A question!

[imbecill]

I´m maybe going to buy a krell ksa 50 mkII, and now i´m wondering if there´s anyone who have any experience with that amp?

/Marcus

 

[edwinr]

I haven't had much to do with Krell amps. I've heard their 'Showcase' products and the little integrated amps they make - but not with my Summits. I've formed the view that Krell amplifiers are essentially lean in tonal quality, but with outstanding bandwidth. So it'd be a case of hearing that power amp you're interested in with your speakers. These days I don't go by reputations any more, or buying without auditioning. I've been caught too many times. I'd be interested in what you think if you can auditon this amp with some ML's.

 

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imbecill?

How did you pick this moniker?

 

[DrJRapp]

I've formed the view that Krell amplifiers are essentially lean in tonal quality, but with outstanding bandwidth.

I'm not sure what you mean by this? Are you saying they add no sound of their own?

Transducers have tonal qualities, amps and gain stages should be neutral. I aways thought that was the ideal.

 

[DTB300]

Transducers have tonal qualities, amps and gain stages should be neutral.

Should is the key word....but neutral is not always attained. Everything in the chain adds its own sonic signature to the sound - some more than others.

 

[edwinr]

I'm not sure what you mean by this? Are you saying they add no sound of their own?

Transducers have tonal qualities, amps and gain stages should be neutral. I aways thought that was the ideal.

Yeah... I guess that's what I'm trying to say. There's no way I could describe the Krells that I've heard as anything but neutral. This quality may not suit some speakers that have a sound signature that is tailored to suit midrange amplifers where the sound tends to be a little thick and muddled. As we move upmarket, we should expect all the components to be fairly neutral, although this doesn't always happen. I've got my system tuned now so that when I play various CD's, I can easily tell the difference in sound and engineering quality.

But there has to be a difference between the bigger Krells and the 'little' one's I've heard. There's no way Krell could offer all the top end model attributes in their lessor models. So that's why I'd like a listen myself. I've heard a lot of good things about the big Krells.

 

[DrJRapp]

I auditioned my Summits with Krell, not only because of it's neutral character, but because it was the best that my dealer had. I made the salesman drag the Summits out of the room they were in...hooked up to a Pioneer receiver to conect with a Krell pre and stereo amp. I forget which model.

In the end it's all like a big puzzel. All the pieces must fit together to create the (sonic) picture, however, I'm a firm believer in neutral amps and control devices. I match (or compliment) source and output devices, but don't use my intermediate electronics as filters or "tone control devices".

I use an Aragon amp to drive my Summits that happens to have been designed by Dan D'Agostino, the president of Krell Industries. Needless to say, the sound character resembles the Krell Evolution amps, neutral and a tad sweet but not bright, effortlessly powerful but very detailed. Super stable and dead quiet.

 

[edwinr]

I agree that once our system is as neutral as possible, it is only then that we can truly appreciate what the sound/recording engineer and artist is seeking to achieve with their recording. It sounds simple just talking about it, but the execution is very difficlut in achieving a neutral sounding system. But then that's half the fun, isn't it?

I'm really interesting in hearing a big Krell on my Summits. I wonder how it will compare with my Classe...

 

[Jeff Zaret]

Can we say everything is some comprimise somewhere along the way.
What one person "hears" as neutral may not be the same for another.

Jeff