General Asylum: REVIEW: Krell KAV-300i Integrated Amplifier (SS) by SFDude

Model:	KAV-300i
Category:	Integrated Amplifier (SS)
Suggested Retail Price:	$2300.00 (?)
Description:	150 watt/channel integrated amplifier
Manufacturer URL:	Krell
Manufacturer URL:	Krell

Review by SFDude ( A ) on May 15, 2002 at 12:38:42
IP Address: 63.77.55.6

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This is a summary of trials and tribulations with the "mini-Krell" integrated amp that caused such a stir when it came out and still has quite an effect in bringing out good and bad reviews about it. I will only go so far to say that, until you've really lived with it for a lengthy period of time, initial impressions are moot point since synergy-matching was probably never introduced into the systems you've heard the 300i in.
There is ALWAYS a reference to bass slam from this amp and it is mostly good. I can definitely attest that it had significantly more authority than the Densen Beat 100 integrated and the AI M3A/C-J Sonographe SA-250 combo I compared it to. Picture the difference between a 150 pounder defending all 300+ lbs Shaquille O'Neal vs. defending 150 lb lightweight Mugsy Bogues in the paint. (Apologies to those non-NBA followers...it's NBA playoffs!) You're bound to get slammed hard facing O'Neal! This Krell is no different. With the Signums and the Zephyrs, this was immediately noticeable. Bass was harder, tighter and there was just more of it. It's not uncontrolled either and contributes to the nature of Krell products.
Getting this out of the way, we move on to the midrange and upper registers.
Despite the comments about it being excessively bright to the point of "peeling paint" (from earlier comments on this board), I never encountered any of this. On the Triangle speakers, known for their quick tweeter and slightly emphasized upper region, it was a tad brighter than the Densen Beat 100. The Zephyrs with the AI/C-J combination was very smooth given the "bloomy" nature of the AI M3A and smoothness of the Sonograph amp. I did not find that it was overly bright with the Signums at all as well. In fact, this may be more attributable to the fact that the Krell 300i is perhaps a little more ruthlessly revealing than anything else. The Signums are known for being a little analytical on the top end and it actually is a good thing IMO for the detail to come through from source material.
The midrange is where it lacks the strengths of a good tube pre/amp combination. It is not at all thin but it doesn't exactly bloom either. With the Signums, it is a better match in that the Signums have very smooth mids, particularly on vocals. When matched up with bad recordings, the Krell (and just about any other system) really turns itself into a run-of-the-mill Circuit City sub-$200 mass-market brand receiver. This aspect also comes out in middle-of-the-road quality recordings that, otherwise, would sound decent on other systems. Perhaps it's the way the 300i reveals the good and the bad from the source components. Perhaps it's a function of digital in general. These are to be further debated until the end of time.
Regarding quality, I've had this unit for over a year now and it's been a workhorse, never failing me. When power outages occur, sometimes the unit would not react to remote control commands. A quick unplug-plugging in of the power cord does the trick. The build quality of this unit is tremendous except for one aspect: the rear panel. The RCA jacks are a major issue of contention as the outer sleeves on them have noticeable wear on them. The Audio Magic interconnects have locking WBT connectors and, despite this being a safe thing for most pre/amps, the spacing of the RCA jacks on the Krell leaves little room for maneuvering. The plastic speaker binding posts are also another issue and is a lesson on skimping on parts quality. If you're going to be selling any piece of equipment for 4 figures or higher, please use quality parts throughout vs. skimping on essentials like RCA jacks and binding posts. Consumer confidence in your products and brand result in these little attention to details.
Extra features I have not used are the preamp outputs and the home theatre throughput mode, where you can essentially use a HT (or standard) preamp and utilize the 300i as a power amp.
In the context of used prices for integrated amps today, the Krell 300i is worth taking a look at and, provided that you are patient enough to work with it in synergizing it with components, you'll get a workhorse that will put many hours of listening pleasure to your system.

Product Weakness: The transparency may result in thinness in the midrange region.
Product Strengths: Bass authority, revealing, somewhat transparent.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Densen Beat 100, Sonograph SA-250
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Audible Illusions M3A
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Classe CDP .3, Sony SCD-C333ES
Speakers:	Sonus Faber Signums, Triangle Zephyrs
Cables/Interconnects:	Audio Magic Excalibur II ICs, JPS Labs Ultraconductor bi-wire speaker cables
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Jazz (Holly Cole and Miles), A LOT OF Pink Floyd!, Clapton
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Monster HTS-2500 (for source components only)
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	The transparency may result in thinness in the midrange region.
Product Strengths:	Bass authority, revealing, somewhat transparent.