RINGING THE CHANGES

摘要

The form factor of the Connect mirrors that of Krell's Foundation multichannel AV preamp/processor (£6500), a component which ran off with a coveted EISA Award in the high-end home theatre category last autumn. It heralded a new 'look' for the marque's high-end separates: uncharacteristically slim compared with Krell products' typically colossal chassis, yet still exuding a machined-from-solid feel to their build quality. At the centre of the black fascia is a silver-coloured sculpted aluminium block with dominant Krell logo at its base, the section concealing a subtle backlight that glows red when the unit is in standby and changes to blue when operational. Do these latest components indicate the beginning a new series from Krell? Can we expect similarly-styled amps and CD/SACD players in the future? Says Krell Industries' Peter Mackay: 'The new industrial design of the Foundation and Connect will be included with all new Krell product offerings. Going forward, each of our components will have a specific name - simply Krell Connect, Krell Foundation, and so on - and will no longer be part of a 'series' within our product portfolio, such as KAV or S-Series.