So definitely French, definitely different and with a realistic grasp on the complexities of Class A and hybrid operation (not to mention some very attractive pricing) there really should be no holding the Koras – just as long as the performance lives up to the promise.
At first glance there’s something distinctly retro about the big Kora amps. The Class A series consists of four models built into two different chassis sizes, each available in stereo or mono versions. The larger amps use the same front panel and side mounted heatsinks as the smaller ones, but are 50% deeper (660 as opposed to 440mm). The range structure is all very original-Krell, the appearance more JRDG Model 3 or 5 – just without the handles. The front-panel is a two-tone design, a tempered glass plate sat above a narrow base strip, painted in the same rather smart grey, textured finish as the main chassis and heat sinks. The large on/off button mimics the volume/control knob on the more affordable units and like them, the CSA-1200 has a (in this case) large illuminated display that indicates the amplifier configuration and status. The rotary knob allows you to navigate the settings in the display., or turn the display off altogether. The top-plate is also smoked, tempered glass, which affords a view of the neatly constructed (and heavily populated) interior. Fit and finish is excellent and these are one set of heatsinks that won’t be ripping up your hands. For such a large amplifier, the end result is surprisingly attractive – much more attractive than it looks in photographs.
So far so very impressive. However, I’m less happy with the disposition of the rear panel switches and connections. The amplifier offers both single-ended RCA and balanced XLR inputs (with a small switch to select between them). You get a single set of binding posts for speaker connection, with a freely rotating gain control beneath them. Three more switches offer reverse or normal absolute phase, auto switch on with signal and a choice of low current output, high current output or auto switching between the two. Whilst it’s definitely great that the Kora amps offer this degree of configurable adjustment, they also cram a lot of controls into a very small space, which makes configuration more fiddly than it needs to be, especially once you’ve got interconnects and speaker cables hooked up. I appreciate that from an end-user perspective, power amps tend to be hooked up and then ideally left well alone, but I’d still rather see a lot more space around the connectors and switches, far clearer labels and, given the price of the amp and the systems it’s likely to be found in, two-sets of (much better quality) binding posts would be a blessing. Simply placing the switches and inputs above the speaker connections would be a step in the right direction. It would also make it far easier to set matching gain on the two amps – and help prevent inadvertent gain adjustment, which is all too easy in the current layout. So – more space, more binding posts and mo’ bigger labels – PLEASE! One nice touch is the provision of an LED indicator for AC polarity, alongside the standard IEC power input. One thing I miss is the provision of a chassis ground.
