Krell is cranking out a whole bunch of new components for the audiophile crowd at this week’s 2014 CES, The company just announced iBias, a patent-pending new technology that uses Class A circuitry.
However, the hook on this new tech is that it uses a lot less energy than your typical Class A amp. It also boasts low-level details and spatiality, with no crossover distortion.
At launch, the iBias line will have a total of seven amps, each of which is built into a 3U-high (5.25 inches) chassis that has removable rack-mount ears. That collection includes two monoblocks (Solo 550 and Solo 375) and two stereo amps (Duo 175 and Duo 275), as well as three-channel (Trio 275), five-channel (Chorus 5), and seven-channel (Chorus 7) models.
“The iBias amplifiers have the rich, lush, elegant midrange and top end that Class A is known for, with the superb bass and dynamics that has defined the Krell sound,” said Bill McKiegan, president of Krell Industries. “iBias brings audiophile sound to integrators and the custom market, with the convenience features and energy-efficiency they need today. And while audiophiles will find them to be among the most musical amplifiers ever made, they’ll also find that their compact size and cool operation make them much more practical to own than most high-end amplifiers.”
According to Krell, an iBias amplifier has a circuit that can continuously measure current flow through the component’s output transistors. That way, it instantly adjusts the power (or bias) going to the transistors to suit the demands. The output transistors never shut off, yet very little power is wasted as heat. It should even run cooler!
“The iBias amplifier is like a high-efficiency 12-cylinder automotive engine in which some of the cylinders shut down when you don’t need all that power,” McKiegan explained. “Just as that engine can run efficiently yet deliver 600 horsepower in an instant, the iBias amplifier can run efficiently yet in a matter or microseconds gives you hundreds of watts of full Class A bias for musical peaks.”
Each iBias amp also has Ethernet capabilities, so users (and dealers) can access the amp through a smartphone, tablet or component.
Krell has started shipping the new iBias amplifiers, with more coming later this month. According to Krell, the model numbers of the amplifiers indicate their power in watts RMS per channel into an 8-ohm load. Here is the full iBias lineup:
- Duo 175 (175 wpc stereo): $7,500
- Duo 300 (300 wpc stereo): $9,500
- Chorus 5200 (200 wpc 5-channel): $7,500
- Chorus 7200 (200 wpc 7-channel): $9,500
- Solo 375 (375 watt monoblock): $8,750
- Solo 575 (575 watt monoblock): $11,250
- Trio 300 (300 wpc 3-channel): $11,500
Also Check Out:
Krell Ships S-550i Integrated Amplifier
14 Speakers, 2 Subwoofers Double This Theater’s Audio Pleasure
Krell Puts WiFi into Connect Streamer