Help I have not bought equipment since mid 80's


I am new to the hi-fi world. My old stereo was purchased in the mid 80's when I was young and poor, therefore Lo-Fi (it survived a divorce, the ex didn’t even want it). I listen to music most of the day, so I want to hear music that makes me feel alive. Recently I decided to purchase a new stereo. Talk about overwhelming, and what a strange trip it has been. Going to the local stereo dealers is like walking onto a used car lot. They raved about B&K, and I ended up purchasing a PT5 and 4420. This thing sounds terrible, or at least it is not what I am looking for. When I told the guys at the local stereo shop this they look at me like I lost my mind. They are difficult to work with, they would like it if I just walked in, made a purchase, went home, shut up, and accept the crap I’ve bought. Anyway, this is what I currently have:

Pre: PT5
Amp: Krell 2250 (owned less than 30 days and can still return it)
Interconnects: audioquest viper
CD: Krell 280cd (owned less than 30 days and can still return it)
Speakers: Energy Veritas 2.4
Speaker cables: audioquest double bi-wire CV-6

I like the Krell sound, but I am willing to check other brands. I am considering a Krell 2250, 280p, and a 280cd. Is it worth the extra money or would a used 250a, 250p, and 250cd be a better choice? Or perhaps a mix of the two? Or would some other line of Krell be a better choice? Another brand perhaps? Any advise for a novice?
whatsthisone

Showing 1 response by tomryan

Rockvirgo is right, in my experience. I have tried the stand mounted Veritas (I think 2.3) and liked it quite a lot but tried it with a Conrad-Johnson 60 watt amp. I think you may want to think about getting into tubes as most equipment is now very easy to maintain and very musical. I have never liked the SS sound of Krell but am really quite prejudiced - have been using tubes since 1982. Another thing to consider is a tube pre-amp and a non-mechanical sounding SS amp. But again, the Veritas is a very detailed speaker and needs attention as to what drives it; can sound a bit thin and bleached out with wrong amp. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it and it seemed somewhat easy to drive. There are lots of good used tube amps for 500.00 - 2,000.00 that could make the Energy shine. I'll stick with my ProAcs and SETs, though.