[CES 2013] Krell has just announced their Krell Connect, which is a device that intends to deliver “the ultimate in high-resolution audio streaming technology.” It does not matter if you are rocking to FLAC, WAV, MP3 or WMA formats, the Krell Connect is able to play those back up to 192kHz/24-bit audio in addition to Internet radio, all never falling under Krell’s highest fidelity standards as far as possible.
Needless to say, the Krell Connect is Wi-Fi-equipped, and it will be available in two forms: digital only, or with a built-in Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) module. The latter will boast of a 32-bit ESS Sabre chipset with discrete, direct-coupled analog circuitry outputting via RCA or balanced audio outputs. As for the former (digital-only version), it will come with both coax and Toslink optical outputs.
You can also navigate through your rather well stocked audio libraries in a jiffy thanks to Connect’s integrated 3.5-inch QVGA LCD display, and as an alternative, full-featured iOS and Android apps also deliver full control on your device as long as it is within range. Other file formats supported via streaming include Ogg, WMA, and MP3, where gapless playback is made possible so that there need not be any breaks between album tracks.
Those who are interested can pick up the Krell Connect from this March onwards for $2,500 (digital only) and $3,500 (w/ Internal DAC) a pop.