Is there Really a difference between a Krell 400xi intergrated amp and the newer Vandgard?

Excellent point- mikey8811
some of the newer Krell is made in china as well.

I finally talked to Patrick Bresnahan at krell,  he said the departed x president bill Mckeagan is what happened to the vanguard,  no pre-amp out,  no tape loop,  and ahh, the terrible voicing! , Bill did all this to attempt to save money and bill had the vanguard made in China! , my opinion,  what a way to shoot your self in the foot,  didn't save money,  promoted a lack of sales, and more than any thing,  no long term ownership! , have all of you seen the vanguard on the used market? , LOL!, there is no modification available! 

So what's the concensus here? , older krell sound vs the newest krell sound? 

First of all, the Vanguard and all their current line is made in the USA!  The older s-550 and s-300 and matching CD player were made in China.  As for the musicality, the sound is actually improved.  I've owned just about everything since the original FPB SERIES came out.  I call it exquisite neutrality with world class tonal reproduction.  Clarity and resolution is superb and personally, the bass surpasses the quality of the older design in every meaningful way.  As for the 400xi for example, it sounds broken compared to the Vanguard.  Not sure what you guys are smoking but it must be special.  It goes without saying that a great power cables are required, as well as great speakers and source.  Many mismatched variables can misdirect your assessment.  The Vanguard takes forever to break in and is meant for the 2 channel crowd like me.  I use a Krell Cipher and Krell Resolution 2 speakers.  Cabling and PC's are MIT ORACLE!  Also, the Vanguard is an updated design from the 400xi with a new preamplification stage and more storage capacitance, not a sea change.

Saying you spoke to Patrick and that he said it was built in China and that the voicing is terrible is a lie!  I happen to know Patrick and have discussed the current lineup with him and find your inferences at odds with reality!