Karan amp experiences wanted


I am looking for experiences with the Karan KA S180 amplifier. I have found some stuff in old threads and it is enough to have me pretty intrigued. My biggest question is would the power be enough to drive my Watt Puppy 7's. I have been looking to replace my current Krell FPB 600c for a while and just have not found the amp to fill it's space. The larger Karan's are out of my range for now. My room is not large but i do listen loud. I do not believe the KA S 180 is designed for lower impedance like the Watt Puppy but i am not certain. It would be great to hear any of your experiences with this amp and if any have used the two together.
richard_stacy

Showing 1 response by karanacoustics

After having heard or owned ALL Karan gear as an importer in Holland since 1999, I now consider that most sources are the weak point in the chain. That is because Karan topology is such that it can control virtualy all available speakers, due to its very low output resistance. Even KAI180mk1 or KAI180mk2 integrated manage Audiostatic LT speakers ( which fall below one Ohm at certain frequencies ) with ease. Ask any electrostatic designer what do they think of Accuphase or Yamaha's coupled to reactive load before investing your OWN funds in such a combination.
Karan amps have extreme frequency response and are DC coupled. Amplifier itself is meant to virtually disappear. My own experience is that source must have high enough resolution and dynamics in order to fully engage Karan amplifiers. Older phrase is GIGO ( garbage-in, garbage-out ), so take care that you connect the best source before even thinking of calling Karan 'uninvoling', please.
Actually, having Karan amps present in the audio chain enables me to fairly quickly source the fault in the system that should sound great, but doesn't.
Anyone interested in a demo is welcome, just contact me and I would try to help the best I can.
Cheers,
Zoran Filipovic
+31728888088
Heerhugowaard, Holland

karanacoustics.nl