KEF R700 to bung or not

[Seakiwi]

To other owners of KEF R700 speakers, have you installed the bungs if so fully or partially and both ports?

I am playing around with the bungs in mine, positioned about 300ml from a rear wall and wonder about others experiences.

My previous KEF C80 speakers (circa 1988) had no ports but two sets of speaker connections, used depending on closeness to walls.

At the moment I have tried no bungs, both bungs and bungs in the lower port only and it is doing my head in as I seem to change my mind every second day and with different genres of music!

 

[CnoEvil]

This is a difficult questin to answer, as it has so many variables, such as:

- Room size

- Distance from walls/corners

- Seating position (if close to back wall).

- Quality of amplification

- Personal preference

- Room decor

- Type of music played

- How loud the music is played.

It is simply a matter of experimenting until you are happy. The R700s are great speakers, but they need a lot of control from the amp or they can sound boomy in a small room. Using the outer bungs may be the answer if you can't give them room to breathe.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Have you experimented with taking the centre piece out of the bungs? I usually find that using whole bungs just robs the speaker of its life and energy, but using the outer part of the supplied bungs calms the bass down, but leaves the true nature of the speaker intact.

You may very well find that certain bung combinations will suit different types of music or even your mood, but hey, at least you have the option!

 

[Andrewjvt]

no bungs at all - but if the bass was a little boomy id only put the lower outer one in

a trick i learnt from david at Frank Harvey is to have someone standing with the bungs ready to quickly insert whilst staying in the listening position

And i also agree that full bungs will rob the life out of them - also 300mm from wall may be a little close mine are 440mm away

 

[Covenanter]

I've never needed to try them.

Chris

 

[Covenanter]

I've never needed to try them.

Chris

 

[Seakiwi]

thanks for the replies guys.

I guess I am trying to be too binary, too many years in the computer industry!

I have a very unusual room shape with a sloping ceiling rising to 12 foot high (from 8ft) in the centre. The room is 24 ft by 14 ft with another room 22 ft x 15ft opening off the end the speakers are at, through an open 11 ft archway, so lots of "enhancement" to the sound!

Amp is an early 90's Technics SU-VX800 running in "Extended Direct Drive" mode, source is an Oppo 105D connected by XLR with lossless FLAC on a NAS, and a Technics DD TT.

My initial approach was that I would need the bungs but now I find that I prefer the sound without for all vocal/instrumental but with the lower bungs in for ensemble/rock/big band etc. I may just have to admit there is no right answer for all genres, although I haven't tried just the outer bungs yet, so will do that as well.

BTW, I love the speakers they have a been an absolute revelation even with my "vintage" amp.

 

[CnoEvil]

BTW, I love the speakers they have a been an absolute revelation even with my "vintage" amp.

You are barely scratching the surface of what they can do. A more competent amp could even sort more of your issues.

 

[Seakiwi]

BTW, I love the speakers they have a been an absolute revelation even with my "vintage" amp.

You are barely scratching the surface of what they can do. A more competent amp could even sort more of your issues.

Ahh, you have stumbled on next years project, already compiling a list, but brands like Electrocompaniet and Abrahamsen are not distributed down here in NZ.

We have one dealer in Auckland selling a "selection" of Hegel.

 

[Andrewjvt]

Seakiwi said

We have one dealer in Auckland selling a "selection" of Hegel.

I say: you wont go wrong

 

[CnoEvil]

Ahh, you have stumbled on next years project, already compiling a list, but brands like Electrocompaniet and Abrahamsen are not distributed down here in NZ.

We have one dealer in Auckland selling a "selection" of Hegel.

Perreaux are from NZ, and are well worth checking out (as well as Hegel).

 

[Seakiwi]

Surprisingly Perreaux are quite difficult to buy in NZ. They have one nationwide chain as their retail presence, and they basically don't hold stock, particularly of the 150i and 250i. I think they export about 80% of their production anyway. They are also based in Dunedin and I am in Auckland which is some 1400 Km away.

So it is very hard verging on impossible to get any of the amps I would be interested in in my room with my speakers. Makes decisions very difficult and is probably one of the reasons I have stuck with my "vintage" Technics gear and KEF C80 speakers for so long. It is hard to drop so much money in the blind hope that it is going to sound right when you get it home!

Edited for spelling and sense

 

[Seakiwi]

But back to the original subject.

I am now running the speakers without bungs at all and having moved them forward slightly (now 300mm) I am liking the sound across "most" genres. May just reduce the toe-in a little more as well.

 

[MickyBlue]

when i had my R Series i used the outer bungs. all down to room/placement equiptment etc...

 

[Frank Harvey]

I do find it a little odd with the R Series. Speakers with a healthy bass presence usually need loads of space and/or bungs. A number of people have said that they're more than happy with the sound with no bungs at all. Obviously they've been designed to work with no bungs, but end users aren't complaining about too much bass. Presumably this is down to the R&D done on the ports themselves, and maybe why KEF didn't go the bung route for the Reference series.

 

[Seakiwi]

I think the pictorial instructions that come with the speakers lead you to believe that if you are placing them anywhere near a corner you should install the bungs. Which ones and full or half are left to your imagination.

I made the mistake of starting from the "I will need the bungs" position and then struggled as I was unsure whether I was hearing the result of reducing/removing the bungs or the limitations of my amp as the speakers came to life(thanks for the prod in that direction CnoEvil)

I am now certain that they are better without the bungs and that I need a new amp!

 

[CnoEvil]

I made the mistake of starting from the "I will need the bungs" position and then struggled as I was unsure whether I was hearing the result of reducing/removing the bungs or the limitations of my amp as the speakers came to life (thanks for the prod in that direction CnoEvil)

I am now certain that they are better without the bungs and that I need a new amp!

Glad to help.

The R700s are my favorite speakers in their price range and (imo) the sweetspot of the range.

They like a clean powerful amp with lots of current and control. A good source also helps.

 

[Covenanter]

I made the mistake of starting from the "I will need the bungs" position and then struggled as I was unsure whether I was hearing the result of reducing/removing the bungs or the limitations of my amp as the speakers came to life (thanks for the prod in that direction CnoEvil)

I am now certain that they are better without the bungs and that I need a new amp!

Glad to help.

The R700s are my favorite speakers in their price range and (imo) the sweetspot of the range.

They like a clean powerful amp with lots of current and control. A good source also helps.

I listened this afternoon to Anne Sophie von Otter's Douce France this afternoon and she could have been on the roon. (I have heard her live and know her voice.) People think you need an amp with mega-watts to control these speakers. You don't! What you need is a well-made amp. Ok I don't listen at ear-damaging levels but I do listen at levels that are loud enough to shake the furniture.

I speak from knowledge not impressions!

Chris

 

[CnoEvil]

People think you need an amp with mega-watts to control these speakers. You don't!

My amp has only 35W into 8 Ohms (but loads of current), so I agree.

I try to suggest components that imo. put the music first.

 

[plastic penguin]

From personal experience bungs are unnecessary. It's true they do reduce any frequency nasties, but if only more care is taken about choice of speaker with regards room size, bungs shouldn't be needed.

I know that my RS6s could and should have been too overpowering for the room... but weren't. Both my old RS6s and now the TB2is were/are sited a tad under 2 ft from the back room and sound terrific.

 

[Covenanter]

People think you need an amp with mega-watts to control these speakers. You don't!

My amp has only 35W into 8 Ohms (but loads of current), so I agree.

I try to suggest components that imo. put the music first.

We often disagree but I think we do both listen to the music!

Chris