Karan amp experiences wanted


I am looking for experiences with the Karan KA S180 amplifier. I have found some stuff in old threads and it is enough to have me pretty intrigued. My biggest question is would the power be enough to drive my Watt Puppy 7's. I have been looking to replace my current Krell FPB 600c for a while and just have not found the amp to fill it's space. The larger Karan's are out of my range for now. My room is not large but i do listen loud. I do not believe the KA S 180 is designed for lower impedance like the Watt Puppy but i am not certain. It would be great to hear any of your experiences with this amp and if any have used the two together.
richard_stacy
Thanks for the input so far. These are all difficult amps to get a handle on as auditions are near impossible in Ohio. I have not listened to Burmester or Accuphase (which all I have seen are pretty low powered). I am also unable to afford the larger Karan ass Krellman suggested as my interest in the 180. It is always interesting to hear these experiences with some of the more unique products to my area.
Richard,

Where are you in Ohio? There is a Burmester dealer on the northwest corner of Indianapolis, IN, Ovation Ultimate. They have a complete Burmester Classic line set up that makes you want to just sit there and bask in the music for hours and hours. James is the person to talk to there.

Karan, I believe is at a dealership in Chicago, IL. You'd have to call Darren at Avatar Music to see who and where they are.

I haven't really looked for an Accuphase dealership since I'm more than happy with my Burmester.

Chuck
I want to upgrade to an stereo amp since months and as I live in Germany I have heard the Burmester in a variety of system but the reviews and specifications from Karan keep me captivated but lamentably there is no dealer in Germany, the KA S 270 is over my capacity and you still can find very good deals on Burmester amps from very respecful dealers.
Thanks Chuck, Columbus (insert your go buckeye comments here...). Maybe a road trip is in order but those are far. I get to Chicago now and then but I will have to ditch the wife for some serious listening.
I might be able to help here, as I currently run a set of Wilson Watt Pup's and power them off of a Karan KA I-180 integrated.

In a nutshell: Unless you are trying to fill a big room with 97 to 100+ db of sound, the Karan should have zero problems powering your Wilson's. The Watt Pup's are fairly efficient loudspeakers and do not inherently require gobs of transistor muscle to sing well.

I must also respectfully disagree with David12's assessment of the Karan integrated. For starters, this is the first time I've ever read or head anyone use the word 'un-involving' while referring to a Karan product. Second, the Karan is not a perfectly neutral piece (what is?). Though it is an exceptionally well balanced piece in just about every regard, it still has a character, a character that most would classify as 'dark'. I also found that the Karan presentation imbues just a touch of organic warmth. This subtle voicing lends itself very well to speakers like the Wilson's. Though the Wilson's really don't need much help in the linearity department, I feel that their lower treble/upper mid's can benefit from just a _touch_ of bloom, and that's what the Karan does for em'.

Though I agree with Krell_man's advice for listening as much as possible before buying (especially when dealing with this level of gear), I understand how difficult it can be to audition esoteric audio gear. I have damn near nothing around me, so in order to find out how something sounds, I have to plunk down the cash ahead of time. Kind of a bummer. That said, I will briefly weigh in on the other suggestions:

Accuphase amps are great products. They have a more traditional class A sound to them. Incredibly warm/organic midrange. Good detail and air, but its not a very detail oriented sound. Weighty bass thats not the last word in control, but I don't think too many would call it slow either. I wouldn't take one over a Karan, but that's just me.

Burmester makes a damned fine amp. Of course, with their entry level integrated retailing for the cost of a new sports car, thats how it should be. Though I admit to not having spent a lot of time with Burmester gear, I always walk away with the impression of them being incredibly well balanced, and sound a bit more open and airy than the Karan stuff. I wouldn't say one is inherently better than the other *unless you want to count cosmetics, and then IMHO its Burmester hands-down*, just different. Then again, take the Burmester comments with gallons of salt, as I readily admit to not being qualified enough to comment definitively on their sound.

Anyways, there you have it, from the ramblings of some random audiogoner. Before I sign off of this post, I will say this much: I'd focus your attention on warmer sounding transistor components with the Wilson's. Another good match for Wilson is a surprising one, and that is... Naim. Though Naim is anything but linear and "hi-fi", the Naim/Wilson combo works quite well. Something to consider, especially if you don't feel like breaking the bank.