Hi Frogman,
I was following some posts that I'd seen here and elsewhere from other 3.6s owners that said that 3.6s like as much power as they can get. The general concensus was that the soundstage opens up more. The imaging improves. The overall sonic capabilities of 3.6s improve with increased power. One poster I recalled saying that "you need at least a 250wpc amp to really make them shine." Though it's not really clear what that means.
I wouldn't say I'm unhappy with the sound of the Krell. I like the soundstage and bass response I get from it. I'd hate to give that up. But I don't have a lot of experience with the sonic characteristics of other amps out there. I'm new to the high-end market, having bought a good system within the last couple of years. Prior to this I was listening to CDs through a Toshiba DVD player into Technics speakers.
Since then, I've upgraded to:
Linn Ikemi CD player
Adcom GFP-750 preamp
Krell KSA-150 amp
Thiel 3.6 speakers
interconnects are another story. Haven't done much with those.
I was just starting to do some research on it. I wanted to get opinions from others who have owned the 3.6s longer and tried them with different amps. I didn't audition that many amps before going with the Krell. I bought it used about 2 years ago. I like its sonic characteristics, it fit my budget, and I went with the dealer's recommendation on it (over new choices like a McIntosh and Bryston 4B). At the time, I listened to a pair of Pass Labs Aleph 100 watt monoblocks, which I liked a lot. I liked the detail they produced but they were more than I could afford.
The Krell literature I have says that the KSA-150s are conservatively rated at 150wpc, and are more likely 250wpc. I listened to a newer Krell series in a store the other night, the KAV2550 I think. I didn't like it. Sounded thin and I thought the presentation was too bright.
I was getting the impression from just a quick look in local shops that to increase performance/power over my amp would be a huge cost. One store tried to "entice" me into buying a Krell FPB300 for $7500!
But maybe there's a used amp out there that might make a difference.
I was following some posts that I'd seen here and elsewhere from other 3.6s owners that said that 3.6s like as much power as they can get. The general concensus was that the soundstage opens up more. The imaging improves. The overall sonic capabilities of 3.6s improve with increased power. One poster I recalled saying that "you need at least a 250wpc amp to really make them shine." Though it's not really clear what that means.
I wouldn't say I'm unhappy with the sound of the Krell. I like the soundstage and bass response I get from it. I'd hate to give that up. But I don't have a lot of experience with the sonic characteristics of other amps out there. I'm new to the high-end market, having bought a good system within the last couple of years. Prior to this I was listening to CDs through a Toshiba DVD player into Technics speakers.
Since then, I've upgraded to:
Linn Ikemi CD player
Adcom GFP-750 preamp
Krell KSA-150 amp
Thiel 3.6 speakers
interconnects are another story. Haven't done much with those.
I was just starting to do some research on it. I wanted to get opinions from others who have owned the 3.6s longer and tried them with different amps. I didn't audition that many amps before going with the Krell. I bought it used about 2 years ago. I like its sonic characteristics, it fit my budget, and I went with the dealer's recommendation on it (over new choices like a McIntosh and Bryston 4B). At the time, I listened to a pair of Pass Labs Aleph 100 watt monoblocks, which I liked a lot. I liked the detail they produced but they were more than I could afford.
The Krell literature I have says that the KSA-150s are conservatively rated at 150wpc, and are more likely 250wpc. I listened to a newer Krell series in a store the other night, the KAV2550 I think. I didn't like it. Sounded thin and I thought the presentation was too bright.
I was getting the impression from just a quick look in local shops that to increase performance/power over my amp would be a huge cost. One store tried to "entice" me into buying a Krell FPB300 for $7500!
But maybe there's a used amp out there that might make a difference.