Ok Guys! My brand spanking new KW550 arrived today and before i begin i must say that all the listening i have done has been through an xbox360. My xray v8 comes tomorrow!
Anyway first things first, this thing is bloody massive! I mean like a tank! It took two of us to get it into the house and then i almost pulled my back trying to get it onto a rack. The power supply alone weighs in at back breaking 30 odd kg then there is the 27 odd kg of the amp. Build quality is amazing as can be guessed by the sheer weight.
Anyway i connected the whole thing up and like i said before im still waiting delivery of a xray v8 so i connected my tele to it and played cds through my xbox. First impression left me astonished and i could not help but smile. The first thing that hits you is the soundstage its absolutely massive with a big bold sound that will not fail to impress. The detail that i am used to from previous amplifiers is all there but the sound can only be described as huge. Tonal balance is on the warm side as cds which whould occasionaly slip into harshness are absoolutely spot on now. And the amp is utterly composed even when you turn the dial up. I think the best way to describe the amp is "in total control". Other amps ive had you can feel the strain turning the volume up put on them. Not the 550! As you can see im not much of a reviewer and cant really describe how good it is but ill finish with this. It blows my Bel canto pre power which cost almost the same price into the weeds. To my ears i have yet to hear anything that even comes close. To be honest i cant for the life of me think how the cd player is going to make it better. But i cant wait to find out!
Anyway first things first, this thing is bloody massive! I mean like a tank! It took two of us to get it into the house and then i almost pulled my back trying to get it onto a rack. The power supply alone weighs in at back breaking 30 odd kg then there is the 27 odd kg of the amp. Build quality is amazing as can be guessed by the sheer weight.
Anyway i connected the whole thing up and like i said before im still waiting delivery of a xray v8 so i connected my tele to it and played cds through my xbox. First impression left me astonished and i could not help but smile. The first thing that hits you is the soundstage its absolutely massive with a big bold sound that will not fail to impress. The detail that i am used to from previous amplifiers is all there but the sound can only be described as huge. Tonal balance is on the warm side as cds which whould occasionaly slip into harshness are absoolutely spot on now. And the amp is utterly composed even when you turn the dial up. I think the best way to describe the amp is "in total control". Other amps ive had you can feel the strain turning the volume up put on them. Not the 550! As you can see im not much of a reviewer and cant really describe how good it is but ill finish with this. It blows my Bel canto pre power which cost almost the same price into the weeds. To my ears i have yet to hear anything that even comes close. To be honest i cant for the life of me think how the cd player is going to make it better. But i cant wait to find out!