Krell Evolution 707

http://www.krellonline.com/new_pdfs/...90_025_BRO.pdf

I really want this. It does the new audio formats. And I have showcases so it will match.


Anyone know MSRP? Is it shipping now? What video proc chip does it have?

The MSRP is $25K
http://aventhusiast.com/?p=8

I would be very interested in that. Is Krell offering Showcase trade-in credit?
How will Krell implement HDMI 1.3 in the S1000? Will Krell enable decoders that already exist? Or is Krell modifying the current production S1000? I would prefer a product that was built from the ground up to process the new audio formats. For that reason, I wanted to wait another year to buy a new PrePro. I'm kind of suspicious that Krell will be the first high end HDMI 1.3 enabled proc. Did the rushing influence their quality? The thing is we won't know for a while until we have other pros to compare it to.
My desire to have matching components or to have it a soon as possible is not as great as my desire to have an efficient, reliable and stable system.
The only reason I am considering the s1000 is because I need a video hub ASAP because my switcher broke. So I decided to buy the RadianceXD video proc. Since, I have an Audyssey Pro EQ, I was attracted to the idea of having my Audio AND video processed even though my wife feels that that would be geeking out way too much. Perhaps, my money would be better spent on HDMI audio and make do with the video proc chip that will come with the newly modified S1000. I could sell my NBS interconnects that I won't be needing anymore and my Showcase PrePro. Between that and the money I would spend on the RadianceXD, I would actually come out ahead. But if I am not happy with S1000 I would stuck with it for a while.
As a Krell owner, I’m a little nervous. My Showcases were serviced 3 times and they run very, very hot. Even with the four rack fans, I'm sure the performance suffers after many years of use with that kind of heat.

It just occurred to me that Audyssey EQ owners should probably not spend too much on a PrePro. We'll always be limited to the DAC now found in $1,500 receivers. And the DACs must be old tech by now. But every audiophile upgrade I every made never, ever came close to the musically gorgeous improvement of the Audyssey EQ in my personal system.

Perhaps our ability to create beauty is greater than our ability to test it. The subjective improvements that audiophiles, for that matter all people, hear can be attributed to that. Even though we can’t scientifically prove the $25K Pre/Pro is better than the $5K, some people are blessed to hear the difference. But before I venture to non scientific improvements, science must always come first. Especially if I can hear the difference in something more scientifically correct.
Damn, I really want it, but I can’t intellectually justify it. I think even Krell would be upset knowing that I will send their sound that they worked so hard on into my cheapo DAC. (Let alone being reprocessed.)

Funny thing just happened. I just met Dan D’Agostino, the CEO of Krell . He just gave me a lot of information.
The MSRP is $30K for the 707. And it does room EQ. I didn’t question him on the 707 because I calculate that a Pre/Pro’s, or any source for that matter, life span is 5 years and I can never justify $30K for 5 years use. Speakers I would and did.
I explained to Dan my concerns that I’d prefer if Krell built it from the ground up to do the new Audio formats. He said much like what was said earlier, that the 707 has been in development for 2 years for the new audio formats and the s1000 got a lot of its tech. So I asked how he could have QA and tested for long and he said that he tested with their own recordings of high rez. So I explained that he didn’t really alleviate my concern. It’s the whole package that I’m concerned with and not just Krell’s ability with a high rez format. Dan said that the 707 sounds amazing, although I didn’t bother to question if he heard it with a Blu-Ray player because I think I know the answer. …Audiophiles!
The S1000 HDMI audio upgrade will be available in April.
An upgraded S1000 will be identical to the new S1000’s shipping in April. (Although I pointed out to Dan that the S1000 face plate currently lacks the Dolby True HD logo. So he agreed that the only difference will be the face plate.)
The new HDMI board will have many other upgrades including video processing. He said that the video processing is 100% Krell proprietary. So I asked if krell even does the deinterlacing and he said that there is a Faroudja chip in there but all the software is Krell and that they went all out on its development for the 707 so it will be stellar. I asked if they tested it with the test disc from HQV and he said yes.
I asked how he felt about me butchering the Krell sound with the Audyssey EQ. He was appalled! As an audiophile purist he can’t help but balk and made me promise if I buy that I will try it without the EQ on. My biggest wish in the in the audio industry is for a company who puts science before audiophileness but still retain audiophileness. I love audiophileness, but I must never lose track that science comes first.
Dan also said that the S1000 also runs hotter than the showcase which is very hot to touch even in idle mode. So I explained my concerns on the long term effect of heat on the soncis. Meaning much like wine, an audiophile product will peak. From breakin until the circuits are affected by wear and tear and heat will add to the wear and tear.
Also, the showcase was extremely limited in its setup. The crossover number is for all channels and it’s 20hz increments. Dan said that the S1000 will not improve on that much, since, a true audiophile shouldn’t be messing with crossovers.
So I think I’m going to get it. I have to get an HDMI switcher anyway, and there is the Showcase trade in incentive. And Audyssey didn’t calibrate my system correctly so they wre just about to come anyway so now they can calibrate with a Pre/Pro. And my system needs Krell’s “Enhanced Bass” mode for it to work correctly. And my dealer and Dan are giving some incredible additional incentives. The only reason I didn’t sign the bottom line right then and there is because a decision like this shouldn’t be made hasty. So I’ll give myself the weekend to think about it. But it looks like I will do it.

I bought Krell for their audio attitude.
When I first got into the audio hobby, all the high end Pre/Pro's sounded the same to me once I chose my speakers. So I didn't know who to chose. At the end I chose Krell because I got the impression that out of all the audiophile companies they seemed to care about something other then 2 channels more then all the other companies. I reasoned that they were my best chance of getting audiophile delivery in a 2+ plus system. Well, it looks like I was right because they will be the first high end company to deliver the new decoding for the new audio formats. I am so glad I bought them.

The only negative that I could think of is the crossover is for all the channels. That seems very 2 channelish philosophy to me.