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Speakers to pair with krell that rock

Hi,

After having had various setups i've finally sold up to wipe the slate clean and start again. I'm looking to build a system that will play rock music as its what i listen to 90% of the time. Anything from old led zep through to more modern stuff like pearl jam.

I fancy going back to krell and am on the lookout for an fpb s/h. Ideal would be 600c but might be past my budget. Might have to settle for a 300c or non cast 600. If it ends up being cast then i'll pair it with a KCT. If not then it'll be an arc mk.2 ls25.... probably.

Speaker wise i'm a bit weary as a bright system is the last thing i want and thats what i got with a kav250a/krc-3/proac d28. Sounded terrible. Think that was mainly down to the lower spec'd kav series and the proacs. They tend to be on the bright side anyway. They must be floorstanders and would prefer 3 way as i find the 2 ways lacking a little in the lower mids. Thoughts so far are for a pair of b&w 803D's but wouldn't mind some other suggestions. Have thought about Cremona's but don't want a super smooth laid back sound which i think these might give.

Cables are currently all Chord signature but will be looking to sell these on and move to Cardas Golden Cross.

Source will be either a krell kps 28c, krell kps 20i or a weiss dac 2 with macbook.
doug2507

Showing 3 responses by dlcockrum

dlcockrum's avatar
dlcockrum
2,190 posts
 
I run Thiel CS5i with my FPB-600C. Marriage made in heaven. Truly magical.

I would rethink the Cardas cabling thing though.

Good luck.
dlcockrum's avatar
dlcockrum
2,190 posts
 
Doug,

Here is my system:

http://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/9214.html

There is no certain brand of cables that work best with a given piece of equipment, only cables that work well in a given SYSTEM. However, there are certainly cables that DO NOT work well with certain equipment or in certain systems.

I have always found the Cardas cables to be veiled and lifeless in top-flight systems. Ayre is very big on Cardas and I just don't get it, having been very dissapointed in the sound in their rooms at RMAF two years in a row. I know how the Ayre equipment sounds in my system and feel that the Cardas/Ayre cabling they use in their demos does their equipment absolutely no favors.

I also believe that it is ultimately best to stick with one manufacturer when cabling your system (with certain specific exceptions). Mixing cabling from different manufacturers may work to offset negatives of other products in an unbalanced system, but change one component or cable and the whole house of cards comes falling down.

Until you get more focused on the sound characteristics you are looking for in tuning your system with cabling, definitely don't buy any cables without a return policy and make sure to do enough due diligence to have narrowed it down to a couple of contenders and have their products on hand during the trial period.

Good luck.
dlcockrum's avatar
dlcockrum
2,190 posts
 
Wireless 200,

I bought my Krell FPB-600C new in 1999 and have NEVER experienced any issues to support your assertion that "Krells are nothing if not forward" or "rough". Perhaps some of the old KSA or KAV amps were guilty of this. Haven't heard them in so long I can't say.

My Krell FPB is what I would describe as "mellow yet truthful". I would assert that my Thiel CS5i speakers are not exactly "forgiving" of non-musical artifacts upstream and if the Krell was misbehaving I would certainly know it.

I would certainly agree that many modern (and old) rock recordings sound like crap. Attempting to contain this with amps that are colored is a slippery slope.

My take is that careful selection of CD players and cabling is a more effective way to avoid exacerbating these issues. I want my amp to precisely tell me what the front end is doing so I'm not playing "pin the tail on the donkey" with system matching.

As for the Krell FPB and the Thiels on rock, this combo can spank about anything out there. The cut that I use to demonstrate the best sound my system can provide is "Tin Pan Alley" from Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Couldn't Stand the Weather" on vinyl.
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