Help me with choice of stereo integrated amp

[daninor]

Hi all

Hope you guys can provide some feedback regarding int.amp. Im no die-hard audiophile, but I would still say over average.

The thing is I have B&W Nautilus 804S speakers which I am very happy with, and time has now come to pair those with a decent amp and CD player in the same category. Even though sound is the most important factor, I also consider design/looks to be of some importance (though both sound and looks are very much subjective perceptions). From the visual side it would certainly be a pluss to be able to find both amp and CD from the same brand and thus not end up with two different impressions.

Ive concluded with three finalists in my search, but I am abolutely open for new suggestions outside the three. I am looking for a good integrated amp in its own right but also one that will be a good match for my B&W speakers.

finalist 1: Electrocompaniet ECI 5
http://www.electrocompaniet.no/products/integrated/eci5.html

finalist 2: Densen B-150
http://www.densen.dk/products/B-150/b150.htm

finalist 3: Krell KAV400
http://www.krellonline.com/html/m_KAV_p_KAV400xi.html

They are in no specific order and I have a hard time finding pros and cons between the three. Hopefully, someone out there will have some for me and make it easier to find a winner. In terms of looks I think all three are nice on the eye, perhaps with Krell trailing a bit behind in that respect (again, always subjective).

Thanks for your help, I look forward to your input.

 

[majorloser]

Well, I have ALWAYS loved Krell products. They pair very nicely with the B&K 800 series speakers. Personally, I'd go with monoblock amps with those beautiful towers.

(Yeah, I know, it's only money )

 

[Haoleb]

I'm not sure how much those amps are, but you might want to take a look also at Odyssey's Amps. While I hate to sound like another "I bought this and so should you" since thats what most people say, I did just get a pair of Odyssey's Khartago Monoblocks and they truly have blown me away. I think that if your looking to spend any chunk of money on amps that you should at least give them a look. The best place to find out about them is Odysseys website which is

www.odysseyaudio.com

or by going to audio circle forums and popping into the Odyssey sub forum. Or even better than those two... Just give Klaus, the owner of Odyssey and the guy who makes the amps a call. He will be able to awnswer any questions. He does not make any integrated amps but i think you could buy a seperate preamp and amplifier for about the same price as the others your considering. Once you find out a little bit more about Odyssey I think you'll discover that their price/performance and quality ratio is very good.

 

[agarwalro]

I have a hard time finding pros and cons between the three

Me too. The Krell "looks" the best.

 

[daninor]

I guess for readers in the US, the Krell would have a slight advantage in this comparison, the other two being European brands and thus not quite the household name. But for us in Europe both Densen (Denmark) and (especially) Electrocompaniet (Norway) are well-known, top-drawer products. The latter has somewhat of a cult-status, and rightly so. I wish I had the money for some of their top-line products, like the latest DVD/CD/SACD player, fully balanced on all 6 chanels, quoted at some $5500.

 

[buckyg4]

I'm not a fan of Krell. I find Krell to be cool and lifeless on any setup I have tried. I have heard the Electros on other speakers and they sound pretty nice, but haven't heard them on B&Ws. I think there is a B&W user forum out there, I just can't remember the website. That would be a good place to go.

RWA Modded SB3
BelCanto S300
Joseph Audio RM7XL

 

[daninor]

I think there is a B&W user forum out there, I just can't remember the website. That would be a good place to go.

Please do let me know if you remember the website. I found nothing on Google

 

[majorloser]

I believe it's www.hometheaterspot.com

EDIT: BTW, they charge for membership and the right to post to their manufacturer threads. $%$#@

 

[Flea]

Those are nice speakers. I think you should get seprates. You will have more options. An amp and preamp. I could never find an intergrated amp with enough power. This is just my opinion though.