Krell FPB 200, comments?

Listen carefully before you buy. I have not been as impressed with the larger FPB amps that I have heard, especially in the deep bass (something Krell was known for). The KSA 250 may still be a better amp and had a powerful bottom end. I'm not sure how they would compare in other ways, as I have never heard them in the same system. Hopefully someone with more current info will respond, but newer has not always been better in the Krell line.

I own a KSA-250, have used it with many amps. As to it's sound, very refined and laid back in sound/nice soundstage and very, very beautiful on female vocals. This amp will drive the one ohm apogee's and is stable even under one ohm load (2000 watts@1 ohm per side}. The bottom end's limit is the limit of your speakers. I use mine with Bent audio passive transformer volume control for pre and Sony XA777 as source, speakers are Vmps super tower'r. Now the down side: 150lb's, must have 20 amp circut, takes a good half hour to sound it's best and runs very warm, sounds best run balanced. If you can put up with all that, you can't go wrong at it's used price as it will compete with any amp on the market and is bested by very few. I have full specs on Krell Ksa-150/250 models should you want them.

I would want to hear Krell and Thiel together before buying. Possibly a bright combination.

Keithr is correct, if your Thiel's are on the bright side the Krell Ksa-250 will not tame them down, it's just a little on the warm side of neutral. Sounds very good with my small apogee centaur minor's when I sometimes hook them up to it. I also have a pair of Vmps 626's which sound very good on this amp.

I have the FPB 200 amp and I have been very happy with it. The concerns about bass are (I believe) unfounded. I have not noticed any dropoff in bass signal as the lower octaves are reproduced on test equipment.

One of the biggest differences between the older amps and the newer FPB series is that they do not run as hot as the KMA and KSA's. Don't misunderstand though, they still run hotter than my old Aragon.

I have spent a fair amount of time listening older Krell amps and do not think the new FPB amps are of a lesser quality. Some owners of older Krell don't like the 'sustained plateau bias' claiming they did not play in class A long enough.

Brightness is more source or room related than amp and speaker related. Thiel's and Krell should not be a problem unless your source (or more likely your listening room) is overly bright. I have never noticed the FPB 200 to sound particularly bright. In my experience the amp is very well balanced.

The biggest mistake many 'audiophiles' make is attributing room characteristics to their equipment. Is your room sonically bright? If it is your system will be bright. Buying equipment that tends away from being bright will not tame this room characteristic.

Don't worry about this combination, unless the room is a problem. If it is, contact http://www.rivesaudio.com they can help with the room. Many audiophile would be better served to pay more attention to their room and less to upgrading equipment.