KEF iQ7se or B&W 685

[admin_exported]

Can anyone help which is the most suitable of these 2 speakers????

The KEF is now in a similar price range to the B&W685's but no need to pay for stands.

Currently I am using the MA BR2's with a Marantz PM7001KI and SA7001. Really like the sound, but I am after more bass and attack.

Listen to a wide range of music, acoustics, female vocals, soul, dance, rap. No classic and limited jazz.

Have considered the Mission E34 as they are supposed to be good match for the Marantz gear.

 

[d_a_n1979]

Having heard the KEF IQ5SE's they were very good BUT i still would go for the B&W 685's as they offer a much more open soundstage and better clarity but still have superb bass.

I understand where youre comng from re buying floorstanders over standmounts and then not needing to have stands BUT buying decent stands for the 685's, IMO, makes them alot better then a majority of floorstanders you can buy under £800; possibly £1k. More so for your taste in music...

 

[Anonymous]

I agree, i was really a bit shocked at how good the bass was from the 685s, I had them on Super Dreadnoughts, but I think I might go for the B&W FS700? stands, they look better and have a much larger top plate I think (the Super's top plate is v small)

 

[drummerman]

Hi

The Kef's are very good speakers but they don't impress like others in a short dem. Bass is very tight and in essence they sound like a very good standmount. You have to listen for yourself which one you prefer but at current discounted prices, the iQ7's are, in my opinion, very good. A speaker with a grown-up sound perhaps? They also latch on to rythm nicely. Faults ... treble could be a tad more open.

regards

 

[Anonymous]

Having listened to both of those models extensively I would say the 685s had more clarity and precision whereas the IQ had a much more enveloping staging and more powerful bass.

Or to put it another way, the B&Ws impressed me with their pin sharp resolution and prowess while the KEF's put a huge smile on my face and immersed me into the music.I was very impressed with what the 685 could do but technicalities aside, they didn't thrill me the way KEFs did.

And the KEFs that actually thrilled me the most weren't even the 7se, but their little brothers, the IQ5se. They have a clearer and more focused sound than the 7se. The 7s sounded a tad more bass heavy and the sound felt like it has lost a certain sparkle in those bigger cabins. Also, they were twice the price of the 5s, and I couldn't justify that difference.

But, if you want the best of both worlds, the precision and clarity of the 685 and the enveloping staging of the KEF, I have also listened to the 684s and they were simply breathtaking. I had to cut my listening short for not to quadruple my budget to be able to get them.

Definitely give all of them a good blast and see what you like though, I am just putting in my 5 cents and none of the above carries more claim to validity than a very personal opinion.

 

[matthewpiano]

Another very personal opinion here, but I don't think the 685s would be an upgrade from your BR2s. Yes, you'll get more bass but you'll also lose the excellent integration across the frequency range and sheer immersive musicality of the MAs. Alternatively, have you thought about trying the BR5s? You seem to really enjoy your BR2s, and the 5s would be very much the same but with greater bass extension.

Again, as with other users, this is only a very personal opinion and one from someone who was left completely cold by the 685s at that.

 

[Cypher]

I agree with matthewpiano. The 685 are nice speakers but not an upgrade from the BR2's. I had the BR2's for a year and bought the 685 to upgrade but to my disappointment they were not better than the BR2. I still can't hear what all the fuss is about, the 685 are nice speakers but nothing special IMO.

 

[the record spot]

If you're prepared to extend your search a little, the Q Acoustics 1050i is a lot of very good speaker for little outlay apparently. Big boxes but not shabby sound - Hi Fi World and What Hi Fi both rate them well too. HFW just gave them their speaker of the year award so they'll give you the scale you want and the bass depth I think that the SA7001 needs.

Before you splash the cash, try out the Audioquest Copperhead interconnect. About £60 but was a worthwhile investment for me as it brought more bass into play when it replaced my Nordost Blue Heaven. See if you can try a pair out before you buy (I didn't check what i/c you currently use); they made a positive difference for me and I enjoy the SA7001 more now.

I think the SA7001 is a tricky player to partner. Lovely sound, but it needs more careful matching than a lot of Marantz gear. I'd try the cable and then seek out the Q's for a demo (plus you can get them for nearly £100 off in some places by the way which makes them a superb buy).

EDIT: Incidentally, according to the HFW review, the 1050i's are that rarest of breeds - a sub-£500 floorstander that sounds good (in case you were sceptical!) and will apparently withstand a good upgrade or two as well.

 

[John Duncan]

Tannoy Mercury F4s from Richer Sounds for £150.

 

[Anonymous]

having just listend to these to recently, i dropped for the Kef's, I liked the b+w and to honest i was listening to them with a mj sub, so being able to describe which one is best for low end is proberbly lost with me on this, and the wife changed tack saying it had to floor standers, so i had other things to consider, but having listend to the kefs a few times i'd plum for kefs anyway. At the price of under £400, i found them having a very nice complete sound. clear and captivatiing without being over sharp which i feel sometimes can be Missed-classed as clarity when after sustained listening can be come harsh. (i am not saying the 685 are this, i just didn't listen to them long enough. 20mins)

i don't think you'd be dissapointed either way, maybe have look after the pros and cons of stand mount / floormounts. but more importantly go and have a listen

 

[d_a_n1979]

You really do need to demo both.

The B&W speakers are superb sounding but they need to be partnered with the right separates and IMO; they better with certain types of music.

The KEF's are brilliant and more so for their money but again, IMO, theyre sound isnt to my liking and i find that the treble is sometimes marred by the midrange as Kef's use the Uni-Q driver system (it incorporates the tweeter into the mid/bass driver).

I think you need to demo both ASAP to get a good idea of what they soundlike and also, with demoing the B&W 685s' if theyre new speakers or have hardly been used they can sound cold and a bit bland, try, if you can, to find somewhere that has used them for a good amount of time then at least you know then youll be hearing them at theyre best!

 

[Anonymous]

the record spot:If you're prepared to extend your search a little, the Q Acoustics 1050i is a lot of very good speaker for little outlay apparently. Big boxes but not shabby sound - Hi Fi World and What Hi Fi both rate them well too. HFW just gave them their speaker of the year award so they'll give you the scale you want and the bass depth I think that the SA7001 needs. Before you splash the cash, try out the Audioquest Copperhead interconnect. About £60 but was a worthwhile investment for me as it brought more bass into play when it replaced my Nordost Blue Heaven. See if you can try a pair out before you buy (I didn't check what i/c you currently use); they made a positive difference for me and I enjoy the SA7001 more now. I think the SA7001 is a tricky player to partner. Lovely sound, but it needs more careful matching than a lot of Marantz gear. I'd try the cable and then seek out the Q's for a demo (plus you can get them for nearly £100 off in some places by the way which makes them a superb buy). EDIT: Incidentally, according to the HFW review, the 1050i's are that rarest of breeds - a sub-£500 floorstander that sounds good (in case you were sceptical!) and will apparently withstand a good upgrade or two as well.

Support for the Q acoustics 1050i? I think im the only person in the world who bought a pair of these!

 

[the record spot]

I think they lose out on their finish which is a non-starter compared to Quad's speakers for instance. Equally, they're as good, if not better than the Tannoy Mercury F4s that look like they've been thrown together. It's a matter of taste and the graphite black finish looks very contemporary in fairness. The wood effect is a no-no for me.

The great thing about Q is they are really a continuation of Mission in the 1990s - the guy that worked for them then apparently set up Q Acoustics and they're now garnering the kind of reviews Mission got back then.

I think Q are arguably the most exciting brand to hit the home hifi market in years; good designs, budget aware, but punches way above its weight. I'd love to see them do a higher quality range with a better finish, but that might be the next project!

Here's a link to the parent group's site; folk might recognise a few names in there...!

http://www.armourhe.co.uk/brands/aboutbrands.htm