Introduction If you have been into high-performance audio for more than a couple of months, there has been at least one point when you lusted for Krell gear in your system. Dan D’Agostino’s passion and joie de vivre for everything else he does in life (exotic cars, motorcycles, cooking and more) doesn’t even compare with his enthusiasm for the high art form of musical reproduction. Ask anyone who knows the subject about great sound and you are likely to hear Krell brought into the conversation. Krell does nothing better than make amplifiers. The Krell Full Power Balanced 350Mcx, as it is formally known, is a 350 watts per channel (into eight ohm impedances) mono amplifier priced at $6,000 each or (more frequently) at $12,000 per pair. The amp is based on Class A circuitry, which is expensive to design and manufacture but results in a very clean sound that directly addresses the main knock the ...

Introduction The Power 3 Special Edition mono amplifier is a new reference product from Sonic Frontiers, the Canadian-based audio/video electronic manufacturing company. Sonic has been in business since 1990 with a handful of products that have received industry recognition for being among the very top of their class. The original Power 3 amplifiers have been in production since 1995, with the new Special Edition version now available as of March 2001. The Special Edition Power 3 is a hopped-up, much-refined version of the original Power 3 mono amplifier. Similar to the standard Power 3, the dimensions of the Special Edition remain the same at 18 inches wide, 22 inches deep and nine inches tall. The look is exactly the same as that of the previous Power 3, consisting of a box to the rear of the amplifier, containing the transformer and power supply electronics, and an extended platter to the front with a complement of ...

Introduction The Mark Levinson No. 336 is the most powerful of Madrigal's second offering of their 300 series amplifiers. Rated at 350 watts per channel into eight ohms, 700 watts into 4 ohms and 1400 watts into 2 ohms, this dual mono, single-chassis power amp is designed to handle the most challenging of impedance loads on the most demanding genres of music. Priced at $9,500, the No. 336 replaces the No. 333. As compared to the No. 333, the No. 336 has slightly modified industrial design and different heat sinks than the No. 333, but it takes a trained eye to be able to tell the difference without bending down to read the front faceplate. Listening to a No. 336 vs. a No. 333 is a different story. The No. 336 is a tank, as you'd expect with a beefy 350-watt-per-channel amplifier. One man can not lift it alone. In fact, it comes with ...

Introduction Sure bets are hard to find though you can always depend on Proceed (Madrigal) to produce a killer product. The HPA 2 (dual mono) and the HPA 3 (tri-mono) home theater amplifier combo is no exception. These 250 watts per channel (8-ohms) amps performed spectacularly on every source be it rock, jazz, new age or the most dynamic movie soundtracks. Cosmetically they match all other Proceed products such as the Proceed AVP digital processor and the PDMT DVD transport. A large silver Standby button is the only front panel adornment. The rear panel provides both single-ended and balanced inputs and a tiny toggle switch determines which type of input is active to prevent any unwanted pickup of stray noise from the unused connection. When switching from single-ended to balanced the signal level is adjusted for the 6dB variable between input types. High-quality, gold-plated binding posts allow the use of audiophile grade cables with spade ...

Introduction When I think of enormous power, I think of a Big-Block Chevy, or perhaps the military’s M1A1 tank. In audio -- Bryston has given us the 7B-ST monoblock power amplifiers. At a solid 500 watts per side, they have the power to move mountains, or at least the most difficult to drive loudspeakers. The 7B-ST consists of two monoblock amplifiers, each providing 500 watts of power into 2 or 8 ohms, and 800 watts into 1 to 4 ohms. Each chassis measures 19 inches wide, 15-1/2 inches deep, and five and one quarter inches tall. The 7B-ST’s weigh 42 lbs per piece, and are priced at $4999 for the pair. The Bryston factory warrantee is nothing short of spectacular. They provide a 20-year transferable warrantee on all parts and labor. This in itself indicates the confidence that Bryston has with the reliability of their products. The review units were the first of the new look ...