Thinking Of Going All Krell...Thoughts?
 

I've currently got a pretty decent McIntosh setup, but am considering moving to Krell. One of the main factors is the pre/pro I have. I'm thinking the S1200U would be the one to go with, but am having some trouble with amps. I've heard Krell Evo 400's with B&W 800 Diamonds and loved what I heard, however that's a bit different from my mains as I have the first generation Nautilus 802's. Here's what I currently have:

Amps:
Mains - 2x McIntosh MC601's
Center & Surround - 1 McIntosh MC303

Speakers:
Mains - B&W Nautilus 802's
Center - B&W HTM1
Surrounds - B&W SCMS

Pre/Pro:
McIntosh MX150

What would be a suitable set of Krell Evo's to go to? I'd like to stick with monoblocks for my mains and a single 3-channel unit for center/surrounds. I've read that the evolution line has had several different versions/releases. Which is the better of them? I'm not entirely sure I'll be able to swing all new so I may get some of it off agon or elsewhere. If the beginning evo units are just as good as the current ones I'd like to know.

I'd appreciate anyone's feedback, especially if they have experience moving from McIntosh to Krell.

Why are you unhappy with what you have ? What exactly are you trying to improve? What makes you think the new amps will sound any better ? Why don't you upgrade your speakers ? Look at Sonus Faber and Wilson

Allen...I too would suggest looking at upping your speakers. Sonus Faber or Wilson are great suggestions. You have some fine gear. What sources do you have? Your MX150 reprocesses your analog signals, so your system will only ever sound as good as your HT processor. If you are into 2-ch, you may wish to consider a dedicated 2-ch pre & use passthru for HT. This will also improve the dynamics of HT.

Your current system is very good as it is(i may be biased on the 601's of course) but they are amazing amps.If you enjoy/like the sound you have now ....if you switch to Krell you will have a totally diff type of sound.Krells amps to me have always sounded very fast and sometimes over-analytical(IMO)....some people find them a little cold,but hey only You can decide.
A diff pair of speakers as some of the guys here have suggested may be a very good idea.Just make sure if you get the Krell your not making a "Sideways Move" instead of a Move Up.

Bryan.......I think David's questions in the above quote make good sense, and I don't normally quote 1KW, but unless you are looking to change gear simply for change sake, I would seriously consider what David said. Right now, in my opinion, your weakest links are the speakers.

I rarely quote jdandy when he is quoting 1kw but in this case I agree :D

Krell will bring a very different sound signature to your room. If this is what you want then go ahead but if you want more of what you have or to improve on what you have then speakers and a 2 channel preamp would bring you a lot closer.

See if your dealer can loan you a pair of speakers to try and you might find you don't crave the krell anymore.

Let us know how you get on!

howie

My SF Cremona's sound excellent using my MX150 & MC205. I think the MX150 is a great processor for two channel as was my previous MX120. I've never been a big B&W fan, but I know many people love them. Maybe some different cables might be an idea.....but honestly, i've gotta go with the new speakers. I'm not to sure your getting the kind of answers you were looking for.

As you can see you are getting a lot of different suggestions. In the end it depends on what you are looking for and what you like. Since you asked, here is my Two Cents.

Krell is very good gear but so is the McIntosh you already own. If you want to swap because you are looking for something different, go for it.

I also think you would be very happy if you swapped out your main speakers for a pair of B&W's newer 802 Diamonds. I would choose them over most everything under $30k except possibly the Elipsa SE which "may" not be the best speaker for your HT set-up.

Jim

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

Thanks for the feedback. I agree that upgrades are in order for my speakers. That said, I'm not exactly satisfied with the MX150 when it comes to multichannel (and 2 channel) music. The Krell S1200 has such a nice DAC and implementation which is why I'm mostly interested in getting rid of my MX150. I love my amps, but am not not totally sold (especially after hearing the Krells on 800 D's).

Here's really why I'm considering Krell. For two channel music, I listen to my W4S DAC2 direct to my amps (using the DAC2 as a preamp) -- and the sound is great, but the MX150 just can't keep up with that. I took my DAC2 to a friends house and listened to his setup (S1200 with out-of-my-league Wilson Alexandras) and the Krell as a preamp was just as good as my DAC2 as a preamp. He also had a Evo 2 channel preamp, but I wasn't very interested in hearing it as much as the S1200. I never thought I'd be saying that, but it's true. The Krell S1200 is an awesome preamp. I don't believe I'll always have my DAC2; I'd certainly like to listen and try out other DAC's. But, if my preamp isn't up to snuff there's no sense in trying to improve.

I suppose I could just get rid of the MX150 and get the S1200, but it's not exactly a combination that people are happy on (most say that McIntosh and Krell do not mix very well).