Finally heard some high end speakers

[ankurgupt]

Stumbled in on the pro Fx in Worli today and auditioned the KEF and Polk speakers.
Source: YouTube premium on iPhone via Bluetooth (don’t judge me I’m not an audiophile)
Songs auditioned:
Baba o reily - the who
Eminence front - the who
No quarter live - led zep
Magic carpet ride - steppenwolf

speakers:
KEF LSX - brilliant soundstage and instrument separation. The vocals seemed to be coming from the Center and left and right separation was brilliant. However, I felt like it lacked the oomph that I experienced in the Marshall Woburn on the same songs (again don’t judge)
KEF Q350 - confused soundstage. Nothing impressive about them
Polk S20 - similar experience as the Q350. Did not find them impressive at all
KEF LSW - just overall better than the LSX but not 2X better as the price suggests

Im seeking an aural nirvana experience for my music preferences - blues, rock n roll, classic rock etc. I have just started exploring some speaker options but have auditioned very few. I would prefer bookshelf form factor for now so that they don’t take up too much space. Budget ideally 50
Would love feedback on my experience today and some help on how can I narrow my search for the perfect pair better

 

[raghupb]

KEFs are nice. If you stumble by again there, ask for a demo of the R-series if they have them.
And have them play out of CD or at least Spotify streaming

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[ankurgupt]

Yes I realised I should have got some hi res flats at least for the songs I like. I’m going to do that next time for a more detailed listening.

 

[spaace]

Listen to the Kef blades ... I personally liked the blade 1 better than blade 2 ...

 

[Deleted member 15865]

Would love feedback on my experience today and some help on how can I narrow my search for the perfect pair better

Hi Ankur, gear auditioning is so subjective that it’s difficult to give feedback on it. What you hear is also dependent on the pairing and placement of the speakers in the demo room.

However, your impressions of LSX and LSW are in line with what those speakers are meant to do - precise imaging and nice soundstage. These are properties that especially attract newer audiophiles. Also, given their size, it’s expected you didn’t get the oomph of Marshall. You’d need to pair them with a sub-woofer for the kind of music you like to hear (based on your demo tracklist).

It is surprising though that you found the Q350 unimpressive. It can be truer and more emotive than the smaller LS duo. Perhaps you were too caught up with hifi properties - try and also evaluate them based on their musicality. Don’t just audition by ears and mind, audition by your heart and your entire body too (sense how how your body responds through the song, how you feel at the end of the song).

Given your musical interest (Classic Rock, Rock ‘n’ Roll) and given that you’ve been happy with the Woburn, you must audition the Wharfedale Linton Heritage once. Since you are willing to look at LSW, the price won’t be an issue. They aren’t bookshelves, but are stand-mounted. These speakers rock and have a fun signature. You just can’t listen to them without bobbing your head and moving your body. You can read my audition report of these speakers here: https://www.hifivision.com/threads/...on-heritage-and-castle-avon-5-speakers.77617/

And have them play out of CD or at least Spotify streaming

Absolutely.