Analog Sources: VPI TNT IV turntable, Immedia RPM tonearm, Koetsu Urushi cartridge; Rega Planar 3 turntable, Syrinx PU-3 tonearm, Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood, Aurum Beta S cartridges.
Digital Sources: Lector CDP-7T, California Audio Labs Icon Mk.II Power Boss, Creek CD53 Mk.II CD players; Pioneer DV-333 DVD player.
Preamplification: Vendetta Research SCP-2D phono stage, AudioValve Eklipse line stage.
Power Amplifier: Audio Research VT100 Mk.II.
Integrated Amplifier: Creek 5350SE.
Loudspeakers: Amphion Helium2, Epos M5, Infinity Primus 150.
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I performed a complete set of measurements on the two samples of the Smaller Advent, serial nos. 47877 and 47106, the latter manufactured on October 30, 1972, according to the tweeter chassis. They were very similar, though 47106 was slightly less sensitive than 47877 as measured on the tweeter axis: 84.5dB(B)/2.83V/m vs 85.5dB(B)/2.83V/m. Both figures are 2–3dB below the average for modern speaker designs. The Advent's impedance, however, was not too demanding of current, as can be seen from the impedance graphs for 47877 (fig.1) and 47106 (fig.2). Despite the…
About three weeks ago, while perusing the gear in a local audio retail establishment, I overheard a salesman, who could well have been selling used cars, giving a classic spiel to an obviously confused customer. "You see, sir, all preamplifiers basically sound alike, especially with line-level inputs. The only differences are in the number of features." He went on to tell his prey that spending big bucks for high-end products such as Krell or Mark Levinson (neither of which he sold) would be a big mistake. I choked back my automatic response of a certain bovine term, but thought it better to…
Setup
Unlike the problems I experienced with the first Krell KSA-250 power amplifier review sample, installation of the KBL went without a hitch. Although I preferred to place the KBL atop the stereo cabinetry, Puffin the Pouncer (a very large domestic longhair cat) seemed to enjoy sleeping on the KBL; my visions of exploding preamps in the night forced a move to a lower, less cat-able location (footnote 1). Unlike many preamps that I have owned or auditioned, the KBL's rear panel is very clearly labeled; connections can be easily accomplished with an angled dentist's mirror. The "blind…
Unlike the problems I experienced with the first Krell KSA-250 power amplifier review sample, installation of the KBL went without a hitch. Although I preferred to place the KBL atop the stereo cabinetry, Puffin the Pouncer (a very large domestic longhair cat) seemed to enjoy sleeping on the KBL; my visions of exploding preamps in the night forced a move to a lower, less cat-able location (footnote 1). Unlike many preamps that I have owned or auditioned, the KBL's rear panel is very clearly labeled; connections can be easily accomplished with an angled dentist's mirror. The "blind…
The Krell, in comparison, appears to have an acoustically "drier" presentation of ambient space, better separating the instruments and voices from the surrounding acoustic. In some cases, with recordings erring on the side of extreme digititis, the Krell can sound bleached and a bit thin. But there's no doubt that the KBL is more of a sonic chameleon, changing more with each recording than the competing No.26. Soundstage dimensionality, forward vs distant overall perspective, and harmonic textures can change dramatically between different recordings, allowing the best to sound remarkably…
Andrew Litton, Music Director of the Bournemouth Symphony and a member of our musicians' listening group, immediately noticed this during an extended A/B comparison of the two preamps a few months ago. While he enjoyed the larger soundstage and harmonically warmer presentation of the No.26, he felt that the musical honesty of the KBL unquestionably reproduced his own recordings of Tchaikovsky Symphonies 1 and 2 (Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Virgin VC 7 91119-2) more accurately. He described the Levinson No.26 as "heavy and dark sounding," "covered," and "slightly compressed," while the…
An even more spectacular display of the KBL's abilities to unravel complex musical lines can be heard in a world-premiere recording of Antoine Brumel's Mass for Twelve Voices, with Paul van Nevel and the Huelgas Ensemble on Sony Classical "Vivarte" SK 46348 (reviewed in this issue). This remarkable performance was recorded in the very reverberant Chapel of the Irish College in Leuven, Belgium, and is, without a doubt, the finest job I've ever heard of vocal music recorded in a church (footnote 6). The presentation was very spacious and expansive with the No.26, creating an illusion of a…
Sidebar 1: Specification
Description: Solid-state, class-A, DC-coupled, line-level, stereo preamplifier. S/N ratio: 100dB (A-weighted). Input impedance: 10k ohms. Output impedance: 0.5 ohms. Frequency range: 0.1Hz-250kHz. Voltage swing: 65V peak-peak (23V RMS). Voltage gain: 3x (approximately 9dB).
Dimensions: 2.25" H by 19" W by 12" D (preamplifier); 2.5" H by 9" W by 12" D (power supply). Weight: 27 lbs.
Price: $4500 (1991); no longer available (2003). Approximate number of dealers: 50.
Manufacturer: Krell Industries, 35 Higgins Drive, Milford, CT 06460 (1991); Krell…
Sidebar 2: System Context
My reference system currently consists of a Theta Pro Generation II D/A processor with balanced outputs, Mark Levinson No.26 line-level preamplifier, Krell KSA-250 and Mark Levinson No.23 power amplifiers, and B&W Matrix 800 speakers. A Levinson No.23.5 power amp arrived after the KBL, and was subsequently substituted for the No.23 (the 23.5 is much better than the 23), as well as a pair of Krell MDA-300 monoblocks (a truly phenomenal amplifier!). Several CD drives were used (Krell MD-1 and Esoteric P-10, P-500, and P-2), as well as two Krell D/A converters…
Sidebar 3: Measurements (from April 1992, Vol.15 No.4)
The line-stage-only KBL used in its balanced input/balanced output mode had an output impedance of under 4 ohms at any setting of the level control. Its balanced input impedance for either channel varied between 66.5k ohms and 73.9k ohms, with the higher values at the lower settings of the level control. In the unbalanced mode (input and output) the output impedance measured under 2.2 ohms at any setting of the level control (including interconnects), and the input impedance measured between 45.2k ohms and 49k ohms at various level…