Krell preamps
Erik Leideman
I have bought a secondhand Krell KSP-7B preamp since the price was
good, and it includes a phono stage. I am currently using it together
with a Krell FPB 300 connected via WireWorld Polaris balanced
interconnects. (I compared the WireWorld to AudioQuest Lapis 3, but
the WireWorld are more transparent in the treble and slightly
cheaper, so the choice was easy.) Has anyone compared the KSP-7B with
more recent Krell designs? I am curious about what improvements I
could expect if I upgrade to the KRC-3 or the KRC-HR.
For reference I will also describe the rest of the system. The Krell
is driving a pair of Martin Logan reQuests biwired with AudioSpec
cable. The CD transport is a Meridian 200. The D/A converter is
probably totally unknown in the US since it is from a small Swedish
company. The name is Licence no. 1. (It is designed by Peter Bremen,
the guy who made the D/A for Peter Forsell (who made a much praised
transport with air born bearings). The Licence is however a more
recent design a much better than the one made for Forsell. It is
running in class A so it gets quite hot. Reviews in Swedish magazines
comparing this D/A with Mark Levinson no. 39 claims the Licence to
give much better treble tranparency, but otherwise they have similar
sound character. Personally I have never compared it to ML, but
friends who have done so also claim the Licence to be the better.
Sorry for the long paranthesis, but at least might give you a hint of
what kind of machine the Licence is.)
The analogue player is not in the same league. It is a Systemdek (it
is so old I do not remeber the model number, but at the time I bought
it was their top model) with a Morch UP-4 arm and a Denon DL-304 MC
pick-up fed through an Audio Note transformer.
Using my old power amp, an unbalanced Norwegian made Dynamic
Precision (220W per channel, producing a rather Krell-like sound), I
compared the KSP-7B with a high class potentiometer (connecting the
D/A to the power amp). There was very little difference, and I would
say I slightly preferred the Krell than the potentiometer. So my
conclusion was that the preamp is quite transparent with very little
coloration. When I bought it I also brought home an Accuphase 270,
but that machine was a true disappointment. If that is not
coloration, then what is? Heavy mushy base (worse than a bad tube
power amp) and a silky but very unnatural treble. The sound was
lightyears away from a good passive preamp.
Thanks in advance for any comments.
Erik Leideman
Christopher M. Whipple
I have a similar system except the front end is Krell KPS 20i and
KRC-3. I am very pleased with the result driving an FPB 300 and M-L
reQuests (I use Transparent Ultra balanced interconnects and speaker
cable). The literature from Krell talks about the KRC -3 and HR both
using ther same kind of biasing and regulated current treatment as in
the FPB. In talking with Krell they said that the newer stuff is more
closely matched. I would check with a local Krell dealer to let you
bring a KRC 3 home to try. A-B and then you can better decide. I
would also try the new 250P, it's about $1000 cheaper and said to be
close in sound. Stereophile also did a review of the KRC3 last year
(October I think).
Erik Leideman <qra...@eraj.ericsson.se> wrote:
>I have bought a secondhand Krell KSP-7B preamp since the price was
>good, and it includes a phono stage. I am currently using it together
>with a Krell FPB 300 connected via WireWorld Polaris balanced
>interconnects. (I compared the WireWorld to AudioQuest Lapis 3, but
>the WireWorld are more transparent in the treble and slightly
>cheaper, so the choice was easy.) Has anyone compared the KSP-7B with
>more recent Krell designs? I am curious about what improvements I
>could expect if I upgrade to the KRC-3 or the KRC-HR.
[quoted text deleted -- deb]
Johnny Y Boey
Erik Leideman wrote:
> cheaper, so the choice was easy.) Has anyone compared the KSP-7B with
> more recent Krell designs? I am curious about what improvements I
> could expect if I upgrade to the KRC-3 or the KRC-HR.
The KRC3 and KRC-HR share some circuit topology with the FPB amps. You
will notice better transparency, dynamics, and lower noise floor.
JB
Philip Ganderton
Christopher M. Whipple wrote:
>
> I have a similar system except the front end is Krell KPS 20i and
> KRC-3. I am very pleased with the result driving an FPB 300 and M-L
> reQuests (I use Transparent Ultra balanced interconnects and speaker
> cable). The literature from Krell talks about the KRC -3 and HR both
> using ther same kind of biasing and regulated current treatment as in
> the FPB. In talking with Krell they said that the newer stuff is more
This post talks about the KRC-3 and the KRC-HR, and the original post
mentioned the KPA-7B, all of which I have owned over the last 3 years.
While the HR and the -3 share the same class A biasing, and regulation
design, they are very different amps because the HR uses "older"
amplification design, compared to the -3 which was the first
preamplifier from Krell to use current mode gain topology. This
design is employed in the FPB series of power amps, and will appear in
the integrated CD player. The new "cheapo" 250p preamp *may* use
current mode gain, but Im not certain. What I am certain about is
that current mode gain preamps sound substantially different that
older Krell designs when implemented by Krell. The 7B is quite an old
design, and shares some family resemblance to the KBL and KRS preamps.
In my opinion, the HR is the ultimate refinement of the older Krell
design, and will not be made for much longer, as a new current mode
gain reference preamp is on the design boards so Im told. All new
Krell preamps will have current mode gain design by the end of next
year I predict (but have no official evidence for this comment.)
All this aside, just listen to all the preamps, and let your ears do
the work!
Cheers,
philip ganderton