david99 I was always under the impression its best to buy amps/preamps from a manufacturer of those products, analog gear from a manufacturer of those products, digital gear from a manufacturer of those products, speakers from a manufacturer of those products. Not really, one just needs to be able to read the specs and measurements and purchase accordingly, (or find someone who can) and then nine times out of ten you could buy even better. Cheers George |
I listened to a set over 10yrs ago at a dealer for some time. At the time I wanted to buy a set of their little brother the LAT-2. I thought they sounded nice, and was built really well. Overall they were more of a neutral sounding speaker. I remember them being a little lean at lower volumes. At medium to higher volumes the speakers woke up quite a bit. I believe they were hooked up to an all Krell system. I never did buy the LAT-2 based on my auditions of the LAT-1. Nice speaker, but just didnt do it for me at that price range. Also it bothered me that Krell used the cheaper Vifa tweeter ring radiator on both those speakers. At that price point, they should be using a better tweeter. I spoke to a Krell representative a few years after that audition, and he told me the cheaper Vifa Ring Radiator tweeter sounded better than the Scanspeak version, and that is why they chose to use it(hard for me to believe). The Cabinets build quality is as good as it gets. The grills look nice, and it matches the ribs on the aluminum sides. I would say, overall a very nice speaker! |
This post is for George, or anybody else who is more skilled in electrical physics or system matching than I am. I am interested in purchasing a pair of used Krell LAT 1's as I think they are a well built, under-appreciated speaker. I saw George's post: Their impedance hovers mainly around 3 to 4 ohms. But they have a nasty 60hz load of 5ohm/-45% phase angle, which means you need an amp/s with good current, but because they are surgical in their sound, you’ll need an amp that’s also easy on the ear. I have a pair of Conrad Johnson LP 260M SE's (upgraded capacitors and resistors). These tube amps provide 275 WPC at 4 Ohms, and I have a Conrad Johnson ET5 preamp. So, I think I have the "easy on the ear" part met, but am unsure if these amps have the power necessary to drive these speakers and if they are a good match. My source material comes through an Oppo 105 with Modwright Truth upgrades, and a Rega RP6 turntable with a Pass Labs Phono preamp. While this is an older discussion, I would appreciate any input folks may have. Thanks, |
Sorry I don't have a personal experience with these speakers but based on my experience certain companies are known for building certain components real well mostly because of the respected designers they have (or have had) on staff. I don't know of a single company that builds the entire range of audio gear and they have the best designers for each piece all under one roof. Buying speakers from Krell (or Mark Levinson or alike) is like paying top dollar and buying an SUV from Ferrari. Also, IMHO, buying everything from the same brand because they (might) have the best synergy is complete BS. YMMV. |
