"One of the Best Sounding Pieces of Krell Gear"
Krell Audio's K-300iD integrated amp incorporates a newly developed amplifier circuit design with Krell iBias™ technology that delivers 150 Watts/Channel into 8Ω and 300 Watts/Channel into 4Ω. iBias provides the sonic benefits of Class A operation without the excessive heat and power consumption of traditional Class A designs.
The K-300iD also includes Krell's digital option installed for DAC functionality, digital music streaming, and much more.
A 771VA transformer with 80,000μF of capacitance forms a potent power supply for excellent signal control and dynamics. Krell Current Mode topology is employed with fully differential circuitry that runs from the input stage through to the last output gain stage providing an extremely linear and extended frequency response curve with smooth, effortless highs and extremely dynamic bass energy.
"Sonic Excellence and Balance"
I'm hardly the final authority on integrated amplifiers, having reviewed exactly four," reports Jason Victor Serinus in his Stereophile for November 29, 2019. "But of all of them, the one whose sound stands out most in my mind is the Krell K-300i. It has the smoothest, most listenable, and most all-of-one-piece sonics of the lot; it isn't a supreme challenge to move around; and it offers an optional DAC that is surprisingly musical and satisfying for the price."
"On balance, this is one of the best sounding pieces of Krell gear I’ve had the pleasure to use," notes Gregory Petan in TONEaudio. "While the last bit of resolution and slam from their top products is not here, because you can’t have everything for [this price], Krell has made it a point to deliver a high degree of sonic excellence and balance in this compact package. Those needing more power can consider using the K-300i as a control center and adding a more massive Krell power amplifier later."
"The current integrated may be the cheapest amplifier the company currently makes but it still delivers a concentrated dose of the fabled Krell sound. Add the forward-looking feature set and you have something of a high-end bargain," says England's What Hi-fi? magazine, September 6, 2019.
Packed with Krell's Musical Sounding Technologies
Packed with many of Krell's most musical-sounding technologies, the elegant chassis of the K-300i is living-room-friendly. Yet it has enough power to achieve incredible, lifelike dynamics with any speaker.
The convenient front-panel menu system provides configuration features such as input trim. Theater Bypass mode lets the K-300i serve as the core of a surround-sound system without sacrificing two-channel sound quality. Analog Inputs include three stereo RCA and two stereo balanced XLR. High-quality gold-plated speaker cable terminals provide a secure, electrically ideal connection.
Custom Installation Features and Web Interface
The K-300i also offers features that make it perfect for custom installation, such as RS-232 and Ethernet ports for control and status feedback, 3.5mm jacks for IR input, and 12-volt trigger input and output. Additionally, the unit has an internal web server that is optimized for tablets and provides a remote graphical user interface for convenient and intuitive control accessed through its Ethernet connection.
World Class DAC and Streaming
This version of the K-300i has Krell's digital option installed, extending the capabilities to those of a world class DAC with the connectivity and features to support the latest digital music formats. An ESS Sabre Pro DAC configured for high current output performs the digital to analog signal conversion for uncompromised reproduction of digital music.
A network streaming audio renderer with dedicated mobile App plays AAC, ALAC, AIFF, FLAC, WAV, WMA, and DoP files up to 192kHz/24-bit from UPnP music servers or NAS devices. The mconnect Control app (available in iOS and Android versions) also provides Spotify*, vTuner Internet radio, Tidal*, Deezer*, and QoBuz* streaming services, is Roon Ready* and decodes MQA.
A network streaming audio renderer with The K-300i includes MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) technology. MQA is an award-winning British technology that delivers the sound of the original master recording. The master MQA file is fully authenticated and is small enough to stream or download. Visit mqa.co.uk for more information.
A network streaming audio renderer with HDMI 2.0 inputs and output supporting 4K UHD with HDR are available for TV viewing with audiophile grade sound quality. A single USB host port is available on the front panel to play music from USB flash memory sticks and a USB device port is positioned on the rear panel for streaming music directly from a computer. The digital option also includes a Bluetooth receiver featuring Qualcomm® aptX™ audio technology for the best sound quality when connected to aptX enabled Bluetooth devices.
*A subscription is required for these services. Updating the digital module software may also be necessary depending on the vintage of the unit (see the download area at the bottom of the page).
**Krell highly recommends that users of the mconnect Control app update to the latest version of the app (v2.4.1 or higher for Apple devices and v2.3.7 or higher for Android devices). Keeping the mconnect Control app up-to-date ensures access to any new features and performance improvements.
