Krell HTS 5.1 surround processor

[starcraftbw]

how is this pre-amp. I plan to buy one for my 5.1 system. Anyone has experienced with this pre-amp.

Thank you,

 

[starcraftbw]

where are the audio pros ?

 

[Seth=L]

where are the audio pros ?

The better question is where are the people that can afford Krell. I don't know anyone that actually owns Krell stuff. I feel they are over-rated.

 

[JVC]

If you get a Krell, you'd better keep the box it comes in! If you ever need to ship it back for repairs, and don't have the box, Krell will charge you $100 for another box! They are PROUD of their boxes.................

 

[Seth=L]

If you get a Krell, you'd better keep the box it comes in! If you ever need to ship it back for repairs, and don't have the box, Krell will charge you $100 for another box! They are PROUD of their boxes.................

Wow that sounds worse than Bose in a way.

 

[Tawnos]

Why not buy a good pre amp with HT pass through? Makers like krell and mcintosh use the exact same build for their processors as the name brand companies do and you are paying for the name.

 

[InTheIndustry]

Why not buy a good pre amp with HT pass through? Makers like krell and mcintosh use the exact same build for their processors as the name brand companies do and you are paying for the name.

Any proof of this?

 

[InTheIndustry]

The better question is where are the people that can afford Krell. I don't know anyone that actually owns Krell stuff. I feel they are over-rated.

Why do you feel that they are over-rated?

 

[Tawnos]

Any proof of this?

Lets start off with some basic logic, the high end producers use the same DAC's the same DSP's the same decoding boards and the same design. When I took apart my Mcintosh MX135 there was nothing inside that would require that high of a price, hell the chips did not even have any heat sinks on them!

Why do you feel that they are over-rated?

Krell is the laughing stock of the high end.

 

[Seth=L]

Lets start off with some basic logic, the high end producers use the same DAC's the same DSP's the same decoding boards and the same design. When I took apart my Mcintosh MX135 there was nothing inside that would require that high of a price, hell the chips did not even have any heat sinks on them!



Krell is the laughing stock of the high end.

Finally something we both agree with Tawnos.

Krell is a fairly well marketed High-End audio manufacturer. It is well known and many beginners hear they are one of the best in the business. They make very nice looking products, and very functional products. But the price makes it a very difficult thing to justify purchasing. I have heard Krell products before and they do not inspire me to spend thousands of dollars. If you compared say an Anthem processor to the Krell processors I would venture to say the differences, audible differences, would be very small. And as far as features Krell isn't the cream of the crop either.

Krell cators to audiophiles that don't know much about their hobby. They would be one of those companies that support direct path crap. They don't have the same amount of flexibility as many other pre-pros either.

http://www.krellonline.com/krell_component.php?id=48&page=kavhts71

You can see in this link that they are limited in connectivity, and where is HDMI, component video, I don't see video switching at all here.

More functional pre-pros with minimal difference in sound quaulity can be had for less.

If the HTS 5.1 was in the $2000 or less range it may be worth it, but for $7000 there is no way in hell.

 

[zumbo]

Up-to-date pre-amp, if HDMI is not needed.
Upgradeable.
Fair retail price posted on the site.
Fine piece of equipment.
Why would someone need anything else?

http://www.sherwoodusa.com/prod_p965.html

 

[highfihoney]

Krell is the laughing stock of the high end.

WOW! your making some pretty bold statements,ive been into high end gear for a long time & the last thing ive ever heard about krell is that they are the laughing stock of high end infact yours is the most scathing post ive ever read on any site regarding krell.

Can you point us in the direction to find where everybody is saying that krell is laughable gear?

 

[highfihoney]

Finally something we both agree with Tawnos.

Krell is a fairly well marketed High-End audio manufacturer. It is well known and many beginners hear they are one of the best in the business. They make very nice looking products, and very functional products. But the price makes it a very difficult thing to justify purchasing.

Krell cators to audiophiles that don't know much about their hobby.

Seth,where do you guys get this stuff? Something alot of people dont realize is that to a lot of high end gear buyers(including myself) all the surround sound stuff is secondary to their 2 channel needs & alot of the features that are missing on these high end components are deemed as useless.As far as krell amplifiers go there isnt many amplifiers on the market that could begin to compete with most krell amps let alone best their performance.

Not everybody has the same outlook on value vs price either,for instance,b&w speakers is one of the darlings of lots of guys on this site but they are crazy expensive,if a guy has enough disposable cash to buy a pair of b&w nautilus im sure he wont want to run them off a pair of behringer a500's in bridged mono.

Its unfair of you to paint a picture of krell buyers as ignorant fools.

 

[highfihoney]

Any proof of this?

I too ask for some proof or atleast some first hand accounts from personal ownership & in home use.

 

[highfihoney]

If you get a Krell, you'd better keep the box it comes in! If you ever need to ship it back for repairs, and don't have the box, Krell will charge you $100 for another box! They are PROUD of their boxes.................

As well they should be,do you realize that there are different grades of plain old cardboard boxes & if the proper grade is not used to ship any insurance claim can & will be null & void,also to ship & insure overseas the more the weight the higher the standards are for boxing,high end manufacturers are not in the box making business & they have their boxes custom made to fit their products.

If you think they are ripping people off just call ANY custom box manufacturer & get a quote for yourself & dont forget to ask for a quote on form fitting foam panels for all 6 sides of the box,you will freak out at how much it costs to get a box made,at $100 a box they are giving the boxes away at cost.

 

[highfihoney]

The better question is where are the people that can afford Krell. I don't know anyone that actually owns Krell stuff. I feel they are over-rated.

Hi seth,im a krell owner ,for what application do you feel krell is over rated?

 

[starcraftbw]

I like Krell cuz they're identical to Mcintosh. I'll go mixture of mac + krell for my future audio/video system. I like Krell HTS 5.1 cuz it has Balance XLR input and output (6 indivial dual xlr outputs) and this will fit perfectly with my power amp. Most of current pre-amps don't have this feature.

http://cgi.videogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?prea51ch&1157099091

http://cgi.videogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?prea51ch&1162954826

they were very well made IMO.

 

[Seth=L]

Hi seth,im a krell owner ,for what application do you feel krell is over rated?

No doubt Krells reputation isn't home theater but more so 2 channel. I feel the line is drawn somewhere when it is difficult to near impossible to tell the difference between amps, preamps, cd player, and processors. The same can't be said for speakers. You used the B&W Nautilus as an example. It is a magnificent sounding speaker system. I listened to a pair connected to a Classe' amplifier and pre/pro. I also heard it in the same store with a Pioneer Pre-Pro with pro-logic and two monoblock Classe' amps. There wasn't any difference in my ear.

 

[zumbo]

I like Krell cuz they're identical to Mcintosh. I'll go mixture of mac + krell for my future audio/video system. I like Krell HTS 5.1 cuz it has Balance XLR input and output (6 indivial dual xlr outputs) and this will fit perfectly with my power amp. Most of current pre-amps don't have this feature.

http://cgi.videogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?prea51ch&1157099091

http://cgi.videogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?prea51ch&1162954826

they were very well made IMO.

Adcom 2499.00 retail with HDMI
http://www.adcom.com/images/products/gtp870-Back.jpg
(7 xlr outputs) page 24 in the manual
http://www.adcom.com/prod/shopdisplayproducts.asp?prodid=1150

 

[highfihoney]

No doubt Krells reputation isn't home theater but more so 2 channel. I feel the line is drawn somewhere when it is difficult to near impossible to tell the difference between amps, preamps, cd player, and processors.

On this we agree,after a point its extremely hard to hear a difference in sound then it comes down to other things like personal preference,looks,resale value ect,build quality & redundant internal components are reasons for these type components to cost as much as they do,its pretty amazing to open the hood on a krell amp & see everything shoe horned inside the case,these are not empty boxes that rely on heavy gauge face plates & heat sinks for weight.

As far as being over rated its hard to compare krell with other gear unless were comparing apples to apples,krell has some outstanding amplifier designs like the sustained plateau bias amps that are capable of driving wild loads with crazy impendance swings that would send alot of amps into protection & still be able to double down in power all the way to 1 ohm & below,these amps are made to drive the crap out of every speaker on the planet & are not limited in their use.