The company was founded in 1980 by Dan D’Agostino and his wife Rondi. Today this company has already earned the status of a true legend of the Hi-End world. This became possible, first of all, due to the high technology of its products. Focusing on creating our own cutting-edge developments that move the entire market has been one of the main principles of Krell since the very first days of the company’s existence. This philosophy is reflected in the brand name itself, which comes from science fiction. This is the name given to a race of highly developed creatures who have reached unprecedented heights of technological progress in the 1956 film “Forbidden Planet.” It is quite possible to say that the creators of Krell sought to bring fantasy into reality in the field that they know and love very well – the field of high sound.
Before founding his own company, Dan D’Agostino worked for the reputable American company Dayton/Wright. This company is known for its electrostatic speakers, which had a wide range of high-quality sound reproduction capabilities. However, to fully exploit these capabilities, very high power amplifiers are required. According to D’Agostino, at that time there was no decent equipment on the market, and he dreamed of creating such an amplifier himself. This idea pushed him to create his own company, where he would not be limited in his innovative creativity. As a result, together with his wife, Dan D’Agostino created the Krell company in October 1980. At that time, they already had their own developments, which only had to be implemented. Thanks to this, by the end of December of the same year, the company was able to create its first model of a high-power class A amplifier – the KSA-100. This model was presented at the 1981 exhibition in Las Vegas and created a real sensation. A large batch of amplifiers that had not yet been released was sold directly at the exhibition, which made it possible to provide the new company with a large volume of work. Later, seeing the success of Krell products on the market, dealers began to hint at the feasibility of expanding the model range, which required attracting new employees. From that moment on, it could be said that the new company really took off.
Krell Evolution 707
Powerful Class A amplifiers have traditionally been Krell’s signature and core product. Moreover, it should be noted that throughout its history the company has professed transistor sound. It is in this direction that the main developments are being carried out, it is in this direction that the American brand has reached its maximum heights. Each subsequent generation of powerful transistor amplifiers sounded better than the previous one. In addition, the company constantly, from generation to generation, improved the circuitry of amplifiers, which made it possible to significantly expand their functionality. This approach to development continues today, which elevates Krell to the category of the best brands in the world of audio equipment. However, the Krell lineup is not limited to just amplifiers. Today it features devices of various types, including media players, speaker systems, subwoofers and much more. All these products traditionally meet the highest quality requirements and Hi-End standards. In recent years, the company’s attention has been drawn to the home theater segment, which is gaining high popularity among consumers. Several advanced models of preamplifiers/processors were created in this direction.
Krell Evolution 400
In addition, the company’s policy also shows concern for the client. For example, most modern Krell processors are implemented on an upgradeable platform. This allows the customer to not have to worry that their device, which costs several thousand dollars, may become obsolete in a few years or even a few months. It will be enough to simply replace the outdated module with a new one in order to modernize the device and achieve the most advanced characteristics from it. In this case, the client only has to pay the difference in cost with the new product.
Krell Phantom
All this makes Krell one of the key players in the quality audio industry. Expensive and heavy devices of this brand are a real object of desire for many audiophiles who are willing to pay a lot of money for them.
A Brief History of Krell Industries, Inc.: 1980 The debut model of the Krell KSA-100 power amplifier (Class “A”, powerful power supply) was enthusiastically received by the audience of audiophiles, and the company was having difficulty coping with the ever-increasing volumes of orders. 1982 The less powerful and expensive version of the KSA-50 caused no less excitement. 1983 New monoblock amplifiers Krell KMA-100 and KMA-200 were distinguished by the absence of transition capacitors: interstage galvanic coupling, as well as power stabilization of preliminary amplification stages, began to be widely used in High End semiconductor technology. 1987 KRS-200 monoblocks became another breakthrough in the field of powerful Class A amplifiers: the company abandoned forced cooling with fans, preferring massive radiators and natural convection. 1988 The KSA-200 and KSA-80 models were the first to use a fully balanced circuit from input to output. 1989 The revolutionary SPB 64X digital-to-analog converter with 64x oversampling was released. 1990 The KSA-250 amplifier, and then the KSA-150, embodied an innovative approach to stabilizing the quiescent current of the final stage, adopted by the world’s best high-end equipment manufacturers.
1992 Krell Audio Standard two-unit mono amplifiers marked a new stage with the introduction of fully regulated power supply, Sustained Plateau Bias technology (discrete levels of quiescent current with delay), zero total negative feedback and remote activation. 1993 Improved version of Krell Audio Standard II and new “S” stereo amplifiers: KSA-50S, -100S, -200S, -300S. 1996 Release of Full Power Balance amplifiers, in which automatic adjustment of the quiescent current of the output stage and Sustained Plateau Bias II technology were further developed. All three amplifier models in this series, using a fully balanced circuit and operating in class “A”, are distinguished by high output power. Obviously, this is the best thing that has been created in the world in the field of analogue sound reinforcement today. In the same year, the following outstanding Krell models were released: the KAV-300i integrated amplifier with remote control, the world’s first high-end Audio+Video Standard Surround Preamp/Processor for home theater, the first five-channel high-end amplifier KAV-500 and the reference CD player KPS-20i.
1997 Full Power Balance 250M, 350M and 650M models demonstrate the quality available in stereo and home theater systems from powerful all-in-one PCs. The following year, 1998, the 650M received the prestigious Academy of High End Audio “Golden Note” award. 1998 Based on the KPS-20i, the KPS-25s CD player is a combination of a professional CD transport, a precision digital-to-analog converter and a reference analog preamplifier. The cover with automatic electric drive reliably protects the laser drive from external light. In the same year, the device received the “Golden Note” award from the Academy of High End Audio Development. 1999 Patented Krell CAST™ technology is introduced into the Krell Class A and Master Series. 2000 New model KPS-28c CD player and reference KCT preamplifier using CAST technology are introduced. The new model – Master Reference Subwoofer – is awarded the title of “Best Subwoofer” in the Robb Report magazine category. 2014 There was a complete update of the brand’s model range; audio and video components from Krell received not only a new design and technical equipment, but also managed to win high ratings and awards from reputable publications and high-end industry professionals. 2015 Presented modern new products with network capabilities Digital Vanguard and Vanguard Universal DAC
