Description Model: Home Theater Standard 2 Price: $6500 USD Dimensions: 17.25"W x 5.65"H x 16.45"D Weight: 19.25 pounds Warranty: Five years parts and labor Features Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Pro Logic decoding Krell Music Surround modes (nine) Analog inputs: one pair balanced (XLR), five pair single ended (RCA) Digital inputs: six coaxial, two TosLink

Features (cont'd) Video inputs: four S-video, four composite, two component Analog outputs: six balanced (XLR), six single ended (RCA), one DB-25 Digital outputs: one coaxial, one TosLink Video outputs: two S-video, two composite, one component Dual-zone capability Analog tape loop Krell Current Mode topology Surface-mount technology Aluminum cabinet (Architech) Remote connectors: 12VDC trigger (four outputs, one input), One PHAST Link, one RC-5 input, one RS-232 Infrared remote control

In boxing, we always used to say, "Where the head goes, the body will follow." (Actually, we used to say it the other way around too; either way it’s true.) The original saying applies to home-theater processors as well. The processor is the brain, the central-processing unit, and the soul of any home-theater system. So it only stands to reason that it’s essentially the most important component in your system -- it dictates the performance parameters for everything else in the chain, either before or after it.

Enter the Krell Home Theater Standard 2 processor/preamp. The HTS2 is Krell’s second-generation $6500 top-of-the-line answer to high-end home-theater processors. At that price, you might be forgiven for asking, "What's so special about the HTS2?" It was certainly topmost in my mind as I explored its capabilities.

Talking the talk

The Krell HTS2 is impressively built. Its Architech construction means lots of luxe anodized-aluminum panels bolted together to increase structural rigidity. It’s definitely a component that screams for attention. If it could walk down a runway in New York, I have no doubt it would -- and heads would turn. In addition, the component is built in modules like a computer, with individual cards containing entire circuits rising vertically from the unit's base. This modular construction means upgradeability is designed in from the beginning.

The front panel is lined with small silver-colored buttons that control all the basic functions. The credit-card-sized remote control that duplicates these commands, will, in all probability, see more use than the front panel. It is uncluttered, intuitive, and easy to use -- a pleasant change from the norm. Centrally located in the faceplate is a large display whose green readout can be read without much effort from about 12 feet across the room.

The back panel, too, is clean and well thought out. Its slew of high-quality connectors includes a set of balanced inputs and outputs for all sources and channels. These use a lot of space, but Krell considers them necessary for long runs and for the numerous top-flight amplifiers that operate in differential mode. Yet, the rear panel is laid out intelligently -- I had no problem connecting even my beefiest RCAs, due, in no small part, to the increased height dictated by the unit's vertical-card construction.

With its new KAV line, Krell has reduced chassis width to make for easier rack mounting, while increasing the chassis height to keep quarters from being too cramped. This aids installation in the real world, an area where many of the A/V receivers on the market today fall short -- cramped rear panels effectively limit the cabling you can use to zip cord. The unit is also as solid as a brick. When inserting the seemingly endless array of cables necessary to link up all the components of a home-theater system, I never got the impression that the HTS2's back panel was in danger of caving into its innards, the way I have with the flimsy sheet metal of less robust components.

The Krell also offers "broadcast quality" video switching for consumers with multiple video sources, in addition to a feature many audiophiles will find most impressive: the Krell Current Mode system used in the company’s preamps, such as the KCT and KRC-3, is employed in all six channels! There’s no question that Krell has spared no expense to live up to the sound quality of their two-channel gear.

Dress rehearsal

The Krell HTS2 is simple to use. Its menu is accessed through an on-screen display that immediately tells you what you need to know to control the system, configure it and set its parameters. I was able to quickly set up and reconfigure speakers for optimal bass routing, delay-time setting, and volume calibration. Having conquered these in short order (don’t laugh, I’ve literally spent hours doing this with at least one receiver I’ve had in house), I moved on to the more interesting "custom" features the Krell offers.

The remote control allows you to preset two Krell music modes for quick access on the small butcute remote. (I finally got to use "cute" in a Krell review!) I chose "Full Range and Sub" and "Front Row." This allowed me to listen to music with the subwoofer added, and then switch in the surrounds when the source called for a bit more involvement. The quick access via the remote to both of these modes allowed me to choose whichever I felt best enhanced the experience, if anything more than simple stereo was called for. Speaking of simple stereo, the Krell has an analog pass-through that will allow you to bypass the digital processing. If you’re a musical two-channel purist who also enjoys home theater, you’re covered -- simply route a dedicated two-channel source straight through the Krell and use it as a high-quality preamp.

The remote also allowed me to trim the levels of the surrounds, subwoofer, and center channel without entering into a menu. Being able to goose the center a bit, or attenuate the subwoofer, comes in handy. As we all know, not every movie soundtrack is optimally recorded, nor, of course, is every A/V system perfectly balanced.

There are more features, of course, such as the ability to trim the input of each component connected to the HTS2. You can also create and control macros by assigning multiple commands concerning inputs, modes and triggers. Speaking of remote control, the HTS2 also accommodates remote inputs for RS-232, PHAST, RC-5, and a 12V trigger -- so it's fully compatible with just about any home-automation scheme you might encounter. Without getting bogged down in the details here (you do want to know how it sounds, don’t you?), suffice it to say that the Krell has enough adjustability to adapt to most systems.

On the other hand, no processor on the market has every feature available that every customer might conceivably want, so let's get my niggling little complaints out of the way right now. Although Krell will reportedly address these via an upgrade in January, the HTS2 does not have a 6.1 mode, six-channel analog inputs, Dolby Pro Logic II, or an adjustable crossover. Krell has a long history of supporting and upgrading their products, and from what I understand, these new features will be incorporated into the next-generation version of the HTS2, and retrofittable into the current units.

Walking the walk

Like most advanced processors these days, the Krell HTS2 senses the digital input signal and automatically switches between DTS and Dolby Digital, defaulting to Dolby Pro Logic for everything else. It accomplishes this flawlessly with any signal containing these modes, and lets you know which mode is present via its readout, shortly before turning off the display -- a nice touch for those of us who insist on complete darkness for our HT experience.

American Gramophone’s Home Theater Demo DVD features "Midnight at Cove Castle," a great track for assessing spatial deployment. I always listen for the intricate rhythms of the dancer’s castanets, as they seem to wander among the other instruments inhabiting the soundstage. On the best systems, the castanets seem to weave in and out of the melodic tempo of the music itself. This is a very clean recording, and also a somewhat busy one. The Krell HTS2 handled it beautifully, driving the music along with poise and power. I was able to simultaneously pick out fine details in the music and experience the larger-than-life soundstage. This test foreshadowed the performance to come, as it really highlighted the Krell’s high-resolution sound.

Proceeding to more traditional fare, I assessed the cleanliness of the midrange with two distinctive voices I know by heart. Julia Roberts' and Brad Pitt's performances in The Mexican showcased the Krell’s ability to extract the dialogue from the DVD without any discontinuities or colorations. I was able to get the subtle inflections in Pitt’s voice that hark back to his performance in Twelve Monkeys,and, as for Roberts’ voice, which can be annoying at times, it did sound distinctively hers.

Relying upon some finely recorded CD fare to further assess the midrange clarity of the Krell, I cued up Rebecca Pidgeon’s Four Marys [Chesky JD 165]. Each song has something distinctive about it that helps me assess the sound reproduction. It was easy to determine that the Krell was offering up a rock-solid soundstage with pinpoint imaging and excellent clarity. I’ve only heard this track bettered when using a Pacific Microsonics Model One A-to-D/D-to-A converter, a unit so mega-expensive that it’s not a fair comparison, but it does illustrate the quality of the HTS2's DACs. Soundstage size was realistic, never unnaturally expanded or bloated.

The bass performance is very Krell-like. Those of you who have listened to or owned Krells in the past will instantly know that this is a compliment. The brand has always -- across the board -- set the standard for both bass power and control. My reference for DVD bass at the moment is Unbreakable, with its train scene. Properly portrayed, the house-shaking energy from the train is enveloping and sustained. The Krell delivered heart-stopping, super-low frequencies that were tight as a drum. In addition, everything else remained in its proper place while all this rumbling and grumbling took place. Unflappable is the operative word here.

Cat fight with a lioness

The last processing unit I had in my system was the B&K AVR307 receiver. While not in the same price category as the Krell, this very-similar-to-the B&K Reference 30 processor earned aReviewers' Choice nod for being a state-of-the-art receiver. The sound quality and functionality are simply exceptional. The Krell HTS2 and the B&K AVR307 have some things in common and many differences, as you might expect. They both offer excellent user interface, which translates into an ease of use that welcomes the newcomer to home theater. Each is also produced and supported by a company that has tremendous experience in designing various types of products, but which specializes in power amplifiers. Also, both B&K and Krell, at their respective price points, have been known for excellent sound rather than bells and whistles. That’s about where the similarity ends though.

The differences between the two products are more numerous, and quite significant. The Krell HTS2 has fewer features and needs external amplification, but that in fact defines its high-end heritage. It is extravagantly designed and put together, evidenced by its physical characteristics, which include superb parts, construction, and connector quality. When you take the HTS2 out of the box, it just screams "high end."

It distances itself in the sound department too. The Krell sounds cleaner and more dimensional with virtually all software. It is even quieter than the B&K, has a much more precise soundstage, and offers more pinpoint imaging across the board with all the music and movies I used. It’s virtually transparent, which is probably the best compliment I can pay it. How significant is the difference in sound quality? Significant enough to be noticeable without long-term listening. The Krell sounds good compared with most anything, while the B&K can be bettered by separates in some significant areas (though not just any separates!). The Krell’s two-channel performance is commensurate with that of a high-resolution dedicated two-channel preamp, which means it betters the B&K sonically by a wide margin, as well. No real surprises here.

At the end of the day, you have two products that are designed for different markets. Each succeeds in accomplishing its intended goal without qualification. Know this, though: when you buy the Krell, you are buying performance and build quality on another plane than the $3500 B&K AVR307. It raises the stakes a couple, no make that several, notches.

It’s a wrap

In traditional two-channel audio, it has always been accepted that the simpler a component, the closer to absolute fidelity it will come. In home theater, in contrast, the features help define the functionality in a real system. My only real criticism addresses the Krell's functionality: It does not yet offer the very latest processing. In my system, I don’t feel the need for additional speakers over the established 5.1 standard. So for me, the processing features that the Krell HTS2 includes are sufficient.

What I can’t sacrifice is the sound quality of my system. And that just happens to be the Krell’s strength. What it does, it simply does right. It is built to the highest standard, and it shows in virtually every respect. Yes, $6500 is a lot of money, but by any measure the Krell HTS2 is a lot of processor/preamp. And in the end that defines the product itself. If you’re looking for a home-theater processor that has excellent functionality, extravagant build, and exceptional sound, Krell may have nailed the paradigm with the HTS2.