Kii Audio Three

Nikhil

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Any interest on here for some Active DSP design?
With our rooms here in India we should be paying more attention to this exciting area in sound reproduction. Enter the Kii Audio THREE.


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Website: https://www.kiiaudio.com/for_home.php

The Kii Audio Three has been a speaker that has gained rave reviews but unfortunately did not make an impression when I first heard them at the last Bangalore show. That was perhaps an anomaly as since then the positive feedback continues to keep coming. Kal Rubinson's review (August 2017) gave some hint of greatness but it still did not register despite some pretty stellar measurements by John Atkinson.

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So what has changed since then? Sometimes it takes the opinion of a reviewer whose ears you can trust. For me, Mitch Barnett's review article for Computer Audiophile really caught my attention simply because Mitch really does know a thing or two about sound. What is perhaps more compelling is that he does have the required background in DSP to maximise the potential of the Kii Three's. Surprisingly with minimal DSP he managed to post a very favourable review on these German speakers.

Read the full review here: https://www.computeraudiophile.com/ca/reviews/kii-three-loudspeaker-review-r735/

Here is an excerpt from his Conclusion:

"I hope folks get an opportunity to hear the Kii THREE’s, as an excellent example of what accurate sound reproduction “sounds” like. This speaker measures as good as it sounds and vice versa. Smooth frequency response from 21 Hz to 20 kHz with time aligned drivers, means the music arriving at one's ears matches as closely as possible to the content on the recording.

The ability for the THREE’s to be placed near or far from a boundary, without speaker boundary interference, is next level loudspeaker engineering. As mentioned before, the only other way to achieve this is soffit mounting speakers or external digital room correction software products. For some folks, hearing these speakers without speaker boundary interference may be a first, and an ear opening listening experience."


Additional Review from Srajan Ebaen at 6moons:
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews2/kii/1.html




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I have heard the Kii a few times & I have liked the product.
A bit steep @ 12 to 15 lacs.
But, its an end to end solution. So worth a consideration.
That D & D I have not come across. A bit cheaper @ 8 + Lacs - I suppose.
These products are excellent solutions for people that have small rooms & need a 'full sound'
with a small foot print.. I personally an in favour of things down these lines.
Kii is sold in India @ Surat & on permanent demo - I do not know much about the
dealer network - but audition in Surat is 100 % possible....
 
So is.it bye bye Green Mountains!?
Respected Sir,
These are @ very different price points.
The GMA is @ 2 Lacs & the Kii is @ 12 to 15 Lacs - so they cannot just be a 'change' It has to be a 'massive upgrade' programme in place...

But by using dsp we are not doing justice to music its my opinion.
Sir,
If you explain your point in some detail - I would be able to understand what the flaws of DSP are !
Thank you.
 
Not really. But this is a very interesting area for me.
This (Kii THREE) and the Dutch & Dutch 8C are on my radar.

6moons review of the Dutch & Dutch:
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews2/dutchdutch/1.html

We have so many constraints in our living room setups.
The options offered by these active DSPs systems are very appealing from that point of view.

All you need is motivation and moolah. ;)

Respected Sir,
These are @ very different price points.
The GMA is @ 2 Lacs & the Kii is @ 12 to 15 Lacs - so they cannot just be a 'change' It has to be a 'massive upgrade' programme in place...
Spot on Mazher.
 
I really enjoyed the Kii room in the Mumbai audio show (my top 3 rooms in that brief sojourn).
As @bhagwan said, I found 15L quite steep for what they offered.

Meanwhile on @vnavin thoughts of DSP vs non-DSP I have just ordered the Lyngdorf 3400 (DAC+preamp+amp+room correction+music server in one box) and in September, will be comparing it to my 300b tube SET monoblocks with tube DAC to see what works better with my speakers and room. Should be interesting. This for me will be the ultimate test between DSP vs purist approach to audio.

Will report back.
 
I would agree that the kii would be one stonking system for a small room, with placement and acoustic challenges. But I wonder if the class D ncore amps can connect with the listener at a emotional level. It would be interesting to wait for essrand to post his listening impressions.

Iam presently moving from class D to pure class A, in search of correctness of tone and timber. And that much sought after emotional connect with music. If class A doesn't deliver that magic, then a tube pre amp will be the next step.

Now iam in no way Implying, that all class D implementations are flawed. They have their strengths which come alive on EDM and electropunk which is my major chunk of musical diet. But for music at the other extreme, such as classical Hindustani or vocals, I found class D to be a little dry.

So I would hazard a guess that the kii 3, as mighty as they are, might not be for all ears and musical tastes. Just my 2 cents :)
 
I have just ordered the Lyngdorf 3400 (DAC+preamp+amp+room correction+music server in one box) and in September, will be comparing it to my 300b tube SET monoblocks with tube DAC to see what works better with my speakers and room. Should be interesting. This for me will be the ultimate test between DSP vs purist approach to audio.

Will report back.

Looking forward to this.
 
Just for info, Absolute Sound, Surat who are the dealers for Kii are selling the Kii 3 for Rs 12 lakhs. This is inclusive of GST. That's about 18% higher than Europe pricing. Most dealers sell for higher.

Further, adding stand and Controller will take the price to Rs 15 lakhs, all inclusive.
 
These speakers are supposedly super nice, though I have not had a chance to hear them yet. It is true that the Room plays an important role and Kii probably tries to remove it from the equation. But after having the Devialet Phantoms for several years in smaller rooms/apartments, my conclusion is - till the time you have room to spare side ways, these side firing woofers are a true pain to set up in smaller spaces. Though I love the Phantoms, just for this reason, I am cautious in suggesting them when I know that there is a space constraint.
 
These speakers are supposedly super nice, though I have not had a chance to hear them yet. It is true that the Room plays an important role and Kii probably tries to remove it from the equation. But after having the Devialet Phantoms for several years in smaller rooms/apartments, my conclusion is - till the time you have room to spare side ways, these side firing woofers are a true pain to set up in smaller spaces. Though I love the Phantoms, just for this reason, I am cautious in suggesting them when I know that there is a space constraint.
The Kii Three is installed in a Surat & New Delhi & in Bangalore. Master D & D is based out of Surat. Attends all Hi Fi Shows & installs very well. Professional installer & tuner. Sells @ very nice prices - matches Euro Retail in India with D / W / I [All included]

This is a super product - compact - fast & easy to install... Looks top & performs top drawer. One just needs 12 + lacs to get it - but its your DAC / Pre / Power / Speaker all in 1 !!
Super solution...

Please do go for a listen & judge for yourself. I personally like it a lot...

Bhagwan
 
Was astonishing !! Hard to believe something like that coming out of a relatively small sized speaker. Very exciting .
 
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