Kef LS50 with Rega brio r

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radiorog

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Good luck with the k2. The k2bt is exceptional. First week it can sound a bit ropey, but it all comes together, incredibly insightful, big soundstage, very natural sounding. I could spout on for a long time how good it is, and I will do a proper review soon, but its a keeper for me. The amp is everything I've looked for in my 20 year quest for HiFi.....and then some....a lot of some!
 

ChrisIRL

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radiorog said:
Good luck with the k2. The k2bt is exceptional. First week it can sound a bit ropey, but it all comes together, incredibly insightful, big soundstage, very natural sounding. I could spout on for a long time how good it is, and I will do a proper review soon, but its a keeper for me. The amp is everything I've looked for in my 20 year quest for HiFi.....and then some....a lot of some!

Thanks, I am looking forward to trying it out. Did you ever compare the K2bt with the regular K2? I was always drawn to the K2bt but I have an Arcam rblink which I find excellent so that was the bt covered. The K2 price of course sealed the deal.
 

radiorog

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I didn't ever compare the two, but I did hear the k2 a couple of years ago in richer with not the best speakers, but I could tell it had a natural sound I was after. But it was out of budget.

There are several incarnations of the k2bt, with slightly differing components... Transformer and capacitors. How much this effects the sq I wouldn't like to say....yet...but next week I will be getting the very latest from production, which I believe sounds better than the one I currently have (I know this because I had one for two weeks but it had to go back as a speaker channel had a hum I didn't like), so we shall see next week. Of course the one I currently have could be best, or they could all sound indestguishable from each other, although the power I believe is slightly different on each, which would effect sound I believe, even if just a little....
 

tonky

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Well if price/value is the main reason I'd certainly go with that. Personally I would pay a bit more for the Marantz 8005 - but in terms of price/value the K2 looks good. The marantz was a great sounding combo with the LS50.

tonky
 

radiorog

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I had a Bluetooth device as well but I went for the BT because of favourable reviews and people saying it is slightly improved. HiFi news gave it integrated amp of the year 2014/2015.
 

radiorog

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Oh....and the looks really aren't that bad. I was pretty much dreading what it would look like once home, but maybe because what is reflecting in the front mirror panel is dark, it looks fine, and I actually like the looks.
 

Jota180

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ChrisIRL said:
A Roksan Kandy K2BT is the exact same price as the Elex R here. I do use bluetooth alot via my Arcam rblink which I find very good. Could be a nice all in one option. The Roksan is rated at something like 140W. Kef recommend no higher than 100w for the LS50s. Would there be potential issues with that pairing? The non bluetooth Roksan got 5 stars on here but the BT only 4. Are they not essentially the same amp? Can the 140W Roksan do low/ moderate volume listening well?

There's three parts to this and answers your question.

Part 1

http://www.kefdirectblog.com/kef-blog-audio-files/2014/1/7/which-amplifier-is-best-for-my-speakers-part-1-rms-peak-to-p.html

Part 2

http://www.kefdirectblog.com/kef-blog-audio-files/2014/1/7/which-amplifier-is-best-for-my-speakers-part-2-ripped-speake.html

Part 3

http://www.kefdirectblog.com/kef-blog-audio-files/2014/1/7/which-amplifier-is-best-for-my-speakers-part-3-compare-the-n.html
 

ChrisIRL

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Received the K2 today and I'm absolutely delighted with it!! As I hoped it has the best aspects of the Brio-r and Arcam A19 combined and improves on them. Bass is amazing and gives the slightly lean LS50 just the right amount of extra bass. Sound stage is huge, detail very good and yet it's still a punchy and exciting combo. I was a little concerned about low volume listening but it's perfect. Detail and bass remain at low volumes and there is zero channel imbalance obvious even at the amps lowest setting. Roksan supply a different remote now, it's very responsive, registers even tiny adjustments and best of all doesn't beep. The K2 looks far better in reality than I hoped too, it's just unphotogenic! All this for £399.
 

ChrisIRL

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Well so much for "all this for £399". The K2 gave up the ghost this evening after about 5 hours use since yesterday. I powered it up this evening and it won't lock onto the source input. Restarted it and the trip switch for the sitting room tripped.

Looking through the vents the pcb components look very different to pictures online, the board has K2 revision 8 printed on it. I read somewhere that a yellow wrapped generic transformer is now used versus the blue noratel Roksan originally used, my K2 is the generic. Possibly alot of the components are generic hence the pcb looking so different. As mentioned it did sound great so not worried about generics provided reliability is up to scratch. Perhaps just bad luck but I understand another forum member, Radiorog I think, had their recent K2 BT arrive faulty too.

The supplier of the amp is completely reputable too and they have provided me with many qualty components and top notch service over the past couple of years so no concern there.

Oh well, now to deal with the return. Ironically the two most expensive amps I've ever owned the 5si and now the K2 are the only ones that have caused me problems. Can't blame one for the other though I suppose. Still have the Brio-r thankfully, miss the K2 bass already though!!
 

juhunio

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ChrisIRL said:
Well so much for "all this for £399". The K2 gave up the ghost this evening after about 5 hours use since yesterday. I powered it up this evening and it won't lock onto the source input. Restarted it and the trip switch for the sitting room tripped.

Looking through the vents the pcb components look very different to pictures online, the board has K2 revision 8 printed on it. I read somewhere that a yellow wrapped generic transformer is now used versus the blue noratel Roksan originally used, my K2 is the generic. Possibly alot of the components are generic hence the pcb looking so different. As mentioned it did sound great so not worried about generics provided reliability is up to scratch. Perhaps just bad luck but I understand another forum member, Radiorog I think, had their recent K2 BT arrive faulty too.

The supplier of the amp is completely reputable too and they have provided me with many qualty components and top notch service over the past couple of years so no concern there.

Oh well, now to deal with the return. Ironically the two most expensive amps I've ever owned the 5si and now the K2 are the only ones that have caused me problems. Can't blame one for the other though I suppose. Still have the Brio-r thankfully, miss the K2 bass already though!!

FWIW, having dipped into this thread about 6 posts back, I had gone through weeks of trialling various amp/speaker combos, before hitting on the A19/LS50 combo and basically loving it, but feeling like you that it was maybe a little too laid back.

so, I had a home demo last weekend of the LS50s with the Elex-R, thinking that migth add the extra bit of life and excitement needed, but it didn't. It just became hard work, and no where near as listenable or scaled as the A19. I had had the same experience when trialing the Elex-R and Nait 5si through B&W and Spendor floorstanders, so there's something about the way those amps work, and floorstanding speakers, that just doesn't agree with my ears

So, I've ordered the A19 and LS50s, and added some QED XT40 speaker cable to see if that loosens up the midrange a bit. But even if it doesn't, I know I've made the right choice of amp and speakers to suit my ears, room, and source (RP6). Very happy, and excited about picking it all up tomorrow.

Good luck with your ongoing quest, maybe you'll end up back with the A19 after all!

cheers, Matt
 

ChrisIRL

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juhunio said:
ChrisIRL said:
Well so much for "all this for £399". The K2 gave up the ghost this evening after about 5 hours use since yesterday. I powered it up this evening and it won't lock onto the source input. Restarted it and the trip switch for the sitting room tripped.

Looking through the vents the pcb components look very different to pictures online, the board has K2 revision 8 printed on it. I read somewhere that a yellow wrapped generic transformer is now used versus the blue noratel Roksan originally used, my K2 is the generic. Possibly alot of the components are generic hence the pcb looking so different. As mentioned it did sound great so not worried about generics provided reliability is up to scratch. Perhaps just bad luck but I understand another forum member, Radiorog I think, had their recent K2 BT arrive faulty too.

The supplier of the amp is completely reputable too and they have provided me with many qualty components and top notch service over the past couple of years so no concern there.

Oh well, now to deal with the return. Ironically the two most expensive amps I've ever owned the 5si and now the K2 are the only ones that have caused me problems. Can't blame one for the other though I suppose. Still have the Brio-r thankfully, miss the K2 bass already though!!

FWIW, having dipped into this thread about 6 posts back, I had gone through weeks of trialling various amp/speaker combos, before hitting on the A19/LS50 combo and basically loving it, but feeling like you that it was maybe a little too laid back.

so, I had a home demo last weekend of the LS50s with the Elex-R, thinking that migth add the extra bit of life and excitement needed, but it didn't. It just became hard work, and no where near as listenable or scaled as the A19. I had had the same experience when trialing the Elex-R and Nait 5si through B&W and Spendor floorstanders, so there's something about the way those amps work, and floorstanding speakers, that just doesn't agree with my ears

So, I've ordered the A19 and LS50s, and added some QED XT40 speaker cable to see if that loosens up the midrange a bit. But even if it doesn't, I know I've made the right choice of amp and speakers to suit my ears, room, and source (RP6). Very happy, and excited about picking it all up tomorrow.

Good luck with your ongoing quest, maybe you'll end up back with the A19 after all!

cheers, Matt

If you still possibly can I urge you to try a Roksan Kandy K2 BT with the LS50s first. It retains everything I loved about the A19 and gives the sound everything else that was missing. Quite frankly it has brought the LS50s to the next level. Sorry!
 

juhunio

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ChrisIRL said:
juhunio said:
ChrisIRL said:
Well so much for "all this for £399". The K2 gave up the ghost this evening after about 5 hours use since yesterday. I powered it up this evening and it won't lock onto the source input. Restarted it and the trip switch for the sitting room tripped.

Looking through the vents the pcb components look very different to pictures online, the board has K2 revision 8 printed on it. I read somewhere that a yellow wrapped generic transformer is now used versus the blue noratel Roksan originally used, my K2 is the generic. Possibly alot of the components are generic hence the pcb looking so different. As mentioned it did sound great so not worried about generics provided reliability is up to scratch. Perhaps just bad luck but I understand another forum member, Radiorog I think, had their recent K2 BT arrive faulty too.

The supplier of the amp is completely reputable too and they have provided me with many qualty components and top notch service over the past couple of years so no concern there.

Oh well, now to deal with the return. Ironically the two most expensive amps I've ever owned the 5si and now the K2 are the only ones that have caused me problems. Can't blame one for the other though I suppose. Still have the Brio-r thankfully, miss the K2 bass already though!!

FWIW, having dipped into this thread about 6 posts back, I had gone through weeks of trialling various amp/speaker combos, before hitting on the A19/LS50 combo and basically loving it, but feeling like you that it was maybe a little too laid back.

so, I had a home demo last weekend of the LS50s with the Elex-R, thinking that migth add the extra bit of life and excitement needed, but it didn't. It just became hard work, and no where near as listenable or scaled as the A19. I had had the same experience when trialing the Elex-R and Nait 5si through B&W and Spendor floorstanders, so there's something about the way those amps work, and floorstanding speakers, that just doesn't agree with my ears

So, I've ordered the A19 and LS50s, and added some QED XT40 speaker cable to see if that loosens up the midrange a bit. But even if it doesn't, I know I've made the right choice of amp and speakers to suit my ears, room, and source (RP6). Very happy, and excited about picking it all up tomorrow.

Good luck with your ongoing quest, maybe you'll end up back with the A19 after all!

cheers, Matt

If you still possibly can I urge you to try a Roksan Kandy K2 BT with the LS50s first. It retains everything I loved about the A19 and gives the sound everything else that was missing. Quite frankly it has brought the LS50s to the next level. Sorry!

no need to apologise Chris, it's all subjective! Keep on enjoying...
 

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