I had a Bryston BP25MC pre with 7BST monoblocks via balanced interconnects previously. Source components include Meridian 508.24 CDP, Meridian 504 Tuner and VPI Aries/JMW10.5/Koetsu Urushi/Krell KPE Reference phono pre. Harmonic Technology cables connect the whole shebang thoughout. At the time I also had Thiel CS7s (the original model from the first year of production, had some problems with them that could have been 7BST monoblock-related, another story for another time) and, concluded that perhaps it was my preamp that was the limiting component in my system, I spent the past year researching preamps in the hopes of increasing the detail, air, clarity, and depth of soundstage. I listened to cj Premier17 and found it to be very sweet, full of air, extended and rounded relative to the BP25 but I did NOT like the audible clicking of the Vishay resistors in the volume control section. Plus I could not turn that pre down to very quiet listening levels, the minimum volume was way to high for me. Also, lack of balanced interconnects was a big problem for me and I think cj does a great disservice to its customers for the price for not addressing this feature properly. At that time I was considering an all cj pre and amp configuration but the company was in a period of slow production and shipping and I did not want to wait for them to make up their minds about producting a new solid state amp to go with the cj pre. Also the dealer I was working with was very luke-warm about trading the Bryson gear for cj. I had also traded in my CS7s for Dynaudio Contour 3.0s because the Thiel dealer I was working with wouldn't consider taking my CS7s in trade for new CS6s, my wife and I were in the process of downsizing a bit and the 7s were simply too big (not that the 6s are much smaller he, he). Listening to the cj through the Brystons greatly improved the sound but I still wanted the balanced interconnectibility between the pre and the amp. So I concluded correctly that the pre made a big difference in my system. The other major local dealer here in the SF Bay Area was a Krell dealership and I began to explore the Krell KCT as a possible replacement. At the time they also had a 400cx on sale that I bought with trade in for the 7BSTs thinking I would also continue researching the preamp situation and upgrade those Dyns to Thiel CS6s. I settled on the Krell KCT after audtioning the unit in my current system with the CAST interconnects to the 400cx.
The KCT, to my ear, has all the sweetness and depth of the cj premier 17. But, it is cleaer sounding and much more extended on top and bottom. It is absolutely quiet in every way. You do not realize there are electronics in the system now. Clarity and accuracy of the midrange is also established. Soundstage is very wide and there are some recordings with intentional out-of-phase info that create literally a 360o wrap-around surround effect, the separation is wide and superb. Listening to late-night classical or rock recordings with the lights down low and eyes closed brings about hearing of detail I never knew was present in my collection of CDs and LPs. Microdynamic detail and ambience is all there and at no time does anything really call attention to itself. There seems to be no limitation in the system now and since purchasing I have the sense there is no further need to upgrade anything. The bass is extremely fast, deep when called for and neutral, but is very clear and reveals the texture of the tone, and when it is full in the music source, you hear it and feel it, even at low volume settings. Midrange and highs are all there, everything seems very complete and dynamic. The sense I have is that the listening experience is now limited 99% of the time by the quality of the recording and the production. In fact that is what I immediately assess whenever I play something previously unheard in the system. I think the remaining 1% is attributable to my emotional and physical state, and the time of day.
Functionally, the KCT couldn't be more logical to set up and use. The only niggle I have is that it would have been nice to have a "mono" setting when listening to mono recordings or for hearing in-phase when setting up the speakers. The other very minor feature that would be nice to have would be selecting how long the display stays lighted before shutting off. I noticed in the demo version that the display stayed lighted all the time and I can't seem to override the 30 display off function with the newest version of the software installed. I think the pre it is still "burning in" as each day seems to bring a new level of detail in "heavy rotation" and familiar recordings. Coupled to the 400cx amp provides real synergy, I do not hear the pre/amp/speakers anymore, just the music. The KCT really did complete the " sonic disappearing act" for my system. It runs a bit hot on warm days but is not too hot so that you can't keep your hand on top. The volume control has 150 or so steps and is totally silent. It reproducibly brings the volume back to familiar settings for familiar pieces. I usually listen to it anywhere from "10" to "50" (very loud, about 90dB from 10 ft with a digital meter) I do not listen to music over 90dB for extended periods for fear of permanent ear damage. With the KCT my Thiels disappear, not an easy trick for such large speakers. But if I close my eyes, simply cannot "point" to the speakers from 10 feet listening distance. I feel a large part of this is due to the KCT. Microdynamics, air, surround, truth-of-recording and a feeling that there is no preamp is how I would sum up the KCT. I'm into this system now for the long, long haul. As Krells ONLY preamp I can understand now why Krell would offer only a single Class A pre on the market. This is simply one of the classic greats and there is absolutely no need to improve it sonically. I listen to everything except country and western, with the exception of Alison Krauss and Johnny Cash. In the end I do believe that the KCT/Krell amp synergy is difficult not to lock into and if one were to decide on the KCT it would make no sense to me why that person would choose other than Krell for the amplification as well via the CAST connection. Essentially this creates a separated integrated amp situation that is still connected in the low voltage, high current and balanced domain. I would be interested to hear from other folks how the KCT works in non-Krell systems. Hope this helps!
