From Krell to McIntosh - Anyone?

Pops
w/ all due respect, change your speaker cables from the MIT and you might notice the 501 characteristics more, particularly when you compare w/ a more linear amp.

i do like the 501 amp. but much like my car, which i like, i recognize there's a lot of things i don't like. it hardly helps me to be dishonest w/ myself, or you (dear reader) if my reviews aren't accurate.

rc

Dear Aball, I've owned Watt/puppy 6's along with a list of other equipment and speakers that would make a reviewer blush..all reference level gear..tube and solid state! The Mcintosh sound has a fog present not unlike my ARC stuff had..probably the autoformers and the transformer combo. By sterile I mean lacking in tonal color..almost bleached out! The Krell's..after having almost everything else I could get my hands on from the local dealers..do more things right than anything else I've heard; as in putting me in the concert hall. The other night I went to the Kimmel center for Shostakovich' 5th..when I returned home I fired up the Krell rig and had a listen..it was actually better at home..same character of sound but more present!! As for MIT..I have owned just about every cable one would consider high end and some budget stuff as well. No cable does what properly setup MIT cables can do..they simply allow all the beauty of a performance to come through. This applies only to their recent impedance matching cables. By the way, I use MIT power cables as well! The Dynaudios are actually more amazing than my Wilsons were..not as exaggerated, more musical and coherent with amazing dynamic contrasts, plus the bass is more lifelike..not as boomy or over done. I have never found myself in a position to justify my reasoning due to a large expenditure..I have always dumped the bad stuff quickly if it was not up to snuff..few people have the pocket book or the intellectual honesty to do so..IMHO!!!

Synergy also includes the listener, the ear of the beholder. It is why there is no absolute.

I too use MIT cables. I have yet to find something I like better although some of the vdHs give them a run for the money.

Absolute...ly! Enjoy this fine madness.

I would like to take back my earlier comment on Krell equipment. I had my first very enjoyable Krell experience. I listend too a pair of Krell Resolution 3 Monitors, Krell 400XI, and a Krell 300CD player. I thought the combo was very good. 2 very different sounds. McIntosh is very laid back and Krell is very forward sounding. But this was the first time, I actually thought it was very good. The one thing I will say why McIntosh might be better, is McIntosh tends to be more universal in terms of what equipment you hook up to it. I am convinced that Krell sounds best with a all Krell Gear set-up. Thanks!