Please advice, got some naive questions

aurobindosaha

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Hi

Background - I love listening to pure music (classical vocal, strings, flute, drums) and has no desire to set up a home theatre or or movie viewing experience. My budget is around 1,00,000 INR (1500 USD)

I am planning to set up a 2 channel system and almost decided on KEF R300 speakers. However, I am still torn between KEF Q900, but R300 sounded more pure and fits my room space (10 X 15 ft). ProFx are ready to offer KEF R300 at 1,09,000 Indian rupees.

I already have Sony STR-K850P which is the receiver that came in HTIB.
I am attaching specifications sheet for reference.
The audio power specification says -
"With 8 ohms load, both channel driven from 40 20,000 Hz; Rated 110 W per channel minimum RMS power, with no more than 0.7% total harmonic distortion from 250 milliwatts to rated output."


Now, I have some questions -
  1. Is my Sony receiver (STR-K850P) a stupid idea to drive premium speakers like KEF300? Is yes, how bad will it be?
  2. I am still torn between a premium bookshelf (R300) vs tower (Q900). Any recommendations?
  3. Pros recommend pre-amp, amp separates, instead of AV receiver. But that justify the value for money when you compare with a receiver?
  4. Which receiver will you suggest to go with KEF R300?
  5. Is 1,09,000 INR (1626 USD) a good price for KEF R300?
  6. Do you recommend any other speaker audition that I should do before making a decision.

Thanks in advance
Aurobindo
 

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@aurobindosaha

KEF makes good speakers. I have listened to the Q series range at ProFx Barton Center. They sounded really good to my ears. At the time of audition, I did not give thought to the R-series due to pricing reasons.
I am acquiring R300 in the next 2-4 weeks. A cousin of mine procured a demo pair in UK and shipped it along with her other household goods. Yes it is a blind buy based on Q series audition.
I went in for BS over FS due to space and other constraints. My listening area is 12x12 in a larger L-shaped living/dining area. Currently I have 2-way BS from B&W and they are adequate for the space.
Also, the design principle behind Q and R series is fundamentally the same. The difference being choice of materials in drivers and finishes.
R300 is among the rare 3-way BS speakers at the price point. This may be a plus. I feel BS speakers are easier to move around even when stand mounted as compared to FS.

As far as your AVR, the numbers for 2Ch drive looks OK. 110Wpc is more than enough for both Q and R series for your listening space. Q900 is more efficient than R300; the difference is 3dB.
One thing you should try is to ask ProFx if they are open for a home audition. If not, carry your AVR/source to their showroom and listen with your music not their demo material.

If you have the luxury of time, audition other brands like PSB, Tannoy, Monitor Audio etc. If you feel KEF impressed you sufficiently then it is a matter of FS vs BS.

All this said, speakers are very important in the audio chain, but sources and electronics do play a role (less important or more important depends on your sources and music genres)

Cheers,
Raghu
 
Last edited:
Forgot to ask this.
What speakers and sources do you currently have?

About going the separates route; yes it is always better but after putting down a lakh and change for speakers you may want to take it slow. AVRs do give VFM and connectivity options. They are just harder to calibrate and get it right for both music and movies simultaneously. If you are happy configuring for music and watching movies at the same calibration levels, then it is less fiddling around.

Cheers,
Raghu
 
Hi Aurobindo,

Highly recommend the KEF R300 or the LS50, which are in the same price range.

Run them with your present AVR, you can upgrade at a later time to an integrated amp after saving up.

I'm a happy camper with the KEF R300.
 
Hello

Thank you for your reply.

Point noted about BS vs FS. I was read in forums where peoples are recommending you get premium BS at the price you are ready to spend for FS. With around 1500 USD to 1700 USD, premium BS makes a better choice. Moreover my room dimension keeps me telling that BS is more suitable for me. Also agree with the ease of portability of BS you mentioned.

However, when you mention Q and R are close .... I do not disagree.... since I did not listen to Q300. But I am reading in forums that people say R series (even R100) are far superior that Q series. I do not know - because "superior" lies in the ears of the listener.

ProFx does not allow home trail audition, but they welcomed me to carry my receiver to their store and try it there as long as I like. I will probably do that.

Any idea in Bangalore where can I audition PSB, Tannoy and Monitor Audio?

Thanks once again for your inputs.

Thanks
Aurobindo
 
Hi Raghu

Thank you for your interest. Now I have a Sonodyne BS. Its more than 35 years old, bought by my father in law and was unused for more than 15 years.

It's OK, and its a gift of love, but I find the sound bit muffled/damped, probably because the diaphragms became hard over time due to no use (not sure thought).

Before Sonodyne BS, I was using the 5.1 speakers & sub-woofer that came with the Sony HT6600DP, which is a HTIB.

The sub-woofer model is SA-WMSP85 - 6 ohm load, 28-200 Hz, rated 100 watts 20 cm cone type

The speaker is SS-MSP95 (L, R, RL, RR) and SS-CNP95 - 70mm X 100mm cone type Bass Reflex 8 ohm 120 Watts 160 Hz to 20,000 Hz speakers

These were good, but again this were good for movies. For pure music - I am looking for a pair of BS that does justice to classical vocals and string collections I have.

Thanks
Aurobindo
 
Hi regeHA

Thanks for bringing up comparison with Kef LS50.

I have read about this comparison in many forums and some say LS50 mimics the taste of the Reference Series. I tried "Piya Tora Kaisa Abhiman" on KEF LS50 vs Q900 vs R300 and find LS50 little flat compared to R300. Its just my feel, may be my ears and taste are not yet mature to enjoy the purity of LS50. Many pros recommend LS50 than any other in KEF BS model in KEF.

Thanks,
Aurobindo
 
Hello

Thank you for your reply.

Point noted about BS vs FS. I was read in forums where peoples are recommending you get premium BS at the price you are ready to spend for FS. With around 1500 USD to 1700 USD, premium BS makes a better choice. Moreover my room dimension keeps me telling that BS is more suitable for me. Also agree with the ease of portability of BS you mentioned.

However, when you mention Q and R are close .... I do not disagree.... since I did not listen to Q300. But I am reading in forums that people say R series (even R100) are far superior that Q series. I do not know - because "superior" lies in the ears of the listener.

ProFx does not allow home trail audition, but they welcomed me to carry my receiver to their store and try it there as long as I like. I will probably do that.

Any idea in Bangalore where can I audition PSB, Tannoy and Monitor Audio?

Thanks once again for your inputs.

Thanks
Aurobindo

I am not making an apples to apples comparison to Q and R series on the way they sound. I have not heard the R series. All I am saying is the fundamental design is the same (bass drivers + Uni-Q). The size of the drivers are bigger in Q-900 compared to R-300. 2 vs 1 bass drivers. May be the materials are different too. Finish wise R series definitely looks better than Q-series, in my opinion. Q is the starting range, R is the mid range, then comes the Reference series. So I am guessing the R series got a little more love during design and production stages as compared to the Q series. I meant to say Q-900 and R-300 are priced similarly.

PSB and Tannoy can be heard at Music Ranch in Jayanagar
Monitor Audio and a couple of other brands at Audio Planet in Koramangala
B&W in Indiranagar I think; don't remember the name of the store

You should listen to the KEFs with your AVR. It will give you a better idea of how they may sound at home.

As I mentioned earlier, my R-300s may come in the next 2-4 weeks. If you have yet decided by then, you are welcome to audition at my home for a real world experience. No room correction, just a hodge podge of sofa and other furniture; in other words the worst possible listening space.

Cheers,
Raghu

Cheers,
Raghu
 
Hi regeHA

Thanks for bringing up comparison with Kef LS50.

I have read about this comparison in many forums and some say LS50 mimics the taste of the Reference Series. I tried "Piya Tora Kaisa Abhiman" on KEF LS50 vs Q900 vs R300 and find LS50 little flat compared to R300. Its just my feel, may be my ears and taste are not yet mature to enjoy the purity of LS50. Many pros recommend LS50 than any other in KEF BS model in KEF.

Thanks,
Aurobindo

LS50 will require more power to be driven to full potential. They are studio monitors and are at 85dB. R300 are at 88dB. Q900 are at 91dB.
Music purity is at the ears of the listener and the source. I strongly feel a good pair of speakers and well recorded material are 2 elements in the audio chain that should never be compromised on; as far as budget permits.
So after all the pro reviews and user opinions, if a pair of speakers do not sound right to you then they are not for you, period.

I remember once when I auditioned B&W CMs and Paradigms side by side with a friend in the US, the BWs never spoke to me. But my friend really liked the CMs over the Paradigms and bought them.

Cheers,
Raghu
 
Last edited:
Hi regeHA

Thanks for bringing up comparison with Kef LS50.

I have read about this comparison in many forums and some say LS50 mimics the taste of the Reference Series. I tried "Piya Tora Kaisa Abhiman" on KEF LS50 vs Q900 vs R300 and find LS50 little flat compared to R300. Its just my feel, may be my ears and taste are not yet mature to enjoy the purity of LS50. Many pros recommend LS50 than any other in KEF BS model in KEF.

Thanks,
Aurobindo

Both are capable performers in their own right. I considered the LS50 briefly, but it was not enough of an upgrade over my R300 so I did not go through with it. However, if I were starting over or starting from scratch, I would probably choose the LS50. It's more temperamental, and requires careful matching, but punches well above its price point.

All said and done, you will be happy with both.

Source/content and transport are also extremely important and have the most bearing on the sound quality apart from the speakers. Give some thought to that part of the equation too, it will go a long way in maximizing the potential and performance of your speakers.
 
if youre looking at speakers in that range, the sony amp will not do justice and will be a very weak link. at some point in time you will need to look at upgrading your amp

if its a small room size, bookshelves will do. where bookshelves lack would be in the bass section.
 
Hi afj

Thank you for your response. Indeed, I too feel a $150 receiver will not do justice to a speaker of $1700.

For the bass, I will probably use Sub Woofer, but for now, I am good with just the BS since R300 a 3 way speaker

I will eventually replace that. Do you have any suggestions about receivers that can be good match for Kef R300

Thanks.
 
if youre looking at speakers in that range, the sony amp will not do justice and will be a very weak link. at some point in time you will need to look at upgrading your amp

if its a small room size, bookshelves will do. where bookshelves lack would be in the bass section.

I am not making an apples to apples comparison to Q and R series on the way they sound. I have not heard the R series. All I am saying is the fundamental design is the same (bass drivers + Uni-Q). The size of the drivers are bigger in Q-900 compared to R-300. 2 vs 1 bass drivers. May be the materials are different too. Finish wise R series definitely looks better than Q-series, in my opinion. Q is the starting range, R is the mid range, then comes the Reference series. So I am guessing the R series got a little more love during design and production stages as compared to the Q series. I meant to say Q-900 and R-300 are priced similarly.

PSB and Tannoy can be heard at Music Ranch in Jayanagar
Monitor Audio and a couple of other brands at Audio Planet in Koramangala
B&W in Indiranagar I think; don't remember the name of the store

You should listen to the KEFs with your AVR. It will give you a better idea of how they may sound at home.

As I mentioned earlier, my R-300s may come in the next 2-4 weeks. If you have yet decided by then, you are welcome to audition at my home for a real world experience. No room correction, just a hodge podge of sofa and other furniture; in other words the worst possible listening space.

Cheers,
Raghu

Cheers,
Raghu

The address of the stores really helps me since I am new to Bangalore. I will be bringing back my Sony receiver from Kolkata this Christmas .... Funny question .... will Airport security allow me to carry my receiver in hand luggage?

Anyway, I do plan to take my receiver to ProFx.

As well it will be my honour and privilege to hear to R300 in your home environment. I will connect via private message. Thanks for the invitation :)

Thanks
Aurobindo
 
Hi afj

Thank you for your response. Indeed, I too feel a $150 receiver will not do justice to a speaker of $1700.

For the bass, I will probably use Sub Woofer, but for now, I am good with just the BS since R300 a 3 way speaker

I will eventually replace that. Do you have any suggestions about receivers that can be good match for Kef R300

Thanks.

for the amp you'd be at the minimum looking at the likes of nad / cambridge / marantz. a fairly new player in the market is also peachtree, which is supposed to be very good. a step higher would be the arcam depending on your budget. i have recently bought an amp which is made in bangalore - acoustic portrait. i had the nad prior to that and its a significant upgrade from the nad. i went with the 200rms model but they do also have a 75w rms one which would be ideal for bookshelves. and if im not mistaken its in the region of 50k rupees. that would be the one i would go for considering the value.

a couple of other things to keep in mind. putting a sub into a small room can make it boomy. also system matching is difficult. matching the sub to your current speakers, and also you'll be matching the subs amp to your stereo amp. you;ll also be limited in choice to a 2.1 amp rather than a 2.0, and that narrows down your choice. for a stereo setup, i would ideally go with a pair of bookshelves or floorstanders, depending on the room size. and a simple stereo amp. i think its important to have a master plan, which would be your ideal setup and work around that, rather than purchase something now and have your masterplan work around what you initially purchase

so if you find the bass coming from the bookshelves to be fine, then just go with that. if not, look at floorstanders. there are also other speakers in that price range which you can look in to.

youre spending quite a bit on your setup so dont rush into anything.
 
I have never heard the LS50 but it was said in many reviews and a couple of people also told me the same that it needs high amplification power to bring out it's best.
 
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