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Neuphonix said:
Ffffffk me! :bounce:
What finish? What do you like about them? Are they connected up? How do they sound in your room? What did you demo them with? Do they have enough bass for 2 channel withiut a sub? Do you agree with my assessment?
Did they come with all the accessories ie. Lovely wooden box housing things like: Spikes, Metal Feet, Spirit Level, Spanner etc
Make sure you have the "boundary compensation bungs in the right place.
CnoEvil said:
Mwaaaahahahahaha!!! :twisted:
Sorry to just pop that up there and then leave, had to go to a family dinner. Considered calling in sick so I could stay at home and play with my new beauties!
So, I have to say that I did go along feeling that there was a certain serendipity at play, speakers that you've been banging on about for so long, exactly the right price, right colour & at a dealer who is very open to trades.
They are a trade in set, about two years old & in mint condition except for minor damge to one of the small circular grills, finish is gloss black.
The demo went well, I bought my Akurate from that dealer & have got to know him a bit. It is one of the most boutique stores in Sydney, lots of exotic kit. They don't actually stock Kef, but when I saw the 205s on their website I knew I had to go check them out.
Unfortunately the listening room was not networked so was unable to listen to them with a Linn DS. Amps were Pass Lab 60watt class A monoblocks, Pre amp was VTL 5.5(?) & a Metro Done CD player. All very nice.
Took a misture of CDs with me, blues, funk, dance, hip-hop, vocal. Pretty much from the moment I started I didn't wipe the smile from my face or stop tapping my foot, they handled everything with amplomb.
What do I like about them? Well mid-range for a start, oh how I have been missing it! And bass, so full and rich. They are slightly forward, but nowhere near as forward as the Diablos. Definitely a beautiful looking speaker, big but not too imposing, great curves 8)
They are hooked up at home now, but haven't has much time to play around with them. Initial impressions are very good, as you have been saying a great match for the AMS.
Unfortunately the lovely wooden box did not come with them
(I was so looking forward to that box!). I guess the previous owner must have kept it for his cuff links or some such. All the extra bits are present however & I have a perfect velour zip up pouch thing which will serve nicely. Haven't spiked them yet, will play around with position for a while before going there.The boundary compensation plugs are present, ATM I only have the bass ones in place. Will spend some time working those out.
I very much doubt that I will be using my subs for Hifi anymore. Removing the crossover was a good thing, it was introducing some unwanted noise. I'll move it on soon.
So yes a small step back for a big jump forward, absolutely, I couldn't be happier. Will still borrow an M6-500i for a week to play around, but if my Yamaha is up to the job for AV duties, then I can't really see myself parting with the AMS gear. The dealer was saying that he recomended just running the AV via an AUX input on the Primo, still not entirely sold on that but will have a think. Few issues around wife & overly complex systems etc to be ironed out.
Thanks again for all the input, you've been a voice of reason. God it feels so good to be back to floorstanders again, what the hell was I thinking!
BTW, don't you think you should send me over a set of your custom cutting boards? I've made some pretty decent contributions towards your Christmas bonus in the last year or so now 🙂
The "Boundary Bungs" should be screwed into the two outside holes to keep everything "Flat" (see Uni Balance adjustment in manual P.14/15).
If you haven't got a manual, you should download a copy here: http://www.kef.com/uploads/files/en/series_pdf/reference_manual_en.pdf
Are you on a suspended wooden floor - I can't remember?
Nb. I would replace the links on the back of the speakers with something decent (usually same as the cable you're using)
I'll be surprised if the magic is still there with the 205/2s and the M6 500i.....don't make any decisions until you have everything set up correctly.
Did you ever hear the VA.....or are these Refs exactly what you're looking for?
FWIW. I'm delighted that at last, someone else has now heard what I've been boring everyone silly about for the last couple of years.
If you haven't got a manual, you should download a copy here: http://www.kef.com/uploads/files/en/series_pdf/reference_manual_en.pdf
Are you on a suspended wooden floor - I can't remember?
Nb. I would replace the links on the back of the speakers with something decent (usually same as the cable you're using)
I'll be surprised if the magic is still there with the 205/2s and the M6 500i.....don't make any decisions until you have everything set up correctly.
Did you ever hear the VA.....or are these Refs exactly what you're looking for?
FWIW. I'm delighted that at last, someone else has now heard what I've been boring everyone silly about for the last couple of years.
matt49 said:
Indeed as well as a bit of :cheers:
& some :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:
a dash of :twisted:
Very Very 8) 8) 8)
More :beer: :beer: :beer:
Lots of :rockout: :rockout: :rockout: :rockout: & :rant: :rant: :rant:
The wife is doing this :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:
While I :clap:
All in all the emoticons are quite busy over here at the moment 😛
CnoEvil said:
I do have a copy of the manual but haven't read it all yet. But basically you're saying that all bungs should be in place (ie. all three holes filled) for a flat response & then remove to taylor the sound to suit?
Floor is carpet, can you send me the link for your cutting board set-up please? I'm thinking some sort of stylish granite tablety things.
I have already replaced the links with the same cable as I'm using. Just a nice thick OFC, nothing special. One of the pairs of links that were supplied were too short which left me scratching my head. So just spend 15 minutes in the garage and replaced the lot of them. Can't give you a judgement on how they sound in comparison, but functionally they're much better ( a bit longer & much more flexible).
You're probably right about the M6, I very much doubt that I'll end up going there. Perhaps I'll leave it for a month or two before considering that experiment.
No I didn't end up hearing the VAs (my speaker demo / purchase is significantly lesss exhaustive than Matts!). The dealer that I bought the 205 from did have a pair of Mahlers in stock, but I didn't get a chance to hear them. We talked about them but he felt the VAs, while good, were much more laid back & the KEFs were a better match for my musical tastes.
TBH there were a few other reasons at play. The dealer who stocks the VAs are more of a mass market type shop. Still very good at what they do and always happy to talk, just less boutiqe than the shop I bought the KEFs from. I put it on them to do a trade deal on the Diablos & they said they would consider it, but after calling them back three times & still getting no answer I just read that they weren't interested.
In terms of money the KEFs were much more appealing as well, their RRP is prety much the same as the Diablos with stands, so it meant that I was staying in the same price bracket. The VAs were half that, so while still a great speaker, re-sell would probably end up being a lot less.
The look of the KEF is much more appealing to me, much prefer the curves over the traditional box design of the VA.
The KEFs are front ported, which for my room should work better.
And honestly, once I had heard the 205s, I really couldn't be bothered. As I said, the whole thing just had this serendipitous feel to it, right speakers, right price, right dealer, right colour, right sound, just felt natural to let go & flow with it. Love they way the universe just clicks into place at times 🙂
Re Uni Balance: Put in the two outside bungs ie. leaving the middle one out. Nb. Leaving the middle one "in place" (ie. all 3 holes filled), tips the treble up by + 0.75 dB.
Pics of platform (which is only needed if the floor is wooden and suspended / floating): http://www.whathifi.com/forum/your-system/bens-hifi?page=2
FWIW. I think the VAs would be a better match for the M6 500i, whereas the neutrality of the Refs bring out the beauty of the Class A.
Pics of platform (which is only needed if the floor is wooden and suspended / floating): http://www.whathifi.com/forum/your-system/bens-hifi?page=2
FWIW. I think the VAs would be a better match for the M6 500i, whereas the neutrality of the Refs bring out the beauty of the Class A.
CnoEvil said:
Thanks mate, bungs are in place now.
I can see that your platform is on carpet? But you say only required for floating floors? I'd say at this point I'll just start with spiking only, would like to keep the height down as low as possible.
It's 8:30 in the morning over here now so I can't really put the stereo on. I just keep on turning around and staring at them with this goofy smile on my face for a minute or so, then back to the keyboard!!
Macspur said:
Thanks Mac 🙂
I could tell by your first reply you must have thought that I'd turned a screw lose or something! 😉
Feeling great about my system right now. TBH ever since I bought the Diablos I had lingering doubts Tried to convince myself about the fine top end & beautiful looks, but always in my heart I knew that I'd made a mistake.
Just feel lucky that I was able to change back to where I want to be with-out having to take a bath.
Look forward to reading about your experiences.
Neuphonix said:
Centre hole left empty, I hope....otherwise it can sound a little too bright.
Neuphonix said:
My carpet is covering floorboards, which have a 5' gap underneath them, into which the bass seems to drain away......this is why I have to de-couple the speakers from it. In other cases, it can act like a big resonance chamber, causing boomyness.
The Uni-Q arrangement means the Kefs are much less susceptible to beaming......so tweeter height is a little less important, and the sweet spot is bigger, which is great for HT.
If your floor has concrete in it, you are better using the spikes, which sinks the unwanted resonance into it.
CnoEvil said:
Yes centre hole is empty. Can I ask have you played around with this feature much & can you hear an appreciable difference with the different configurations?
OK point taken about the floor, spikes it is then. They're pretty much positioned where they will live, but will leave it for a while until I'm completely satisified. Much harder to move these babies around by myself once they're bedded down.
Did I mention my goofy smile yet?
:rofl:Neuphonix said:
I have only messed with the treble ones.
The difference it makes is subtle but noticeable.....I prefer it in the "flat" position.
Here is an interesting take on which of the three terminals to connect the speaker cable to (under Set Up from 4th para down): http://www.ultraaudio.com/equipment/kef_reference_203_2.htm
It may be worth experimenting. It doesn't apply to me as my S/C is tri-wired.
It may be worth experimenting. It doesn't apply to me as my S/C is tri-wired.
ah just read the full thread, so the kefs and ams are on my got to hear list, up there with sugden and proac
CnoEvil said:
Interesting, thanks for that.
Had to laugh, If I weren’t already in a significant relationship with a French loudspeaker, I’d be tempted." Having just parted ways with a pair of french beauties myself
At this stage the jumpers are of the same cable type as my main runs, but I will toy around with the different terminals to see if I can discern any difference.
Did you try single wiring yours with jumpers before moving to a tri-wire set-up?
BTW the guy at the dealership said that Linn are about the release a firmware upgrade that will include Spotify connectivity as well as a couple of other significant new features.
Neuphonix said:
Briefly.
I had them bi-amped with the AVR600, and wired them as per manual.
Have you read these: http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/floor-standing-speakers/floor-standing-speakers-reviews/a-secrets-speaker-review32.html
and: http://www.4audio.rs/upload/File/KEF/hi-fiPlus_kef%20250_lowres.pdf
and: http://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=91:kef-reference-2052-loudspeakers&catid=55&Itemid=4
and: http://techreview.storefreegames.com/home-theater/kef-reference-205-2-speakers-review-best-choice-for-your-entertainment
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