Bass, power and the custums. Whit my Infinity Reference Louadspekers alls perfekt.

None

I`ts a beatufull and powerfull amplifier. I´ts sounds very good, and have a realistisc sound. High WAF. Krell is a bargin at this price. I have also a Krell Kav 300IL but I prefered this.

Similar Products Used:

Audioresearths Sp6B,D350 and Krell Kav 300IL, Denon Poa 6006 and more.

All I can say is, it worth the money I paid for this product.

A real looker with the Krell name

$1000.00 sound at a $2500.00 price

Let me start our by saying I am a fan of Krell products for the most part they sound open dynamic without any of the harsh residue associated with much solid state gear. I can't tell you what a dissapointment this piece was. I had initial reservations when I saw the KAV's "pre-amp" dimensions: folks the components required to output high current even in class AB take size and heft, what did Krell put their latest torrodial transformer on a chip. And the sound was very un Krell like. Thin, and weedy and ragged with both my 801's and CLS's. And if a $1500 Aragon amp can make those puppies sing than certainly a $2500 duo from Krell should be up for the task.

With the 804's both the Meridian, Anthem and the Audio Refinement were sweeter, yet quite detailed, much more dimensional and and altogether more satisfying. The KAV while more extended at the extremes seemed to have a blanched midrange that was recessed and hard and utterly undimensional. Soundstaging a usual Krell hallmark was also lacking and the Krell seemed to sound a bit constricted and confused during complex orchestral passages. ala Beethoven's 9th.

It's unfortunate that many audiophiles will undoubtably buy this piece because its got the krell name on it. And many audiphile rags will heap praise on this product because Krell is well Krell. But make no mistake about it, if you must have a Dagastino Design fork over your money and buy one of the "big" Krell amps or an older generation KMA KSA if you can find one used. Even the Aragon (4004) is far away a better choice than the KAV for utter musicality, The 4004's soundstaging, resolution, and extension and lack of grain make it a far superior and less expensive choice even mated with a preamp. (though I haven't heard the latest 8008)

For $2500 there are a too many choices out there that are far better than the KAV300i. What would be a reasonable buy at $1200.00 is imo a ripoff at $2500.00 and I never though I'd use Krell and ripoff in the samje sentence.

Similar Products Used:

Audio Refinement Complete
Meridian Integrated
Rotel 785
Anthem Integrated

My system
CAT SL1
KSA 200s
Aragon 4004
VTL 150 monoblocks
B&W 801 804 Matrix
ML CLS2
CAL -15 amd Meridian 506 CD players
and assorted cables by Staight Wire, Tara Labs, Audio Quest and Kimber

Fair value compared to McIntosh or Sim Audio Integrated amps. Good build, good looks, easy to use, Krell name & service.

Volume control rather strange, remote has too many unused buttons, inputs are hard to see.

Wow, I went through several phases to buy this integrated amp. When I first got into audiomania, I bought an Aragon 8008BB amp to match some Martin Logan SL-3 speakers because a friend of mine told me that I liked a warm sound based on my past stereo system. The Aragon 8008BB made my Martin Logan SL-3's come alive for a fair price. When I bought the Aragon 8008BB amp, I was told about Krell, but I was warn that their amps would be too analytical for me & at that time Krell increased their retail price based on some award they just got. I thought "Amps for rich people, stay away". This reminded me of the time that I bought a Cannon 50mm lens without any help from a camera store because I was a photo major & knew my stuff, but when I got in line to buy the lens, a doctor was buying a Hasselblad & the owner of the store said "Well doctor, if you have any problems, give us a call." What a rip off, a man that knew nothing of cameras was buying the best & I got a cheap lens. Returning to integrated amps; Still thinking that Mondial (Acurus & Aragon) was the best sound for the buck, I bought an Acurus ACT-3 pre-amp surround processor, but I had a lot of problems with it & I turned it in for a Theta Casa Nova. There was no comparsion, & when a designer of Mondial saw my article in the internet about the exchange, he E-mail me a strange message with made me doubt Mondial's knowledge of the audio market. Then I got into a search for a small 50 watt tubed amp for my bedroom, the Audio Research CA50 & Conrad Johnson CAV-50, but after I got a deal on some NHT VT-2 speakers, 50 watts just would not do. Then I started looking for a 100 to 150 watt solid state amp which lead me to research the Aragon 8002 which I wanted to stay away from Mondial products, the McCormack DNA-125 which had only one dealer in the LA basin, McIntosh MC-122 or MC-162 which didn't double the watts with 1/2 the ohms, & the Odyssey Audio Stratos which when I called the factory with 4 questions & got a used car sales type of sell. Then I thought, wait an integrated amp will fit the bill because I do slide shows & I could walk into a place & plug the amp in & it's slow time. At first I checked the McIntosh MA6850, but it was $3000 (offered a deal at $2200), old school design, & no audio store had it in stock. I check the Sim Audio Moon i-5, but it was only 75 watts & the local LA basin dealer didn't return my fax which I wrote about 5 questions. At last (& you thought I would never get to the Krell) the Krell 3000i, which was equalled in price to the McIntosh deal price & lower than the Sim Audio i-5 retail price. Therefore watts verus equal priced integrated amps was the issue & the Krell 300i won. I got 150 watts doubled with 1/2 ohm integrated amp that the McIntosh MA6950 can't do & doubled the watts of the Sim Audio Moon i-5 at a cheaper price. I have been running the Krell 300i for about 2 days now. At first the Krell sounded O.K. for the NHT VT-2 speakers, but warmed up after 10 hours. The system is in the bedroom where I won't be playing it loud, therefore I can't write about the so-called lack of bass that some write about in this site. But then again, I never was a rap BOOM it to the full type of person, I like Classical & Jazz music which requires a different set of rules for listening & the Krell 300i does the job with the sound stage sounding good after the 2nd day. A Sony XA7ES top of the line CD player is connected with Harmonic Technology Silway silver interconnects to the Krell 300i integrated amp via Monster Cable 2.4 Bi-wires to the NHT VT2 speakers. The build quality of the Krell 300i is good, the controls are to the point, but hard to see because of the stainless steel look of the unit. Painting the inputs in black or somehow making them bigger would help people with bad eye sight. The volume control is rather strange because one can't fine tune the level, the volume jumps from level to level rather then easly climbing in Db's. The remote is over kill, it made for a Krell system & not just a simple remote like the Audio Research pre-amp type of remotes that have but few easy to use buttons. To finish the review, I believe the Krell 300i is good for the price exceding several other integrated amps within its price range.

Similar Products Used:

Studied or tested the following; Audio Research CA50, Conrad Johnson CAV50, Aragon 8002, McCormack DNA-125, McIntosh MC-122 & MC-162, Odyssey Audio Stratos, McIntosh MA 6850, & Sim Audio Moon i-5

sound quality, impact, neutral, bass

none. I don't like the balance control on theremote shared by fast forward for CD.

In order to appreciate this amp & Krell, you would want an amp to deliver the impact & reality of a live show. Krell's frequency response is wide & full. Krell can show you what a trumpet sounds like cutting through the crowd of jazz club, the startling effect of a cymbal crash or snare snapping. What some people may misunderstand when they listen to Krell is some amps have a sound stage that is transparent & rather like a hologram, you can seemingly walk right through them, where Krell paints a detailed & vivid sound stage over a pitch black back round that seems if you try to walk through it you will run right into something. I am using the Krell 250CD & all transparent connects. My Krell is driving Dynaudio contour 2.5's. Dynaudio is als very neutral & has the bestbass response of any speaker I have ever heard. And paired with the impact of the Krell... Well let's just say granny better have her densures glued in. The bass will hit so hard your heart may skip a beat. To get the kind of brute force in total control & in an integrated amp is a real job. And Krell has done it beautifully with the KAV300i. The 300i sounds good throughout the entire frequency band. The highs are overthe top. In my experience with listening to hi fi gear, I found the best results with keepin with the same brand cd/amp or pre&power. If you are looking for an amp that sounds good & powerful listen to the Krell.

Similar Products Used:

Arcam, Audio Research, Classe',Adcom

transient attack, muscular sound, authoritative bass

can sound a little dry and possibly harsh if not matched to the right components

The KAV-300i is a great integrated amp. Those who are giving it a one star rating must have it matched up to the wrong components. This sound heavily depends on the source and cables. I don't recommend adding this to an already bright system where it may turn cold or harsh. If it is matched with the right components I feel it is one of the best values in high-end audio. It easily beats my Counterpoint SA-220/Audible Illusions Modulus L1 set-up. When I first bought this I was not very happy with the sound and was going to sell it an hour after hooking it up. I decided against that and bought a more neutral sounding cd player and cables that were on the slightly warm side of neutral. I like this unit so much I am probably going to buy the KAV-500i if I don't decide on the Jeff Rowland Concentra. Integrated amps are the way to go, many have surpassed the sound quality of separates costing much more, and you can nix a pair of interconnects!

My system consists of:

Energy Veritas v1.8 speakers
Krell KAV-300i integrated amp
Primare D-20 cd player
Cardas Cross interconnects
Analysis Plus Oval (tri-wiring with Oval 9 for the bass and Oval 12 for the mids and highs)

Play loud with good sound stage

Image and not as musical

I had a chance to borrow the 300I from a friend and used it at home for three full days. Here are my assesment:
Strengths: Powerful with very good bass and great sound stage and it is good for rock music.
Weaknesses: Not as good image in comparison to SimAudio I-5 and not as quiet as I-5. Not very musical at all.
If you want more musical integrated go with SimAudio I-5 but this one is not for my taste.

Similar Products Used:

SimAudio, Sonic Frontiers, Threshold

Krell logo on front, looks, slim chasis

Sound (compressed, harsh, cold, annoying, lifeless, forward), remote (cheap, plastic), price, etc,...

Reviewed using:

B&W Nautilus 804
Krell 300 CD
Transparent Audio Balanced interconnects
Transparent Audio speaker cables
Custom made listening room with all the treatments

What a dissapointment. I really, really, really, wanted to love this integrated. Being a fan of the big FPB series Krells for years I had high hopes for this integrated since it's made by the same company. The first time I heard a Krell, the FPB 300 on a B&W Signature 30 I thought I could taste the music, it was that good! For a couple of years since I dreamed of owning a Krell, even the entry 300i hoping to attain at least 1/10th of that original experience. But it was not to be...

The sound was flat, forward, annoying, emotionally empty (never thought I'd be saying that) and lifeless! It's like the mid was compressed and muddied. Highs exaggerated but washed out (no detail or spark) = annoying. Base, a Krell strength and hallmark, was there but was very vague and undefined. I went through all kinds of CDs, music styles and genres and they all sucked!

OK, it had only 20-30 hours on it (150 recommended for full break-in) and you could argue that some of the other equipement was not the best money could buy. And/or you clould argue that it was poorly matched with the other equipment, but still I can't imagine the 300i blossoming into a totally different beast even if it is perfectly run-in and system matched.

I'm really getting frustrated as to why some supposed high-end gear can sound so different, some to drool over and some emberrasing, seemingly irrelevant of price or maker!
I had more satisfaction from the lowly Cyrus2, without the PSX power supply! What is going on???

BTW, I can easily afford the KAV-300i, so price is not clouding my judgement. I am not a competing dealer, now or ever and I had my ears and hearing checked by a doctor the day before, just in case!

Up until I actually heard it, I belived all the Krell KAV-300i hype; sadly, not anymore.

Similar Products Used:

Krell FPB 300, Krell FPB 250mc, Classe CP-35+CA-101 pre/power, Cyrus2, HK AVR 20mkII,

where should I start?

I was very disappointed with this product. It makes my JC Penney MCS (Modular Component System) three-way speakers bleed. Even after I adjust the tweeter frequency panel on the front of the speaker to it's softest setting, the Krell sounded way to bright. For as much as the Krell cost it never pulled me into the music. Base response was ok, but clearity was terrible. I never realized how good my Sanyo 75 watt receiver is! Once I hooked that bad boy back up my MCS three ways sang.

When I took the Krell back to the dealer he suggested I upgrade to the Monster cable patch cord and speaker wire.
I tried this and the Krell still did not sound that much better. But now my Sanyo sings. Smooth is the only way to describe it. Plus, I still have a radio. The Krell has no radio...you can hook one up to it but that costs more $$$. $2200 with no radio.....way to go KRELL. Nice marketing niche!

I just assumed when i bought it that it had a radio.

Luckily, the dealer said I should be able to sell it for close to what I paid. I'll be looking at Harmon Kardon gear next. Less than 1/5 the price of the Krell and you get a radio, plus some kind of movie system. Cool!

Detail, fast, nice bass when matched properly with other components. Nice simple looks.

Very fussing - very difficult to match and can sound dry, harsh when not match properly.

Krell300i. A lot of people like it and a lot of people hate it. After several integrated amp audition (upon my first hi end entry), I bought the Krell300i to match my Mission753 Freedom (also my first hi end speaker). It provide a nice bass (which the Mission753 is known to lack) and a sweet sound. Wanted to upgrade later and really wanted the B&W804 or B&W805 & Krell300i combo as my dream system, but it was not to be (harsh, dry, analytical, and fatiguing). Some people like this combo and that's ok. Audition many speakers and none sounded musical. Was quite disappointed. Finally tried the ProAc 1SC and it is nice and musical with the Krell. Then added the REL Strata subwoofer and WOW (nice image and deep bass with full soundstage).

Krell300i had a nice run (over 6 years). Krell no longer makes it. In the beginning, it had no competitors. Later, Plinus, SimAudio, and even Musical Fidelity hype came. Are they better? In a general sense, probably, because they are known to be less fussy and can match up easier with other components in a general A/B comparsion. But if the Krell300i is matched properly, it is a contender against these competitors. If your Krell system already sounds nice, it may be ill advise to go and trade your Krell (without audition) based on the hype. The sound improvement may be about the same or it may even sound worst. The Krell300i definitely looks better and has a classic look. It is a classic now.

For all you bashers - quite biased. Hi end hifi is not about the best, but how it is best matched.

My system: Krell300i, ProAc1SC, REL Strata III, Rega Planet, AudioQuest Python IC, & TaraLab RSC Prime1000 speaker cable.

Similar Products Used:

Arcam, SimAudio, Classe, Bryston