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New KEF Reference 5 speakers

After many months of auditioning speakers (and probably testing the patience of several salesmen) I finally decided to get the KEF Reference 5s.  I just loved the wide sound stage and almost holographic imaging, among other things.  They were delivered in February and I’ve spent many hours listening.  At first I was disappointed.  They just didn’t produce the same imaging at my house with my equipment as in the store.  Also, they sounded bright and harsh with violins and high end music.  The dealer came to my house along with the regional sales rep from KEF to provide advice.  They urged me to allow more break in time (at that point they had been played about 100 hours). After many more hours, I am becoming more acquainted with them.  They are still improving with time.  Them break in period seems to be very lon. They’ve played several hundred hours and are still improving. They are extremely source sensitive—meaning that a poorly engineered record or CD will sound terrible and a well recorded one can be great.  I suppose this is a good thing with the KEFS-that they reveal flaws so well says something about their accuracy. Unfortunately there seem to be more bad recordings than good ones so I’m finding many of my CDs and records very difficult to listen to.  I am still experimenting with speaker placement, learning which recordings are really good and which aren’t and other tweaks.  Not totally convinced it’s love but we are at least in like and the relationship is moving in a positive direction. I’ve delayed posting anything until now because I didn’t want to share any premature conclusions.  
fast
doryb
15 posts
 
Fast
Thanks for staying with this thread. I just acquired a pair of KEF Ref 5.  I set them up where I had the r500, and they didn't impress me. I read everything I could find on Audiogon (and appreciated your persistence)- once I cleared out ALL FURNITURE from the room- then set up the system , and placed the speakers correctly in the room- they came alive! They need a lot of space! I will need to get rid of some furniture. I am using the PARASOUND HALO (original) integrated (and using the Parasound DAC) . Although I don't have to raise the volume past the 9 O'Clock position to get really good holographic and open sound with strong bass- I feel I am not getting as much as I could from these speakers at lower volumes. I also like classical, and violins seem a bit edgy with the Parasound. Now I am going down the rabbit hole of thinking about a different amp/pre-amp.

In the old days I had the KEF Ref 105/2 with PS Audio pre amp and Adcom GFA 555- I loved that sound. Trying to get there again with the reference 5's. Either my memory remembers them better than they were- or I still have room for improvement with the Parasound... I would love to hear from any KEF REF 5, 3 or blade owners on amp matching. My brother swears by Van Alstine (Tube pre-amp, SS Amp). Anyone tried that with KEF reference ?
fast OP
92 posts
 
Doryb-glad your Ref5s improved when you moved furniture. It’s not clear whether you got the speakers new or used. If they’re new, they will need lots of time to reach maximum performance level (as you can tell from my prior posts) so stick with it.  They’re also very sensitive to placement as you’ve learned so don’t be reluctant to experiment.  You might even consult hiring someone with expertise in speaker placement, although this can be expensive.  As for electronics, I was using an Audio Research power amp and preamp.  I replaced the power amp with a Krell, mainly because I got tired of dealing with tubes. The Krell amp/Audio Research preamp sound great (although I am considering a new preamp as the Audio Research is 25 years old). The more I listen to the Ref 5s, the more impressed I am an happier that I patiently waited them out. Hope you have the same experience!
doryb
15 posts
 
Fast- please do report if you switch out the pre-amp. I'd love to know how that changes things. I just got new speaker cables (Morrow Audio bi-wired SP7's, upgrade from Tara Labs- prism) The clarity and openness of the sound from the speakers is just stunning. The SP7's added more clarity and detail. Even with mighty bass- the full spectrum of sound is clear as crystal. So I am going to live with the Parasound unless something life altering comes up, i.e. a PASS or a KRELL comes up dirt cheap- or if my brother really sells me on Van Alstine! I got the speakers from a dealer. Demo's. Not sure how much time they have on them. 60% off- I couldn't resist! 
fast OP
92 posts
 
Still trying to decide whether to get a new preamp and, if so, which one.  Obviously, it’s difficult to shop now.  I’m planning to try connecting my DAC directly to my power amp as an experiment to see if the Preamp is degrading the sound.  
My speaker wires are inexpensive Audioquests.  I’ve thought about replacing them but the wires run behind my baseboard for about 25 feet and then under some wood molding so all this would have to be removed and then replaced.  Not convinced it’s worth the trouble and expense...especially since my system sounds pretty good now.  
thegreenman
44 posts
 
Hi Fast

Thanks for your post! Appreciate it alot and it has been really encouraging to learn from your experience. :)
Have bought a kef reference 5 around 4-5 months back and felt the sound harsh/bright/unpalatable for half the songs - similar to your experience. After reading your article decided to break them in -- after 3 months they sound so much better -- smooth, sweet, with the correct "colour" that I didnt know existed but I liked!

Other things I did:
1. Shift them 1.5m away from the back wall
2. Tube rolling - changed the pre amp tubes to nos brimar 12au7 (using a primaluna dialogue HP 70watt tube integrated with EL34s)

Upcoming improvements
1. Upgrade source - just put in an order for doge 7 tube dac (currently using a $200 usb stick streaming spotify from phone :p) and subsequently maybe a innuos streamer.

Any updates about your system? :) And what did you do you felt made the greatest difference? :)

Thanks
Ben 
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