Kii Audio Three

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.
DSP will have higher accuracy in balance but musicality is always with the 300B
 
Looking forward to this.
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 forgot to reply back to this thread until square_wave messaged me (thanks!).

I did manage a comparison of sorts.

I compared 1) Lyngdorf 3400 powering my speakers (network player, dac, pre, amp, room correction)
against the
2) Coincident 300b with Lyngdorf 3400 as its network player, DAC and pre and room correction.

I definitely preferred option-2 which says to me that the 300b is better than the Lyngdorf digital amp for my speakers.

Option-2: gave the deep bass of an SS but also the alive and rich sound of tubes with good extension amongst the highs and lows.

Option-1 sounded a bit more dull and un-involving in comparison. 300b SET amps do justice to their reputation for sure.
Amp vs Amp, 300b certainly beat the class-D for the music I listen to (Indian classical, jazz, middle-eastern instrumental).

I have just bought a new Network-Player/DAC/Pre combo which is being shipped to me as we speak, that I will soon compare against the Lyngdorf to see if it can beat the Lyngdorf/300b combo.
 
I think it is a matter amp-speaker synergy.

After much research and talking to. I learnt the hard way that my speakers were designed for tube amps and SS amps (any SS amp) doesn't sound quite right with them (quite a few dealers/owners told me that recently).
 
I forgot to reply back to this thread until square_wave messaged me (thanks!).

I did manage a comparison of sorts.

I compared 1) Lyngdorf 3400 powering my speakers (network player, dac, pre, amp, room correction)
against the
2) Coincident 300b with Lyngdorf 3400 as its network player, DAC and pre and room correction.

I definitely preferred option-2 which says to me that the 300b is better than the Lyngdorf digital amp for my speakers.

Option-2: gave the deep bass of an SS but also the alive and rich sound of tubes with good extension amongst the highs and lows.

Option-1 sounded a bit more dull and un-involving in comparison. 300b SET amps do justice to their reputation for sure.
Amp vs Amp, 300b certainly beat the class-D for the music I listen to (Indian classical, jazz, middle-eastern instrumental).

I have just bought a new Network-Player/DAC/Pre combo which is being shipped to me as we speak, that I will soon compare against the Lyngdorf to see if it can beat the Lyngdorf/300b combo.


Thanks for your comparison, I have a Devialet and was confused to go for a higher version of Devialet or Class A amp.
Devialet and Lyngdorf are similar amps though sound could be different.
 
The Kiis weren't set up optimally at the What Hifi show and I wasn't impressed. Playing loudly in small rooms is a recipe for ruining the experience. While I like low power 2A3 SET amplification I also believe in room treatment and RTA/ room eq. I don't think these ideas are necessarily opposed or discordant. Okay, I guess I am not a purist. These new systems are asking some serious questions of traditional audiophiles.

These Kiis sound remarkable in this video. I wasn't expecting to feel this sense of ease. If nothing else, it's well produced and mastered well.

 
The Kiis weren't set up optimally at the What Hifi show and I wasn't impressed. Playing loudly in small rooms is a recipe for ruining the experience. While I like low power 2A3 SET amplification I also believe in room treatment and RTA/ room eq. I don't think these ideas are necessarily opposed or discordant. Okay, I guess I am not a purist. These new systems are asking some serious questions of traditional audiophiles.

These Kiis sound remarkable in this video. I wasn't expecting to feel this sense of ease. If nothing else, it's well produced and mastered well.


I listened to the first two tracks in the demo and also to the same on Apple Music through same phone (11 Pro Max) and earphones (Etymotic ER4 SR). I found the Kii sound ambient and synthetic - ok for passive listening. The same tracks played through Apple Music were transformed -
more live/immediate and the instruments sounded natural. Unlike the Kii demo, I could immerse in it. The Kii also missed some details in the track. To me it felt like an airbrushed sound.

As an aside, I should commend the composition and editing of the video. These guys do a slick job and the respective brands would be pleased with how they showcase each component.
 
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Hi everyone,

Just stumbled across this group whilst searching for info on how kii3's interact with room correction.

Came back home to Kolkata 3 years ago after 40 years, and cannot tell how delighted I am to find this kind of a forum in India.

So, my basic system is Tidal streaming through NAD MQA to Kii speakers. My experience has been that upgrades through accesories are a better bang for the buck than component upgrades. FOR MY SYSTEM the top 5 upgrades (all transformational) have been:

1. Audiophile switches. I use SOTM and Regen in series
2. Footers. CS2 from critical mass systems. Have used arios, stillpoints, ANZUS dtc, numerous earlier cones and rubber based devices. The CS2 is in a different ballpark.
3. Fuses. Always thought these produced minor improvements. So moved from basic ones to audiophile ones to synergistic research black then blue now orange. Orange ones moved fuses into the 'transformational' category.
4. Power cables. I use Synergistic Research
5. HFT from SR

Anyone out there who knows if room correction works works with Kii, would be very happy to hear your comments. They already have so much DSP'd in, I don't see how it can help, but the final test is always in the listening.....

Best wishes
 
Sorry for late reply. Since my last post have been checking room treatment possibilities. Have come to the conclusion these are quite important.

I tended to ignore treatment options earlier because I was using horns (Avant garde Duo's) which were replaced by the Kii3 about 4 years ago. By the way, the Kii's blew away the horns. Both these loudspeaker companies tend to imply that room issues can be solved by using their product. Various arguments presented and none of them completely wrong.

But.....a simple experiment convinced me that room treatment was a good idea. A friend advised me to roll up a carpet and stand it up at any early reflection point.....the result was quite obvious. Now, using product from mmt accoustix in Delhi (very reasonable pricing) have treated all ten early reflection points (I used the mirror trick). Like focussing a camera - everything clearer, more depth and separation. Big bang for the buck! WAF is low, but for those who have a separate audio room, I strongly suggest trying it.

Regret cannot attach a photo of my set up - keep getting response photo too large. Trying to make a low res version to send

Anyone visiting or living in Kolkata welcome to visit. After the covid crises is resolved.
 
Never lasts....once bitten by the bug it never lets up. On another forum I read that an 'audiophile' is a person that spends all his time tweaking for a few moments of heaven!
 
Pic of my system now attached guys.

Why do you need a Kii 3 at all with those equipment circus ?

The Kii 3 is supposed to compensate for the room and everything right ?

That's what the big bucks are for...

Does The Kii 3 dealer have an opinion on the way the equipment is laid out ??

Maybe they have a forum where they can help you out.

Me thinks u have entered a rabbit hole...of
" High End " audio

If anybody needs to do all this to enjoy music...then silence is better.

My opinion of course...and am ready to stand corrected.
 
Hi

Hi guys

Here details:

Ethernet streaming/NAS output is filtered by two reclocking switches in series, SOTM and Regen.

This feeds to a NAD 390DD. The NAD can unfold MQA and feeds line level analog to the Kii's.

Along the way there is active earthing and high quality DC power supplies for all the DC components, router, NAS, video converter, switches.

Many different footers are used in series under marble platforms - nothing was ever thrown away over the years, except the early rubber based ones. The final footers are CS2 from critical mass systems.

Cabling mostly Synergistic Research. Fiber optic between switches.

Re room effects, yes, I had believed them to be nominal, given the capabilities of the Kii's, but a friend convinced me to try a simple experiment. Roll up a carpet and place it at any early reflection point (use the mirror trick). It acts as a diffuser and absorber. The effect was obvious. I now use diffusers from MMT Acoustix in Noida (very reasonable pricing) at all early reflection points. It dials in the focus like a camera focussing. Very big bang for the buck, and better than many equipment upgrades.

Biggest value improvements in my system:

1) basic room treatment
2) good quality footers
3) AC cabling
4) reclocking switches
5) cables
6) fuses

I would recommend looking at all of the above BEFORE upgrading equipment.

Best wishes
 
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