Heed Obelisk Si mk2 + KEF LS50

[Heisenberg]

The two products are winners according to What Hi-Fi magazine; my question is if they sound any good together. :? Any thoughts about this combo?

I already have the LS50s and am looking for a new amplifier to pair it with the speakers, with hopefully good effect.

 

[TheHomeCinemaCentre]

Welcome to the forum. The Heed is dynamite and is well worth an auditon - I dont see any reason it wont work with the KEFs and produce excellent results but you have to listen to be sure the combination is right for you.

 

[plastic penguin]

The two products are winners according to What Hi-Fi magazine; my question is if they sound any good together. :? Any thoughts about this combo?

I already have the LS50s and am looking for a new amplifier to pair it with the speakers, with hopefully good effect.

The only way to know for sure is to listen to the combo yourself. Just because both are award winners it doesn't guarantee you'll like it.

 

[Heisenberg]

Thanks for the replies!

I'll have to check the combo for myself as you say, but still, I would appreciate any feedback from those who already had a chance to listen to it.

BTW, has anybody on this forum experienced any technical problems with the new Heed amp? I've been recently alarmed by some Heed users on another forum that the Obelisk amp produces audible noise in standby mode, and when you listen to a CD source for example, and happen to switch the input selector to a non-used input (while the CD is still playing), you can still hear the music coming from CD when you turn up the volume to 12. : :exmark:

Are these problems a result of poor quality control (bad production run) or poor engineering ?

 

[jjbomber]

The two products are winners according to What Hi-Fi magazine; my question is if they sound any good together. :? Any thoughts about this combo?

I already have the LS50s and am looking for a new amplifier to pair it with the speakers, with hopefully good effect.

I heard them in my local dealers and they were stunning. It was a jazz CD played on a Bryston CD player and it sounded like the lady was in the shop with us. Not sure what it's like with heavier sounds, but for pop and jazz, it will take some beating. I was shopping for something else and just walked into a demo. Absolutely stopped me in my tracks.

 

[Heisenberg]

I heard them in my local dealers and they were stunning. It was a jazz CD played on a Bryston CD player and it sounded like the lady was in the shop with us. Not sure what it's like with heavier sounds, but for pop and jazz, it will take some beating. I was shopping for something else and just walked into a demo. Absolutely stopped me in my tracks.

I was worrying that the 35W might not be sufficient to drive the KEFs. Nice to hear that it isn't the case.

Now if only someone could confirm that the disturbing technical flaws described above aren't this amp's "standard features" ray:

 

[jcbrum]

I've been recently alarmed by some Heed users on another forum that the Obelisk amp produces audible noise in standby mode, and when you listen to a CD source for example, and happen to switch the input selector to a non-used input (while the CD is still playing), you can still hear the music coming from CD when you turn up the volume to 12. : :exmark:

Are these problems a result of poor quality control (bad production run) or poor engineering ?

I'm guessing, but I would think it's most likely to be poor engineering design. They shouldn't do that.

JC

 

[Heisenberg]

I'm guessing, but I would think it's most likely to be poor engineering design. They shouldn't do that.

JC

The question is, what should they do now?

Recall all faulty amps from the market?

 

[jcbrum]

I'm guessing, but I would think it's most likely to be poor engineering design. They shouldn't do that.

JC

The question is, what should they do now?

Recall all faulty amps from the market?

They might not know how to fix it.

You could try putting a shorting plug on the unused inputs.

JC

 

[Heisenberg]

They might not know how to fix it.

You could try putting a shorting plug on the unused inputs.

JC

I was planning to use 3 or 4 of the inputs for different sources, but now I don't think it's a good idea as it seems that the inputs weren't implemented properly and there might be some interference between them.

I've just learned that when you turn off your source connected to the amp (while the Obelisk is still on), some hiss starts to come out from the tweeters. Any idea why that happens?

 

[jcbrum]

Well, the hiss might have been there all the time, but be masked by a signal coming from the selected input.

However, if you think it wasn't, then it's probably caused by the input becoming unloaded.

It suggests to me that there are design inadequacies in the circuitry, possibly caused by ineffective de-coupling arrangements, or the generation of spurii, or an inappropriate selection of components, or maybe all three plus other reasons as well.

A good amp needs to be quiet, and is annoying when not so.

JC

 

[jcbrum]

p.s. the above assumes your interconnect cables are ok, and not faulty. Try removing the cable and see whether the hiss disappears. - JC

 

[Heisenberg]

p.s. the above assumes your interconnect cables are ok, and not faulty. Try removing the cable and see whether the hiss disappears. - JC

I'm told that the hiss is still there even if no source is connected to the Obelisk.

 

[Heisenberg]

Is it true that you can't turn on/off the amp and switch the source with the remote?

There's no mention of that in the What Hi-Fi review.

 

[Heisenberg]

However, if you think it wasn't, then it's probably caused by the input becoming unloaded.

It suggests to me that there are design inadequacies in the circuitry, possibly caused by ineffective de-coupling arrangements, or the generation of spurii, or an inappropriate selection of components, or maybe all three plus other reasons as well.

A good amp needs to be quiet, and is annoying when not so.

Thanks for the information, although it's pretty disappointing to hear. I hope that Heed will be able correct the design flaws ASAP.

 

[jcbrum]

I hope that Heed will be able correct the design flaws ASAP.

Hmmm, that might be problematical. I think Heed make the amplifier under licence, and the amp's designer died from cancer last month.

JC

 

[Heisenberg]

Didn't know about that. RIP.

Still, to my knowledge the Heed engineers introduced several changes under the hood of this amplifier so it's definitely not a 1:1 copy of the older design and they should be able to correct the flaws people are reporting.

 

[Heisenberg]

I bought the earlier version of the Heed Obelisk Si amplifier and to my great relief found out that none of the supposed "defects" were present in the unit I purchased. :dance:

There's no noise and/or interference problems. The amp is quiet as it should be. 8)

As for the SQ, it is splendid, with beautiful tone colours and clarity, the Heed amplifier drives the Kefs without effort. Really impressive.