Upgradation - Kef LS50 v/s R300 v/s any other suggestions

[Nags]

Dear FMs,

Needed your valuable suggestions and guidance on my next upgrade - speakers for music listening.

My current chain includes
1. Source- Audio CDs and purchases from HDtracks and iTunes played Through Sony BDP via co axial output
2. Schiit DAC Gungnir Multibit with Schiit SYS as passive preamp
3. Emotiva XPA200 stereo amp
4. Current speakers- Tannoy Mercury v4 FS with velodyne 12 subwoofer, which are part of my home theatre set up

I generally listen to classical, folk songs, old Kannada and Hindi melody songs with jazz especially vocals (Norah Jones, muddy waters, etc)

Other speakers I have are whaferdale diamond 10.2 BS.

My listening room is 11*12 ft bedroom used exclusively for music listening without any acoustic treatment

I had home demo of Kef ls50 and r300 but felt R300 are bigger for the room size. Sound wise I liked both.

Seeking your guidance on
1. Price for LS50- if anyone has brought recently, I have been quoted Rs110000 MRP with discount of 12%.
2. Do you think R300 better than ls50, if you take out room size?
3. Any other brands I should demo / listen that suite my genre of music and come with in my budget?

Thanks in advance

Nagaraj







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[efernand1]

Hi

Between both these speakers, you should see the specs and decide.....the R300 is a 3 way so would deliver the sound more distributed to a listener...

If you can audition other brands like B&Ws, Jamos (C series), Focals, Definitive Technology SM65s or SM 55s...you will be able to make a better informed decision.

All the best

 

[regeHA]

LS50 is a monitor and behaves like one, R300 is a proper home speaker.

The bass will be lacking in LS50 and (personally to my ears) its more clinical and analytical - being a monitor. I'd buy it if the use was for a desktop setting, though it would be overpriced and any powered monitors from JBL would do just as well at a fraction of the price.

R300 is more at home for a home setting. More involving with more PRAT. KEFs tend to be a tad bright, but easily fixed with source and amp, but other than that I've no complaints with the R300s. When I upgrade, I'll still keep my pair and simply move them to the bedroom or the living room and continue to use them. I've heard many speakers and very few improve on them without a gargantuan increase in budget or going into high end territory. In a mid-sized room they are pretty much on par with any other speaker and selection will come down to preference of sound signature i.e. warm, neutral, bright, etc.

Of course I'd any day take a pair of B&W 802 D3s, but that's a different planetary system.

BTW if you go with either, I'd look at changing the source, a NAS + Pi will hugely improve over the Sony BDP. I use a Gungnir Multibit myself. I'm not really a fan of the Emotiva sound, so I'd look at changing that too, but save up for the amp. The mid-fi NAD's and Marantz's will not bring out the best with such an upgrade.

 

[Nags]

BTW if you go with either, I'd look at changing the source, a NAS + Pi will hugely improve over the Sony BDP.

Hi rageHA, Sony bdp is just working as transport since am taking digital out to my DAC, do you think does switching to pi will make any huge difference? I have WD livebook and use sony for streaming music, will adding pi improves quality?


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[regeHA]

Hi rageHA, Sony bdp is just working as transport since am taking digital out to my DAC, do you think does switching to pi will make any huge difference? I have WD livebook and use sony for streaming music, will adding pi improves quality?


Sent from my Lenovo P1a42 using Tapatalk

Yes, trust me. Bit are bits argument on paper is fine, but I've seen and heard a huge difference between regular PCs and laptops vs Mac Mini and audiophile devices like Auralic and Aurender. The Pi is a huge winner, especially if you go for the new Pi 3 and incorporate wireless streaming.

At least borrow one and have a listen for yourself, but don't use the HDMI or USB. Wireless streaming is preferred, or something like HiFiBerry Digi+.

 

[afj]

Dear FMs,

Needed your valuable suggestions and guidance on my next upgrade - speakers for music listening.

My current chain includes
1. Source- Audio CDs and purchases from HDtracks and iTunes played Through Sony BDP via co axial output
2. Schiit DAC Gungnir Multibit with Schiit SYS as passive preamp
3. Emotiva XPA200 stereo amp
4. Current speakers- Tannoy Mercury v4 FS with velodyne 12 subwoofer, which are part of my home theatre set up

I generally listen to classical, folk songs, old Kannada and Hindi melody songs with jazz especially vocals (Norah Jones, muddy waters, etc)

Other speakers I have are whaferdale diamond 10.2 BS.

My listening room is 11*12 ft bedroom used exclusively for music listening without any acoustic treatment

I had home demo of Kef ls50 and r300 but felt R300 are bigger for the room size. Sound wise I liked both.

Seeking your guidance on
1. Price for LS50- if anyone has brought recently, I have been quoted Rs110000 MRP with discount of 12%.
2. Do you think R300 better than ls50, if you take out room size?
3. Any other brands I should demo / listen that suite my genre of music and come with in my budget?

Thanks in advance

Nagaraj



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

the LS50 and the R300 is in a total different price bracket. at around 1 lakh, there are a lot of options out there, esp if youre looking at bookshelves. monitor audio silver, psb, quads, b&w etc etc.

if its just between the r300 and ls50, then its a no brainer - r300 sounds the same to you at less than half the price


edit: sorry, i was thinking of the q series. the r series will be closer to the ls50 in price - but i believe not as expensive

 

[regeHA]

the r series will be closer to the ls50 in price - but i believe not as expensive

Nope, the R300s are more expensive. Not much, but difference of around $300 or $400.