2. amps-preamps
  3. 1074503765

Help I have not bought equipment since mid 80's

I am new to the hi-fi world. My old stereo was purchased in the mid 80's when I was young and poor, therefore Lo-Fi (it survived a divorce, the ex didn’t even want it). I listen to music most of the day, so I want to hear music that makes me feel alive. Recently I decided to purchase a new stereo. Talk about overwhelming, and what a strange trip it has been. Going to the local stereo dealers is like walking onto a used car lot. They raved about B&K, and I ended up purchasing a PT5 and 4420. This thing sounds terrible, or at least it is not what I am looking for. When I told the guys at the local stereo shop this they look at me like I lost my mind. They are difficult to work with, they would like it if I just walked in, made a purchase, went home, shut up, and accept the crap I’ve bought. Anyway, this is what I currently have:

Pre: PT5
Amp: Krell 2250 (owned less than 30 days and can still return it)
Interconnects: audioquest viper
CD: Krell 280cd (owned less than 30 days and can still return it)
Speakers: Energy Veritas 2.4
Speaker cables: audioquest double bi-wire CV-6

I like the Krell sound, but I am willing to check other brands. I am considering a Krell 2250, 280p, and a 280cd. Is it worth the extra money or would a used 250a, 250p, and 250cd be a better choice? Or perhaps a mix of the two? Or would some other line of Krell be a better choice? Another brand perhaps? Any advise for a novice?
whatsthisone
rockvirgo
587 posts
 
WTS, yep they've re-invented the wheel several times since 1985. Not to worry. My guess is you have too much of a good thing going there. I like the Energy sound alot but I'd say it's better suited to making softer electronics shine. You might try tempering your you-are-there Krell stuff with a more musical speaker. ProAc and Soliloquy are my faves.
tomryan
796 posts
 
Rockvirgo is right, in my experience. I have tried the stand mounted Veritas (I think 2.3) and liked it quite a lot but tried it with a Conrad-Johnson 60 watt amp. I think you may want to think about getting into tubes as most equipment is now very easy to maintain and very musical. I have never liked the SS sound of Krell but am really quite prejudiced - have been using tubes since 1982. Another thing to consider is a tube pre-amp and a non-mechanical sounding SS amp. But again, the Veritas is a very detailed speaker and needs attention as to what drives it; can sound a bit thin and bleached out with wrong amp. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it and it seemed somewhat easy to drive. There are lots of good used tube amps for 500.00 - 2,000.00 that could make the Energy shine. I'll stick with my ProAcs and SETs, though.
sbank's avatar
sbank
3,378 posts
 
If you want to keep the Energys, then I'd ditch the Krell and either go all tubes, or at least a tube preamp.

To me, your description of what you want is often referred to as a "laid-back" sound, where soundstage often appears relatively behind the speakers, vs. a more "forward"-sounding system that makes it seem like you're in front row. Forward sounding gear is often initially engaging & exciting, but can be fatiguing & grating over time. IMHO, both the Energy & Krell are usually described as more forward than laid-back. Not a great match together. You really need to hear some systems with tubes, and get a general feel for the differences above.

Your Home Theater comments, really throw a monkey wrench, because these qualities often provide the spark that makes action movies really pop. Nonetheless, my advice is to make the music sound right, and movie sound will always be okay. Optimizing for film will leave you fatigued when listening to 2 channel music.

Spencer
hammergjh
157 posts
 
Whoa! A lot of Krell bashers here. Krell seems to be a very polarizing brand, for some reason. I was in the same boat as you. I had 20+ year old stuff that I wanted to replace as well.

I can point to some analagous buying experience that might help you out. I bought the B&K PT3 last year and mated it first to a B&K amp and then to an Odyssey amp. The B&K combo sucked. That didn't last long. The B&K/Odyssey combo sounded pretty nice, but I knew there was better out there. There were sound artifacts in the presentaion that just bugged me. I just replaced these two pieces w/ the new Krell integrated, frankly I'm thrilled. I found the B&K to be a warm, fairly smooth, but with degrees of "tizziness". The odyssey didn't have a firm grip on my woofers, it presented a looser base response then I liked. Maybe it would have benefited from a better preamp. The Krell sounds terrific in comparision. IMO of course.

If I were you, I'd try out the Krell pre-amp to match your other Krell components or try the itegrated that I got. This would be a cheaper alternative. All balanced too.
audball
1 posts
 
So many replies to the original post...
I'm just going to add my two cents on the original message:
First, the Energy speakers need a long, long break-in period, start listening at 100 plus solid hours, they really change.
Second, Cardas cables (all around) may be a nice choice to tame the Energy aluminum dome sound, giving a little warmth. Also, I have found Bryston is a good match to many electronics products; Cardas cable w/Bryston has good synergy.
Finally, a good source is paramount! I'm using Muse for my front end, but so many other good pieces are available. For cheap, the Rega gear comes to mind.

Best of luck -- hope you find musical enjoyment soon!

*Have you heard Vienna Acoustics speakers? My favorite!

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