I'm getting a Krell!

[alphaGT]

Thank you for the benefit of your experience Jez and Tom! Most appreciated. What you were saying about DC Servo, and failing caps, makes great sense. I do have an old O'Scope around here somewhere, I should break it out and check the output of a preamp if I really want to see if it has DC offset. If I could find it? The owner's manual does warn of making sure to keep volumes down, and switching off before making changes or instances like Tom described could happen. So I guess you aren't the first? I love the visual of the map on Bonanza!

But the amp is here in my living room and is beautiful! With the exception of a slightly bent fin :-(. Due to shipping, it's not bad, hopefully I can straighten it out in the future, but it's nothing to get too upset about. I'm not going to send it back and sue the shipper for it. Been there and done that. Believe me it gets ugly.

Years ago I bought a pair of Bose 901's and UPS ran a fork prong through one! And then has the nerve to claim it was improperly packaged. I couldn't even speak to them, the sender had to do all the arguing. But with photos I took they refunded the money. But to get the refund I had to let them ship it back to the sender, and they really trashed it on the way back! Busted it all to pieces! And only refunded half the money, since the other speaker was OK. Total jerks about it. Took a few months too.

But this fin was really not the shippers fault, the amp shifted in the carton. The factory foam was not strong enough to keep the amp from shifting. Reading 124 pounds in a book is one thing, but grabbing onto it is quite another! That sucker is heavy!

I thought I had my cables all straight to plug it up, but they won't reach it where it now sets. So, I have to move a few things before I can hook it up, hopefully today, Saturday. It sure is handsome, a well made piece of equipment, nothing light or sub par about it! I know everyone thinks I should bust a move and get it all hooked up, but I am disabled, and am forced to take my time. I do feel a bit relieved that it's here! Once I get it hooked up, I'll relay my listening impressions and post some pics in the gallery. Thanks everyone who responded! What a great bunch of guys!


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[petrat]

Something I've wanted all my life, and now they are finally old enough that I could afford one.

I know that feeling! Big Tannoys in my case ... and an EAR 912 pre-amp.

Your Krell looks absolutely fantastic. Someone once told me that you can tell when its a 'proper' Krell, because it will come with its own gravitational field

[alphaGT]

I like that Peter, it came with plenty of gravity!

And I've got it hooked up and running now! And it's everything I expected and more! It's a whole new stereo, a major leap up, at least 3 steps up! Being a bass player I like to be able to hear what the bassist is doing, and I can hear him clear as day on every recording. And I do think it's sounding sweeter as it warms up, and I haven't even played any vinyl yet. Audiophila is a sickness, I just hooked up my new amp, one of the best around, and I'm already salivating over a new preamp I need to buy to go with it! Is there any help for a poor sot like me?

One issue, it got a bent fin in shipping. I'm certainly not going to send it back over a bent fin, or file a claim, as it honestly wasn't the shipper's fault. The factory foam in the box failed and it twisted in the box, the box is actually fine! But, my question is, can a bent fin be straightened without breaking it or scratching it? I may open a new post with that question...


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[struth]

unlikely. it,ll more likely break off.

[jandl100]

Justin user211 had a similar problem with a rather more warped Accuphase amp - drop him a PM if he doesn't see this.
He got his sorted by taking it to a local car workshop panel beaters, iirc. They have the tools and the skills.

[ff1d1l]

Re Preamp...do try something passive before chucking lots of money at an active one. Even a pot in a box will give you some idea of the clarity obtainable - and I speak as a bass player, much less mud and boom down there with a passive. If you like the sound you could go slightly cleverer passive, like TVC or auto TVC. I have more shivers-down-the-spine-was-that-in-the-room moments since going passive...

Re bent fin, if there's room to get some pieces of hardwood and a g clamp or two in there, try flattening the bent fin between the two pieces with g clamps pressure - this is very controllable and unlikely to break the heatsink. If there's room.

Past owner of a KSL/KSA100Mk2 combo BTW...Your amp looks superb.

[alphaGT]

I've been giving the bent fin some thought. For one thing, I think if I apply some heat it may prevent cracking. Heat from a heat gun, like I use for shrinking shrink tubing. Another thought is that there are 3 identical heat sinks on either side. Worst case, I could swap it for one farther back? At least it wouldn't be right in the front! Once it's in the rack that would be far less noticeable. I'd probably be better off to remove it from the amp before attempting to straighten it anyway. Thanks Nial, I'm very pleased with my new toy. Years past, I plugged my CD player directly into the amp, nothing in between. It played loud! But not too loud actually, it was an interesting experiment.


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[farflungstar]

Don't worry about the fin! Be happy.
Adey

In perpetual pursuit.

[User211]

I did as Jerry said. You just need someone who is used to bending metal, so panel beaters are a good bet.

Nice amp I have spent a solid few hours with one, albiet with Krell preamp and DAC, some Usher Dancer and Apogee Callipers being the victims.

Tried a KSA 50 on Apogee Duettas with a passive and it was quite poor really. So I was surprised how good the KSA 300 actually was.

[jandl100]

I've owned a refurbed original KSA50 - it was OK, not great. It was a bit boring.
I've owned better sounding and more musically involving Krell amps.
My cat liked it more than I did. But then she was more interested in its thermal properties rather than its sound quality.