Kef 201/2 your impressions and comparisons

Mofojo,

Get ahold of Acudeftechguy on either AH or AVS sites.......he has them and will be happy to give you a response ( he usually has nothing but extreme praise for them).............

I have both the KEF 201/2 and KEF 205/2. The 201/2 are very good but sound somewhat constrained compared to larger speakers. However, that's to be expected from a bookshelf sized full range speaker. Be sure to have a good quality, high powered amp to get the most potential out of the 201/2.

There's a add ending today for a pair of KEF 201/2 with stands for $4000. I paid a member $2500 for my KEF 201/2 and then found used KEF 201/2 stands for $350. However, I had to wait several years to find prices this low.

I think you should listen to USHER CP-777 or CP-8571 if you already own USHER BE-718.
My opinion on the KEF 201/2 : i think there are not transparent speakers but more focus on the medium and bass medium on the spectrum. Many top of the line products cheat on medium frequencies to create an artificial "musical" speaker. I auditioned them on my quest to the best transparent speaker. It's not as colored as Tannoy but too warm for me. I'd rather buy a warm electronic on a neutral speaker than a neutral electronic on a warm speaker cause it's more difficult to go back on a speaker. With non-transparent speakers, it will be also difficult to optimize the system with cables cause it will be impossible to ear much differences between wires.

So try to go up the ladder on USHER AUDIO speakers and i think you're gonna change your mind. If you like a little warm on neutral, try the CP-777.

I think you should listen to USHER CP-777 or CP-8571 if you already own USHER BE-718.
My opinion on the KEF 201/2 : i think there are not transparent speakers but more focus on the medium and bass medium on the spectrum. Many top of the line products cheat on medium frequencies to create an artificial "musical" speaker. I auditioned them on my quest to the best transparent speaker. It's not as colored as Tannoy but too warm for me. I'd rather buy a warm electronic on a neutral speaker than a neutral electronic on a warm speaker cause it's more difficult to go back on a speaker. With non-transparent speakers, it will be also difficult to optimize the system with cables cause it will be impossible to ear much differences between wires.

So try to go up the ladder on USHER AUDIO speakers and i think you're gonna change your mind. If you like a little warm on neutral, try the CP-777.

Iblieve, I listened to these on a tube amp and I did not hear anything remotely warm about them. If anything they were bordering on too much detail. To my ears my Ushers are are the warm side. I guess we all hear differently. Just curious what was powering these when you heard them? The old Reference series 1 I have heard were warm but series 2 are one of the most neutral speakers available according to measurements. The Ushers for sure are great sounding speakers but IMO only on certain types of music (not rock music). I cannot speak for the other models only the BE 718.

Stay on USHER AUDIO and try the CP-777 speakers.

Before buying my BE-10, i tried the KEF. Even if those speakers are better than B&W 800 serie or other high-end speaker, there were no contest facing the Usher...

@Mofojo :

I heard the KEF serie 2 with pass labs integrated amplifier and a exposure CD player. May be the electronics were too warm but when i tried those electronics on other speakers, the warmth was gone...
The USHER CP-777 is far better than the BE-718. The MINI-ONE is more neutral than the BE-718. The 718's monitor shape is probably the one to blame. The new MINI-X is more neutral. If you're able to try the CP-8571, you'll be amazed by the impact of this speaker. It shakes your guts!
Anyway i can't find the same level of precision on highs without the DMD tweeter from USHER. It's sharp and smooth at the same time. harshness it's a big issue on many other tweeter technology. I think USHER created probably the best driver ever...

Interesting that the OP found the 50W Cayin A100T had enough juice to drive the KEF 201/2. I have had a pair for about two months and found it a difficult load to drive. They like power and high current, with lots of reserve to maximize dynamics. When I switched to Pass X250.5, the 201/2s snapped to life. The 201/2 puts out a very clean and hall forward presentation. Bass, however, is not a standout feature of the 201/2, and I use them with a sub (but then, IMHO, all monitors need a sub). I am currently A/B'ing the Linn Akurate 212 (a super monitor that plays huge and musical) and the KEFs. I still can't quite get used to KEF''s uni-q tweeter -- its not that I don't like it, I do, but at times (i.e., with some recordings) it gets a bit hard/fatiguing. That said, I'm liking the speaker overall.

The Cayin is 100W per channel. I had heard it pushing B&W 802N at the dealer with plenty of headroom and tight bass. Pretty balsey amp actually. Not real tubey sounding. Went ahead and bought the 201s. So far very happy with them. Love the detail. Lots more detail than my Usher BE 718 and edges out the paradigm in detail also. Mating with JL F113. Still trying to get them synced up a little better but for most music sounds excellent.

Just a note that my main musical taste is rock and metal and classic rock.. The Cayin is IMO better than any SS amp I have heard for this type of music. It's a fast little fucker and the dose of tubes takes the edge off and makes the guitars a little more crunchy while keeping everything well separated. I was running Odyssey Stratos plus on the Ushers before I got the Cayin. It's high current 150W per channel. The Cayin sounds more powerful than the Odyssey to my ears. I still have not tried the Odyssey with the KEF. maybe this weekend.

Ah, my error on the the Cayin power rating (I read the specs too quickly). I am not familiar with the amp, but your experience speaks well of it.

Good luck with the 201/2. I'm running a JL F112 with them. Keep adjusting and you'll get them synched with the sub. We too listen to a lot of rock and metal (including lots of live material). I use an external crossover and have the high pass to the 201/2s at around 120 Hz, to take the bass load off the 201/2s and free them up. At that XO, the 201/2 with the sub is delivering really strong mids and upper bass, and lots of slam, all the while delivering it clearly and sweetly. I do, however, wish the speakers had a bit wider dispersion, as we do not confine ourselves to the sweet spot.

My cayin does not have a pre out so i have the sub hooked up by the speaker wires. Basically put another set of speaker wires from the output terminals and splice in resistors and then splice into rcas and then into the sub. I have been trying to figure out a way to put in a external crossover but I do not think it will work without a separate pre amp. the cayins pre amp section cannot be separated from the amp stage. So that leaves me running the speakers full range. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. You can however use a different pre amp with the Cayin and bypass its own but I don't really want to invest in a separate pre amp.