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CD player for Mcintosh/Krell int amp

I currently use two different int amps for listening to music.......Krell KAV 400xi and also a Mcintosh MA6300.

I like both of them and they are not going anywhere...
however I am looking for a cd player.

*XLR outputs
*$2000-$3000 new or used
*detailed for redbook with good bass
*SACD is a bonus....do not have to have it
*Tube player would work well with either

I currently have a Mcintosh MCD 201 which I really like
for SACD......I have a couple SACD'S. But I think I can do
better with redbook..which is 98% what I listen to.
I have had the Rega's and MF's. I really liked the A5 from MF.....do not understand why they do NOT use balanced outputs.

Really looking at an AYRE(ax7e) or ESOTERIC(SA10) or used ACCUPHASE.

I am really not into the modded $800 cd player for $2000.

AM I UPGRADING?
ANY SUGGESTIONS?
klaudio
dave_b's avatar
dave_b
3,159 posts
 
Stevecham, I have owned the following krell gear:

FPB600
FPB300
FPB400Cx
FPB350MCx's
KCT(2)
Evo202, 402 and 505
SACD Std
400xi

It is you who are mistaken my friend. That said, I still respect Krell alot and would prefer their gear over most others. My problem with krell is that they have moved in other directions since concentrating on 2ch/purist audio. The parts quality is way down, european standards have driven away the class A design from their Evo amps and cast does not serve the music...it strips it of vitality and makes it sound very clean, neat and tidy. The only improvement noteworthy was from my 505 to the 202 preamp...the increased dyanmic range was nice.
stevecham
3,340 posts
 
So Dave, exactly what is "musical?"

Do you mean to say that via CAST, Krell does not provide music?

I'm truly happy to have found other Krellophiles but this use of the term "musicality" is such a turn off; it carries no reference, is meaningless and conveys no useful information.
dave_b's avatar
dave_b
3,159 posts
 
Musical as a term conveys the impression that a system imparts the sonic hallmarks of a given recording relative to what it would sound like live. Live sound is dynamic, expressive and full of color...cast is not! Go to live concert, try cast on si balanced miliar material at home, replace cast with great cable and decide. Cast tends to constrict or thin the sound a bit and makes it sound harder. A great balanced cable can allow the music to flow and breathe!!
elite_audio_video
9 posts
 
Klaudio,
I would highly recommend pairing Krell's SACD Standard with your 400xi Int. Amp. I used this combo. for a few years with many different high-end speaker systems (B&W, Focal & Wilson), and was very happy with the results. I would also highly recommend running Balanced/XLR ICs between them, I tried quite a few mega-buck RCA-ICs and the sound-quality was never close to even the cheapest (quality) pair of XLR ICs. I also A/B'd the Standard to the McIntosh MCD201, and the Krell was far superior. I found the SACD Standard to be sonically close to the Esoteric SA-60 and Wadia 861 players. The SACD Standard is the (much) better of these two Krell components, and still resides at the front of my $30K reference system.
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