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 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.
After having heard or owned ALL Karan gear as an importer in Holland since 1999, I now consider that most sources are the weak point in the chain. That is because Karan topology is such that it can control virtualy all available speakers, due to its very low output resistance. Even KAI180mk1 or KAI180mk2 integrated manage Audiostatic LT speakers ( which fall below one Ohm at certain frequencies ) with ease. Ask any electrostatic designer what do they think of Accuphase or Yamaha's coupled to reactive load before investing your OWN funds in such a combination.
Karan amps have extreme frequency response and are DC coupled. Amplifier itself is meant to virtually disappear. My own experience is that source must have high enough resolution and dynamics in order to fully engage Karan amplifiers. Older phrase is GIGO ( garbage-in, garbage-out ), so take care that you connect the best source before even thinking of calling Karan 'uninvoling', please.
Actually, having Karan amps present in the audio chain enables me to fairly quickly source the fault in the system that should sound great, but doesn't.
Anyone interested in a demo is welcome, just contact me and I would try to help the best I can.
Cheers,
Zoran Filipovic
+31728888088
Heerhugowaard, Holland

karanacoustics.nl
I agree with Karanacoustics. If your looking for false dynamics and unwanted added distortion/energy anywhere in the frequency spectrum, these are not the amps for you.
I rather maximize my front end for maximum resolution, pre amp that yields highest purity and immediacy, ac conditioner and grounding device that removes noise without adding artifacts or dynamic compression, cables of higher purity that don't add more coloration. Now your left with natural instrument warmth and lifelike speed that these amps can deliver. Truer to the recording than any tube design. Folks who complaint about lack of musicality or accuse these amps for being unenvolving have something upstream that need to be fixed.
Himiguel...Just wanted to say that is a beautiful system you have assembled! I'm sure it sounds amazing. Congrats!! I have been curious about Karan amps for some time now. I've bounced around some and pretty much always go back to Spectral, always my amp of choice. I have read so many positive comments about Karan and all seem to match my taste in an amplifier. Unfortunately, trying to hear a Karan amp in Ohio is a tough task:(