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Krell HT Processors

Hello Everyone..

Does anyone have any comments on the Krell Processors.. I have a friend that has a pretty big and powerful HT room with unbelievable sound quality.. I was asking him if he thought it smart to buy a later more expensive model Krell processor and amplifiers or buy one of the less expensive older models.. He asked me what did I think of his sound and to be honest its the very best HT room I have ever heard.. My friends room is outragous with a HDTV widescreen built into the wall so it is flush with the wall.. He said he did that cause of getting better sound from the speakers.. Anyway after all the years of wanting to eventually match this kind of high quality performance and looking to buy used where I can.. I was wondering if an old 5.1 model Krell would be as good as a new much more expensive model and the real differences... My friend asked me questions like if i was going to be doing any multi room or if playing music or SACD/DVDA was a high priorty on my list and I answered that i just wanted a have a room like his (we live in the same type of home etc)strickly for DVD and HD Dig Cable or maybe a Dig Sat, but a room to really get down to watch the new released blockbusters and modern DVD movies that my family rents from the Blockbuster Video Store.. I have to admit that my friend has a super movie room with excellent picture and excellent sound... really good sound that isn't just loud and annoying with sloppy bass like some other friends have with different types of speakers etc... My friend said thats why he choose the krell processor and amps and i forget the speakers but they aren't big speakers like i see most use but his speakers just seem to sound better than my other friends that use big speakers... Anyway my friend told me to go find a good clean Krell 5.1 processor for a cheap price. He said i won't get any better sound from anything else no matter how new or old or how much iy cost... he said do you think I have good sound and I said of course and thats what i'm hoping to get is the picture and sound that you have.. He said then listen to him and go find an old Krell HTS 5.1 cause you can't get any better performance at any price.
so I'm up here asking if you pros have any comments?

THANKS A NEWBIE
Rand
randyman
3 responses Add your response
jrwr7
211 posts
 
Hey Rand,

I will begin by saying I am a Krell man, have been from the very beginnings of my system. I had the Krell HTS-1 and the KAV-500 amp. I've since upgraded, which leads me to my point, Krell is not the end all be all of high end audio/video. I do believe that the Krell processors are the best balance between great HT performance and excellent 2ch music, but there are other processors to consider. I still have a Krell processor, the Showcase, but my amps are not Krell. It's good to get as much info as you can and not let yourself be led by just one opinion because there is more then one way to skin a cat and every one must find the way that works best for them. As for suggestions, tell us how much you would like to spend and the size of the room the system will be in and I'm sure that I and many others here will be able to point you in the right direction. If you like, click on the link to my virtual system and see what you think of my approach..........John
randyman OP
1 posts
 
Thats a very impressive system... My friend tells me its best to aim the system for the very best movie sound or aim it to the very best music sound and best to not try and mix the 2 together... He tells me if you want to have the best of both worlds at it best then he says to set up 2 completelty different systems in 2 different rooms cause he tells me that the best that could be done with one system for both movie and music is just a compromise between both and to him he says a waste for the pro who wants the very best... Me i only shooting for the very best movie sound and not al all worried about the music part... my friend tells me thats the best way to go if I want the get the very best for my money... But he does agree with you about the Krell as the processor... You have a very impressive system.. My friend tells me he like the Plinius amps for a strickly music system but tells me he prefers tube gear for the best music sound... He tells me to listen to him.. He does have the best movie sound that i have heard so far.. He tells me he gave up the music system cause he doesn't like the music being recorded nowadays and was tired of listening to his old music collection over and over.. But he said if he were to redo a music system that he would be hunting down old tube gear... He said you have a super system and likes the plinius amp...
thanks
jrwr7
211 posts
 
Hey Rand,

Thank you and your friend for the kind words, but I don't totally agree with his point about not being able to get good sound for both music and HT from one system. I've gone to great lengths to optimize my system for 2 channel performance. I have my left and right front speakers set out into my room 7' from the back wall. The TV and equipment rack are 4' back from the front speakers to give the speakers room to breathe and create the soundstage. Also, when I listen to music I switch my Plinius from A/B to class A, which keeps constant current on the ready when the speakers need it. All of this, with the tube output CDP going through the analog pass through in the Krell helps me get very smooth, uncolored, music reproduction with great detail and a very large soundstage. I do agree that you will get better performance from a dedicated 2 channel system but I do as well as most with what I have and I do not have two rooms to set up separate systems for both music and HT. I also believe strongly that if your system does music well, it will do movies just as well. Since you do not care for music with this system, then by all means, the Krell HTS-1 will serve you very well. With the amps, it will depend on how easy/difficult the speakers you choose will be to drive. The reason I upgraded from the Krell KAV-500 was it did not have the juice to drive speakers that are a 4 Ohm load. Also, you want an amp that will give you plenty of dynamic headroom for the sound tracks you will be reproducing from dvd movies. I would recommend a minimum of 200w per channel into 8 Ohms. That should be more than enough, even if you have a 4 ohm speaker that has a sensitivity of, say, 86 dbs. That was the rating of the speakers that caused the KAV-500 to run out of gas on demanding passages in movies or if I turned the music up too loud. Another thing I would recommend is not to skimp on the DVD player. The better players have better chip sets and dacs that make for better sound and picture reproduction. I truly hope this all helps.......John
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