I know this thread is 5 years old, but its funny considering that KEF is on a roll now. |
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I'm about to bring a pair of R700's home for an audition so I'll be in a better position to answer the question this time next week.
As a KEF owner for 29 years I am cautiously optimistic |
Don't forget to post your thoughts on the R900 ,Rang. |
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Just noticed one of the anular donuts is shot on my 104.2's. Which means all 4 woofers should be fixed.
Not sure I want to sink a ton of money into these 29 year old speakers.
If these R700's pass the test I may just have to keep them.
But I also want to hear the Revel F206 before making any decisions |
The Revel are very nice. They come with the benefit of having an enormous amount of money to throw at R&D. |
Last year I downsized to Kef Q900 speakers, and am very happy with their sound. To me they're an audio bargain. It was my first return to Kef after having owned the 105.2 many years ago. While that speaker was a very fine one in terms of imaging, midrange and upper/mid bass reproduction, its tweeter was a bit rough. The Q900's tweeter is a horse of a different color. |
Not sure how long it takes to break in these R700's. Left them on all day, probably have about 30 hours on them.
So far they're OK, not great, not bad.
Bass better than expected but that may be the amp and positioning.
One review mentions they can be a bit coarse in the vocals. I hear a bit of that.
And I agree with the Stereophile review....the highs seem slightly reticent.
Nowhere near the openess and presence of my 104.2's.
Nice speakers and though the verdict isn't in yet, I'm leaning away from them so far. Too bad, I doubt I'll get the Revels anywhere near the same price |
My R300's took about 100 hours or so to break-in.. They now sound WONDERFUL.
Yes, they are relevant.. and their new reference series is awesome.. LS50 is class a rated.. |
I must be getting close to that 100 hour threshold. I think they sound a bit better, the highs seems more prominent though not necessarily as airey as I'd like.
Bass performance continues to impress. The dealer said "they don't have much bass" but maybe that's what happens when you run them with a middle of the road AVR in a big noisy demo room |
Interesting thread. Lots of replies and for a long period of time; so I'll chime in. I purchased a set of Kef 3-2 Reference speakers back in 1995. They replaced my JBL L-65 speakers purchased in 1978. I've been content with the sound quality, although, I'm not sure I would do a repeat purchase of this specific model design with the 'opposed firing' bass speakers (woofers). I've ran them bi-wired, single wired, solid state and tubed. They are holding up well after, my goodness, 20 years already......... |
Still not sure about the R700's I have home on demo. The dealer will take them back, as agreed but isn't keen to so they are offering to knock off another 10% on an already very good price.
They are sounding better as they break in.
Tried the Revel F206 this weekend and though I liked them in the store, I knew within 30 seconds of listening at home that they were a no-go. Supposedly "smooth" treble but my immediate thought was " ouch...metal dome tweeters".
The KEFs, despite also having a metal tweeter, are much sweeter.
Just wish they had more midrange presence. |
While living in the metro Boston area 16 years ago I blew a (Single)Kef Driver in my Rogers LS35a. I found a new set at Cambridge Sound Works for approximately $150. I replaced only one and sealed the second as a spare. My Rogers paired with their Sub Woofer, though >30 years old out performed my Intros when connected with my CR Amp. When I reconfigured all of my speakers with my HK Home Theatre I used the Intros for front left and right; Rogers for Rear Left and Right; and a B&W Center Channel.
Yes, there's certainly a heaven ... |
Today, I replaced an 80's era KEF Reference 102 that I was using as a center speaker with an R 600C that seems a much better match to the Reference 107/2s. I'll balance levels tomorrow, but it sounds quite good as is.
For music, I still think I prefer the phantom center the 107/2s generate, but I'll do some more listening. The Cary Cinema 11a has movie and music modes, so one mode can be with a center speaker, the other without.
db |
If they are not relevant then I need to check them out because somehow they manage to sell a lot of speakers. That's some trick! |
I love my R300s. They sound amazing. passive bi-amped with tubes and solid state and fed vinyl through a Denon 103r. Not heard anything better than this combo to date. |
So how are the R700's doing ? they must have a good few hundred hours on them? |
KEF is very relevant. Their entry level Q300 model is very easy to drive, making it an excellent choice for use with inexpensive receivers. Things get better as you move up the line. Check out their website. There is something there for everybody, including hard core audiphiles. |
A tip for near field recording/monitoring speaker users: The older model (or even newer) "uni-Q" speakers which are VERY inexpensive and sound massively better than bullshit laden so called "pro" speakers. I have an old pair (bought new) of Q10s that are front ported 6 ohm treasures that haven't aged one bit. |
"...sound massively better than bullshit laden so called 'pro' speakers."
I'm not real knowledgeable about pro speakers. Could you enlighten me as to what the "bullshit" is so I can avoid stepping in it? THANKS.
-Bob |
I'm talking mostly about passive monitors...KEFs can generally sound vastly
better for nearfield playback than many "pro" audio or guitar store
brands like the nauseating Yamaha NS10s that I had to put up with here and
there over the years. Clearly I'm still traumatized by those...*shudder*...you're
welcome! |
