My Krell FPB 300 has been fixed, refurbed, and upgraded, and it is working perfectly for the first time ever, thanks to Steven at The Service Department in Connecticut.
I had sent my unit to the Krell factory on 3 previous occasions, and never did they get it this good. There was always a significant thermal difference between the two channels, like one channel at 180F and the other at 140F, according to my IR measurement technique (which might not be accurate, but fairly repeatable).
Also, it always used to make a "clink" sound (what the service people call "ping," but mine were so loud, they really were clinks and not pings) frequently, like many times per hour. After the latest repair/refurb/upgrade, it has hardly made any in a week, and they've been mostly soft.
I also credit myself for insisting on having repairs done to both channels, and for insisting on replacing every suspect part, including the relays and XLR jacks.
NOW, both channels track within a few degrees, reaching reasonable levels like 150F for moderate to loud playback, 140F for low levels, and up to 168F for really really loud and sustained. Previously it had been going over 200F in one channel. My belief is the Krell is designed to force the 2nd lowest plateau when the temp goes to 180F (it is designed to handle the heat) and shut off at 200F.
And it sounds even more transparent and dynamic, thanks to the refurbs such as replacing the power supply capacitors, which even the factory "capacitor service" did not do, and upgrading the front end to the 400cx design.
The program was changed previously (by the factory) and now my front end has been upgraded (perhaps these two changes anctually should have been done together???) so I basically do have a 400cx now, except for lacking the CAST input, which I would not be using anyway.
Now, more than ever, there may be a chance for a history making ABX in comparison with the Hafler 9300, which also sounds excellent and perhaps sweeter, but is even farther from the dynamics and transparency of the Krell now.
I had sent my unit to the Krell factory on 3 previous occasions, and never did they get it this good. There was always a significant thermal difference between the two channels, like one channel at 180F and the other at 140F, according to my IR measurement technique (which might not be accurate, but fairly repeatable).
Also, it always used to make a "clink" sound (what the service people call "ping," but mine were so loud, they really were clinks and not pings) frequently, like many times per hour. After the latest repair/refurb/upgrade, it has hardly made any in a week, and they've been mostly soft.
I also credit myself for insisting on having repairs done to both channels, and for insisting on replacing every suspect part, including the relays and XLR jacks.
NOW, both channels track within a few degrees, reaching reasonable levels like 150F for moderate to loud playback, 140F for low levels, and up to 168F for really really loud and sustained. Previously it had been going over 200F in one channel. My belief is the Krell is designed to force the 2nd lowest plateau when the temp goes to 180F (it is designed to handle the heat) and shut off at 200F.
And it sounds even more transparent and dynamic, thanks to the refurbs such as replacing the power supply capacitors, which even the factory "capacitor service" did not do, and upgrading the front end to the 400cx design.
The program was changed previously (by the factory) and now my front end has been upgraded (perhaps these two changes anctually should have been done together???) so I basically do have a 400cx now, except for lacking the CAST input, which I would not be using anyway.
Now, more than ever, there may be a chance for a history making ABX in comparison with the Hafler 9300, which also sounds excellent and perhaps sweeter, but is even farther from the dynamics and transparency of the Krell now.
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