KRELL KSA 50 100 150 0r 250.


I have decided that i would like to try one of these Krell amps.
BUT, i have never heard one.....but did lots of reading and people seem happy with them.

I understand that the models do sound different with more or less watts, lets hear some recomendations and opinions on these amps.

TIA.

Also thought i would mention my pre is a Krell KSP-7B and currently using a Bryston 4B as a power amp.
x1884

Showing 4 responses by rcprince

The KSA 150 is similar to the 250, a little less power but a similar sonic signature (and more than enough power for almost all applications), a good buy if you can find one. The older Krell models, save for the KSA 50Mk II, might sound a little more "hi-fi" than the later models, and will be subject to more potential problems because they use cooling fans instead of heat sinks. All should ultimately be checked, as at their current age there may be some capacitors to be replaced. Keep in mind these beasts run hot, even the KSA 150 and 250, which were not totally Class A designs like the earlier ones. And while I agree with the above poster that the "S" series were perhaps better balanced, they always seemed to be sterile-sounding to me; I guess I liked the colorations and character of the earlier models.
I personally would not get the KSA 100 unless it was a mark II, which I recall was a worthwhile improvement over the original, both sonically and I believe in operational stability as well; even then, I always felt the 100, as opposed to the 50 (which was very sweet in the highs), was just a tad cool like the Brystons I have heard, more brute power than sonic finesse. Others may feel differently. I would wait for a 150, or else perhaps a KSA 80. I always seemed to like the lower-powered of Krell's earlier amps; quite the opposite of their later ones, which always sounded better to me in their higher power versions. No way you could hear this amp, is there?
Maybe you can bring your Bryston as well and put it into the syetm in place of the Krell, that could at least give you a benchmark. The Krell is superb at controlling a speaker, that was its greatest strength in its day (and why it was shown with Apogee speakers all the time), but your Bryston is no slouch there, so I'm not sure how much of a difference you'll hear. Of course, it has been a long time since I heard the old Krell. I would not recommend the 50s, though, it's a nice amp but, unlike the KSA 50 Mk II, is not far more powerful than its rating. But then again, what speakers are you driving? Do you really need all that control or power?
I would leave the preamp on all the time, not the amp. Don't want to wear out the fans, and you would notice the heat too (it would increase your electric bill substantially!). It does take the amp a while to warm up and sound its best--with my KSA 50 it was about 45 minutes it started sounding really good, and that kept improving for the next hour or two.