I have had my Krel KAV 300i for about 8 years or so now. Purchased it second-hand and loved it from the very first time I powered it up. Until about 2 years ago, this amp would be the 1 thing I would save if my house were burning down, so you know that I really really like it.
The problem is that I have been upgrading and upgrading everything around this amp to the point where I now believe the amp and the DAC are the weak points in my system. Bang for buck wise, I think an amp upgrade will give me the most benefit at this point in time, so it's time for the grandfather Krell to be replaced.
So, let's talk about the DAC. It is an old Theta unit. It doesn't do any of the new high-res formats, but let me tell you - the stuff it does decode, it does very well. The amount of money I will need to spend in order to really upgrade from there is scary, so let's put that one on the back-burner. For interest sake, the new Theta will set you back USD 10k.
Amplifier wise, I have purchased all the things to do the FirstWatt F5 with, including the preamps, etc, etc. Truth be told, I have not even colleted my parts yet, nevermind actually started the build. Reason is that I am just too busy these days, and I am not convinced of the merit simply because I have not actually heard this F5 in action.
I am going over to Andre hopefully this weekend and taking my speakers with me to audition his Maestro pre and power amp. Cash wise, it is a serious investment to make. That being said, I have seen what Andre does inside his machines and the care he takes to get the sound right. While I am not sure whether I will like what I hear enough to spend R 82k on a pre and power combo from him, I have reasonably high expectations of his work, and will be more than happy to support a fellow South African by purchasing his product if it works for me.
Also phoned up Tweak and found out what the pricing on the new Krell stuff is. Let's just say you are looking at R 175k for a phantom 1 pre-amp, and R 125k for an Evolution 302e power amp. Slightly on the mad side of the scale. As much as I love the Krell equipment, I am not willing to take out a bond on my house for it.
Ok, so finally: what do I want out of my system? The truth - or as close as possible. I am one of those strange creatures who cannot get my mind around knowingly introducing distortion (read warmth), coloration, or other artifacts into my listening sessions. If a brass horn sounds harsh in real life, then I want it to sound harsh over my system. I don't need it smoothed over and mellowed out. If a pianist has sweat on his or her fingertips while playing a key and the finger slips ever so slightly along the key, then I want to know about it when listening. If Alan Taylor is standing too close to the microphone for the first minute of Colour to the moon, then I want to hear it (I can actually hear that now).
Looooooooong story short then - what is the best sounding amp you have listened to and why? I don't want to know what the most expensive amp is you know about (anyone can google) - I want to know what the best one is and why.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.
Ian.
The problem is that I have been upgrading and upgrading everything around this amp to the point where I now believe the amp and the DAC are the weak points in my system. Bang for buck wise, I think an amp upgrade will give me the most benefit at this point in time, so it's time for the grandfather Krell to be replaced.
So, let's talk about the DAC. It is an old Theta unit. It doesn't do any of the new high-res formats, but let me tell you - the stuff it does decode, it does very well. The amount of money I will need to spend in order to really upgrade from there is scary, so let's put that one on the back-burner. For interest sake, the new Theta will set you back USD 10k.
Amplifier wise, I have purchased all the things to do the FirstWatt F5 with, including the preamps, etc, etc. Truth be told, I have not even colleted my parts yet, nevermind actually started the build. Reason is that I am just too busy these days, and I am not convinced of the merit simply because I have not actually heard this F5 in action.
I am going over to Andre hopefully this weekend and taking my speakers with me to audition his Maestro pre and power amp. Cash wise, it is a serious investment to make. That being said, I have seen what Andre does inside his machines and the care he takes to get the sound right. While I am not sure whether I will like what I hear enough to spend R 82k on a pre and power combo from him, I have reasonably high expectations of his work, and will be more than happy to support a fellow South African by purchasing his product if it works for me.
Also phoned up Tweak and found out what the pricing on the new Krell stuff is. Let's just say you are looking at R 175k for a phantom 1 pre-amp, and R 125k for an Evolution 302e power amp. Slightly on the mad side of the scale. As much as I love the Krell equipment, I am not willing to take out a bond on my house for it.
Ok, so finally: what do I want out of my system? The truth - or as close as possible. I am one of those strange creatures who cannot get my mind around knowingly introducing distortion (read warmth), coloration, or other artifacts into my listening sessions. If a brass horn sounds harsh in real life, then I want it to sound harsh over my system. I don't need it smoothed over and mellowed out. If a pianist has sweat on his or her fingertips while playing a key and the finger slips ever so slightly along the key, then I want to know about it when listening. If Alan Taylor is standing too close to the microphone for the first minute of Colour to the moon, then I want to hear it (I can actually hear that now).
Looooooooong story short then - what is the best sounding amp you have listened to and why? I don't want to know what the most expensive amp is you know about (anyone can google) - I want to know what the best one is and why.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.
Ian.
