KEF Reference MK I & II compared to B & W 803D/S & 805S

[Babur72]

Hi guys,

Has anyone out there heard both the KEF ref. MKI's & compared them to the newer KEF ref. MKII's?

I myself have heard the 203/II,205/II floorstanders,202/II centre & 208/II sub. & have to say i was mightily impressed.

How much of an improvement are they in comparison to the older ref. series?

And secondly how do the KEF ref. I/II's characteristics compare to the B&W 803D,803S,804S & 805S' which i'm also considering?

I'm toying with the idea of partnering the speakers with ARCAM's FMJ AV9 processor,FMJ P7 multi-channel power-amp. & with the FMJ DV139 as my source for movies,DVD audio & SACD.

But,whilst these ARCAM components & sources offer the kind of natural & near-neutral sound i aspire to for multi-channel audio,i'm still undecided about whether i should also be looking at seperate DAC's,transports,pre-amps. & monobloc power-amps. for optimum 2 channel stereo audio.

Would there be a discernable difference in the stereo performance between the two set-ups?

Any advice or help would be appreciated.

BABUR.

 

[Anonymous]

It depends on your priorities, surround or music. Mine would be music. I'd be tempted to blow your budget on the 802s and then the 700 series for the rest of the surround, or perhaps even their compact series. I doubt you'd need a sub if you have the 802s. I'm not much of an Arcam fan anymore, in my experience it's been natural but too smooth and undynamic. Primare have just come out with a new AV amp, that would be worth checking out. You could then have an extra Primare A30.2 power amp to biamp the B&Ws. I envy you, there are so many possibilities, enjoy!

 

[kungula]

hi, I havn' t had the opportunity to look closer at the new KEF 205/2 yet.
You could also compare them to the new Dynaudio Sapphire which are even more expensive.
Personally I believe these speakers play on a similar level as the 802 D.
It is finally your personal taste and your budget which should make you decide.
Remember the 802 D plays also well in a small room which is not so evident for the 803D.

Rgds