KEF Q900's replace my LSi15's...pics

Loud & Clear

Starting to really like British-made speakers. Thought really hard about buying a pair of KEFs a few months ago, sound unheard. Didn't do it. But I did buy a pair of Wharfedales and a pair of Mordaunt-Shorts sound unheard and, wow, they've both blown me away. I have NO doubt that the KEFs bring it to the table, too. These Brits seem to know a thing or two about sound.

cnh

newsman wrote: »

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 that same thing, occasionally. It pretty much depends on what is in the audio chain. You need some amplification that is a good match for the KEFs. Actually, a lot of amps/pres do fine with them-and that potential brightness is a boon for HT. Provides a wonderful sense of presence and detail that is "very" realistic with movie soundtracks (truly enveloping)!

I've always liked the Uni-Q driver myself. It makes sense and it does the job.

Phil, those 900s are also very pretty!


cnh

PrazVT

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.

I figured the Q900s would be an improvement since you were replacing LSi 15s - thanks for the confirmation. The hifi shop where I bought some power cables a year or so ago is also a KEF dealer - perhaps I should take a field trip down there today and listen to some. :biggrin:

Time to put up the RTi As for sale I guess.

leroyjr1

PrazVT wrote: »

I figured the Q900s would be an improvement since you were replacing LSi 15s - thanks for the confirmation. The hifi shop where I bought some power cables a year or so ago is also a KEF dealer - perhaps I should take a field trip down there today and listen to some. :biggrin:

Time to put up the RTi As for sale I guess.

If I were you I would get my ears on as many speakers as possible.

PrazVT

You're right Leroy - perhaps I should make a mix CD and make it an afternoon. The place I was thinking of is called Audio High - looks like they are dealers for the following:

Dali
Esoteric
Genelec
James Loudspeaker
KEF / KEF Reference
Niles
Meridian Audio
Peak Consult
SpeakerCraft
Spendor
Tetra Speakers
Velodyne

Calix
Dynaudio
Energy
Epos
Jamo
JL Audio
McIntosh Labs
Monitor Audio
Paradigm
Pioneer Electronics
Tantra

I recall the last time they demo'd one of those cost-no-object systems for me. Blew me away. Hence, I've been a little nervous about going back (though they were really cool) - what with my relatively modest means Anyway - let me not thread jack anymore!

Again - very pretty speakers Phil.

audiocr381ve

I hate awesome reviews! Now I'm seriously considering the KEF Q900's. They have a really clean, simple look that I really dig. I wonder what a used pair is going for :idea:

cnh

PrazVT wrote: »

You're right Leroy - perhaps I should make a mix CD and make it an afternoon. The place I was thinking of is called Audio High - looks like they are dealers for the following:

Dali
Esoteric
Genelec
James Loudspeaker
KEF / KEF Reference
Niles
Meridian Audio
Peak Consult
SpeakerCraft
Spendor
Tetra Speakers
Velodyne

Calix
Dynaudio
Energy
Epos
Jamo
JL Audio
McIntosh Labs
Monitor Audio
Paradigm
Pioneer Electronics
Tantra

I recall the last time they demo'd one of those cost-no-object systems for me. Blew me away. Hence, I've been a little nervous about going back (though they were really cool) - what with my relatively modest means Anyway - let me not thread jack anymore!

Again - very pretty speakers Phil.

And once you're done demoing all that. You'll be so "confused" that you'll need a good bottle of scotch and airfare for a Caribbean vacation. lol

A/B-ing speakers is really, really hard because there are so many variables and our short-term audio memory is not very good (see Henry Kloss who has suggested just how hard this is). Not that one shouldn't.

But let me give you an example. I have a set of Monitor 5As and a set of LSI-7s. Depending on the day, I can prefer the one to the other even though the 5As might be getting their power from an old JCV R-S33 receiver and the 7s from the NAD below. And there should not be "any" question as to which is the superior amp!

Then a day later, I'll wake up and supposedly come to my senses. LSi-7s on the NAD, cleaner, more detailed, more refined. Then in a moment of weakness, I'll say screw it! The Monitors are just "more pleasing" today! I'm in the mood for 5As, today and that's all! (Yeah, I know, I should A/B on the same amp, cables, etc. But this is the real world and the point is to exaggerate the differences so as to make this comparison seem absurd, i.e., an old 80s JVC entry receiver (probably needing a recap) vs a NAD?

Of course there are guys here that swear their responses are "always" consistent and that they've "worked" their way up the audiochain carefully and meticulously. That's certainly possible, and if so, they have better ears than I (and I've always had a very musical ear).

Enjoy the madness. If nothing else it's fun. But above all "don't let the 'doubting' human (all too human) self raise its head"!

We say the hobby is "subjective" but we "fail" to come to terms with the full meaning of subjectivity which includes the ability to doubt oneself, one's judgments and the judgments of any "other" self. Full of anxiety, doubt and contradiction, the human subject is a modern day Kierkegaard, hardly something anyone in audio would want to admit! lol

cnh

PrazVT

I totally agree cnh - it's very subjective. Hell, the reason my RTi As have stuck around as long as they have, after the LSi9s moved in, was that on some days after an hour or so listening, I was happy w/ them. But hours of listening on the LSi9s and even my headphones makes the differences in sonic signature cross that tolerance level I seem to have developed lol.

I spoke to the guy at Audio High just now. They did have the Q900s in store for a while, but apparently in his opinion they are a little overpowering for a 'small room'. And by 'small room' he means something like 14 x 20 - supposedly there's some review that says something similar. They have some Q700s there and I think the R series(?), so at least I can listen and get an idea of what the KEFs sound like. If I feel the bottom end is lacking then probably the 900s are the way to go.

Anyway, I made my mix CD and I'm heading out in a few to go enjoy the madness and have some fun

cnh

Have fun!

Maybe you should ask Phil how big his room is? From the pics it does not look to be much larger than what your guy called "small" but would be "medium" for me?

cnh

audiocr381ve

Pearsall, I'm interested in hearing what kind of speakers you've owned in the past. I'm seriously considering these.

PrazVT

Maybe you should ask Phil how big his room is? From the pics it does not look to be much larger than what your guy called "small" but would be "medium" for me?

Good question - Phil, how big is your room?

Mine is about 12 x 18 with a roughly 15 foot ceiling at its peak.

pearsall001

cnh wrote: »

Have fun!

Maybe you should ask Phil how big his room is? From the pics it does not look to be much larger than what your guy called "small" but would be "medium" for me?

cnh

My room is rather large at 13x33x7 ( over 3,000 cubic ft). This is considered as a large room. I also really liked the Q700's but I was afraid they wouldn't be able to tackle my size room. The Q900's are a perfect fit for my size room. Sound wise I found them to be pretty much equal except for the bottom end where the 900's were in a class all to themselves.

audiocr381ve wrote: »

Pearsall, I'm interested in hearing what kind of speakers you've owned in the past. I'm seriously considering these.

I'm really not one for swaping out speakers too often. I'll start with my first speakers, ProAc Studio 100's that were awesome & kept me happy for a number of years till the tweeters failed & then I figured it was time to pick up some new ones. My next pair were Energy C-7's which I really liked & they also kept me happy for quite a while. One of my friends really liked them also & he talked me into selling them to him. Now on to the AAD 2001 monitors which were simply stunning even for a room my size. They kept me happy for a few years, then I felt it was time to move on to something new. In steps the LSi15's which I always liked & I thought they would wet my whistle for a few more years. Then I made the mistake of getting my ears on KEF speakers...the rest is history, I had to have the Q900's. They really are that good.

PrazVT

listening to Brother's in Arms on the q700s right now. very sweet tweeter and great mid range. The bottom end is there, but I can tell where it falls off. would like 'em to go a little bit deeper but otherwise very crisp and clean sound.

audiocr381ve

pearsall001 wrote: »

My room is rather large at 13x33x7 ( over 3,000 cubic ft). This is considered as a large room. I also really liked the Q700's but I was afraid they wouldn't be able to tackle my size room. The Q900's are a perfect fit for my size room. Sound wise I found them to be pretty much equal except for the bottom end where the 900's were in a class all to themselves.



I'm really not one for swaping out speakers too often. I'll start with my first speakers, ProAc Studio 100's that were awesome & kept me happy for a number of years till the tweeters failed & then I figured it was time to pick up some new ones. My next pair were Energy C-7's which I really liked & they also kept me happy for quite a while. One of my friends really liked them also & he talked me into selling them to him. Now on to the AAD 2001 monitors which were simply stunning even for a room my size. They kept me happy for a few years, then I felt it was time to move on to something new. In steps the LSi15's which I always liked & I thought they would wet my whistle for a few more years. Then I made the mistake of getting my ears on KEF speakers...the rest is history, I had to have the Q900's. They really are that good.

Thanks for getting back to me. I'm seriously considering the Q700's now. Do you think I can get an accurate feel for these speakers by trying the Q700's and maybe upgrading in the future? I do have a medium sized room so they may work better anyway. Would love to hear your thoughts.

pearsall001

audiocr381ve wrote: »

Thanks for getting back to me. I'm seriously considering the Q700's now. Do you think I can get an accurate feel for these speakers by trying the Q700's and maybe upgrading in the future? I do have a medium sized room so they may work better anyway. Would love to hear your thoughts.

The Q700's are an amazing speaker & will be a very good fit for your room. Is there any possibility of bringing a pair home for a trial period? That would put all your questions to rest. If not I'm confident in recommending the 700's for your size room.

20hz

One of my best purchases was a kef 90 center (new) in ten years I changed everything except that 90 its very smooth and there is NO off axis problems I heard in ALL the other centers , I wish I could buy some matching mains but my funds go elsewhere
I just replaced the 90 with a model 100 its a 1/4" larger tweeter , biamp-able , has 2 ports and a tad larger .

PrazVT

I enjoyed the Q700s immensely - no brightness, great midrange. just needed a bit more bottom end which the 900s should provide.

I was very impressed after about an hour of listening to a variety of rock, classic rock, and electronica. Soundstage is wide and deep.

In short I have to say I liked them a lot!

audiocr381ve

PrazVT wrote: »

I enjoyed the Q700s immensely - no brightness, great midrange. just needed a bit more bottom end which the 900s should provide.

I was very impressed after about an hour of listening to a variety of rock, classic rock, and electronica. Soundstage is wide and deep.

In short I have to say I liked them a lot!

I gotz to have my bass! And GOOD bass. I would like my next speaker purchase to have a really nice textured, articulate, and accurate bass (probably 1 to many adjectives). WhatHiFi didn't have such nice things to say about the bass on these speakers. Do you guys think that's bologna?

PrazVT

the low end on the 700s is a little light - I don't think of was sloppy though. The stereophile review of the 900s I quote positive on the other hand. Anyway...I guess I will find out in about a week

PrazVT

sorry for the typos up there - haven't quite got the hang of typing on my android phone.

PrazVT

Soo...joining the KEF club I guess...

Picking up the Q900s and Q600C from Audio High on Saturday. They arrived yesterday, but I gotta wait until the weekend to get my cousin to bring his van down. I guess this is my birthday present to myself

newrival

setup looks sweet. I've recommended the KEF's to some friends. that driver is hugely impressive

pearsall001

PrazVT wrote: »

Soo...joining the KEF club I guess...

Picking up the Q900s and Q600C from Audio High on Saturday. They arrived yesterday, but I gotta wait until the weekend to get my cousin to bring his van down. I guess this is my birthday present to myself

Congrats & enjoy those bad boys!!! Of course you know that pics & a timely review are manditory around here. :razz:

chumlie

Nice setup. Congrats.

PrazVT

Congrats & enjoy those bad boys!!! Of course you know that pics & a timely review are manditory around here.

Thanks Phil - and thanks for putting the idea in my head lol. :cheesygrin: Really looking forward to getting them home. It'll be late in the afternoon before I pick 'em up though. One of the million Indian holidays is delaying my cousin from coming down to assist - in this case, 'Pongal' - an auspicious day marking the start of the sun's journey toward Capricorn. Not sure what that means, but I'll agree it's an auspicious day for me

BTW, just noticed you have the PSU upgrade for the DACMagic - coincidentally, I had ordered one for mine as well (have that in the living room) - but it's backordered right now. Do you like it?

blueboxer

These reviews are making me regret not grabbing some of their reference series when they were half off!!! Are these speakers power hungry or fairly efficient at 8 ohms?

PrazVT

Nice setup. Congrats.

Thanks!

These reviews are making me regret not grabbing some of their reference series when they were half off!!! Are these speakers power hungry or fairly efficient at 8 ohms?

They seem fairly efficient at 91dB sensitivity. The 700s I heard were only getting 70wpc and sang - Phil can comment on the 900s. Mine will be powered by a NAD M25. I have Signal Ultra bi-amp cables and was doing the whole passive bi-amp thing w/ the A7s. Since the upper binding posts are only connected to the tweeters, not sure whether to bother w/ these speakers. I have some Kimber 8TC around, but they're not long enough Have some Kimber 4VS that are long enough though. May have to experiment w/ the speaker wire.

polkfarmboy

I bet these KEF Q800ds dipole speakers sound awesome when mixed among a HT setup

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0048LTAJY/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00464C0KE&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0VFWQCBQ0FBB7ZPSSQ5F

PrazVT

Yup - that'll be the next step once the funds are replenished. Phil, are you getting these too?

bobsauto49

Im listening to mine as i type!(having a hard time concentrating)run off a Emo xpa-5! These speakers are amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!! Owned them for a week,let them break in,witout running them hard at all! Today,I let em go!!! F-in WOW! They make me horny! Thats all I got for u guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!