No personal experience- sorry. But FWIW, if PassLabs has an XA-200.8 amplifier that is STILL not the equal of the XS-150 (with "less power"),
one can only assume that the BIG difference between the two is the outboard power supply unit with the XS line. So the Krell EVO-1 would theoretically have the same advantages- the better circuit design, and a further separation amongst noise-producing elements. Still, you would probably need one heck of a pair of speakers as well as the other components to fully appreciate the difference.
I once owned a Krell FPB-300 (stereo 300w/ch) which did not get the same accolades as the FPB-600 (twice the power but essentially the exact same amplifier) as to sound quality. This however did not concern me in the least- the magazine review(er) was blowing hot air as far as i was concerned. He couldn't explain this "difference" in any detail, and
anything more than 200W/CH is already overkill for all but the most inefficient speaker systems.
one can only assume that the BIG difference between the two is the outboard power supply unit with the XS line. So the Krell EVO-1 would theoretically have the same advantages- the better circuit design, and a further separation amongst noise-producing elements. Still, you would probably need one heck of a pair of speakers as well as the other components to fully appreciate the difference.
I once owned a Krell FPB-300 (stereo 300w/ch) which did not get the same accolades as the FPB-600 (twice the power but essentially the exact same amplifier) as to sound quality. This however did not concern me in the least- the magazine review(er) was blowing hot air as far as i was concerned. He couldn't explain this "difference" in any detail, and
anything more than 200W/CH is already overkill for all but the most inefficient speaker systems.