Opinions on Krell KAV-300i?

[doctorjuggles]

Does anyone in here own one of these amps and what's your opinion?

How well is it likely to mate with a Shanling CD-T80 tube based CD player?

Thanks

 

[Papa Lazarou]

I think a more important consideration should be whether it will gelwell with your speakers (assuming you haven't already bought it?)

 

[doctorjuggles]

Papa Lazarou wrote:

I think a more important consideration should be whether it will gelwell with your speakers (assuming you haven't already bought it?)

No, I haven't bought it. Just researching.

Speakers are in a 5.1 set-up and are MA Radius R270s, but this wont be the case forever, although they'll be my main speakers for the next couple of years.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Jezzer may the best wigwammer to ask on this. He tried MA GR60s with a Krell KAV-400i and couldn't get on with the sound. The MAs may like a warmer amp.

Ultimately try to get a home demo for a few days before parting with any cash and see how you feel about it.

 

[adam]

Krell with MA radius? No,No,MA are very bright and thin,ouch!!you need far better speakers.

 

[Jezzer]

MA + Krell =

Dynaudio + Krell =

I reckon MA's would partner well with non-solidstate amps.

In fact, IME, the GR60's were just too bright and metallic. They weren't neutral.

As someone once said, get the human voice right and the rest will follow.

Haven't heard the 300i, but the 400xi is one of the best integrated amps around and quite a step up from the 300i.

 

[doctorjuggles]

adam wrote:

Krell with MA radius? No,No,MA are very bright and thin,ouch!!you need far better speakers.

Err... thanks for being so polite.

Not everyone has the space for big speakers, unfortunately. Telling someone their current choice of equipment is poor is a bit on the tactless side, wouldn't you say?

Anyway, Jezzer, you wouldn't be talking about the 400i because you're selling one now, would you?

400i is way beyond my budget, as it stand, the 2nd hand 300i @ £800 is beyond it too, but if it was worth the money, I'd have gone for it.

Seems they don't pair well with Monitor Audio though, so it's back to the drawing board, I think.

Thanks for the advice, guys.

 

[Guest]

doctorjuggles wrote:

adam wrote:

Krell with MA radius? No,No,MA are very bright and thin,ouch!!you need far better speakers.

Err... thanks for being so polite.

Not everyone has the space for big speakers, unfortunately. Telling someone their current choice of equipment is poor is a bit on the tactless side, wouldn't you say?

Anyway, Jezzer, you wouldn't be talking about the 400i because you're selling one now, would you?

400i is way beyond my budget, as it stand, the 2nd hand 300i @ £800 is beyond it too, but if it was worth the money, I'd have gone for it.

Seems they don't pair well with Monitor Audio though, so it's back to the drawing board, I think.

Thanks for the advice, guys.

I don't think Adam meant your speakers were poor, but in the context of the Krell you will not hear the benefits with your current speakers, you'll need better, less bright, and better resolving, TBH I'd get speakers sorted then look at amps, so my advice would be not to consider Krell at present, and change the front speakers if you must upgrade, then get the amp in a couple of years, will still be plenty Krells and the like at good prices.

 

[doctorjuggles]

analoguekid wrote:

I don't think Adam meant your speakers were poor, but in the context of the Krell you will not hear the benefits with your current speakers, you'll need better, less bright, and better resolving, TBH I'd get speakers sorted then look at amps, so my advice would be not to consider Krell at present, and change the front speakers if you must upgrade, then get the amp in a couple of years, will still be plenty Krells and the like at good prices.

While I appreciate this advice is good advice, I'm still left stuck with a poor quality stereo setup at the moment then.

Are there any recommendations, then, for a stop-gap amp that would pair well with the Monitor Audios that I could maybe invest in immediately so that I have at least a semi-decent stereo setup? The Monitor Audios will be around for at least another 2 years because of space constraints.

At the moment I'm using my RX-V1500 AV receiver to drive stereo music and it's adequate in terms of AV receiver performance, but really leaves me cold as a stereo amp no matter what configurations I try.

Any advice?

Thanks

 

[gsrai]

Doc

From experience (I've got the radius and the MF) I can tell you that most Muscial Fidelity amps go really well with monitor audio so they might be worth looking up and you probably dont have to spend a lot on the older A3.2 series or newer X series.

I can tell you loads about them if it interests you.

 

[Guest]

Primaluna integrated. Valves go very well with MA's

 

[Guest]

s/h MF xa1 or xa2 from £180 on eBay.

this will drive plenty speakers, and will last long enough to make yer next upgrade, front speakers, save the rest.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Duvet wrote:

Primaluna integrated. Valves go very well with MA's

:^go for a Prologue One or Two and you'll never look back (unless you like heavy metal).

 

[legzr1]

Jezzer wrote:

Haven't heard the 300i, but the 400xi is one of the best integrated amps around and quite a step up from the 300i.

I agree with your opinion on the 400 xi - it is a good amp for the money but your last comment is confusing...

You haven't heard a 300i yet the 400 is quite a step up :Not Sure:

Doc,for what it's worth I think if you like the 'Krell' sound you'll find it difficult to find similar qualities for £800.

Yes,the 400 xi is better (smoother than the 300 yet retaining the strengths of deep,tight bass while adding a touch more power and 'finesse') but is it £600 better?

I'm a long-term owner of a 300i and it's definitely suited to more laid-back speakers.

Sorry,I haven't a clue what else to suggest as an alternative - the 300 is quite unique in that it's a powerful and well built integrated amp with the facility to use alongside surround-sound amps/processors (through put on one input allows use as a power amp).

Actually,off the top of my head - MF A308 integrated perhaps? (best get a listen first though - some love it,some don't)

 

[Jezzer]

legzr1 wrote:

Jezzer wrote:

Haven't heard the 300i, but the 400xi is one of the best integrated amps around and quite a step up from the 300i.

I agree with your opinion on the 400 xi - it is a good amp for the money but your last comment is confusing...

You haven't heard a 300i yet the 400 is quite a step up :Not Sure:

Sorry, should've said, from what I've read and heard said, it's apparantly quite a step up.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

You could try a Densen, Primare or Copland amp instead.

Should gel nicely with MA speakers.

 

[Testure]

Papa Lazarou wrote:

You could try a Densen, Primare or Copland amp instead.Should gel nicely with MA speakers.

Try a 2nd hand Densen Beat 100, they seem to be gelling very well with Hifiwigwam's MA

Testy

 

[harv]

I've got a 300i, it pretty unforgiving of bright sources, got plenty of drive and oomph runs pretty warm all the time. I'd avoid bright speakers, the krell is fine with my maggies but with the JM labs it edges into harshness with poor recording at anything over lowish volumes. Its far more detailed and much better bass the Tags I had before. Its not the sweetest sounding amp I've ever heard or the most natural. Its built like a tank too.

 

[Davewhityetagain]

Papa Lazarou wrote:

Duvet wrote:

Primaluna integrated. Valves go very well with MA's

:^go for a Prologue One or Two and you'll never look back (unless you like heavy metal).

Why would heavy metal sound bad ? with a one or a two should be fine