KEF Q900's replace my LSi15's...pics
pearsall001
Posts: 5,093
I most certainly enjoyed the time I spent with the LSi15's but as fate would have it I got my ears on the KEF line. The New Q line, The XQ line & the Reference line to be exact. Of course the Ref series is a force to be reckoned with but I wasn't about to refinance my house. The XQ series is as stunning in looks as the Ref line & also sound spectacular. The New Q series is what really caught me off guard...unbelievable performance across the board & a price tag that had me & a host of others pondering how KEF can produce such a dynamic sounding speaker & price it so affordably. The Q line has a lot of the trickle down technology from their new Blade speaker. Another stunning speaker from KEF.
The Q900 pretty much bested the LSi15's in every aspect & not by a small margin either. The newly developed Uni-Q driver along with the tangerine wave guide is the heart & soul of the line & is remarkable to say the least. It's uncanny imagining, dynamics, power & finess, it's ability to fill a room & give all seated a near center presentation is just the tip of the iceberg. I also replaced the LSiC with the Q600 center for a perfectly matched L/C/R soundstage. Movies & music have taken on a whole new level of enjoyment. I'm still working on the surrounds but the LSi/FX will be staying for a little while longer. All in all I'm very pleased with making the move.
The Q900 pretty much bested the LSi15's in every aspect & not by a small margin either. The newly developed Uni-Q driver along with the tangerine wave guide is the heart & soul of the line & is remarkable to say the least. It's uncanny imagining, dynamics, power & finess, it's ability to fill a room & give all seated a near center presentation is just the tip of the iceberg. I also replaced the LSiC with the Q600 center for a perfectly matched L/C/R soundstage. Movies & music have taken on a whole new level of enjoyment. I'm still working on the surrounds but the LSi/FX will be staying for a little while longer. All in all I'm very pleased with making the move.
"2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
Post edited by pearsall001 on
Comments
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Very Nice. I have listened to that Uni-Q driver driver in another application and was amazed by the dynamics and impact it produced.I like speakers that are bigger than a small refrigerator but smaller than a big refrigerator:D
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Been a KEF and Uni-Q lover/owner since the 1980's....glad you finally made itCTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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Enough to recommend the XQ series over the LSiM?
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Enough to recommend the XQ series over the LSiM?)
That I couldn't tell you because I never heard the LSiM finished version, only a prototype at last years PolkFest. But if you're interested in the XQ series, they will probably be discounted shortly because they are being replaced with the New R Series. I listened to the XQ40 & XQ20...both were off the charts with superb sound & gorgeous looks & finishes. I actually passed up a killer deal on a pair of the XQ40's. The Q900 did it for me!"2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up. -
Found some demos for half off so I am tempted.
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"2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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Been a KEF and Uni-Q lover/owner since the 1980's....glad you finally made it
Better late then never! I always knew the KEF name but never saw any in my local audio stores. Now I'm glad I did."2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up. -
KEF makes some awesome stuff. Albeit pretty expensive for me as well.
I am not surprised the Q900's won over the LSi15's. -
Its always fun to get new gear....enjoy
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congrats on the new speakers...enjoy.
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Looks like a very nice speaker! Those 8 in drivers must produce some nice and punchy mids.
where did you set the frequency to for these speakers?
and how do you like the center channel?Living Room 7.1 HT Rig:
M70 | CS2 | M60 | Atrium5 - Surr. | SUB - Emotiva ULTRA12 + Tara Labs sub cable | Pioneer Elite VSX-52 | Parasound HCAs 1000A | Sony BDP-S790 | Belkin PureAV PF60 | MIT Exp2 Wires
Bedroom 5.0 HT Rig (Music/Movies/Gaming) :
LSi9 | LsiC | Lsi/fx | Marantz SR7002 | NAD T955 | Sony BDP-S360 | Belkin PureAV PF30 | AQ Blue Racer II ICs & AQ Type 4 wires | PS3 -
pearsall001 wrote: »I most certainly enjoyed the time I spent with the LSi15's but as fate would have it I got my ears on the KEF line. The New Q line, The XQ line & the Reference line to be exact. Of course the Ref series is a force to be reckoned with but I wasn't about to refinance my house. The XQ series is as stunning in looks as the Ref line & also sound spectacular. The New Q series is what really caught me off guard...unbelievable performance across the board & a price tag that had me & a host of others pondering how KEF can produce such a dynamic sounding speaker & price it so affordably. The Q line has a lot of the trickle down technology from their new Blade speaker. Another stunning speaker from KEF.
The Q900 pretty much bested the LSi15's in every aspect & not by a small margin either. The newly developed Uni-Q driver along with the tangerine wave guide is the heart & soul of the line & is remarkable to say the least. It's uncanny imagining, dynamics, power & finess, it's ability to fill a room & give all seated a near center presentation is just the tip of the iceberg. I also replaced the LSiC with the Q600 center for a perfectly matched L/C/R soundstage. Movies & music have taken on a whole new level of enjoyment. I'm still working on the surrounds but the LSi/FX will be staying for a little while longer. All in all I'm very pleased with making the move.
I am a big fan of Kef and used to own an entire q series 5.0 that included the iq70's, iq60c, and the IQ8ds. I sold them and went martin logan. I have been wanting ot go with the new q series as I love the 900 with the 8 inch drivers. I was just wondering was the XQ difference over the Q worth the price. I am looking at both lines but can not get my ear on a set of XQ's yet to determine if they are worth it over the new q900's. -
Congrats Phil, I haven't had an ear on a Kef in a good 10 years. From what I can remember though, they definately produced some nice sounds. I'm sure these are every bit as good as you say and well worth an audition.
On a second note, man...you have soo much infront of that TV, the only viewing angle is straight on. That would drive me nuts, but hey if it works for ya,fly with it.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Congrats Phil, I haven't had an ear on a Kef in a good 10 years. From what I can remember though, they definately produced some nice sounds. I'm sure these are every bit as good as you say and well worth an audition.
On a second note, man...you have soo much infront of that TV, the only viewing angle is straight on. That would drive me nuts, but hey if it works for ya,fly with it.
Tony, If you can listen to them again I highly recommend it. I was so impressed with their whole line to say the least. The Q900 really did it for me. I'm sure I'll be quite content for some time to come.
As far as the room goes, the pics are very misleading. The viewing area is great from all the seating areas. For some reason the pics make the room look very conjested. Or maybe it's my lousy picture taking abilities!!!"2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up. -
so i take it that they would crush to pieces my rtia7 setup? i have an opportunity to upgrade and was wondering how this kef would compare to def tech mythos sts.
any inpu t would be ver very appreciated. the reviews for both on stereophile are very good, although i beleive that the def tech surprised them more, but want input on people that have heard both.
thank you guys,
eduardo
p.s: nice setup by the way pearlHT:
POLK AUDIO RTI4 FRONTS
CSI3 CENTER
DEF TECH PROMONITOR800 SURROUNDS
PSW 125 SUB
PIONEER ELITE AVR23TXH AVR
APPLE TV 160GB
PANASONIC BLURAY PLAYER
50" PANASONIC PLASMA TCP50C2
2 CHANNEL:
KEF R300 THREE WAY BOOKSHELF GLOSS PIANO BLACK
ROTEL RC 990BX PRE
ROTEL RB 990BX AMP
OPPO DV980 (AS CD PLAYER)
PIONEER PL100 TURNTABLE WITH SHURE MX97E CART
MIT EXP2 SPEAKER CABLES -
Congrats! Perhaps a pair of C-55's would make great surrounds.
EDIT: But then again I guess they don't exactly match visually.--Gary--
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out. -
Congrats! Perhaps a pair of C-55's would make great surrounds.
EDIT: But then again I guess they don't exactly match visually.
A tad big for my application but thanks for the idea!"2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up. -
They are not THAT big.
--Gary--
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out. -
That's a GREAT speaker.CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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They are not THAT big.
You're right, the dimensions aren't really that big. The posted picture really makes them look a lot bigger then they really are. I just might do some looking around for a pair."2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up. -
Those are actually like 7" drivers. I have a pair of them, in oak finish. They are pretty decent speakers.--Gary--
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out. -
Lietuvis91 wrote: »Looks like a very nice speaker! Those 8 in drivers must produce some nice and punchy mids.
where did you set the frequency to for these speakers?
and how do you like the center channel?
I have the Q900's set at 50Hz crossover point. It works out great for both HT/2 channel. The Q600 center is a perfect match paired with the 900's & gives me the best front end soundstage I've had. The KEF Uni-Q driver is flat out awesome in it's performance."2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up. -
Those c-55's look awesome, don't believe I ever saw those before. I'm so broke these days I can't even pay attention.
Looks like a no brainer Phil, go getcha some.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Enjoy, Phil.
Congrats
H9"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
I've heard Kef speakers before and found them a bit bright. Have they improved?
Lately, I found that I want to stay away from the metal drivers, period. To me, soft dome tweeters and polymer/paper drivers sound more organic and less fatiguing than metal tweeters. Metal mid-range drivers in my experience cannot reproduce the sound of a nylon guitar string, yet good paper drivers can reproduce a realistic approximation of the metal guitar. But again, that's my experience, and obviously you found Kef speakers to be superior. -
I've heard Kef speakers before and found them a bit bright. Have they improved?
Lately, I found that I want to stay away from the metal drivers, period. To me, soft dome tweeters and polymer/paper drivers sound more organic and less fatiguing than metal tweeters. Metal mid-range drivers in my experience cannot reproduce the sound of a nylon guitar string, yet good paper drivers can reproduce a realistic approximation of the metal guitar. But again, that's my experience, and obviously you found Kef speakers to be superior.
There's nothing bright about these guys...might be time to get your ears on KEF again."2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up. -
pearsall001 wrote: »There's nothing bright about these guys...might be time to get your ears on KEF again.
Based on this thread, I took a chance and picked up a pair of KEF Q55's last week. No, not bright at all. Pretty dang smooth uppper-end and very respectable bass. They are keepers, and for me, that is saying alot.
DFW folks, I'll be thinning the herd soon so maybe set aside some spare change and keep your eyes open for some Sony SS-M3s, Design Acoustic PS-10s, and some Bostons VR-20s. Maybe more, but I'll start my own thread later this week...
Bottom line is I'm willing to let some pretty respectable speakers go back out the door to keep the KEFs that I bought on a whim. -
...KEFs that I bought on a whim.
LOL Dave......is there any other way to buy speakers ?HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
I too am tempted to pick these up. More and more, I've found it difficult to listen to music on my RTi A7s w/ LSi9s in the house.
The price is reasonable and the reviews have been good.
@pearsall001
I take it that these are more neutral on the high end like the LSis? How are they as full range speakers (bottom end, mid range)?ALL BOXED UP for a while until I save up for a new place
Home Theater:
KEF Q900s / MIT Shotgun S3 / MIT CVT2 ICs | KEF Q600C | Polk FXi5 | BJC Wire | Signal / AQ ICs | Shunyata / Pangea PCs | Pioneer Elite SC 57 | Parasound NC2100 Pre | NAD M25 | Marantz SA8001 | Schiit Gungnir DAC | SB Touch
2 Channel:
Polk LSi9 (xo mods), Polk DSW MicroPro 2000 sub | NAD c375BEE | W4S DAC1 | SB Touch | Marantz SA-8001 | MIT AVt 2 | Kimber Hero / AQ / Signal ICs | Shunyata / Signal PCs -
I too am tempted to pick these up. More and more, I've found it difficult to listen to music on my RTi A7s w/ LSi9s in the house.
The price is reasonable and the reviews have been good.
@pearsall001
I take it that these are more neutral on the high end like the LSis? How are they as full range speakers (bottom end, mid range)?
The KEF 900's simply get it right throughout the entire spectrum. The highs are crystal clear without being bright at all, the midrange is very warm & natural sounding, male & female voices are presented with realism, and the botton end is really up to snuf without being boxey or boomey. The KEF Uni-Q driver design is simply awesome in the way it reproduces sound, there isn't a bad seet in the room!. For both HT & 2 channel applications they are very engaging & have delighted me big time. Coming from the LSi15's (which by the way I did enjoy) the 900's are my choice hands down. In comparison the Polk LSiM line would be their competition, not the old LSi series."2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
