and always admired them but I bought the Classe instead - primarily because of less money. But your DR9 is a different animal than by CA although I have never heard a DR9 - just what I understand from those in the know.
Jerry
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