Better have deep pockets when its tube replacement time.
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- 6 posts total
I heard a Kronzilla at AXPONA. It was a stereo amp, not the monos. It is the primary reason I started working with Eunice and KR. I was surprised how quiet it is. Extremely natural sound. A bit rolled off so they work really well with brighter speakers like Focals. With a warmer speaker like a Vandersteen, it would be dark. Think the warmth of a 300B but with the clarity and natural presentation of an 845 rather than the mid-range lushness. I really liked it. I was running 845 based monos in my room which are a bit more in-your-face in terms of tonality so I had a really good contrast. I also had the new Western Electric folks next to me. I listened to all three (300B, Kronzilla and 845) within an hour of each other. If you have heard a 520B, 1605 or T100, they progressively get closer to the sound of the 1610 Kronzilla. The tubes are pricey but they are estimated to last 30K hours so you are not replacing them frequently. I talk to Marek and Eunice frequently and would be happy to relay any questions that I can't answer. |
Now I have SDX Kronzilla at home, I like it, but I like more these monoblocs MX SE-833 Challenge from Ukraine, wow what a sound, never heard anything like this. I play through Mola Mola Tambaqui directly to them, they have volume regulator on each amp. I fel Stereophile talks about these monoblocs when he was reviewing Wavac monoblocs in early 2000. Kronzilla is also great, but more neutral, too bad I listen to her with these Challenge amps, they just rule. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaL65tS73fQ&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=michaeldimitrov |
I have had a Kronzilla SXI amp, which I have owned for about 14 years. I did have a T1610 fail early on, which was replaced by the dealer for no cost. I hate to jinx myself, but The tubes are still working well. I have used the amp most days for at least a couple of hours except for a couple of years when my system was packed up after a move. I have AudioKinesis Jazz Modules speakers. I have grown to appreciate this amp more and more over time as my system has improved over time (currently with Dude preamp and Innuos Zen mkIII and Lampizator big 7 on the digital end as well as a full rack of Acoustic BBQ cables). |
- 6 posts total