I just got my Krell Phantom delivered last week, and I was compelled to share this. This is in no way a review. It is more like my audio diary.
I had gone through a number of preamps over the past few years - Mcintosh C50/C2300/C2500, ARC Ref5SE, Rogue Audio Hera II, Manley 300B/Jumbo Shrimp, Plinius Tautoro, Parasound, Krell Phantom III, etc.
My amplifiers have been Mcintosh MC601, Manley Neo500, Krell 2250e & 302e, Plinius SA-103. Speaker has been SF Stravidari.
I was in search of natural (neutral?) music reproduction. I didn't want the voice to be sweet when the recording wasn't meant to sound sweet. (BTW, I love Manley gears, especially Stingray, which has such seductive sound, but definitely not neutral.) I didn't want any salt & pepper & or any other exotic spices added to the recordings.
I also wanted to have a soundstage with each instrument and voice emanating from their own space. I love being able to identify each instruement in front of me - even during complex music passages and at louder volumes. (I understand amplifier probably has more effect on this at louder volumes.)
I have been listening to the Phantom for a week and all I can say is it sounds the most "real" of any other preamplifiers that came and went through my listening room. Krell's own marketing line is "Musicians appear silhouetted by the air about them, filling the room with a mesmerizing depiction of the recording. Music emanates from an expanse that outlines the recording venue, transporting you to the moment of creation." I really can't add any more to this...
The sound is not as seductive as some tube gears. It doesn't have the warm and fuzzy nostalgia some gears evoke with their illuminations.
Phantom sounds very smooth and liquid without any artificial sweetness or shimmer to it. It seems to present the sound as it was meant to be - with all instruments and vocals having their own space within the expansive holographic soundstage.
And the bass control... Well, it is a Krell... I think that says it all
I am not as articulate as some in this forum who can write very flowery and articulate reviews. But, when I dim the lights, sit back, and just listen, Phantom truly sounds the best, in my opinion, of all the preamps I have heard in my system.
And to be fair, I do have to admit this is the most expensive preamp I have heard. I wonder how similar/higher priced units would compare - like ARC ref10 or Mcintosh C1000. It never ends