Is KEF no longer relevant?


It seems to me that 20 years ago Kef was quite a respected speaker manufacturer. Granted I knew far less back then about audiophilia, but for someone just starting out, that was my impression at the time.

Although Kef still makes speakers in the $5,000 - $15,000 range, they never seem to be the subject of serious discussion here on the 'Gon. These discussions are dominated by a group of the usual 20 or so suspects that we hear about over and over again. And no disrespect meant against that group - they are mostly, if not all, great speakers to be sure. But Kef certainly at one time was a pioneering and extrememly respected brand. What happened? Is this because they lost their "sound" after Raymond Cooke died? (an accusation I remember reading somewhere) Or are they just perceived as a "yesterday's news" brand?

No doubt there are many happy Kef owners out there who may answer this thread telling me how great their speakers are, even by today's standards, and I have no argument with them - I am a former Kef owner and very fond of the brand - but they clearly are not "darlings" of this forum. What happened?
studioray

Showing 1 response by flrnlamb

I've heard quite a few Kef set-up's here and there over the years, even sold some way back when at a chain stores some time ago. I've always found Kef's to be a nicely balanced sounding speaker across the board, at all levels, with a good even sound. While I haven't heard their high end offerings recently, I always remember them being good speakers for any given price range.
Yeah, maybe someone can update us here on any recent offerings we audiophiles should consider on the mid/upper to pricer end, cause, I lost count here in the US. yeah, I never hear much here, cause they probably don't market much over here either - which I suspect has a lot to do with it. Basically, no one sells them hard in my parts, anyway.