From Krell to McIntosh - Anyone?

can't say i've heard krell in my system, but dave_b seems to have nailed the mac sound (though i'd disagree about "sterile"). see my review on dagogo.com for more on the 501s, but i can only imagine the krell will do far more at the extremes and has the potential for greater absolute performance, but will sound inferior w/ poor sources or speakers.

Well I read your review Rhyno and try as I may I can find no haze in my playback system, analog or digital with the 501's in my system. I can't speak for the rest of Dave b's chain or yours for that matter, I assume your virtual system is what you used in your review. In my system which includes Meridian, Basis/rega/blackbird, ARC ph 5, cj premier 14, Thiel 3.6 and MIT 350 EVO and 350 reference, there is no haze to be found...at least to my ears.

Sterile and hazy at the same time!? That is hilarious. I would be worried about my hearing if that was the case.

But I agree that with C4s, you definately need more forwardness and treble energy than McIntosh amps will give you. Now, if you had some Watt/Puppy 6s like Rhyno does, McIntosh would work great. Or Thiel 3.6 would be great too. It is all about synergy, don't forget. There is no absolute.

Pops
w/ all due respect, change your speaker cables from the MIT and you might notice the 501 characteristics more, particularly when you compare w/ a more linear amp.

i do like the 501 amp. but much like my car, which i like, i recognize there's a lot of things i don't like. it hardly helps me to be dishonest w/ myself, or you (dear reader) if my reviews aren't accurate.

rc

Dear Aball, I've owned Watt/puppy 6's along with a list of other equipment and speakers that would make a reviewer blush..all reference level gear..tube and solid state! The Mcintosh sound has a fog present not unlike my ARC stuff had..probably the autoformers and the transformer combo. By sterile I mean lacking in tonal color..almost bleached out! The Krell's..after having almost everything else I could get my hands on from the local dealers..do more things right than anything else I've heard; as in putting me in the concert hall. The other night I went to the Kimmel center for Shostakovich' 5th..when I returned home I fired up the Krell rig and had a listen..it was actually better at home..same character of sound but more present!! As for MIT..I have owned just about every cable one would consider high end and some budget stuff as well. No cable does what properly setup MIT cables can do..they simply allow all the beauty of a performance to come through. This applies only to their recent impedance matching cables. By the way, I use MIT power cables as well! The Dynaudios are actually more amazing than my Wilsons were..not as exaggerated, more musical and coherent with amazing dynamic contrasts, plus the bass is more lifelike..not as boomy or over done. I have never found myself in a position to justify my reasoning due to a large expenditure..I have always dumped the bad stuff quickly if it was not up to snuff..few people have the pocket book or the intellectual honesty to do so..IMHO!!!