Krell S300i

[Bavarian05]

Originally Posted by Venere

Bavarian - curious to hear more observations as you spend more time with the Krell. Main concern is absence of grain and brightness. Neutral to slightly warm fits my needs. I am told that the 300 excels at detail retrieval without being harsh. Would like to see if you share that opinion. Lastly, how hot does it run at moderate levels? As i mentioned it would be in a somewhat vented cabinet.

I have been perplexed by those that said it runs hot. Mine barely feels like it is on much of the time. Just slightly warm to the touch above the heat sinks on each side.
One of the gentlemen here said he had his driving a multiple room and speakers setup, so I have to assume the impedance load, long cabling and overall load is pretty taxing, which would explain the additional heat. My opinion is that it is quite neutral but a fairly rich midrange, especially for solid state. I think of myself as normally being very sensitive to brash or grainy sound. I used to own the current Bryston 4BSST2 paired with an ARC LS17SE and found that combo to sound fairly stiff and at times harsh. I don't feel that way about this amp and it is cheaper than that pairing by about $8300. Again, just one mans opinion, but I think it is a crazy good deal, especially when paired with a warmer hued pair of Sonus Fabers. Take Music Direct up on the close out pricing with free shipping and an option to return it after 60 days if it is not a perfect fit for you.

I understand your desire for overall warmth, but if you end up pairing a fairly low powered and low damping factor Prologue Premium with the 3.0 I am willing to bet you will not like the flabby bass that results. I am not one who cares for big bass heavy music but the control and overall realistic impact is very important to making recreated sound believable. Here agin though, if you have the opportunity, take a Prologue home from your dealer and see what you think.

Hope this helps. Let me know if I can help further.

[Bavarian05]

Venere,

I don't know if you are anywhere near me in Plymouth, MN (just NW of Minneapolis) but if so, you are more than welcome to visit and hear it.

[Venere]

Originally Posted by Bavarian05

Venere, I don't know if you are anywhere near me in Plymouth, MN (just NW of Minneapolis) but if so, you are more than welcome to visit and hear it.

Thanks for the nice offer but I am in Texas. I will go ahead and order one and give it a try. . As you said i can always return it if not a good fit. Thanks for all your input sir.

[Bavarian05]

Originally Posted by Venere

Thanks for the nice offer but I am in Texas. I will go ahead and order one and give it a try. . As you said i can always return it if not a good fit. Thanks for all your input sir.

My pleasure. Let me know what you think of it when you have time.

[Venere]

Originally Posted by Bavarian05

My pleasure. Let me know what you think of it when you have time.

Well, i did a bit of a U-turn and ordered a Hegel H80 instead of the Krell. Don't burst my bubble if you've heard bad things about it. I want to give it a fair shake. Killer reviews online and seems like a good fit with my speakers and my needs of small size and limited heat. Supposedly punches above its weight class. Arrived friday so we shall see. Of course i wont be able to compare to s300 but it will likely be a big step up from my Marantz.

[Venere]

Meant to say "arriving" friday.

[Bavarian05]

Congrats.
You likely know this already but I believe that is one of TAS's Integrated amps of the year in the current issue.

[Venere]

Yep. Uniformly good reviews and right at my preferred price point. Will be interesting to see how it blends with the Veneres. I think its gonna be a great combo plus its got a DAC that should sound pretty good from the coaxial output of my Marantz CD player. Might be the makings of a pretty appealing $6k system. I know thats what some folks spend on interconnects but my budget is a bit more modest.

[Venere]

Originally Posted by Bavarian05

Congrats. You likely know this already but I believe that is one of TAS's Integrated amps of the year in the current issue.

Not to hijack this thread but thought you might be curious about the Hegel in this general price range. If for some reason you don't keep the Krell you should audition the Hegel. I cant directly compare them but its hard to believe anything at this price could sound better than the H80. Incredibly detailed (especially using the onboard DAC) but smooth and non- fatiguing, with amazing control due to the very high damping factor. They claim a DF of over 1000 but the measurements I saw in one review at Soundstage Network showed "only" about 500 max, still a pretty useful number. Its my first taste at home of truly high-end sound and makes me appreciate my speakers even more. I think up until know i have only been in the upper reaches of mid-fi with my Marantz front end. Now with the Hegel DAC/integrated combo it has definitely moved significantly up the ladder. Couldnt be happier and would recommend the H80 to anyone shopping at this price point.

[Bavarian05]

Originally Posted by Venere

Not to hijack this thread but thought you might be curious about the Hegel in this general price range. If for some reason you don't keep the Krell you should audition the Hegel. I cant directly compare them but its hard to believe anything at this price could sound better than the H80. Incredibly detailed (especially using the onboard DAC) but smooth and non- fatiguing, with amazing control due to the very high damping factor. They claim a DF of over 1000 but the measurements I saw in one review at Soundstage Network showed "only" about 500 max, still a pretty useful number. Its my first taste at home of truly high-end sound and makes me appreciate my speakers even more. I think up until know i have only been in the upper reaches of mid-fi with my Marantz front end. Now with the Hegel DAC/integrated combo it has definitely moved significantly up the ladder. Couldnt be happier and would recommend the H80 to anyone shopping at this price point.

Congrats!
Glad to hear you are really happy with it.