A used Cayin unit, 50 or higher will be a great investment and at the same time get you hooked. A Cayin 88 will drive the Krells. I've heard the 88 with the Krell's and it was the equal of Mac 275's, which the 88 is advertised as a clone.
As for 'Bootlegging, piracy, lack of Q.C., and ignoring intellectual property rights will reduce the price of any product!' True, but that is not what Cayin is all about. QC is excellent, done to avionics spec's, designs they use are all classic and in the public domain. Dealer's do not like the line since the profit margins favor the buyer, not the seller.