Kef R900 vs. LS50+2subs

[Esra]

Anybody can tell something about R900?Any experience?

Just pulled the trigger for a demo-pair R900 in order to replace and upgrade my MA Rx6 which i intend to use as additional BS in my HT if the Kefs can stay.Will be driven by Audiolab M-Dac and 8200P amp.I could also use 8200MB if the 8200P gets short.Room is not well damped and around 40sqm.Listening position is around 3.5meters.Hope it is a good choice,first buy without listening at home.If i dislike i can send them back.Other alternative would have been LS50.Then I would have needed additional stands and two subs.So I decided to give the R900 a try instead.

 

[Esra]

Yes David i also think the point is the effortless what i hope to get with the R900.I think the ls50 as good they are,are not up to the room even supported with two subs.Hope the R900 are able to deliver as much detail as the LS50 and not been overwhelmed by bass.

I could demo the new Reference Series at the dealer ,1 and 3,and besides the huge price I was not very impressed in comparison to say a R700 which was also plugged in,not worth the huge +++ at the moment where you cant get discount for Refs imo.I would rather much prefer the PMC 26 instead of Ref 3 for nearly same price if i had to pay full price.I found Ref1 also better than Ref3,weird yes,maybe room.They were driven with Arcam A49 and Accuphase E600.

So maybe the R900 are a good compromise between sound and what I can afford.

David do you think the 8200P is up to the R900?

 

[Esra]

Ok the big boxes arrived.First thought was,man these are huge and heavy,lets unpack ...and hope they deliver.I would not be very happy if I have to pack them again to send them back.

I unpacked very carefully,mounted spikes and just placed them where the other speakers stood before.Package is well tought, the speakers arrived without anything to complain,perfect build quality at this price imo.And thank god they are smaller than first imagined but still huge being nearly twice big as my MA RX6, def. impressive looks.

I hooked up everything,seems to work ,no weird sounds from the drivers.Now playing gently in and with first few songs it seems no problem for the Audiolab 8200P driving them properly.Of course i will check a few weeks later if they benefit significantly from better and more powerfull amplification.Now I will let them play a hundred hours and sit down for serious listening after that.Sounds promising and I am sure things will get even better after running in and finding the optimal position.What i don´t like is that they are really huge and tend to distract my eye,hmmm curious about what my better half will think tonight although I warned before.

 

[Frank Harvey]

It'd be an interesting comparison, but the R900s will have greater output and sound more effortless, even if the LS50s were back up by a couple of subs.

 

[Esra]

If I drive R900 with 2x100Watt into 8 Ohm I got more bass response (fat bass) and a slightly darker sound in comparison to if I drive them with 2x250Watt into 8 Ohm(sleaker bass).I am Using the same Preamp and both amps are from Audiolab,speakers at the same position.Do I suppose right,that the weaker amp is not sufficient enough or is it just the different sound signature?I didn´t notice any clipping with the weaker amp but it sounds with the stronger amps more right to me but also a little more harsh.

Opinions appreciated,thank you.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Without knowing the amps you're using I can't say for certain, but it sounds like the 250w amp is controlling the speakers better, so bass is tighter, with less overhang on bass notes.

 

[Esra]

Without knowing the amps you're using I can't say for certain, but it sounds like the 250w amp is controlling the speakers better, so bass is tighter, with less overhang on bass notes.

The amps are Audiolab 8200P<> 2x8200MB,I use the M-Dac as Pre.Both setups connected via same interconnects.

-up- and any ideas?