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Krell Trio 300 vs. Krell Trio 300 XD

I just bought a pre-loved Krell Trio 300 and overall, I love the amp. Powerful, drives ML ESLs like a boss, and the only class A that will not burn down your house (cool to the touch). However, little bright and too “rocky”.  The more I read about the XD version of this amp it sounds like Krell tuned all these little kinks out and made it more musical. It would cost me 5K, to trade in my Trio 300 for new Trio 300 XD.

Does anyone here have experience with these amps, can anyone tell me if the XD improvement justifies extra 5k?

nd_72
bulldogger
262 posts
 
The XD upgrade is easily worth it. There is a lot more information,"detail" being reproduced. You will certainly notice it. 
jmeyers's avatar
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jmeyers
124 posts
 
But does the XD upgrade specifically address nd_72’s issues?
bulldogger
262 posts
 
I"m not sure. I don't know what amp solid state amp would be considered less bright than the new Krell amps XD or non-XD. I'm a long time Mcintosh amplifier owner. I'd say the Duo 300 XD is not any brighter than the new Mcintosh MC611. Never thought I'd be saying that in a comparison of Krell and Mcintosh. If I had to pick, I'd say the Duo 300 is less bright then the MC611. The "house sound" of both companies seems to have moved in opposite directions from their old sound.
nd_72 OP
2 posts
 

Thank you all for comments. I sent my TRIO 300 for an XD upgrade directly to Krell. It turns out they upgrade older models to XD for $1,450.00 + shipping costs. The customer service at Krell was amazing. I got a call from the Krell’s CEO with an update and he spent good 10 minutes with me on the phone explaining advantages of XD. He also gave me his cell phone number if I need anything in the future or have questions. Truly remarkable. Amp came back looking brand new. They also included XD badge on the front panel.

Now, when it comes to the sound. To be honest, I am struggling to pick up on the difference. Maybe if you could switch XD on and off if would become more apparent, but in my opinion this amp sounds great with or without XD upgrade. Perhaps I should upgrade my speakers to take full advantage of this amp, my 10+ year old ML ESLs may be looking for new home soon.

Can anyone recommend speakers for this amp? The two I am thinking of are ML 15A, or KEF Blade 2s


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