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Krell KAV-400xi vs KAV-150a vs Outlaw Audio vs ?

Hey All,

My wife hates the size and mismatched looks of our current system, which consists of:

Meridian 508.20 CD Player
Bryston BP25 Preamp
Belles 70 watt Class A Amp (upgraded by Dave Belles in '95)
Kef XQ1 Speakers

She ideally wanted to go with a receiver...which I was pretty down on, though the Outlaw Audio receiver seems to get good reviews.

I just auditioned a Krell KAV-400xi at a local store and was awestruck. They also had a used KAV-150a amp that I was originally looking at.

Am I better off getting the KAV-150a used for $1350 and adding it to the Bryston BP25 and getting a smaller, sleaker system than my existing amp, or am I better off with the KAV-400xi integraded amp? That one costs something of the order of $2700 and I would have to sell off the Bryston, the Belles, a B&K ST2140, and a Sumo 9+ amp I have to be able to afford it. Would I be happy with the very cheap Outlaw Audio Receiver?

Any thoughts, opinions? Other options to consider?

Many thanks in advance,

Phil
philhh
stevecham
3,340 posts
 
I'm a Krell guy but for my second system I recently installed a Musical Fidelity A5 integrated. Great piece.
philhh OP
2 posts
 
Hey Everyone,

Thanks so much for all of the feedback...I bought the Krell 400xi used off a guy on Videogon...can't wait to try it out!
ryder
1,687 posts
 
Let us know the outcome after you have received your Krell. I think the improvements would be significant from your current setup with the added quality watts.

Also, I noticed you are using the Kef XQ1 standmounts. Later you might want to add a subwoofer into your system with the additional outputs of you Krell amp. If your room is dedicated, placement of the subwoofer at the corner of the room will not only further reinforce the bass capabilities of the main speakers but make the sound larger and more 3-dimensional. The overall improvement will be quite substantial particularly with small monitors. An option worth considering.
vangoughear
8 posts
 
Hi,
1) Get a Musical Fidelity A3.2 power amp for around $700. Made in
england, with choke regulators, great looking, a real, bargain for the
price. Crystal clear sound.
2) Get an Oppo 970 CD player for $130. Plays SACD. Awesome sound for
that price. Rave reviews.

3) Connect the oppo to the A3.2 not even bother in getting a preamp.
The Oppo has a very good preamp section.

4) Enjoy an awesome amplification system from under 1k!

Martin.
samgupta101
63 posts
 
HI Philhh--let us know how you like it once it arrives...it's always cool to see how things end up.

-Sam
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