Krell Master Reference Amplifier

I'd bet the house the blowouts are that oscillation issue with the Krells.

Have not spent really any extended time with the newest Krell version, so I could not give any feedback at all.

Regarding the levinson 32 - Preamps have my nemesis for a long time. I think it is the trickiest piece of a 2 channel system to get right. In the last couple of years we have really focused on eliminating the piece completely and using volume controls in the digital side - on dacs or on pieces like the tact or rdp-1. (Typically my behavior - when I can't solve a problem to my liking I go around it.)

Gamut = very solid amp, and given the Pipes are notoriously efficient it may work, but I suspect it is going to end up too small for your application.

Fascinating you ask about Rowland. It's a brand we are not a dealer for, so I arranged to "borrow" some for a trial 6-7 months ago. A client was struggling with the choice between Plinius and Rowland. It was the most recent version of the 9ti but I only had one 250 he could take. He returned the 9ti s about a week later. He indicated it was the toughest call he'd ever made in his audio quest. He mentioned some days he liked one better than the next day he liked the other better. Ultimately what tipped the scales I think was money but he never admitted it. Not that he couldn't afford it but in his eyes, it was a dead heat and one couldn't justify the triple+ price of the Rowlands. It reminds me he never did want the second 250. He shifted the savings over to the front and selected the dCS Elgar+ and Purcell combo. (the Verdi wasn't out yet) can't remember his transport though.

Cchp notes "...(I) feel that the Levinson 32 is too dry.." My experience with a 32 was identical to the word: dry.

This was in a number of combos (none incl. Krell & Pipes, but INCLUDING equip Sdr refers to), strangely even with ML amps. Again, the proverbial exotic wires (Valhalla, Siltech, Transparent...) paraded through the system on a trial basis -- but, no cigar. This was with a number of speakers...

The systems sounded like they were "solving a mathematical equation rather than making music" (as a friend aptly put it). Especially so with wide bandwidth amps (Goldmund, Symphonic-Line, Spectral).

I never found out what I was doing wrong to this superbly engineered machine... For example, a CAT pre with stock tubes gave us more musical satisfaction; so did an old Goldmund 7.1 (??)

TO make this story shorter, you might wish to consider the pre-amp sooner rather than later... since you DID mention the issue (I don't wish to sound as if I'm discrediting ML).

OTOH I'd be wary of the oscillation issue; it's something to watch out for in wide-band amplification, but it seems here that your pre-IC-amp combo is losing stability somewhere... Not being electrically inclined, I wouldn't know how to go any further... (Sean maybe?).

As to the power amps, maybe a Symphonic Line (Kraft 250 classA) can be added to the Plinius / Halcro list, if only because its sound reminds me of a big Jadis (OK, it's less romantic and has supersonic extension which may be useless... but it has excellent current capabilities & can drive anything down to ~1,0 ohm, LOUD:)). Cheers!

Random comments:
Oscillation- if you're using Goertz cables do you have the Zoebel networks added?? Don't blame the amps prematurely...(It must be early am, I'm an apologist for Krell!) I also understand that the Halcro is more system dependent than a more "universal amp" like the Plinius. Several people I respect feel the Plinius SA-102 is the very best match for the new QUADs so the 250 deserves careful scrutiny. Again my hobby-horse right now are the Empirical cables and I would audition them immediately with eyes and ears open and wallet smiling.

I currently use the Krell 700cx which I had upgraded from a 600c. Prior to this I owned a Krell KSA250. Over a ten year peiord of lisenting to these amps in different rooms with different combinations of eletcrionics, cables and speakers (currently driving ML Prodigy's & using Transparent cables) I'm of the opinion that the 700cx is the best Krell amp I have heard, period. Without doubt the 700cx is not simply a power house: it is, for me, the most musically involving amp I have heard to date.

However I would also relate a listening experience I had around three or four years ago where I had a rare opportunity to compare a pair of Krell 600 mono's with VTL Wotan's. I have no bias either way when it comes to tubes or ss and in this extended demonstration the Wotan's, in my honest opinion, beat the Krell - and most surpisingly (to me) beat the Krells in the bass (the partnering equipment included JM Grande Utopia's and a Conrad Johnson ART. Having said this - both sets of amps sounded great and I would have been happy to take home either of them. But this brings me to the next point - compatibility: I've read a lot about what works and what does not work with Krell gear. Over the years I have come to the conclusion that there is a synergy when krell equipment is hooked up with other krell equipment (I use a Krell KPS20iL front end) - and this has to be a critical factor in the final selection process.

Paul do you have any experince with the Dynaudio Arbiter or the amps from FM Acoustics?

Thanks for your insights,
Roy