Ken Kreisel Quattro Series

[JohnHolmes]

Looking at the prices here:- http://www.lsound.eu/catalogsearch/result/?q=ken+kreisel

for the front 3 that I would be interested in would be £2357.

I must say I was hoping they would be more in line pricewise with the MK 950s.

Anyway can't wait to find out how good they will be.

 

[Frank Harvey]

The Quattros use three extra HF units, so will sound more refined with less distortion. They'll be capable of higher SPL's due to the higher efficiency, and you'll also get the benefits of the Quattro HF array. This involves concentrating the higher frequencies more toward the user rather than having it being reflected off any nearby walls. Also, the HF units can ease the load of the mid/bass driver too by dealing with some of the upper mid notes that a cone isn't great at doing. At about £800 each, which is only a little more than I expected, they're still going to have the capability of sounding better than S150's, but for less.

Auditioning them in a few weeks will tell the full story

 

[Frank Harvey]

Also, the TRiFX surrounds are about the same price as the SS150's, but utilising the extra HF units. They also welcome back the flexibility of M&K's SS150's of being used as a dipole or tripole speaker, but with the added flexibility of being able to be used as a monopole too.

 

[jcshutts]

For someone that was about to spend out on the Mks this has come at a good time. Very keen to know more.

:doh:

Just working through some prices though based on the euros shown on the link above and a 5.1 using the Q125 LR and the Q125C and a pair of Q125 TriFX with the DXD2012 and my maths are showing £9k

thats a little scary

Maybe not quite so good news??

 

[Frank Harvey]

The centres are sold as singles, and the LCR's sold in pairs, as are the surrounds. As an example, Q125's in a 5.0 set up work out to about £3800. So with a DXD12012 would be under £5800.

 

[jcshutts]

That's better!

 

[Frank Harvey]

I think in their haste to get the prices up, they've not made things too clear...

 

[JohnHolmes]

David, do the Q125 come with their own stands?

 

[Frank Harvey]

Stands are usually extra. The centre will presumably come with the table top stand, but we've had no prices or details yet - hopefully later today.

 

[v1c]

David any ideas when you will get your hands on them yet ?

 

[jcshutts]

David. Where is the closest retailer likely to be to Bristol? Will the brand be available through other retailers as well where they can be demo'd or just frank Harvey, as Coventry is quite a drive!!

 

[Frank Harvey]

David. Where is the closest retailer likely to be to Bristol? Will the brand be available through other retailers as well where they can be demo'd or just frank Harvey, as Coventry is quite a drive!!

Currently, we're the only UK store to stock them. We negotiated exclusivity because we know how good Ken's products are, and knew his redesigned products would be even better

I did make enquiries about showing them at Bristol, but the products have to be available to other retailers for me to do that, so that was a no go.

 

[Frank Harvey]

David any ideas when you will get your hands on them yet ?

Should be the week commencing 18th this month

 

[v1c]

Should be the week commencing 18th this month

Ok thanks hope so. Will be very interesting when you get them.

 

[JohnHolmes]

David, I will be very interested in your thoughts whether or not they need a beefy amp to get the best out of them like the M&K S150s.

 

[Frank Harvey]

David, I will be very interested in your thoughts whether or not they need a beefy amp to get the best out of them like the M&K S150s.

That will be interesting. I think that was one reason why the 750's were popular - because they're an easier load (and because they were a little more domestically acceptable with their more 'upright' design). A good quality £2k receiver was fine for them, but the S150's needed more, which did put some people off. If the Q125 can be as easily driven as a 750, that'll be a major bonus, especially as they're touted as sounding better than the S150's...

As with all Miller & Kreisel designs, his speakers use sealed cabinets, so will be less efficient than ported speakers. Therefore thay will need a decent amp to drive them. This is the drawback of a sealed design, but there are too many benefits to list here right now as to why Ken chooses this design for his AV speakers - partly for superior transient response, but also to eliminate serious room boundary issues.

 

[JohnHolmes]

Are they going to sound much better for music playback compared to his old designs?

My 750s aren't that great at stereo tbh.

 

[JohnHolmes]

Have you had them yet Dave?

Your website states that they deliver stunning sound quality on music as well as movies. Is this true?

 

[Frank Harvey]

Are they going to sound much better for music playback compared to his old designs?

My 750s aren't that great at stereo tbh.

With the older Miller & Kreisels, the better sounding models for music were the ones using the 5.25" mid/bass drivers like the 650, 750, 850, and 150. Even so, music quality wasn't great, in my opinion. I think with the 750's they just lacked a bit of refinement. The 150's were more refined as they used three HF units instead of one, which meant that each unit didn't have to work so hard. The new Quattros use four, so things are looking good so far! The 750's weren't the best built speaker either (I used to own some), and while I loved the sound of them, it has to be said that their build quality drew a bit of attention to themselves sonically. The new KK's over the old M&K's is like comparing KEF Q series to the R series - the difference in build quality is leagues apart.

When I sold my last set of S150's, I replaced them with KEF Q300's. I didn't really expect the Q300's to better them, but it was the start of an exercise to find a worthy replacement for the 150's (Miller & Kreisel had closed its doors at this point and ceased trading). Whilst they were very good for the money, they fell short in many areas, but they were streets ahead when it came to music. The Q300's just made them sound musically flat, sounding fully three dimensional in comaprison, which meant these £2k per pair speakers were being outdone by a pair of £500 hi-fi speakers for music.

Will the new ones improve on the old ones for music? I'm sure they will, firstly seeing as it has been many years since Ken's original designs were developed, and secondly because it was the main area that was open to the greatest improvement, and with Ken being first and foremost a two channel enthusiast who records his own music, I'm sure he will have improved this aspect this time round. How good they will be we will find out next week.

What I find exciting is the fact that Ken has a potential S150 beater here in a 750 sized/shaped package. Many used to want S150 performance but refused to buy the squat box the S150 drivers inhabited purely on looks, but now that they can get that (and possibly more) in something more slimline and conventional looking, and certainly more accommodating - I think Ken might have a rather hot product on his hands here. And all for less than the S150 too...

 

[Frank Harvey]

Have you had them yet Dave?

Your website states that they deliver stunning sound quality on music as well as movies. Is this true?

It would be great if we could write our own profiles, but in reality, with well over 4,000 products on the website and growing, which naturally produces a constant stream of discontinued and new products, it would be physically impossible to maintain. As it stands, we usually have at least one person working on web profiles for products, with help from one or two others every now and again. Even then, we have to resort to copying and pasting from the manufacturer's web page for the product in question, and unfortunately there will be some of the usually sales talk that you will see on their pages. I'm assuming we have taken those profiles from L Sound's web pages (I'm not sure as it isn't my department).

Exactly how good they are for movies and music we will find out towards the end of next week. I will have a set at home for assessment purposes (as will my colleague, both of us are very used to the old M&K presentation), and rest assured I'll be reporting what I find, as there are many interested people out there wanting to know (as well as myself!). Plus, with this new range being designed by the guy who produced the best home theatre loudspeakers on the market (his designs are used in studios all over the world) under the M&K banner, there's a lot of excitement and anticipation, especially after the reception his new subs have been getting recently.

 

[JohnHolmes]

Thanks for the replies David, I look forward to your thoughts.

 

[ric71]

Yes the old M&K S150's were not the best with music. However the MK S150MKII's are a different kettle of fish. They sound stunning with music.

They employ new "pro tweeters" which have made all the difference. Build quality is superior too.

The new KK's will be superb in every respect I suspect,and I will admit in a more aesthetically room and wife friendly cabinet.

 

[JohnHolmes]

How much are the MKIIs Ric?

 

[ric71]

Not as cheap as the KK's at £1095 each. It will be interesting to see how they compare from a £ point of view too.

 

[JohnHolmes]

Any news David? Have Ken's babies arrived?