What ever happened to Krell ?

I think the new cosmetics hurt them big time. I actually own a Foundation and Chorus 5200 and they are great high end HT products. Unfortunately Krell has too many big time discounting dealers which is killing the value of the products. 
In all fairness their service to me has been excellent. I personally think that the ibias amps sound really good but are hurt by the perception of noisy fans and a sliding bias scheme. I can't think of a better opportunity out there for a high watt class a amp at unreal discounted prices. My 5200 compared very favorably to a Pass 250.8 i demo'd in house for a couple of weeks. The cosmetics aren't that bad in person either. I wish them well as an iconic high end brand.

I think Dave b is all over it. As I remember it when Dan was there much Krell bashing was to be suffered. Same as Wilson etc. The products I have are very good. At the discounting occurring on audiogon someone could do themselves a big favor and pick up an ibias amp. Fans are dead silent with high Class A output. Would love someone to have a pass vs Krell shootout. 

I have to say that regardless of aesthetics and politics the two recent Krell units that I have exude quality with great sound. If you haven't operated and listened to a newer unit a valid comment can't be made. One thing is for sure, the new units would never be criticized for being dry or anything less than musical. People forget that Krell bashing was in full swing during Dan's era also. Some designer(s) are doing good work at Krell except for the controversial styling. 

I have a Krell Chorus 5 channel amp that I think is awesome. I'm a die hard audiophile and find that it measures up. It gets criticized for the fans which I personally am a big proponent of because it allows more installation options and they are whisper quiet. You won't think corners have been cut once you open the box. Just my opinion of course. 

i would think it smoother and more musical but i've not heard older krell multi channel amps. herndonb has very interesting comments.
 i have a foundation as well and i can tell you it doesn't look cheap and is absolutely great sounding. my 2 cents

well said. the current gear is very good. 

As always listen for yourself ; criticism without knowledge is pointless. I've been caught in high end audio madness for decades and I can tell you that Krell's current amps sound very 'high end'. It still kills me hearing how great it used to be but is no more. I remember tons of criticism of the older amps claiming they were bleached and analytical sounding in particular the high frequencies. Those criticisms of course also came from people with bias issues either one way or another. I've had several older units and truly can't say that they were any more musical than the current amps. I like them both.

All the politics aside I reiterate that I have very high expectations from audio gear purchased and the three pieces I now have exude quality and performance commensurate with price. Chorus 5200, Foundation 4K and two box Phantom preamp. I also am fortunate enough to have Agostino, Wilson and Bricasti so I have some idea of what high end gear should sound like along with build quality. Its definitely worth checking out especially because of heavy discounts no doubt in part due to some of the negative feelings expressed herein.