I've had this amp for about 8 years now. I've never ever had a problem with it. I recently was in the market for a new cd player and tested a bunch of them at local shops. What I learned from that experience was a fantastic appreciation for my Krell KAV 500i. I started with the KAV 300i and then moved to the 500i. The 500i is soo much better in terms of musical impact. And then I just used it for ... years and years. And, like I said, it wasn't until recently when trying other expensive amps in connection with trying cd players that I came to appreciate the musical impact of the Krell. I'm not an audiophile's audiophile. But I like my music to sound sweet. And the Krell 500i does the trick in spades. I'm sure it is old stuff these days, but if you are thinking about getting a used model -- have no concern about whether this models is capable of delivering the sonic goods. Pry it from my cold dead hands.

Dynamic, Tight Bass, Clean Crystal sound, perfect mids, Very detail sound and Powerful.

Maybe the amp heats up a little but who cares? The best sounding amps run hot. other than that nothing.

This amp is for those who want the best sounding multi channel amplifier and one of the best musical sounding amps as well. Clean crystal sound, tight extended bass, powerful enough to move almost any speaker without a problem. Not much to say, this is one of the best sounding multi channel amplifier period. If you mostly listen to music but want something that does movies as well then this is a great choice. Built like a tank. It’s a KRELL what else can I say.

Similar Products Used:

Aragon 8008BB, Aragon 8008x3, Acurus

warm, very powerful under any load supplied, well constructed, realibe name, sound is absolutely magnificent

must have plenty of air to breath

very warm, very clean amp. careful on the cabinetry, must have ample air feeding it. soundtracks are great, i use the amp for surround on occassion, but the two channel aspect is magnificent. find a used one if you can, greatly surpasses the new line

Similar Products Used:

b&k, myryad

built like a tank, 12V DC trigger cable, sturdy remote, punchy bass

may run a bit hot. give ample room for heat dissipation.

was contemplating the kav-1500 but the kav-500 will handle almost any load. Used in conjunction w/ my hst1 preamp, the sound is nothing short of pure bliss. The detail and transparency is outstanding. Not bright even with my goertz silver sapphires. Great bargain if you can find one used. MY HT: http://www.geocities.com/chinje2000/ht.htm

Similar Products Used:

sunfire cinema grand

Just auditioned the KAV 500 at home using 802s, HTM, 805 surrounds. Excellent sounding amp. Refined, transparent, dynamic, punchy, detailed, good tonal quality, and a soundstage that is just right, not to forward, not recessed, but at the plane of the speakers with lots of depth. Nice balance between lows, midrange, and highs too.
Have auditioned Proceed's AMP5 and prefer the KAV 500/5's sound. The AMP5 sounds 'slightly' more powerful when performing HT duties but doesn't compare on music playback. The AMP5's soundstage is artificially large and vague, and the overall pace and dynamics of the AMP5 is to laid back. The KAV 500 is the better amp for the HT enthusiast who also places a high priority on music listening.

Although the KAV 500 seemed to have more then enough power 5 x 100 wpc makes one hesitate. Combinations such as Aragon's 8008BB+8008x3, or Bryston's 4B ST+5B ST, not to mention Bryston's new 9B ST look like attractive alternatives that offer good sound and in most cases more power.

Overall sound quality is 5 stars, but value is more like 4.5 stars especially with Krell's 10% price increase.

This is my 2nd review of this amp. This one's an update since I've been using it for a while now. My initial impression remains - this is an incredible sounding amp. When you use a piece of equipment for a while you get very accustomed to it's sound and you don't tend to think about it much. This has been the case for me as well. I sometimes forget how great movies and CD's really sound from my system, then I listen to a system somewhere else and instantly begin to appreciate my own again. This amp continues to make DVDs sound better than they did in the theater and if I were to buy another A/V amp again today it would still be this amp.

Great looks, fantastic build quality and sound that should please any audiophile.

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This is a solid built amp that works extremely well with my martin logan logos center speaker and the two front speakers which are martin logan Requests. In order to bring out the best this amp has to offer I use the Nordost Silver
shadow digital capble to connect the Toshiba SD 9200 with the Krell Home Theater Standard. Straight Wire Crescendo Cables connect the amp to the two front speakers. I am very pleased with this amp and it is very beautiful to look at. My wife even likes the way it looks and souds. It is wonderful having her approval.

Similar Products Used:

Krell KSA 200s 2 channel power amp

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its vewry good

Sound

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The review of this product by James McCormick below is not a review, but rather, a bad faith assault on a classic product. Every audio and video magazine that reviewed it classified it as the best multi-channel amp made. You can tell Mr. McCormick does not know what he is talking about as he compares the Krell to audiovox, a brand I had not heard from since the 8 track days. In a nutshell, Mr. McCormick's review is just like the place he's from, Bama.

Similar Products Used:

Carver, Crown, Bryston

The Krell KAV-500 is everything I was looking for in a high-end amp. My priority was music first, HT second. I had to have the "true" quality sound... I chose the KAV-500 because of its sound and flexability. I can bridge any 2 channels for a 400wpc stereo amp. Right now I have it at 100wpc x 5. The music sound quality is excellent. It has tight bass.. and refined highs. For HT, I can't tell you how fine this amp sounds. It has lots of dynamics and plenty of punch.This is a truly refined amp. I could have gotten one with more power.. like the aragon 8008x3.. but I would have scaraficed refinement and would have needed 2 amps. I highly recommend this amp... Yes its pricey at $4500 retail... but there are deals to be had out there... Trust me... If you want a high-end sound for music/HT ... check this amp out
Mike