Does Aesthetix calypso match with Krell 200s pow?

Offline,
If you are looking at Goldmun, Mark Levinson and the likes go with a newer Krell pre-amp -- The Knowledge of the sales rep is "Full of It" -- Krell has some of the best sounding pre-amps and CD players available (for a price) can you get any better than krell At this level? thats an ongoing debate -- but the truth is Krell has lots to offer if you can afford it.
The KRC series is a good series gets you to probably 80% of the best out there but they are now long-in the tooth old, I would send it to krell to refurbish (a Good service from krell).

Your only other choices from Krell is the KCT (fantastic world class pre-amp) and the EVO series concluding with the top-of-the-line EVO707/evo 2. Very expensive but the very best. Mark Levinson is great but they are like Krell very expensive because they are one of the best!

I at one point owned the KRC-HR (15 yrs ago)I had no problems with the sound - not thin, not bloated just good sound -- I wonder if its something else in your system or this might be your first experience in clean high-end resolution -- The Krells usually plays (resolution - good or Bad) whats on the disk!
The only thing I'am not familiar with is your wadia cd player -- I heard they were good -- Your Krell amp is the Best part of your system (I still own KSA-100S - Just had it refurbished from krell a few years ago).
Good Luck and be careful of what is said (think before you leap -- unless you have lots of money).
What is your budget for a new pre-amp and that will help fellow audiogoners to give your advise (SS or Tubes).
ok -- swing it!

Offline, go for a tube preamp. Just make sure the output impedance is low enough to drive your Krell. I was never a fan of Krell preamps. My experience with the KRC, KRC-HR and KRC3 is similiar to yours plus a FLAT soundstage.

I'm a big fan of Krell amps though. I've own a Krell KSA100s, FPB300 and FPB600 with only positive experiences.

Krell cd players sounds great but had a reliability problem with their Philip transports. My KPS30i and KAV300cd spent most of the time in transit to and from Krell for repairs or replacement.

I ran a KRC-HR with a Krell FPB300c driving Von Schweikert VR4jr speakers for many years and was quite happy (back then) except when listening at high levels with sharper sounding CDs when the sound was just too strident. I changed to a CD player with a tube output (Modwright) but while it helped, it was still not what I wanted. Then I swopped my KRC-HR for a Calypso and not only was the stridency gone, but virtually everything else improved. There was less etch to High frequencies, improved ambience and depth, and the mid and upper bass range was in a different class. The sound-stage was also more layered and images were presented within its own acoustic. One can argue that bass power and punch was not as potent as the KRC's but I prefer the rounder and more resonant low end of the Calypso. In my system, there was no doubt that the Calypso was in a higher performance plane than the KRC-HR.