Krell FPB 300cx enough to drive B&W Nautilus 801?

Well first step done, I did get the FPB750MCX amps yesterday and got them set up last night. I love em. With the 801N's they are so smooth I think they would be even smoother with the 801D? There is a little more air up there with the X amps, it's only been one day but I would swear the new amps have a little more bass control? They seem to have a smoother mid-range too more like the Pass amps. They definitely do not care that the 801N's have a 15" woofer they push it around like it's an 8", sooo much definition and punch! It's amazing to me how much finesse and articulation these have and are still so smooth and effortless, I think these speakers were designed for these amps? They just get everything there is to get out of the 801N's, who the hell needs a sub? Top to bottom they just make it sound so easy, no strain at all. I running them with all 2ft runs of Krell Path speaker cable. Big chorus works are just amazing I can point to every singer, I can tell what kind of mallet they are using on the bass drum so easily. How they make the 801's start and stop like that on Michael Jackson's "This is it" I don't even know, you hear absolutely everything but it's not at all or ever harsh. I just feel like compared to the MC amps there is a little more air, bass definition and I can hear further into the music somehow? but honestly we are talking like that last 2%-3% here. Only from memory, but these amps look like they are even cleaner inside with the circuit design, it's like art in there. I can't remember for sure, but I think the little transformer in there for the circuitry is new too? I don't think my MC amps have that?

Can't wait to get a better preamp but I do love the KRC3, no regret's there it's so musical. I like to tweak and improve things like most all of you, but I do love the way this sounds right now, it's just so effortlessly musical. I can live with it for a long time like this.

Rob

Hey Rob,
Check out Dan's hour long video interview on his web site www.dagostinoinc.com News section -- He talks about Krell and other things very interesting -- you will love it -- lots of great info -- but he also talks about other amps he thinks are great -- "PASS"
-- Keep up the good info on your system -
Scoutdog

Nice amps!

That is a great video!I would like to listen to some of his new stuff. I think I want to try a pair of the 801D's now? One thing I have noticed with the 750mcx's driving the 801N's is that they really don't get that warm. Compared to driving the MBL's they are warm to the touch maybe hot if played loud but driving the MBL's you can cook on them. I like both the 801's and the MBL's for completely different reasons. If I had to pick one it would be MBL all the way but the 801 when driven by the krell's do not lack anything sound wise and you don't need a sub I love how tight and punchy the bass is in particular with the 801's. The MBL's just have such a huge gigantic soundstage and a nicer midrange and treble, the base is good but not equal to the 801's in my room anyway.

Rob

OK, one of the FPB750MCX amps has failed and was drawing in excess of 15 amps from the wall at idle so I boxed them up for repair. I sold all my extra amps so now for this system the only extra amp I have lying around was a S300i. I set the little amp up in theater pass through mode for the mean time, and set up the 801N's again, it dosn't sound too bad when you bypass the preamp, the preamp is the real weakness of the S300i. Well ok, listened to a little led Zeppelin then some Michael Jackson from the this is it blue ray, turned my trusty Krell preamp up to about 50%, after about 4-5 minutes the amp went into thermal overload which it stated nicely on the display. Once it cooled off it shut itself off I turned it back on and it played fine. I could see from the P-1200 it's hooked to it was drawing a lot of power for a little amp. Can't wait to get my babies back.

On another note I spoke with Dan Daugustino a fare amount when he was here at the show in SF recently, he said the Krell amps should be running at 220 volts and they will sound a lot better. Come to find out they are all designed originally for that voltage, the MRA amps were designed to only run at 220. So looks like I have to save some pennies and do some more work on the house here...

Have fun guys,

Rob