fgarib Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 Hey there! In the neverending search for amplification, a friends (practically) brand new Krell amp has come to my attention... Is it too much power? I've heard this amp on the KEF Reference series speakers, and love the sound. But those things are known for their "more the merrier" attitude towards power. Scared to hook them up. Help out soon! -F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 Oh go on - connect the bugger up, but: I would start with the volume at zero and ease that dial up real slow and carefully. You probably wont destroy the speaker with an instantaneous burst - but your ears might not be so lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 You could hook the Khorns up to a million watt amp safely, as long as you didn't turn it up very far. Don't make it louder than feels comfortable. I think Klipsch recommends no more than a 100W amp, to be safe, but some Forum members have used much more without blowing the speakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 I had a shootout (you can probably find it via search) at my house that included a new model Krell amp. I have not heard many SS amps that sounded good with my klipschorns (or better said I prefer the sound of tube amps with my klipschorns) BUT the krell amps sounded really good. In the end I prefered my little DHT PP amp but the krell would have done just fine! I would say they are the second best sounding amps I have ever heard with my k-horns. They had great slam, dynamics and bass extension. obviously the krells were never more than idling while driving my k-horns no matter the volume or music. You will never need even a smal part of the power they produce but they do sound very nice, almost as good as high quality DHT amplification. warm regards, tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leok Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 Amplifiers have limited (Krell maybe quite large, but in the end, limited) dynamic range. At the top of this range is clipping. At the bottom of this range is noise. Often the bottom noise is not constant (as in hum or hiss) but tends, instead to modulate low level audio signals, usually making them sound thin,or harsh. You might check that the amp doesn't sound thin or harsh at normal listening levels. If it does, it may be running into the low limit of its effective dynamic range. Whether or not you vaporize the driver voice coils is a function of the noise level in your own fine motor control in adjusting the volume. Leo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Adams Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 My local Klipsch dealer had a Krell 700cx sitting out on the floor (I'm assuming it was on the floor due concrete being able to handle the weight better than any rack they had) the other day. OMG - that thing was just stupid big. I asked Mark where that thing was going and he said it was one of two they were delivering to some guys' home. TWO??? YIKES!! Good lord....you could arc weld with one of those things. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrennan Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 Arc weld, eh? Can ya run 3/16 lo-hi downhand with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShapeShifter Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 I would be more fearful if little ones or teenagers have unsupervised access to your system. Control knobs are like toys to little ones & we all know what teens are capable of.... Checking control settings should be SOP before turn on, if others have access to your equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q-Man Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 You don't say how much power the Krell has. Krell is best with a layed back speaker something like B&W's. Krell can be harsh or bright in the midrange and high frequencies. It wouldn't be my first choice with Klipschorns. I use 200 watts per channel amps in my home theater, and need every bit of it at times for those bass heavy scenes and music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-MAN Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 Scardy-cat! Scardy-cat! I have 300 watts per channel on my horns. DM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fgarib Posted December 3, 2004 Author Share Posted December 3, 2004 Ok. My friend came over, we hooked it up and I sent him off! (C'mon, needed space and time to check it out). Just a quick bit of initial feedback: It's the integrated KAV 400xi . Though it's sleek looking in all it's silver / chrome glory, it's a lot lighter than I expected. I have to admit, I was scared sh!tless powering it up. To quote my friend, it's 200 Watts of "Krell Power"! Whatever that means. Anyhow, it's got 1 set of XLR balanced, but I just ran the source into the RCA's. Plugged in Miles Davis, and it's been about a half hour since I hit play, and it's still going in the background as I type this. Errr... it's, umm... good. The lows are tighter, deeper and punchier than anything I've hooked up before. But what's the Krell fuss about? The highs? Hmmmm... His trumpet is sounding more "jazzy" than I remember on this cd, but perhaps I'm thinking too much about it. Wait a moooooment! Is that high hat really sizzling that much? And wow, is that a brush on the snare? And does it really sound like the piano is sitting a little to Miles' right, slightly behind him or am I just imagining it? Ok guys, gots to run! This is starting to get a little better... More later for those of you interested. I might actually answer the Krell fuss question myself! -F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fgarib Posted December 3, 2004 Author Share Posted December 3, 2004 DMan, Too funny! Scaredy cat is right! I sometimes feel like Andre the Giant's over protective mother when it comes to my KHorns. They could probably take anything I throw at them... But I still feel I have to wear kid's gloves! -F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 Have no fear.....I've got 2000watts of Krell feeding my Klipsch speakers. Currently configured at 250W/channel. The sound is....well....excellent IMO. But like Max suggested, start out low and go up easy on the volume. The loudest I've been able to tolerate is about 35% max. volume, and I only did it as a test. In any event, even at 35%the Heritage was begging for more. The clarity is unbelievable, beyond comprehension, and better than I could ever describe in words. Every instrument clearly detectable, clean and crisp, but never harsh. But because of what all these tube guys are saying, I still want a tube amp system. I've got to sample it. But, ever you do, don't pass up on the krell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J M O N Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 Fauzi: Just for reference, what amp have you previously been using with the K-Horns? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fgarib Posted December 3, 2004 Author Share Posted December 3, 2004 Midterm evaluation: So far so good... Actually, so far, so great. But something's missing. Heard all of Dave Matthew's Band's Under the Table and Dreaming... What an experience! I think somewhere, somehow the amp started to warm up and started playing MUSIC. For reference, prior to the Krell, I have periodically changed between the following amps: Quad 606, NAD C210 (usually bridged mono), Arcam A80, and (unfortunately too briefly) McIntosh MC30's. Not wanting to get into the whole Tube v. SS discussion now, I'll stay away from commenting on the brilliant experience that the MC 30's were. Short of that, the Quad and the NAD rank a close 1st and 2nd, respectively. The NAD stays connected more just because I hate the thunk everytime you turn the amp on. Anyway, instrumentally, the Krell is by far superior to all the above SS's mentioned. However, I have a nagging feeling in the back of my mine (ear?)that something's not quite complete. Perhaps vocally? Hmmmmm.... Gonna get back to some listening. Thanks for the feedback... gotta get to the bottom of this. -F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-MAN Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 I've found that the soundstage seems to change with different amps, in particular the pre-amp seems to be the point of most apparent difference. Perhaps that is what you are hearing; it's definately unsettling when you are used to hearing a presentation a "certain way" and then some gear comes along and changes it. It may take a while to "adapt" to a new soundstage. Another thing I've found is that SS gear is more sensitive to wiring (i.e., interconnects) than tubes are. That's another twist in the mix... DM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 "Krell and KHorns!" Play Slayer "Live Undead" real loud when you do it. You might see god. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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