i am using karan 650 mono block. it is the most musical power amp i have used period,.. very smooth and refine.. with lots of damping power that control bass as good as it can get... well worth money even in this economic crisis
I had a Karan KA S 450 stereo amplifier (about 500 watts per channel) on loan from the distributor (Avatar Acoustics) and put it through its paces on the distributor's Acoustic System Tango loudspeakers and the Sound Lab Ultimate-1s. It drove the heck out of both. Karan is impeccably built and designed to be bulletproof yet quite free from coloration, grit and grain. Very non-solid state sounding. As Anonymous points out above, bass is phenomenal yet musical and tuneful, never exaggerated. I would put Karan up against any solid state amplifier extant, in some cases any amplifer period. HiFi+ (TAS's sister publication in the UK) editor Roy Gregory has penned rave reviews about Karan.
The KA S 450 is totally dual mono. Separate power cords, power switches, power transformers, the works. The only thing shared between the channels is the chassis. The M 650 monoblocks are like two of the 270 W/ch stereo amplifiers, while the M 1200 (1200 watt) monoblocks are like two of the 450 stereo amps.
I am completely biased but we are the new North American distributors of Karan Acoustics. I am glad to hear of the positive experiences of those who have tried the Karan. We listened to a lot of gear before we heard the Karan Acoustics and have been very pleased. I am currently running a pair of KA M 650s and have had the KA S270 and the KA S180 in my system, as well as the KA I 180 integrated. I would concur with Brian that the build really is second to none. While I can't be certain, the KA S 450 you were listening is actually an older one and there have been steady improvements since that time, according to the world wide representative. I would not argue with Brian as I have not lived with the KA S450, but in my home system the KA M650s are more refined than the KA S270 and with enormous power. There is a good review in hifi + about them. If you have any questions drop me a note. Again my apologies if this is any way inappropriate.
Gary Gelfand
Westside Music and Cinema
Calgary Alberta
Tx for your participation.I've heard nothing but the best about karans, which has made me quiet enthusiastic about them and I am particularly interested in the 650's but I've two quetions about them.
1) are they a new version or that they are going to be replaced soon?
2)as I have just one 20 Amp AC line and as far as I know the karans are class A biased I was wondering if I would be able to feed them on this only AC line I've got?
Falco
The KA M650 are quite new, they were introduced in Mid 2007 (about 18 months old) to fill the gap between the KA S450 and the KA M1200s. Though I try never to predict the future there are no plans to replace them anytime soon. If you look at the brand, Karan Acoustics does not change flavors monthly, their models stick around for a long time (bad from the press point of view as people always want whats new). Furthermore whenever possible they try to permit room for upgrades. For instance, there will be a new upgrade for the preamps and phonosections introduced shortly. These are the first such in a number of years. Mine are on order but the worldwide distributor is speaking very highly of them (I know of course he would but he is generally very candid). The nice thing is that older models can be upgraded and though pricing is not firm, it should not be a silly cost. I think, and while I speak for only myself its the sense I get from the company, that Karan Acoustics feels once you are a customer you have committed a lot to them, and they want to support you without gouging. From my own life as an audiophile (and with other things as well) its annoying to have spent a lot of money on something only to find its outdated 6 months later.
As for the 20 amp ac line that should not be an issue, I have run them on one line myself.
Hope this of some help. If you have any other questions feel free. By the way, I am not trying to hijack this any way from the lindeman, I have heard excellent things about them.
Gary Gelfand
i am using karan 650 mono block. it is the most musical power amp i have used period,.. very smooth and refine.. with lots of damping power that control bass as good as it can get... well worth money even in this economic crisis
pray tell me about your system and previous amps,and if they could be fed with the rest of your system from one 20 Amp AC line?
I had a Karan KA S 450 stereo amplifier (about 500 watts per channel) on loan from the distributor (Avatar Acoustics) and put it through its paces on the distributor's Acoustic System Tango loudspeakers and the Sound Lab Ultimate-1s. It drove the heck out of both. Karan is impeccably built and designed to be bulletproof yet quite free from coloration, grit and grain. Very non-solid state sounding. As Anonymous points out above, bass is phenomenal yet musical and tuneful, never exaggerated. I would put Karan up against any solid state amplifier extant, in some cases any amplifer period. HiFi+ (TAS's sister publication in the UK) editor Roy Gregory has penned rave reviews about Karan.
The KA S 450 is totally dual mono. Separate power cords, power switches, power transformers, the works. The only thing shared between the channels is the chassis. The M 650 monoblocks are like two of the 270 W/ch stereo amplifiers, while the M 1200 (1200 watt) monoblocks are like two of the 450 stereo amps.
Brian Walsh
Essential Audio ~ Chicago area ~ (773) 809-HIFI
I am completely biased but we are the new North American distributors of Karan Acoustics. I am glad to hear of the positive experiences of those who have tried the Karan. We listened to a lot of gear before we heard the Karan Acoustics and have been very pleased. I am currently running a pair of KA M 650s and have had the KA S270 and the KA S180 in my system, as well as the KA I 180 integrated. I would concur with Brian that the build really is second to none. While I can't be certain, the KA S 450 you were listening is actually an older one and there have been steady improvements since that time, according to the world wide representative. I would not argue with Brian as I have not lived with the KA S450, but in my home system the KA M650s are more refined than the KA S270 and with enormous power. There is a good review in hifi + about them. If you have any questions drop me a note. Again my apologies if this is any way inappropriate.
Gary Gelfand
Westside Music and Cinema
Calgary Alberta
Tx for your participation.I've heard nothing but the best about karans, which has made me quiet enthusiastic about them and I am particularly interested in the 650's but I've two quetions about them.
1) are they a new version or that they are going to be replaced soon?
2)as I have just one 20 Amp AC line and as far as I know the karans are class A biased I was wondering if I would be able to feed them on this only AC line I've got?
Falco
The KA M650 are quite new, they were introduced in Mid 2007 (about 18 months old) to fill the gap between the KA S450 and the KA M1200s. Though I try never to predict the future there are no plans to replace them anytime soon. If you look at the brand, Karan Acoustics does not change flavors monthly, their models stick around for a long time (bad from the press point of view as people always want whats new). Furthermore whenever possible they try to permit room for upgrades. For instance, there will be a new upgrade for the preamps and phonosections introduced shortly. These are the first such in a number of years. Mine are on order but the worldwide distributor is speaking very highly of them (I know of course he would but he is generally very candid). The nice thing is that older models can be upgraded and though pricing is not firm, it should not be a silly cost. I think, and while I speak for only myself its the sense I get from the company, that Karan Acoustics feels once you are a customer you have committed a lot to them, and they want to support you without gouging. From my own life as an audiophile (and with other things as well) its annoying to have spent a lot of money on something only to find its outdated 6 months later.
As for the 20 amp ac line that should not be an issue, I have run them on one line myself.
Hope this of some help. If you have any other questions feel free. By the way, I am not trying to hijack this any way from the lindeman, I have heard excellent things about them.
Gary Gelfand
tx for your help.
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