From jjmcs49@yahoo.com Tue May 11 14:56:35 2010
Subject:Re: XK-1 Vs. XK-2 Re-visited

The New B3 was the first of the next generation and had a new sound engine (newer than the XK-2). The XK-3 was developed based on the sound engine in the New B3. The XK-1 uses the same basic sound engine as the New B3/XK-3 but has fewer adjustments and tweaks available. It also has a newer and improved DSP capability (ie: C/V and digital Leslie) than the XK-3. When the time came to update the product line and take advantage of several years worth of improvements in computing and DSP power H/S started with the XK-3c and developed it first. It has a new sound engine and much improved DSP (C/V and digital LEslie etc.) capabilities. The new sound engine was then adapted fot the "New B3 MkII". So far the newest generation of sound engine has not been put in a new generation of XK-1.

The XK-3 had a built in tube preamp, the XK-1 does not. The XK-3c has a newer more adjustable tube preamp and the New B3 MkII has a tube preamp that is quite a bit different from the one in the '3c. One tube is in a preamp circuit and is used for warmth/overdrive and the other is in what they call a "Buffer - Tube Amp" circuit along with a transformer. It provides a power amp tone I believe.