Kef q750

chris_bates1974

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Feb 28, 2013
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I havent't heard them, but have heard that they are an improvementover the Q700, which I have and love.

The only issue is that postioning needs to be taken care off to stop the bass going nuts!!!
 

peterpan

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Still no dealer here who has the new q750. It will be Tannoy xt8f for 110O Gbp OR these kef's. A dealer meant kef better for current rock and metal than Tannoy. The Tannoy looks much better
 
Q

QuestForThe13thNote

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I've never got the idea of these types of speakers in uk homes for a relative budget speaker. All those drivers even if some are passive. I don't know why kef can't just produce a nice single tweeter / single bass driver floorstander speakers at this price. For better timing too. All this complexity at this price, means you get less overall sound quality per pound. And most people don't need that type of size speaker in the living room for standard living room sizes in the U.K. The q series and the r series don't compete with similar price speakers from pmc, spendor, pro ac, atc with more simpler designs, even if you don't get floorstanders with these brands. And I'd have the tannoy 8's anyday of the week over these speakers. The lS50 and ls50 actives are really good, why can't kef produce a simpler speaker like that but higher end, to fill the void to the kef ref ones. Rather they seem to go for all these bass boxes. I must admit I haven't heard them, but the r700 aren't exactly the best at the price, and if it's a lower spec speaker, it won't be as good. Neats around that price are better too.
 

Andrewjvt

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QuestForThe13thNote said:
I've never got the idea of these types of speakers in uk homes for a relative budget speaker.  All those drivers even if some are passive. I don't know why kef can't just produce a nice single tweeter / single bass driver floorstander speakers at this price. For better timing too. All this complexity at this price, means you get less overall sound quality per pound. And most people don't need that type of size speaker in the living room for standard living room sizes in the U.K.   The q series and the r series don't compete with similar price speakers from pmc, spendor, pro ac, atc with more simpler designs, even if you don't get floorstanders with these brands. And I'd have the tannoy 8's anyday of the week over these speakers. The lS50 and ls50 actives are really good, why can't kef produce a simpler speaker like that but higher end, to fill the void to the kef ref ones. Rather they seem to go for all these bass boxes. I must admit I haven't heard them, but the r700 aren't exactly the best at the price, and if it's a lower spec speaker, it won't be as good. Neats around that price are better too. 

The kef r series are exactly that: a mid range speaker lower than reference series in quality but better than the q series.

Also all these kef speakers are passive but what you are talking about is the bass radiator drivers in the q series floor stander models.
 
QuestForThe13thNote said:
I've never got the idea of these types of speakers in uk homes for a relative budget speaker. All those drivers even if some are passive. I don't know why kef can't just produce a nice single tweeter / single bass driver floorstander speakers at this price. For better timing too. All this complexity at this price, means you get less overall sound quality per pound.
The passive radiators are used instead of reflex ports - rear ports will produce booming, whereas passive radiators do not, and usually allow speakers to be used nearer to room boundaries. KEF aren't the only manufacturer to do this - higher end manufacturers like Wilson Benesch also used this approach in their Square series.

And most people don't need that type of size speaker in the living room for standard living room sizes in the U.K.
I agree people don't need large speakers in the average living room, which is one reason why I set up what I started my business. I'll still do larger speakers for those that have larger rooms or need the output, bass response etc.

The q series and the r series don't compete with similar price speakers from pmc, spendor, pro ac, atc with more simpler designs, even if you don't get floorstanders with these brands. And I'd have the tannoy 8's anyday of the week over these speakers.
Spendor, PMC, and ProAc produce very little below £1000, with only ATC producing the SCM7 at around the same price as the LS50. Simple design? Q150, Q350, LS50, and R100 are all simple designs, and they've even thrown a three-way model in under £1k too - how many other manufacturers can boast that?

When the R Series was originally produce, the bar was raised with regards to quality, and what you get for your money. Many other manufacturers saw a drop in business because of the R Series' popularity. A large number of people heard speakers from numerous manufacturers, then tried the equivalent R Series model, and wondered how the other manufacturers can charge their asking prices!

As for what sounds good/better, personal preference plays a large part in this, and also hapearing the R Series set up properly with a suitable amplifier. I reckon about half of those who have heard R Series have never heard them sound how they were designed to.

The lS50 and ls50 actives are really good, why can't kef produce a simpler speaker like that but higher end, to fill the void to the kef ref ones. Rather they seem to go for all these bass boxes. I must admit I haven't heard them, but the r700 aren't exactly the best at the price, and if it's a lower spec speaker, it won't be as good. Neats around that price are better too.
As above, used properly, the R Series doesn't boom - they're tight and fast, with the ability to dig deep for the size of cabinet, with low distortion too. Maybe booking a well set up demonstration and actually listening to them may give you a better standpoint to comment on them,
 
Q

QuestForThe13thNote

Guest
davidf said:
QuestForThe13thNote said:
I've never got the idea of these types of speakers in uk homes for a relative budget speaker. All those drivers even if some are passive. I don't know why kef can't just produce a nice single tweeter / single bass driver floorstander speakers at this price. For better timing too. All this complexity at this price, means you get less overall sound quality per pound.
The passive radiators are used instead of reflex ports - rear ports will produce booming, whereas passive radiators do not, and usually allow speakers to be used nearer to room boundaries. KEF aren't the only manufacturer to do this - higher end manufacturers like Wilson Benesch also used this approach in their Square series.

And most people don't need that type of size speaker in the living room for standard living room sizes in the U.K.
I agree people don't need large speakers in the average living room, which is one reason why I set up what I started my business. I'll still do larger speakers for those that have larger rooms or need the output, bass response etc.

The q series and the r series don't compete with similar price speakers from pmc, spendor, pro ac, atc with more simpler designs, even if you don't get floorstanders with these brands. And I'd have the tannoy 8's anyday of the week over these speakers.
Spendor, PMC, and ProAc produce very little below £1000, with only ATC producing the SCM7 at around the same price as the LS50. Simple design? Q150, Q350, LS50, and R100 are all simple designs, and they've even thrown a three-way model in under £1k too - how many other manufacturers can boast that?

When the R Series was originally produce, the bar was raised with regards to quality, and what you get for your money. Many other manufacturers saw a drop in business because of the R Series' popularity. A large number of people heard speakers from numerous manufacturers, then tried the equivalent R Series model, and wondered how the other manufacturers can charge their asking prices!

As for what sounds good/better, personal preference plays a large part in this, and also hapearing the R Series set up properly with a suitable amplifier. I reckon about half of those who have heard R Series have never heard them sound how they were designed to.

The lS50 and ls50 actives are really good, why can't kef produce a simpler speaker like that but higher end, to fill the void to the kef ref ones. Rather they seem to go for all these bass boxes. I must admit I haven't heard them, but the r700 aren't exactly the best at the price, and if it's a lower spec speaker, it won't be as good. Neats around that price are better too.
As above, used properly, the R Series doesn't boom - they're tight and fast, with the ability to dig deep for the size of cabinet, with low distortion too. Maybe booking a well set up demonstration and actually listening to them may give you a better standpoint to comment on them,

thing is when you take account of discounts you can get some pmc's for around a grand. like the 20-21. Obviously a different speaker, but I'd rather have that than a big kef with all those drivers. And the problem with those passive drivers is timing alignment, which a smaller simpler speaker can do better. But as it does more of the bits that matter than the kefs like the r300 etc, I'd rather have them. I get how the tuning thing, but it's not just about brightness. The transmission line seems to really help with distortion. And the tightness of bass and dynamics of the kef r series like the r700 is not like some better pmc's, atcs, spendor etc.
 
insider9 said:
Giving him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe one day he'll realise that EQ exists and all these bright speakers can sound the way he likes.
From a tonal point of view. There are still fundamental differences between speakers that EQ doesn't or can't change/improve. Most people tend to choose a speaker for a reason - the last thing you want to do is EQ that reason out! :)
 
QuestForThe13thNote said:
thing is when you take account of discounts you can get some pmc's for around a grand. like the 20-21. Obviously a different speaker, but I'd rather have that than a big kef with all those drivers. And the problem with those passive drivers is timing alignment, which a smaller simpler speaker can do better. But as it does more of the bits that matter than the kefs like the r300 etc, I'd rather have them. I get how the tuning thing, but it's not just about brightness. The transmission line seems to really help with distortion. And the tightness of bass and dynamics of the kef r series like the r700 is not like some better pmc's, atcs, spendor etc.
Again, you've already admitted you've not heard them, so you can't really comment on what the R Series is capable of. Price (or more accurately, discounts) isn't really the focus here - you can only fairly compare the normal retail prices of the speakers, as all speakers have been made to a budget, and they need to be compared to other speakers in the same budget. Comparing a £1500 floorstander is a very valid comparison to a £1500 standmount speaker, but not really valid when compared to a £2500 standmount speaker.

Both the Twenty.21 and the R300 have their positives and negatives, as all speakers will. The choice for the end user is choosing the speaker with the negatives that you can live with or address in some way. Some characteristics may suit a particular system or room, or the listener's preferences. As it is, the R300 and Twenty.21 are quite different from a tonal point of view (if not using the foam bungs for the KEFs), with those differences drastically reduced with the introduction of the Twenty5 range. Take from that what you will.
 

insider9

Well-known member
davidf said:
insider9 said:
Giving him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe one day he'll realise that EQ exists and all these bright speakers can sound the way he likes.
From a tonal point of view. There are still fundamental differences between speakers that EQ doesn't or can't change/improve. Most people tend to choose a speaker for a reason - the last thing you want to do is EQ that reason out! :)
I don't disagree. The thing is OP dismissed EVERY speaker to date as too bright sounding and not fit for metal. This includes Lindsayt suggestions of going with vintage gear.

With such approach I doubt the conventional wisdom will work here.
 
Q

QuestForThe13thNote

Guest
I've heard the r series - 300 and 700 but not the new speaker which is placed at a lower price. I think you can compare discounts - absolutely, the question is about getting the best for your money.

I wouldn't compare a £1500 standmount to a £1500 floorstander, the problem being the best standmount at that price is probably going to sound better in most areas, simply because the cost of production of the floorstanding cabinets makes the quality of driver components less good, for what is achievable at the price. Simple economics. I've got floorstanders because of the aesthetics which I like, but I don't think you can say the R300 is in a class to do something better or worse in some areas than the 20-21 with a discount, because the 20-21 does things a better in most areas. It would do its a speaker originally around nearly double the price. But if I had to pick between the kef q floorstander speaker and say a discounted 20-21, knowing what I do about pmc and the r series, I'd go for the 21 (or similar atc spendor etc) and compromise on things like scale and volume, just because the pmc would get the essential ingredients done better, to make it a better speaker. If I'm honest I don't think people realise how good a discount is, I'm as guilty of that as anyone often I suppose but I did trade ins
 

rainsoothe

Well-known member
insider9 said:
davidf said:
insider9 said:
Giving him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe one day he'll realise that EQ exists and all these bright speakers can sound the way he likes.
From a tonal point of view. There are still fundamental differences between speakers that EQ doesn't or can't change/improve. Most people tend to choose a speaker for a reason - the last thing you want to do is EQ that reason out! :)
I don't disagree. The thing is OP dismissed EVERY speaker to date as too bright sounding and not fit for metal. This includes Lindsayt suggestions of going with vintage gear.

With such approach I doubt the conventional wisdom will work here.

Yea, it usually goes like

- Peterpan: "what speaker/amp for metal that is not bright? I only want suggestions between A and B, thank you"

- Forumite 1: "well, if it's only between A and B, I'd chose B, but C, D and E are much more apropriate"

- Forumite 2: "you should also try F"

- Peterpan: "no, only A or B"

(10 good suggestions later)

- Peterpan: "how about X?" (X = something that came out of nowhere, but that probably had some recent good press)
 
Q

QuestForThe13thNote

Guest
this is what one Review said about kef r900 v pmc 25-23 below. Echoes my previous thoights. So if choosing the tannoy or kef I'd have a look at the smaller discounted standmount pmc's or like atc etc, as over the kef q or r series, if things like dynamics are really important, they will do it better. But the TL design of the pmc shows you don't need all the complexity of all the drivers and as the article says can actually get deeper bass with a smaller driver.

KEF’s R900 (£2,749)
is a big mid-price floorstander with twin 8in bass drivers and the company’s Uni-Q tweeter/midrange driver array. In short, it’s an interestingly engineered speaker, which turns out to be extremely capable on demonstration. Just
as well for the PMC twenty5.23 then, that it is too. The former has superb stereo imaging and great power and punch, whereas the latter exceeds even this in terms of the vast tracts of low, even bass it can deliver – and its super dynamic tracking ability. The PMC cannot match the KEF’s excellent, pin-point stereo soundstaging, even if it is still very good in this respect.
 

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