Price Paid:  $1600.00 from Used

Summary:
Throughout all these 9 years I've owned Marantz CD-63KISig, Arcam Alpha 8, Sony XA7ES before settlign for a CEC transport and CAL Alpha DAC. I've stayed with the transport/DAC for several months before I decided to venture into the high-end. Well, I'm not earning a fat paycheck so I have no choice but to look at teh used market. Incidentally a Krell KPS-30i pops up and coincidentally the seller was just a few miles away from my place so I went over for an audition.

I was sold by the first impression of this unit. The damn thing was built like a brick. The seller played several tracks and I skipped tracks to test the durability of the lens. The sound was clear as crystal and there was detail a plenty. The Krell was driving some Jeff Rowland separates which include the venerable 8TI power amp and finally driving some huge MBL speakers that looked like some spacecraft with their odd triangular shaped form. I was not paying too much attention on the sound of the KPS-30i but instead relishing the handsome looks of the unit.

All in all a very good and reliable player even by todays standards. The transport and DAC are housed separately so external transports or DACs can be added later on should the need arise. The remote control is my only gripe as it looks like cheap plastic.

This player will be staying for a while in my system.

Strengths:
Great sound which proves that diminishing laws of retunrs apply here. I have not listened to a lot of higher end players but I believe this unit stays very close to the pack up there. Built like a brick, or maybe concrete.

Weaknesses:
Remote control looks plasticky and cheap.

Similar Products Used:
Sony XA7ES