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Krell HTS 7.1 for 2 channel or a new or used 2 channel pre?

I have an opportunity to purchase a used Krell HTS 7.1 for 700.00 I have Krell amps Tyler Acoustic Decade 2 speakers. I am currently using a Yamaha 3030 as a pre and it sucks. I switched to the Yamaha for ease of use with hdmi and all but I find it severely lacking in the audio department. So this brings me to the question do I get the Krell or keep searching for a 2 channel pre? Budget is 1000

We listen to cd's and stream via Spotify. I would like to eventually get into lp's

thanks
jfondell
auxinput
2,920 posts
 
Like I said earlier, putting in some 12awg stranded OFC copper speaker wire will really back off on the tweeter/highs.  It's so cheap and it's an excellent sounding interim solution.  Don't look at buying speaker cable in the $100-200 range.  They are not always great and the terminations (spades/bananas) can sometimes take away sound quality.  You can eventually upgrade to something like Neotech NES-3002.
audiom3
137 posts
 
I just got my HTS 7.1 back from Krell for a few replacement caps.  They also updated the firmware from 2.0 to 3.7 for free (they didn't even tell me they were doing it!).  After having it for a few months, then losing it for 6 weeks, I can say it's a beast of a unit!  It's perfect for my needs.  I listen to a ton of records still.  And this unit is so clean, it sounds like I upgraded my phono preamp.  All video source components run directly into my Samsung 4k LED and then out to the Krell via a TosLink cable.  And everything works in either DD 5.1 or DTS 5.1 (assuming it's being broadcast of course).  I have an Oppo 205 for all of my music and for Blu-Ray movies.  I use the Oppo's DAC out the 5.1 analog outs, into Krell's 7.1 channel input. For 2 channel music, the Oppo's balanced outs into the Krell's "Pre(amp)" mode.  I have used a Marantz AV7005 since it came out (4-5 years ago?).  And even though it's a decent unit for sound quality, the Krell trounces all over it in every way.  Those DACs are pretty solid, like the above user said.  But they still can't compete with Oppo's brand new DACs.  I did a lot of A/B'ing this weekend and I was hoping the Krell would win.  It's just too weak in bass and more shrill in the highs when cranked up (very livable if I didn't know any differently).  But the only time I use the Krell DACs are for my Sat Box, TV Apps and Xbox One S.  I always calibrate manually.  I don't care for what auto-EQ's do for the sound.  It's always jacked up and unnatural sounding.  My room is well treated with sound panels anyway.  The only tricky part I had was getting the OSD to work with a brank new 4k TV.  I had to buy an analog to digital video converter (coax to HDMI).  It was pretty cheap and does the job.  Anyway, the HTS is still a relevant unit even after all these years.
slashedzero
5 posts
 

Thought I'd chime in, as I have extensive and recent experience with most of the Krell equipment mentioned.

Purely as stereo preamps, the sounds of the KRC3 and HTS 7.1 are actually quite close in 'genre'. Both are softer-sounding with quite a lot of flowing (and less detailed) bass. The KRC3 has better detail and a higher-quality sound overal, though (really a significant step up to my ears). It does have Theatre Bypass (only on the S3 input, has to be set with switch inside the chassis), so could nicely be integrated in the system you envisage.

The 280p is a lot sharper, detailed and realistic sounding; less tube-like. Some may say 'digital glare' but that depends on your perspective. To me, between KRC3 and 280p you trade pleasantness with realism. KRC3 is very nice for pop and rock, but has too much, slightly muddy bass with orchestral music. 280p is less pleasant and rounded than the KRC3, but voices are very realistic, orchestra is balanced (if a bit sharp), and bass is very tight. 280p has Theatre Bypass on all channels. I was very much on the bridge between which of these to keep, but in the end have decided to sell the KRC3 and keep the 280p (admittedly partly because it's a nice visual match with my other Krell gear of that line).

As to the HTS 7.1 for surround: After going to 7.1 with top-of-the-line integrated Marantz and Yamaha receivers, with HDMI, HD format decoding etc, it's clear that none of these can compete with the power and clarity of the sound the HTS 7.1. (Fronts/center were amplified with Krell 3250 in all cases, so the difference was really down to the preamp.) Of course the HTS is aging and its internal DAC (and lack of HDMI) can only do lossy 5.1. An Oppo into the analog inputs is an option (the 203 can decode lossless formats coming from a streamer like the nVidia Shield as well; 103 can't, lossy only), but may not be the most user-friendly deal... For the time being, I'm going to just stick with 5.1 and standard DD/DTS 5.1 and use the HTS's internal DACs to get there; sound quality and experience will be better than through any AVR with support for lossless, is my current feeling. (Although it may very well be the Oppo's DACs are indeed superior to the old Krell's, which are an early delta-sigma implementation.)

If you, like me, want to put stereo first, you can get the KRC3 (or 280p) and hook up as per normal stereo. I'd rely on a good CD player's DAC, or dedicated stereo DAC; the HTS's is OK but not super for stereo. For HT, you could get the HTS 7.1 plus poweramp for center/surrounds. You would connect the front L/R outs of the HTS to the S3 input on the KRC3. When that input is selected, the KRC3 bypasses its volume control, and all volume is controlled by the HTS.

Hope that helps - good luck!

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