MBL speakers

Krell KAV-500i

My gut feel is I'd think twice before running a hard to drive design like mbl off any integrated amp if your goal is optimal performance and sound. I think you will pay a hefty premium to find one that can work really well versus separates. That's because very high build quality is needed to house a high power, high current amplifier in the same box as the pre-amp without being susceptible to higher noise levels and such. If a phono pre-amp were involved, the situation would be even tougher.

Mapman, you're probably right, another possibility would be to replace the Rowland 501/PC1 with a high power stereo amp like the Rowland 312 or the newer Rowland amps.

mbl 7008. My local dealer said that they will drive the 116's. New, I think it is overpriced, but used, I think it is a good buy.

What about the Rowland Continuum 500 integrated? You'd get the 501/PC1 plus the newer Concerto line stage in one chassis. I owned one and tried them driving MBL 111Es and the combo seemed to work fine. If you were to then you acquire an (SA)CD player you could shrink your system to two boxes. Alternately, you could simplify on the source side with a CD player with a built-in preamp section or volume control that you could then connect directly to your Rowland amps.

I agree with Mapman that separates are the best for this type of the speakers.

If budget is the problem then concentrate on best power amp which could drive your speakers. Rowland 312 or Spectron cetainly would fit the bill and then I would add inexpensive passive preamp. I like TVC but important critera is to find preamp which may or may not do everything you want it to do but "do no harm" i.e. no sins of commission, no coloration. Later on you could easily replace it with higher class preamp.

All The Best
Rafael

Not that an integrated can't or won't work and even sound quite good. I just think you will get more for the $$$s spent with well matched separates and can also push the limits further that way.

Does anyone know if Rowland has started shipping his new amps? I've seen in a couple of magazines that he has new AB amps. Rowland 925 and 625 amps. Certainly would be interesting to compare how these new amps sound against the 312. Possibly, some 312's might come into the market at better used prices :-)