I am listening to a Krell 400cx and a Krell KPS-25sc with CAST cables into JM Lab MIni-Utopias with a JM Lab Sub-Utopia. All with Siltech cables. The living room is open and very well damped. The sound is fantastic even to others who do not love Krell or JM Lab. It is just one of those magic rooms that sound great. i auditioned a Pass X-250 with a Conrad Johnson Premier 16 pre-amp and the sound was not as good. The Pass amp into the KPS with interconnects was very similar sounding to the Krell amp with CAST but not as open or dimensional. The CJ was not a subjective decision at all; it was simply less musical. The decision to go with Krell amp and front end was because of the CAST cable hookup. This is a very substantial upgrade in audio quality. The other reasons are reliability and service. Some people love the real world experience of owning something exotic or high maintenance. But when you simply want great sound for many hours each day, especially on weekends, with perfect reliability then those components that deliver that are valuable. I wish it were easier to audition high end equipment in the home as that is the only way to be sure. If it were easier perhaps I would move thru equipment choices more often.
Krell questions and comments
Hi folks:
Krell is one those love it or hate it products. As a longtime tube person they are very far from my favorite form of amplification.
However, I do feel that the company's build quality and committment to making technological strides in solid state is as important as many other firms whose solid state products I feel sound much better. I have always wanted to share with you my views about the solid state jungle even though tubes are clearly superior to my ear.
The best solid state amps I've heard in terms of sonic performance are from Musical Fidelity, Pass, the new iteration of Threshold and Krell last. Each different. Each presenting it's own interpretations of music and the vision of the designers who build them.
Krell is amplifier on steroids. I've always found the sound to be full of energy and speed at everything thrown at them. Each recording is presented like running a 40 yard dash rather than the "marathon" of listening over a long period. To put it another way: Krell presents a sonic picture that is like a jolt of sugar through your body that gives you energy amd enjoyment but only for a short time. When it wears off you are left with a grating and very fatiquing sound that doesn't discriminate, the way that the best tube amplifiers do, between the minut and large differences between recordings harmonics and low level energy, midrange richness and bass that is congruent with the rest of the music and not so energetic as to supersede the rest of the audio band.
Can I tolerate Krell's sound and like it over short periods of listening? Yes! Would I welcome an example as a solid state companion to have within an audio system? Yes to that as well. Which leads to my question; Do the older Krell amplifiers have something over the newer in terms of sound such as the KSA-100 etc? Any views on how the sound has evolved from then? I have only heard recent technology.
As always thanks for reading.
D.H.
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- 17 posts total
- 17 posts total