[ceedee]

Dear All,

Last week this review was posted by Stereo Mojo.

The contact was made at the RMAF where the VR 35 Export Deluxe caught the reviewers ear.

http://www.stereomojo.com/KR%20Audio%20Kronzilla%20SX1%20Mk%20II%20Review/KRAudioKronzillaSX1MkIIAmplifierReview.htm

Enjoy, Cor

[Albert Von Schweikert]

If you missed Stereo Mojo's 2010 RMAF write-up of the Musical Reality room, featuring the mighty Kronzilla amplifier, Eera Tentation CD player, and Von Schweikert VR-35 Export Deluxe speakers, here is their Show Report, with photos of the room and system.

http://www.stereomojo.com/RMAF%202010/RockyMountainAudioFest2010pt9.htm

Although they didn't mention the cables, we were using Delphi Aerospace cables, made on a custom basis for Von Schweikert Audio. 

Here is the text from their Show Report:

Darby: Kronzilla. What a great name for a tube and tube amp. This is the KR Kronzilla SXI verson 2.  Dynamics! Sounds more powerful than its 50 wpc. The unique thing about this amp is that since its a hybrid, you can TURN OFF THE TUBES for background music or other non-critical listening and just use the solid state section, saving the tubes and the heat they produce. Brilliant idea. Also one of the best sounding amps at any price at the show.

Dr. Richardson: This one was one of my favorites at the show, and I must have gone back at least three times. It was never overly busy, as it was tucked away at the end of one of the short hallways in the tower. I therefore found it to be a haven of sorts. The room was always manned by either Albert Von Schweikert himself, or Cor Dekker (of Music Reality, the European distributor of KR Audio products). Both were wonderful company and glad to make small talk. Cor was especially animated and justifiably proud of the great sound being made by such a simple system.

Well, what was the system? Just a cd player (the awesome EERA player, hand built in France, $14,000), an integrated amp (the KR Audio SXI Mk II Kronzilla $16,500), speakers (Von Schweikert VR-35, $8,000), and some cables. Nothing else… not even power conditioners.
I told James and Bill that they had to hear this system. When we all got there together and listened for a while, we unanimously agreed that the stereo Kronzilla, weighing in at $20,000, should be declared the best new tube amplification product at the show. At that, Cor offered me the chance to review the amp, and it’s on its way to my home as I type this. I think it will mate beautifully with my Shahinians.

As an aside, I found this system to be one of the most musical at the show. The great sound was obviously due to wonderful synergy between the amp, speakers, and source. The EERA disc player provided the best Redbook reproduction I’ve ever heard. I was momentarily ready to give up totally on hi-res…

[McTwins]

Hi
No offense Gentlemen,

how can a amplifier be good if it has 3-5% THD. I don't understand this. For that pricerange one can buy better amplifer with less distortion. I don't care if one can hear it or not it is still a non efficient amplifier.

I coulden't resist to comment.
Thanks

[JackD201]

Not unusual for SETs and it doesn't stop people from liking them A LOT either.

One man's meat.......

[McTwins]

Hi
It is true what you are saying ES347.....
Tubes works best on M/T and solid state is best for bass. Running in fullrange with tubes can be little hard for the amps for the bass, needs more power here. But, it stills puzzle me about the THD.

Well, enjoy your tubes.

[es347]

In rereading my earlier post I realize it could come across as being offensive to some so I have inserted the requisite smileys.  I don't intend to offend the tube brethren and if I did, my sincere apologies 

..is another man's bologna  .  I love the warm sound of a tube amp but I have yet to hear one that satisfies my bass slam fetish.  Granted you can compensate with subs but the tube amp will never match transistors for speed and resolution IMHO.  I have scratched all those itches with my MAC monoblocks and won't be joining the toober camp any time soon.  Having said that, I can fully understand how mesmerizing those tubes and be, both sonically and visually, plus with a couple of tube monoblocks you can dial back your thermostat 

[mhconley]

I just know the Kronzilla sounded darned nice with the VR-35's at last year's RMAF.  No lack of bass that I could discern.

I'd love to hear the Kronzilla powering the upper cabinet on a pair of UniField 3's with a nice class D amp on the woofer.    I think that would really be something...

Martin

[Steve]

Hi
It is true what you are saying ES347.....
Tubes works best on M/T and solid state is best for bass. Running in fullrange with tubes can be little hard for the amps for the bass, needs more power here. But, it stills puzzle me about the THD.

Well, enjoy your tubes.

Hi McTwins,

The 3% harmonic distortion is near or at clipping, which is close to abuse, but that is how tube components have been measured for decades. As the power is reduced, the harmonic distortion is also reduced, falls off rapidly.

By your phrasing, it sounds like you were never informed of this critical piece of information. 

Cheers.

[Steve]

In rereading my earlier post I realize it could come across as being offensive to some so I have inserted the requisite smileys.  I don't intend to offend the tube brethren and if I did, my sincere apologies 

..is another man's bologna  .  I love the warm sound of a tube amp but I have yet to hear one that satisfies my bass slam fetish.  Granted you can compensate with subs but the tube amp will never match transistors for speed and resolution IMHO.  I have scratched all those itches with my MAC monoblocks and won't be joining the toober camp any time soon.  Having said that, I can fully understand how mesmerizing those tubes and be, both sonically and visually, plus with a couple of tube monoblocks you can dial back your thermostat 

And I thought you were an all tube guy.   
Sorry but I could not resist Gavin. 

Hope all is going well with you and your family.

Cheers.

[es347]

I should have known my buddy Steve "tubeman" Sammet would jump in this thread.  Ok I must fess up.  Steve's SAS amps have visited my room and they are very, very good..........but I continue to struggle with my solid state fetish.

"Hello, I am es347 and I am a transistoraholic" 

[spab]

I should have known my buddy Steve "tubeman" Sammet would jump in this thread.  Ok I must fess up.  Steve's SAS amps have visited my room and they are very, very good..........but I continue to struggle with my solid state fetish.

"Hello, I am es347 and I am a transistoraholic" 

Having heard es347's transistor setup, I can attest that it is very, very, good!

"However, I'm spab, and I'm a SAS Audio Labs Tubeaholic."

And once I hear my gear on es347's VR5 Anniversaries...

Regardless of how my VR5 Anniversaries are numbered, I can safely say that they couldn't sound better.  And I don't have to worry about explaining all this to the next owner because there won't be one.

...I may have to make es347 an offer he can't refuse!

[Steve]

I agree Spab, Gavin's setup is pretty darn good.
I love it when a great system comes together.
Maybe some day we can all get together and do
some more serious listening on Gavin's main system
(which includes the Anniversaries).

Cheers.

[es347]

Hey Steve and Bernie...thanks for the props and I couldn't agree more 

[McTwins]

Hi McTwins,

The 3% harmonic distortion is near or at clipping, which is close to abuse, but that is how tube components have been measured for decades. As the power is reduced, the harmonic distortion is also reduced, falls off rapidly.

By your phrasing, it sounds like you were never informed of this critical piece of information. 

Cheers.

Yes I am aware of this. So it means that the Kronzilla won't or can't run at 50 Watts. So, when does the THD kicks in, at 10 Watts?
And by the way, the Kronzilla isin't a real tube amp, it is a hybrid.
Thanks

[Steve]

Yes I am aware of this. So it means that the Kronzilla won't or can't run at 50 Watts. So, when does the THD kicks in, at 10 Watts?
And by the way, the Kronzilla isin't a real tube amp, it is a hybrid.
Thanks

Sure the amp can run 50 watts output but it is approaching clipping  and the distortion products are rising rapidly. Tubes are also generally more durable when clipping. I posted above because it is a relatively common misconception that 3% distortion (5% or even 10%) is constant from near zero output watts to maximum output power, which it is not.

The distortion, in general, rises in a linear fashion, but varies from design to design. Also, the distortion products tend to follow that of instruments, and lower harmonics are masked more than higher order harmonics. These are general statements dependent upon the individual design.

Besides that, the speaker distortion is almost always much higher than the tube amplifier distortion. Add in masking distortion, dynamic distortion, soundstage distortion, frequency response (FR) distortion, scale distortion etc. and one sees that harmonic distortion (HD) is only one small part of problems when designing.

Hope this helps.