Krell FPB or EVO?
 

Hi!

FPB cx series Class A (300cx/400cx/350mc)
EVO Class AB (302e/402e/400e mono)

A lot of positive feedback about FPB series! About true Class A and its musicality...

Which amp better? I need best sound for classic and prog rock! Slightly warmer and the best of the best bass!

more nuance at low volume who will give better bass?

Thanks

That is going to end up personal preferences, but i can say if your going evo mono's the 600 is the sweet spot. I've own the 400 and now the 600. They are true to the signal so you will most likely lean towards the class A sound.

FPB in Class A you think will be for me the best?

I heard the sound of EVO is more dry. Is it true?

I prefer the fpb - sounds a bit warmer and richer. Not as detailed or fast as evo.

I have 750mcx's.

The Evo sound can be described as dry by people who prefer the tube sound. The evo is fast, accurate and has perfect bass control and a detailed midrange. It will reproduce whatever you feed it with truth and authority, so you can play with different sources to tailor the sound to your preference. But the FPB is also an excellent Krell amp and you my prefer the class a signature. It is a very personal choice.

Hallo Michael_M,

if you will change your AVM P8 becouse the sound is not the "top" for your taste go with the Class A amplifier.

I had listen the AVM and Accustic Arts. nice amplifier but a Pass labs classs A is another liga!!!

Krell FPB series are a reference in high end.

go with a class A amplifier (Krell or others!)

I find the evo's to be more dimensional than the FPB's. A lot more air and space around vocals and instruments. A larger and more airy soundstage.

By means of comparison Martin Colloms writes for HiFi Critic and awards scores for the kit he tests. Hi gave the FPB400cx 75 and the 402e 145.

Never believe reviews!!
Martin Colloms gives the krell evo 202 pre-amp 70 pionts and the audio researchref 5se 225!
I had both pre-amps in my set for years.
Both belong to the best pre-amps out there
In my set,whit the 202,I hear more music.
Believe only your own ears!!!
You can only judge a device in your own set.
Both the FPB and Evolution amps ar worldclass sounding amps.
At this level of sound quality, it is a matter of taste.

Agreed but he's asking for opinions - you may or may not believe the reviewer but that's up to you. Most people have a biased view to some extent - generally based on what they have spent their own hard earned cash on.

It may not be practical for the OP to listen to both in his own system.

It is indeed not always possible to compare different devices in your own set.
I had the FBP700cx-the evolution 400e and 402e amps.
I like the sound of the evolution amps over the FBP.
The evolution amps gives you more of everything.
But this is only my opinion!

I had the 900s and now I have the MRAs. The later is an absolut Beast :). More of everything compared to the 900s - they had absolut controll of my old Q5 and to my current Q3s. Not sure if its fair to compare the MRAs to FBP but I have heard that they are voiced similar. I use the Evo 202 with Cast and I really love the combination.

Tommy

I had several months EVO-600E, are the best of Krell FPB both lines are amp EVO and dream !! in Krell I have a long history! I had all his amp,
KSA-50S my first amp, then KSA-300S, after KAS-2, then KAS and now have a CX-700, this to me in stereos and quzas the best !! for a budget issue, not reach the EVO-600e, the difference with the FPB, is that the EVO, are Class AB entry and departure, FPB always in class A serious !, the FPB are more forceful !! but a little hard on means and not as silky treble, the EVO has a slightly more relaxed sound! and also more air around the instruments, both have outstanding stereo image !! but the EVO a little closer to the event live !, but I repeat serious terrifying the CX-700 FPB or MCX-750 arrive below, I have a friend that has to Wilson X-1 GS, and there also hear EVO-600E.
The issue of money to pay for them can also tip the balance! but I repeat, all the EVO or FPB line are tremendous, even better high models !!
Regards
Adrian

Even thought I like the looks of the FPB I would go with the newer EVO unit.

I use the FPB 750mcx and love them. They are a great match with the Krell Phantom.

A few things among those that improved their sound: SRA VR 3.0 custom platforms for the FPB750mcx pair, SRA Scuttle 3 rack for the Phantom (and turntable), three dedicated 220V 20amp lines (one for each 750mcx and on for the Phantom, high quality Siemens Sitor fuses in the power distribution system box for the apartment. Of course, interconneconnects, power cable (for the Phantom), speaker cables, fuses, etc all make a big difference too.

I never heard any EVO in my system, so I don't want to be unfair. I have been told by dealers that the only EVO that is a bit better than the FPB 750mcx is the EVO 900e, not even the EVO 900 is better. Again, I did not hear the 900e in my system either.

I have several priorities for upgrades in my system, but the Phantom/FPB750mcx are not in the upgrade list.

Cheers,

VPN

I would highly recommend the FPB. I owned at one time a pair of FPB 350Mcx amps and they were amazing. If you can find a decent deal I would highly recommend them. One thing to take into account thought is that the amps are probably getting up there in years so you will probably have to have them re-capped. I am guessing the re-cap job would run around $2000.

What about FPBcx against FPBc or FPB?

Just curious

Does nobody can help me? As owner of a stereo FPBcx I would like to know if there would be some improvement adding a couple of 2nd hand old original FPBs...

I Prefer the sweet class A sound and bass muscle of my FPBcx against Evo series

Andy Payor of Rockport's favorite Krell amp is the FPB series. He does not like the sound of the series after using the cast system. He feels that series is too bright. I have the FPB250 mono's on the Rockport Altair's and the sound is stunning.

I used the FPB 650M monoblocks for years. I really liked them, I have not heard the 402e in that same system but have heard it many times with the same brand speakers. Given a choice I would take the 402e. To me, a better sounding amp top to bottom. Good luck with any purchase you end up making.

Nothing like a response four years later, but I use Krell FPBs in my right, center and left main speakers -- a 200c and a 250cm. My speakers are Revel Studios. That combination (along with Transparent Audio Super speaker cables) has resulted in a really marvelous sound. My amplifiers are perhaps the one component of my system I have never seriously considered upgrading over the past 10+ years.

I'v got quite god experience of Krell products. In general I always loved them.
But I'm surprised that the older Krell actually are more musical and involves me in the music more than EVO.
EVO is more like what you would call "correct" but FPB are mor fun to listen to. I lets the music out in the air around you better. It's like och more colorful flower.

Some says that EVO is more correct. But what is correct? Nobody knows for surer. There is no correct sound in Hifi. Due to my point of view it's what you find most fun to listen to.
To compare live and reproduced music has no point at all. Consider it as 2 totally different way of listening to music. You would never fail if someone in an AB-test compare live music vs HIFI. Never.

So, for me FPB-series is more fun and better music reproducer than the EVO-series.

One interesting thing is that Dan d'Agostino in his new brand started with the FPB construction principles and not from the EVO!!!