Krell KAV400 VS Musical Fidelity A300 A 3.2 A3.5

I have found the krell to give you a garbage in garbage out effect...darkness is not endemic to the unit either. It IS rather dependant on the ancillaries and cabling. As for the volume control issue, I have always sought out a preamp/gain stage that utilizes 50% to 75% of it's range. This allows for maximum dynamics and transparency while rendering exceptional low level detail.

The music had a nice and I recall very distinctive energy to it regarding overall dynamics with the Krell on the Focals and even on the Martin Logans. Not sure I could equate it exactly to anything else I've heard...very unique. IS that the "Krell" Sound?

Would like to a/b it someday with some other amps in order to get a better handle on exactly what it was about it that sounded distinctive. I think it was resolution and good dynamics, but not certain.

Closest other system I've heard recently to compare was perhaps Avalon speakers with Boulder amplification, which also had a very unique and detailed sound to my ears.

Exactly, the Avalon/Boulder combo has a great sense of aliveness and dynamic contrasts not unlike what I've experienced with Krell components and many great speaker systems. I must admit i wish I still had my FPB600...that was glorious:)

Elberoth2, I did further investigation with krell and there are multiple oversized polypropelyne capacitors in the ACT crossovers of the Resolution series speakers for maximum current handling and power delivery...happens to lower inductance as well. Do not capacitors store energy?

Dkzzzz,

Surprises me from your description of what you are looking for that you did not care for the Krell at all. Maybe just lack of synergy...ie not a good fit with the rest of your system? No blown tweeters or anything like that right?

This is a just speculation. As I mentioned in the other thread, I think a trip to Sound By Singer which I am familiar with and/or even Stereo Exchange from what I've heard in lower Manhattan is the best solution. There has to be something there that can fit the bill. You should plan to spend time listening to the recordings you are not happy with on a system similar to yours, hear what you hear, and then determine where to go from there.