Upgraditis: AR CD3MkII/Krell KAV-400 vs Sim Audio

I am looking to maybe change my system.

I currently have at the moment an Audio Reseatch CD3MkII and a Krell KAV-400xi Integrated hooked up to a pair of B&W805sigs.

I have been reading here good things about SimAudio kit and would be interested in people's comments.

I have looked at their website and purely on like for like price/specification I would think I'd be looking at the Eclipse CDP and i-5 integrated.

Does anyone know of a dealer in the London/South East area who stocks it. And what sort of price is the above kit?

Thanks, any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

Skip,

Why another change so soon, you've only just ditched the cyrus stuff? most guys would be over the moon at a chance to own such stuff, or has hifness crept in ??
The cd3<>Eclispe sort of splitting hairs there really, but the amps, thats a different story, the I-5 can't compete with the power and the bass of the krell, however it is music your after, then the sim is a clear winner

 

merlin will be along any second hawking his SimAudio pre/power combo no doubt

Michael.

 

Skip, you are crazy! Don't do it. Tweak what you have. How is your mains? Supports? Cables? You have a bloody good system by any measure. Cash burning a hole in your pocket? Have a holiday. Buy some music. Whatever but don't waste your time and money on side-grades.

 

I'd rather waste my money on "side-grades" than the false hope of mains, supports and cables

I compared the Krell KAV-400xi and the SimAudio i-5 and preferred the Sim by some margin. Why not get one on a home dem and see what you think? The KAV-400xi is the magazine's latest golden boy and in high demand so you'd be likely to get an excellent s/h price for it.

Michael.

 

Twas only a thought about upgrading...

I am moving house soon, and one of the first things to do is put in a dedicated mains feed in for the hifi. So I've got that covered.

I have played with different mains cables and have found leads from Cleareraudio work well (compared to Russ Andrews PowerKords) and don't cost the earth.

I had a Russ Andrews Super Purifier for a while on my Cyrus setup and did not hear a noticable difference.

Personally, the little tweaks don't make a big difference IMO, equipment changes do. When I demo'd the Krell and AR the difference between the other equipment I heard was night and day. That is what I like. Now if the Sim gear is a big difference I guess only MY ears will know.

I just wanted to gauge from you guys whether they are in the same league.

 

Spoken like a true audiophile!

Skp574,

Amazing post! Absolutely amazing! Now, don't take this the wrong way but I'm thinking here that either audiophilia nervosa has set-in or there is something seriously wrong with your set-up. Now, I doubt the latter so I can only assume that you've been taken in by the looks of the Sim Moon Eclipse CDP (which is understandable) but sadly, you won't get any improvement in sound over the excellent ARC CD3. Granted, your Krell amp is over-hyped & over priced for the sound it delivers but it is not bad and at this stage I feel you should be enjoying your set-up as you seem to indicate in your signature which reads: enjoying...Krell KAV-400xi & AR CD3MKII.

Still if you are aching to buy something, then something you will buy. That's the nature of this hobby. Just my EUR 0.02c!




Enjoy the music,

Lawrie.

 

Ahhh, you got me yes I do like the looks of the Sim stuff.

 

SKP,

The ARC and SIM Eclipse are fine players, but they are at an equivalent level and so to jettison the ARC for the Eclipse would only be a sidegrade (although the Eclipse is a joy to use and to look at compared to the ARC). Personally I would keep the ARC.

If you really must upgrade, the Sim I-5 amp would likely be an improvement over the Krell, although I would really be looking for a bigger step up so I would recommend Merlins P5/W3 combo. It is stunning.

If you want to hear an Eclipse, you could always come over for a listen sometime.

Cheers Robbo

 

Moon i-5 Integrated Amplifier, with remote, Black, second (2nd) hand, 2 years old, was £2500, now £1750 (E)
(E) = edinburgh Loud & Clear
http://www.loud-clear.co.uk/offers.htm
+44 (0)131 226 6500

 

How about this...

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1085121882

$1700 + shipping + import taxes (22%) + voltage change, but still worth considering, plus this ad has been around a while (assuming its not already sold) so a deal might be on the cards. Take advantage of the weak US$.

I love the way the guy doesnt hide the fact he uses the I-5 to stand his photos on. He must be very honest.