The Krell S-300i has gotten mixed reviews, but I will tell yoiu what. For $1200-1500 used, I cannot think of anything that can touch it as far as a used integrated. Even though it was built in China, Dan Deogistino did not fool around with this piece. Sure he kept costs down as far as labor, but this is true Krell...I don't care what anybody says. It has endless power, good detail and a tight and dynamic bass punch. With efficent speakers, this bad boy really rocks and it plays all genres of music very well.
A decent integrated amp under 2K ...
I'm looking for an INTEGRATED AMP. My speakers are Altec 620A (100 db efficiency) and my listening room is 14 x 21. I mainly listen to digital files from my DAC (Metrum) but sometimes I feel less lazy and put on a vinyl on my Garrard. I don't need a phono stage, I use the one from another integrated amplifier (Spendor D40). Here's my shortlist:
1) Belles Aria Integrated (slightly powerful for my needs)
2) Croft phono integrated (since I don't need a phono stage, I think it's a shame to burn tubes for nothing)
3) Rogue Sphinx V3 (too powerful for my needs)
FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS: I can live with tubes but only in the PREAMP section and I try to avoid Class A due to the heat. I'm open to Class D (proof: the Rogue) but the choice is limited and these devices come with a bunch of stuff I don't need. I rather spend my $ where it will make a difference.
regards
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@metaldetektor : the Moonriver is quite a nice unit but it's about twice my budget... and it will never be available used in Canada... @gwangler15 : I've been thinking about modifying the circuit in order to shut down the phono stage... but this is tricky and may not be faisable... @rocket94 : according to what I read, it wouldn't be a good match... my Altec needs to be tame down, not the opposite... @theforerunner : I've checked on the used market and there are quite a few on sale here in Canada, which is always suspicious... not sure it'd be a good match... critics say it's a rivealing amp but my Altec are already quite revealing... |
@mofojo : most US sellers will not ship to Canada due to additional border hassles. I can buy from an American manufacturer (like Power Module) but I will have to pay 15% tax on arrival ... If I order a device not made in North America (Mexico / US / Canada) then I have to also pay import duty, which can greatly increase the price ... |
- 109 posts total