Krell S-1200U Surround Processor, Pristine, Price Reduction!!

This is the processor for the Krell fan who uses legacy sources. It will upscale to 1080p and transcode all sources into the HDMI output. That is what you get with the U designated S-1200. So, it really is a video processor and surround sound processor in one neat package. The audio processing in this machine is unparalleled as well. To ensure a clean signal path, the S-1200 does not use op amps or integrated circuits. Every channel utilizes discrete current based Class A, direct coupled circuitry for the greatest signal purity and highest bandwidth. The preamp mode bypasses all digital circuitry and routes analog stereo inputs directly to a balanced resistor ladder volume control for ultimate music reproduction. In fact, the audio signal path is a direct descendant to their $30,000 Evolution 707 Reference Surround preamp/processor. The S-1200U also uses the same DSP engine and 1080p video stage from the Evolution 707.  As for styling it has the very large silky smooth operating old school Krell volume control which is a joy to use. You can't beat the Krell industrial design at it's finest. I got this unused in the box and used it in my pet, child and smoke free home for about six months. I am downsizing my audio equipment collection now and must find a new home for this piece. I just sent it in to Krell to have a check up and install the latest software for it, so it is now up to date and current Krell production model. It is in mint condition, not a scratch ding or defect of any kind. Like new, so low ballers need not bother. Serious inquiries only.

From Krell: 

Coupling legendary Krell preamplifier technology, state of the art digital processing, latest True HD, DTS Master Audio decoding, and HDMI™ 1.4 compatibility, the S-1200 3D is an ideal centerpiece for any high performance music and home theater system. Based on award-winning preamplifier technology, all eight S-1200 3D analog output stages are built to the same exacting standard and feature balanced and single-ended cable connections. Only Krell designed preamplifier circuitry is employed within every channel utilizing discrete current based Class A, direct coupled circuitry for the greatest signal purity and highest bandwidth. Performance robbing op amps or integrated circuits are not used anywhere in the audio path. Preamp mode bypasses all digital circuitry and routes analog stereo inputs directly to a balanced resistor ladder volume control for ultimate music reproduction.

The heart of a Krell surround sound preamp/processors is sound quality. We start with a great sounding preamplifier and then pair that to the latest in surround processing technology. The S-1200 3D includes our finest audio and video engineering plus the latest in HDMI™ 1.4 technology, to insure the ultimate home theater experience for our customers. Borrowing key technologies, the audio signal path is a direct descendant of our Evolution 707 3D Reference Surround preamp/processor. The S-1200 3D also uses the same DSP engine and 1080p video stage from the Evolution 707 3D. Also available without 3D compatibility, the S-1200 and S-1200u presents a purity of sound and video resolution previously unavailable in home theater systems.

 

At the hub of the S-1200 3D digital signal processing is a pair of dual core 32 bit Cirrus CS497004 DSP's performing 1.8 giga operations per second. Digital signals are then routed to 24 bit ESS Sabre DACS.

 

The video content is treated to the same high performance engineering as the audio signals. Maximum color depth has been increased from 24 bits to 48 bits and bandwidth from 165MHz to 340 MHz. Full video transcoding converts composite, S-Video, or component inputs to HDMI™ signals. Furthermore, the S-1200u 3D model includes upconversion to a maximum of 1080p resolution. The S-1200 3D is a true "one connection solution" with on-screen display, configuration menus, and status messages available from all active video outputs including HDMI™.

 

The S-1200u 3D is at the cutting edge of today's technology and Krell is the first company to offer solutions for both reference and high performance home theaters. Like its bigger brother, the Evolution 707 3D, the new S-1200 3D combines peerless audio and video performance with the convenience features required for maximum enjoyment.

 

Finished in classic Krell brushed silver or black anodized Aluminum, the S-1200 3D begs to be seen but can be easily integrated into modern rack mount based systems.

To ensure a clean signal path, the S-1200 does not use op amps or integrated circuits. Every channel utilizes discrete current based Class A, direct coupled circuitry for the greatest signal purity and highest bandwidth. The preamp mode bypasses all digital circuitry and routes analog stereo inputs directly to a balanced resistor ladder volume control for ultimate music reproduction. In fact, the audio signal path is a direct descendant to their $30,000 Evolution 707 Reference Surround preamp/processor. The S-1200 also uses the same DSP engine and 1080p video stage from the Evolution 707. 

Excerpts from the glowing five star review at techradar:

The S-1200U is gorgeous. It works as a piece of art, its smooth lines and contrasting aluminium textures complementing the bonkers-mad volume knob with a fine sense of the surreal.

The build and finish is among the best of any amplifier to grace my listening room in 20 years of reviewing. The buttons have a firm weight, the indicator LED lights are just the right intensity and the display offers the largest and easiest-to-read text characters of any AV processor on the market.

Krell's heavyweight volume knob runs on slick bearings, meaning that a solid glancing blow will run it on for 10 or more turns. I was surprised that the knob isn't motorised so doesn't spin with volume input from the remote. While this would have been even more engineering eye-candy, perhaps Krell felt the resulting gyroscopic forces might have been a problem for your equipment rack.

There is a positive cornucopia of analogue connections, including composite video, component video and even S-video sockets, totalling 11 analogue video inputs.

Nestled below these are no fewer than 10 analogue stereo audio inputs, which should cater for the most ardent audiophile. Fully-balanced XLR connections are provided as the output of choice and there are enough 12V triggers and data ports to keep any system integrator happy.

Under the neatly-milled aluminium hood, the S-1200U is a little different from most processors and AVRs. Rather than use standard op-amps and integrated circuits, every channel runs on a discrete Class A circuit that Krell claims offers the greatest signal purity and the highest bandwidth.

The DSP engine is at the leading edge of the field (also grafted from the Evolution 707), based on a pair of 32bit Cirrus chipsets that feed very sexy 24bit ESS Sabre DACs. For those wishing to give the S-1200U a clean analogue audio signal and soak up some of the Krell audiophile magic, a 'preamp' mode bypasses all digital circuitry and routes analogue stereo to a balanced resistor ladder volume controller.

The remote control is yet another object of engineered beauty, assuming your aesthetic penchant airs on the side of chunky, solid and bullet-proof. Feeling as if hewn from a raw block of aluminium and filled with granite, it weighs a bit in the hand.

The buttons are small but click with the sort of clunk that would have a gaggle of car designers nodding appreciatively. It's also probably the only remote to grace my house that the dog took one look at and decided not to bother trying to chew. Solid casework.

There are four EQ memories, so you can save, for example, best setup for action movies, best setup for chick flicks, best setup for multichannel music, and perhaps best setup for 'posh cocktail party with Burt Bacharach background music'.

Krell's audio prowess is something to behold. The S-1200U sounds huge, immersive, richly detailed, full-bodied and smoother than a panther wearing a smoking jacket.

There is none of the tizzy fireworks and in-yer-face energy of the current crop of big AV receivers, making even the best of those sound rather harsh and feisty by comparison. This is a sound to be savored, to fall into and stay there until the film credits are rolling, the popcorn is finished and the wine glass contains nothing but a dried red ring in the bottom.

With every film there is a real presence to the audio – something you feel and experience at a subliminal level rather than simply an audible one. it envelops you and drags you into the movie with its hypnotic charms rather than projecting the sound at you.

And this in itself makes it a difficult review. I put on The Matrix (Blu-ray) as the usual opener to get a feel of this machine's credentials and made the grand total of three lines of notes before getting engrossed in the film. Suddenly two hours had slipped by.

Even with highly processed and artificial soundtracks, such as the remastered version of Minority Report (Blu-ray), the Krell elicits a naturalness that goes about as far as an amplifier can in assisting the film's suspension of disbelief.

Having spent the last two decades listening for the depth of the bass, the spatial scale of rear effects, the projection of the dialogue etc, the Krell simply refuses to be pigeon-holed with any other AV amplifier.

The bass does not attempt to turn your spleen to jelly (like Denon), high-frequency effects do not have an almost Q-Sound-like three dimensional space (like Pioneer), and the dialogue doesn't leap out of the mix to make the actors sound like they are standing beside you (like Anthem). But as a cohesive whole, the Krell sound is so very right.

The battle scenes in LOTR: Return of the King (Blu-ray) are utterly believable, placing you in the thick of the action and the emotion. With the Oliphants charging across the plains, arrows howling through the air and orc armies meeting the Riders of Rohan, the Krell shows the utmost respect for this cinematic masterpiece.

It is simply massive, potent and convincing, with no one part of the sound drawing overt attention to the actual production. Likewise, dialogue benefits from the lucid and natural balance, seemingly flowing into the room. There is admirable accuracy in the placement of each character's voice, but not so that it becomes an effect in itself.

More impressive still is how this naturalness translates with music, both multichannel and stereo. Krell's heritage in the audiophile amplifier market shines out from the first disc, blending its silky smooth and even hand with detail resolution like no other AV amplifier.

Again, there are no artificial fireworks, no overtly excessive bass punch and no ear-searing top-end extension. What remains is the music, tantalizingly real and infectiously emotive. From the audio-definitive Legends of Jazz Blu-ray, Take Five by Al Jarreau and Kurt Elling oozes from the speakers like warm honey on a Summer's day, luring you in with its vocal articulation and musical sweetness.

The Krell offers amazing timing and ensures that any rhythm-based tune will get your feet tapping and head bobbing in seconds. Looking at upscaled video from a DVD you can't help but admire the clarity and edge definition created from the original SD signal 

Product Details

Krell Black 7.1 Channel Surround Preamp Processor, Model S1200UBK

Features:

• 7.1 channel Preamp/processor
  
  


• Individual 24-bit/192 kHz DACs
  
  


• HDMI™ 1.3 Dolby True HD and DTS Master audio
  
  


• Video Transcoder
  
  


• RS 232, RC 5, 12 VDC Triggers
  
  


• Discrete Differential Class A Output Stages
  
  


• Krell Current Mode™
  
  


• S-1200U Only - Analog Video Up-conversion to 1920 x 1080p 60Hz via HDMI output and 1920 x 1080p 30Hz via component video output
  
  


• Eight channel 1/3 octave parametric digital EQ
  
  

Specifications:

• 
  Signal-To-Noise Ratio: "A" Weighted 96 dB


• 
  Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): Unweighted 20 Hz-20 kHz, +0, - 0.5 dB


• 
  Inputs
  
  
  • 
    Analog Audio
    
    
    • (1) Pair Balanced via XLR connectors
      
      
    
    
    • (5) Pairs Single-ended via RCA connectors
      
      
    
    
    • (1) Discrete 7.1 via RCA connectors
      
      
    
    
    • (1) Tape in via RCA connectors
      
      
    
    
    • (1) VCR audio in via RCA connectors
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • 
    Digital Audio
    
    
    • (4) HDMI via HDMI connectors
      
      
    
    
    • (4) EIAJ optical via Toslink connectors
      
      
    
    
    • (4) Coaxial via RCA connectors
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • 
    Digital Video
    • (4) HDMI via HDMI connectors
      
      
    
    
  
  
  • 
    Analog Video
    
    
    • (3) Component Video via RCA connectors
      
      
    
    
    • (4) S-video via DIN connectors
      
      
    
    
    • (3) Composite Video via RCA connectors
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  Outputs
  
  
  
  • 
    Analog Audio
    
    
    
    • (8) Balanced via XLR Connectors R, L, C, SR, SL, SBR, SBL, SUB
      
      
    
    
    • (8) Single-ended via RCA Connectors R, L, C, SR, SL, SBR, SBL, SUB
      
      
    
    
    • (1) Tape out via RCA connectors
      
      
    
    
    • (1) VCR audio out via RCA connectors
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • 
    Digital Audio
    
    
    • (1) EIAJ optical via TosLink connector
      
      
    
    
    • (1) Coaxial via RCA connector
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • 
    Digital Video
    
    • (1) HDMI via HDMI connector
      
      
    
    
  
  
  • 
    Analog Video
    
    
    
    • (1) Component Video via RCA connectors
      
      
    
    
    • (1) S-video via DIN connectors
      
      
    
    
    • (1) Composite Video via RCA connector
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  Control
  
  
  • (1) IR Receiver for Remote Control
    
    
  
  
  • (1) RS-232 via DB9 Female Connector Straight Wired
    
    
  
  
  • (1) RC-5 via 1/8" stereo "trs" Receptacle
    
    
  
  
  • (1) 12vdc Remote Trigger Input via 1/8" Mono receptacle
    
    
  
  
  • (4) 12vdc Remote Trigger Outputs via 1/8 Mono receptacles
  
  
  
  


• 
  Digital Decoding Modes
  
  
  • Dolby True HD
    
    
  
  
  • Dolby Digital Plus
    
    
  
  
  • Dolby Digital 5.1
    
    
  
  
  • Dolby Digital EX
    
    
  
  
  • Dolby Pro Logic IIX
    
    
  
  
  • DTS Master Audio
    
    
  
  
  • DTS High Resolution Audio
    
    
  
  
  • DTS 5.1
    
    
  
  
  • DTS ES Discrete 6.1
    
    
  
  
  • DTS ES Matrix 6.1
    
    
  
  
  • DTS Neo:6
    
    
  
  
  • PCM 5.1
    
    
  
  
  • PCM 7.1
    
    
  
  
  • PREAMP (Direct Analog Only)
    
    
  
  
  • PREAMP 5.1 (Direct Analog Only)
  
  
  
  


• 
  Surround Enhancement Modes
  
  
  • General Admission
    
    
  
  
  • Front Row
    
    
  
  
  • On Stage
    
    
  
  
  • Enhanced Stereo
    
    
  
  
  • Orchestra
    
    
  
  
  • Mezzanine
    
    
  
  
  • Full Range + Sub
    
    
  
  
  • Monophonic
    
    
  
  
  • Party
  
  
  
  


• 
  RS-232 DB9 Pin Out
  
  
  • 1. Data Carrier Detect
    
    
  
  
  • 2. Received Data
    
    
  
  
  • 3. Transmitted Data
    
    
  
  
  • 4. Data Terminal Ready
    
    
  
  
  • 5. Signal Ground
    
    
  
  
  • 6. Data Set Ready
    
    
  
  
  • 7. Request To Send
    
    
  
  
  • 8. Clear To Send
  
  
  
  


• 
  RC-5 pin out: Tip = RC-5 data, Ring = +5 V, Sleeve = GND


• 
  XLR Pin Out: Pin 1 (ground) Pin 2 (non-inverting "Hot") Pin 3 (Inverting)


• 
  Maximum Input
  
  
  • Balanced 8.2 Vrms
    
    
  
  
  • Single Ended 4.1 Vrms
  
  
  
  


• 
  Maximum Output
  
  
  • Balanced 14.6 Vrms
    
    
  
  
  • Single Ended 7.3 Vrms
  
  
  
  


• 
  Audio Input Impedance
  
  
  • Balanced 51K Ohm
    
    
  
  
  • Single Ended 47K Ohm
  
  
  
  


• 
  Audio Output Impedance
  
  
  • Balanced 160 Ohm
    
    
  
  
  • Single Ended 160 Ohm