The Krell amps will work just fine, assuming they work just fine. If they haven't been back to Krell for a tune-up in those 20 years you may find they are no longer up to spec. The Salon 2s like powerful amps, but any Krell will likely drive them satisfactorily for medium-level rock, as you say.
I doubt you'll need a sound processor. I have lots of glass too, and I'm fine without one. I do run the Salon 2 tweeters one notch lower than center on the level control in the connector box on the back.
Depending on your room and the placement of the speakers you may not need a subwoofer. The Salon 2 has great bass response. In my room the best positions for imaging stunk for bass, so I got a Velodyne DD18+ and I've been beyond thrilled. Ecstatic is more like it. The combination is to die for. You'll need a subwoofer with a high-pass filter or an active crossover like the Bryston SUB10 with to roll-off the bass at about 60Hz to the Salon 2 woofers. If your decorator is involved you could use two small 12" sealed subs, like the SVS SB13-Plus, and place them behind the Salon 2s. The SB13's are nice because they're powered and have a high-pass filter. |
Irv has given you some great advice, I use a Velodyne DD15 , but I would run the Revels full range to avoid sending the signal through another crossover network. |
Ahh... but Koestner, you can have your cake and eat it too! At least if your're willing to use two stereo amps and your speaker supports bi-amping. The Salon 2s do. Here's what I do. Buy a Y-cable for each pre-amp channel to split the signal. Run one output from each channel directly into one of the amp channels, and use those amplifiers (which are running a full-range signal) into the mid-tweeter section of the speakers. Run the other side of each Y-cable into the subwoofer(s), and run the filtered (high-pass) output into the other amp channels, using those to drive the main speaker's woofer sections. This is best done by vertically bi-amping each speaker with an identical stereo amp. The OP has monoblocks, but this the best way to use subwoofers with the Salon 2s. |
No subs will be needed unless your room is huge.... |
I dunno, James, the sub sure did improve my Salon 2 set up. I can't imagine a music system without a sub now that I have one. |
I love the bass on the Salons. When I had them in a 16' x 23' room I never used a sub. The bass was perfect for my tastes. I used a Bryston 7B-SST. |
I did audition the Salons and I agree that the BASS is terrific and tight. |
I own the Salon 2s. Unless your room is extremely large, no sub is required - even for rock. The Salons can play loud and have a very nice bottom end.
Thanks,
Mike |
I was going to say "no subs, unless they're for home theater", but I guess it depends on how much bass is too much? If your answer is "never", add some subs. Two is good, three is better. Integration is going to be a problem, though, without some kind of processor. Lyngdorf makes a good one.
Personally, I'm not a fan of Krell, but Plinius matches up to the Revel speakers quite nicely.
The Salon speakers are a lot of fun. Lucky man! |
My room is 14x25 with very high ceiling and I don't need any sub at all. But I listen to mostly jazz and classical and some light rock. Perhaps subs can be useful for rock.
High quality powerful amps are recommended. Salon 2s are very coherent sounding with excellent integration of all the drivers. The bass response is extremely fast, so adding a sub may require some effort unless you are very experienced. I use subs for home theater only and always stay with full range speakers for two channel without subs.
I am sure the folks above can show use how to add subs to the Salon 2s. Happy listening. |
"I was going to say "no subs, unless they're for home theater"
+1 on that one.
Excellent low end, no need to add a sub and deal with the "phase" issues.
I use a Gamut D3i pre and D200i power amp, still gives me goose-bumps after almost a year of ownership on some recordings. |
Irv is right about the possibility of your amps being out of spec by now. Things like capacitors are pretty much near the end of their useful lives after 20 years, depending on how much use the amps have had. At least get them checked out so you know they're giving you all theyre capable of. |
I am using a BAT Rex preamp into Krell 402e for my Revel Salon2 speakers. The sound is wonderful, extended, dynamic. I love the speakers for their ability to play at lower levels with musical involvement. And yes they do play beautifully loud when called for--without being tiring or too bright. As for bass: if there is deep bass on the recording you will get deep bass out of the speaker. They do not have fake bass with a bump at 100 hz. They will reveal which recordings are compressed or have no real bass.
I do think that you do need a high powered amp. I would go to mono bloc amps if I had the space/setup. My listening room is an 18 ft. square library with a 11 ft. ceiling. The room is very well damped and there are no reflections or echo; it is also open on one side with large sliding doors.
The speakers fill up the entire lower level of the house easily with warm, listenable sound. Vocals particularly sound lovely when heard from another room. |
To add a sub to a speaker of this caliber would be a real shame. A couple of hundred watts will do, but real power will bring them to life. |
Adding a sub is shame? Have you ever heard the Salon 2s with a great sub? And I mean for music. Yes, the Salon 2 reaches down to 20Hz, but at what loudness level and distortion level? If you want music to sound live you need high volume levels, and subs do more loudness at lower distortion. Not to mention you can place the sub(s) for best bass response in a room, and the Salon 2s for best imaging. |
Don't confuse better bass with more bass. |
I'll be sure to keep that in mind. BTW, do you own Salon 2s? |
