McIntosh Mx151 vs. Krell Foundation vs Arcam AV 860

I have a Krell Foundation 4k UHD and I can say that the sound quality is very impressive. Stereo playback is just absolutely top notch. It also has tons of inputs, outputs, and configuration settings.

I will say - I am unhappy with the On Screen Display (OSD) and programming menu. Yes - you can access it through a web browser, which is extremely helpful - but it man it looks like it was written in DOS pre AOL...I actually had to make an excel spreadsheet so I could track all the menus, sub-menus, etc - because it is extremely confusing to use and you never quite know what you are doing since there is no graphic presentation of where you actually are in the sub-menus...

like this:
https://imgur.com/a/UHj9u

here's some images I grabbed from my unit: (when accessing via my computer)
https://imgur.com/a/OLj5M

Also, the Krell seems to have about a 60% success rate when accepting remote input commands from my Harmony hub unit. Every other piece of AV gear I have, and that numbers 7, work every time with the Harmony.

I am looking into a McIntosh MX151 since there OSD and user interface seems like the kind of quality and well thought out UI that a $5k home theater processor should have.

Here's a link to some of what I presume are the MX151 OSD menus are:
http://www.avsforum.com/forum/86-ultra-hi-end-ht-gear-20-000/1479699-official-mcintosh-labs-mx-151-m...

I haven't actually used the MX151 programming so I am not saying it's easier/better - it just certainly looks like it is laid out in a much more professional fashion.

I do not want to bad mouth the Krell since it really produces top notch sound and video functionality, but man I just wish it was easier to use...

Just my thoughts!

The problem with the Krell is it is only HDMI 2.0 (not 2.0a or 2.0b). 2.0 cannot pass HDR and cannot be fixed with a software upgrade. It is a hardware issue.

For this reason, in my search, it was taken off the list.

i now have Arcam AV860 and I’m not totally blown away with unit. Dirac has given me many issues especially in different gain issue between my amps.

NAD M17 not ready yet. Always coming soon.

The lower level McIntosh is pretty much a rebadged Marantz.

The pre pro landscape sucks right now. I’m not sure if I will stay the course with Arcam and wait to see what’s coming next year.

i miss Classe but their final unit was a mess too.

What is the benefit of HDMI 2.0a or b over 2.0?

Also, do you consider the MX151 “lower level McIntosh”!

just curious - no bias in that question!
:)

I really wanted to like the Krell, but the poor user functionality and no HDR is a deal breaker.