It’s the tail end of winter, but Krell is already heating things up in its product line. The company just announced plans to start shipping its S-550i Integrated Amplifier.

The new amp is building on the success of the company’s S-300i, but cranks the power up to 275 watts of output.

Promising to work with just about any speaker, the S-550i is compact enough for almost any space. However, it does pack in balanced and single-ended inputs, an iPod dock, and the company’s own Theater Throughput mode for integrating with home theater systems.

Preamp highlights include the Krell Current Mode, direct-coupled circuitry, discrete circuitry, and more. The amp also has 1,750-watt transformer and 68,000μF of capacitance. Other features include 12-volt triggers, RS-232 connectivity, and rack mount ears. The S-550i can also be customized on the front panel menu or via the included brushed aluminum remote control.

Krell is now shipping the S-550i Integrated Amplifier in silver and black finishes, with an MSRP of $5,000.

Rachel Cericola - Contributing Writer

Over the past 15 years, Rachel Cericola has covered entertainment, web and technology trends. Check her out at www.rachelcericola.com.