Notice my qualifiers: "a slight edge" in this or that, "a bit more" lively or lifelike. The…
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The bottom line: The Krell has a slight edge in deep bass, dynamics, and capturing the forward edge of transients—the initial whack of a drum, the pluck of a string, the sss of a sibilant—while the Moon had a slight edge in getting the tonal colors of an instrument or ensemble, the flow of a rhythm, and a seamlessness across the audioband, from bass to midrange to airiest highs. A crude and perhaps overdramatic way of summarizing it: The Krell is a bit more lively, the Moon a bit more lifelike.
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-channel, solid-state integrated amplifier. Inputs: 1 pair balanced (XLR), 5 pairs single-ended (RCA). Speaker outputs: 2 on gold-plated binding posts. Preamp output: 1 pair single-ended (RCA). Preamplifier section: Frequency response: 10Hz–100kHz, ±3dB. Signal/noise ratio: 120dB, 20Hz–20kHz. Power amplifier section: Maximum output power: 175Wpc into 8 ohms (22.43dBW), 300Wpc into 4 ohms (22.43dBW). Maximum output voltage: 45V. Gain: 37dB. Signal/noise: 105dB at full power. THD: <0.015% at 1W, <0.04% at 150W, 20Hz–20kHz. Damping factor:…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Source: VPI Classic turntable with VPI JMW Memorial tonearm, Lyra Delos cartridge.
Digital Source: Krell Evolution 505 SACD/CD player.
Phono Preamplifier: Nagra BPS (battery-powered).
Integrated Amplifier: Krell FBI.
Loudspeakers: Revel Ultima Studio2.
Cables: Interconnect: Nirvana, Krell CAST (with Krell FBI). Speaker: Nirvana.
Accessories: Bybee Technologies Signature Power Purifier (except for amps), Black Diamond Mk.4 Racing Cones, VPI HW-19 record-cleaning machine.—Fred Kaplan
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I carried out a complete set of tests on the Simaudio Moon 700i, using Stereophile's loan sample of the top-of-the-line Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It" and www.ap.com). Before doing the testing, I ran the Simaudio at one-third its rated power for 60 minutes, which thermally is the worst case for an amplifier with a class-A/B output stage. At the end of that period, the chassis was warm, at 40°C (104°F), according my infrared thermometer, but the side-mounted heatsinks were just too hot to keep my hand on, at 63°C (145°F).
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Glenn Barr displays his "Vinyl Girl." Photo: 1xRUN.
1xRUN hopes to create a more vibrant art market by offering select work from established and emerging artists in limited-edition, exclusive print runs, at affordable prices. Signed and authenticated, these print releases are open for one week only.
The current run is a piece called “Vinyl Girl” by Glenn Barr, whose work includes the background styling for The Ren and Stimpy Show and Bjork’s “I Miss You” video. The 16” x 25” five-color silkscreen costs $60.
(Girls love vinyl, I am telling you.)
If all goes as planned, my review of Colin Stetson’s second solo album, New History Warfare, Vol. 2: Judges, will appear in our June issue, but I can’t wait that long to tell you about it. It’s too special to keep secret.
Stetson and co-producer, talented multi-instrumentalist, Shahzad Ismaily, employ over 20 microphones to capture the sound of Stetson’s saxophone, the sound of fingers on brass, the sound of so many breaths, the sound of the room, so that what is actually just one man with one brass instrument takes on the sound of so many synthesizers and drum machines and guitars and…
Today, Sennheiser announced that the HD 515 ($129.95), a classic circumaural design, is the company’s “Headphone of the Month” for March 2011.
Sennheiser’s “Headphone of the Month” is a monthly promotion designed to encourage music lovers to experience the authentic sound of Sennheiser.
Customers who purchase an HD 515 headphone from an authorized Sennheiser dealer during the month of March can receive a free pair of Sennheiser OMX 60 earbuds. During January’s 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, I stopped for a bit to listen to the HD 515; despite its size, I found the HD 515 to be…
Click here to see a picture of Michael Fremer at Austin's SXSW conference, standing in front of a bright orange Chevy, while tossing an LP—attempting to catch an LP?—and spinning in circles.
What the?
I feel sick.
It was Monday night and I was flipping through the racks at Other Music, killing time before heading over to Great Jones Café where I’d meet Michael Lavorgna and John DeVore for wings, chili, and beer. I noticed a couple of dudes in loose clothes, slung back and stretched out across the A, B, and C sections of the vinyl racks, as if they owned the place, as if this was their couch. From what I could tell, they were musicians, stopping by the shop to drop off some CDs or LPs. Nearby, another dude was getting into with one of the guys behind the counter: “You want some more of my records?”…
Robert Baird reports from South by Southwest (SXSW), the annual music, film, and interactive conference and festival held in Austin, Texas.
I couldn’t resist. It was a sunny Monday afternoon and after a cruise on Austin’s famous drag, (otherwise known as Guadalupe), past the old (real) Antone's club, which is now a dry cleaners, I parked the rental car and slid into a nearly deserted Hole-in-the-Wall, for a shot of Patron Silver and to soak in a little classic Austin atmosphere. While the venerable club dropped out of SXSW many years ago, (a move which cements the HITW’s coolness), there…