search
Is Krell risking its reputation? With the KAV-300i, an integrated amplifier that was originally envisaged as an export model, but for which home demand is clearly increasing, the Connecticut-based amplifier manufacturer is dabbling in low-cost territory. Previous Krell amplifiers have been known for their prodigious drive capability. Time and time again, it is found that the true measure of the bass performance of a big speaker isn't realized until a Krell power amplifier is brought into service. But how could an amplifier with a meaty 150Wpc specification and full remote control be built to…
Inside
Inside, the compact, low-profile chassis packs a modest-looking, toroidal, steel-band-shielded transformer. This is rated at 400VA, but to a high-regulation Krell specification. (If this were not the case, that 300W into 4 ohm specification would be well out of reach.) Considerable thought has been given to protection, which in this design is by fuses (the bigger Krells use electronic protection operating via power relays). Gross short-circuit and speaker-fault protection is provided by 12A fuses at the output; these are located beneath the output terminals and user-accessible…
Inside, the compact, low-profile chassis packs a modest-looking, toroidal, steel-band-shielded transformer. This is rated at 400VA, but to a high-regulation Krell specification. (If this were not the case, that 300W into 4 ohm specification would be well out of reach.) Considerable thought has been given to protection, which in this design is by fuses (the bigger Krells use electronic protection operating via power relays). Gross short-circuit and speaker-fault protection is provided by 12A fuses at the output; these are located beneath the output terminals and user-accessible…
Provided that such an amplifier has been appropriately designed with the right components, it will show a gain in performance compared with similarly specified separates. Within its modest frame, the '300i did show this advantage, allowing it to rival more costly two-box combinations. For readers familiar with my personal numbering system, the KAV-300i scored 22 points (25-30 points defines top amplifier sound). For reference, Krell's pre-1992 power amplifiers, which cost 3-4 times the price of the little '300i, when partnered with a suitable preamplifier, also scored ratings in the low 20s…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state, remote-controlled, stereo integrated amplifier with five line-level inputs including one tape loop. Power output: 150Wpc into 8 ohms (21.8dBW), 300Wpc into 4 ohms (21.8dBW). THD: <0.06%, midband, rising to 0.3% at 20kHz. Input impedance: 210k ohms. Input overload: 9V RMS. Maximum voltage gain: 36.1dB. Input sensitivity: 55mV unbalanced, 28mV balanced, for full power, volume control maximum. Output impedance: 0.16 ohms. Power consumption at idle/standby: 50W.
Dimensions: 19" W by 15.5" D by 3.7" H.
Serial number of unit reviewed…
Sidebar 2: System
Several good-quality integrated amplifiers were on hand for comparison at the time of this test. These ranged from the inexpensive Exposure XX to the Musical Fidelity A1000, and included the new, expensive Ensemble Evocco. Reference power amplifiers included the recently discontinued Krell KSA-200s, a Naim NAP250, an Audio Research VT150SE and a Conrad-Johnson MV55. Source components included the Krell KPS-20i/l and KPS-30i CD players, while comparison preamps included an Audio Research LS22 and a C-J PV12. Cables were Siltech, van den Hul, and Transparent. Loudspeakers…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
In line with Krell's design practice of recent years the KAV-300i is a low-feedback design, which means that we shouldn't expect extravagant results for damping factor or its more practical equivalent, output impedance. Nor is exceptionally low distortion likely. Nevertheless, Krell amplifiers aim to deliver clean, neutral power to a range of loudspeaker loads and while this base-level design isn't rated for 1 or 2 ohm duty, it does crack the whip powerfully into 4 and 8 ohm loadings.
Noting that my test sample was a European model with a nominal 230V,…
After two decades of motorcycling, I recently achieved a long-held goal by buying a bike built by Bimota, a tiny Italian manufacturer. Although Bimota engages in a wide range of activities, from two-stroke engine design to racing, they're best known for their exotic, hand-built street bikes. They always include the very best components and feature cutting-edge engineering and performance, but what they're truly revered for is their style. Bimotas unfailingly combine shapes, textures, and finishes into motorcycles that are most often referred to as "works of art."
A Question of Style…
Both samples of the Oracle seemed to take an unusually long time to burn in. My usual practice—~200 hours using a mix of music and the burn-in tracks from the Sheffield/XLO Test & Burn-in CD (Sheffield Lab 10041-2-T)—barely scratched the surface. Only after a full month of continuous operation did the Oracle seem to settle on a consistent sound—one that bore little resemblance to its original personality. Once set up and burned in, the Oracle performed flawlessly, but the message to anyone auditioning an Oracle (and to anxious editors) is: Be patient, or you risk not hearing what the…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Remote-controlled CD player with outboard power supply and 128x oversampling D/A conversion using 24-bit delta-sigma DACs (Crystal Logic CS4390). Outputs (fixed level): one pair single-ended (RCA) analog, one digital (BNC) S/PDIF. Maximum analog output voltage: 2.4V. Analog output impedance: <100 ohms. S/N ratio: 115dB.
Dimensions: Player: 17" (430mm) W by 5.5" (140mm) H by 14.5" (470mm) D. Power supply: 9" (230mm) W by 3.75" (95mm) H by 11.25" (290mm) D. Weight: 39 lbs (17.1kg) net, 69 lbs (31kg) shipping.
Serial numbers of units reviewed…
Sidebar 2: Associated Components
Analog source: VPI TNT Mk.IV, JMW Memorial tonearm, Grado Reference cartridge.
Digital source: SimAudio Moon Eclipse CD player.
Preamplifier: VAC CPA1 Mk.III.
Power amplifiers: VAC Renaissance 70/70, VTL Ichiban, Mark Levinson No.20.6, Classé CAM-350.
Loudspeakers: Magnepan MG3.6/R.
Cables: Nirvana S-X Ltd., Kimber Bi-Focal XL, Synergistic Research Designer's Reference.
Accessories: Bright Star Rack of Gibraltar and isolation systems; Tiptoes; PAC Super IDOS, MIT Z-System and Z-Center, Nirvana AC systems; Synergistic Research AC and…