Krell VS McIntosh

depends on the speakers you are driving with them, what type of music you listen to, and what the upstream gear is.

And it depends on what McIntosh amps your comparing against the Krell.

I have listened to Krell with Theil-Vienna Acoustics and PSB speakers. I have owned McIntosh and listened to them with a number of speakers as well. My impression (personnal taste of course) always has brought me back to McIntosh. I feel that the smoothness and transient reactions seem more natural and comfortable for listening. When ever I listened to Krell I felt that it was somewhat more analytical and for the lack of a better word, aggressive. It will really come down to the speaker you choose and the music of preference and finally what you are wanting to hear. I would say in a HT setting the Krell may offer more impact, but for music I really find that Mc is more relaxing. Now I have listened to the same speakers with VTL or Primare and found the speakers behaved differently, so I came to the conclusion of the Krells that I indicate. There are a lot of Anti-Mc folks that will probably accuse me of prejudice...and they are almost right. I prefer post-judice. All MHO of course.

I've had both and they are very system dependant (like everything else I suppose). What speakers, size of room, listening habbits etc, etc.

Krell can be forward and thinned out on top.. mcintosh a bit more Solid state with tube sound.. Krell depending on the speakers will have authority to really have tight punchy bass, but mcintosh has a low damping factor that works well with easier to drive speakers making them sound a little more vast, organic, or natural in the bass.. Sometimes this can with some speakers seem as a little more "Full"...

It will also ultimately depend on the impeadance match of not only the speaker to amp, but the preamp or source driving the amp as a synergy match.. I think if you want more detailed and sometimes "spacial" sound the Krell will fit that bill, if you want a little more intimate feel or "Warmth" in sound the mcintosh normally tilts that way.

Unfortunatley without playing them both in your system and seeing which way you tilt, it will not matter. so in the end no answer will be satisfying let the accusations fly!!

As for facts on ownership they are both huge names in the business, both will have equal fans and foes, however in a general "Used" market mcintosh has one of the highest holding values still for electronics, and does not have as high of depreciation that most gear carries.