Bugger the KEFs...Jamos are here

[kritikon]

I need to get some new HiFi speakers. But f***ing hell! The price of speakers here in NZ is astronomical, both for HiFi or studio monitors. Example...I was in a well known studio retailer recently and spotted those KRK V8 monitors (no good for me, as I don't really want any active speakers for the studio...at least not at the moment anyway) and they retailed for over $2000,. They didn't say how much over $2000 because I just lost interest then and there. It'd be equivalent to 700 quid or so. Looking on JRR shop...they retail there for 200 quid per monitor. Times 2 is 400 quid, $1200. Almost double the mark up in the NZ shop.
I've hunted around for some B&W floor-standers...can't get anything under $4000, although apparently they make cheaper ones - just that none of the shops I found stock any but the most expensive ones . Not sure about the UK price, but 1300-1400 quid sounds like too much to me?

So I might think about getting some biggish nearfields on-line at JRR shop, and then top up with a sub woofer. Or...I found an NZ shop in Auckland which delivers around the country (woohoo!) and that sells speakers from Wharfdale to Dynaudio. Wharfdales are OK...at least you get the bass end for the same money as a reasonable set of bookshelf speakers, and I've had several Wharfdales in the past and not been particularly disappointed in them - OK value I suppose.

But I spotted some KEF bookshelf speakers for the same price as a set of Diamond 9.5 floorstanders, I think they were KEF IQ3 or something similar. No way I can demo them here locally, and Auckland is a 6-8 hour drive away. Buying speakers in NZ is either very expensive or just f**king impossible getting a decent choice. I made the mistake of checking out the Richer Sounds website... . I wish I hadn't...the prices are a fraction of here, and the choice is great. Nostalgia can be a cruel thing sometimes - I might actually fly over to the UK...It's probably cost the same, and at least I can choose from more than 4 manufacturers..


So, anyways, ignore the rant. Anyone heard KEF speakers? How are they? I don't particularly play loud very often in the living room, but it's what I'd call maybe a mid-size/largish room, floorboards, carpeted but will have polished floors eventually - so bookshelf speakers might be a better idea than floorstanders. I'm more after flattish sound (so I can also assess my own tunes on a bigger system) rather than a big bassy HiFi sound. Speakers that sound better quiet than loud.


Any opinions? (My other main thought was maybe some Tannoy Reveals with a sub... And I also spotted Polk speakers...small but might be OK, although bass down to only 50 Hz doesn't impress me )

[Dayl]

Used to have a set of Kef floor standers.

Very nice sound for home HiFi but I would personally recommend B&W before them so maybe keep hunting. Don't overlook Mission HiFI also.

Mision

[stefancrs]

My dad has got KEF speakers. They sound quite good, but he preferred the JBL ones I bought quite some time after he had bought his KEFs. But his were floorstanders.

I've sold my JBL's though, replaced my hifi system with a 'crappy' 5.1 system, Logitech z-5500, which is much smaller and sounds just fine for music and movies.

When working with music and audio I'm using my Yamaha MSP-10's which sound way better than any of the above mentioned ones when it comes to monitoring.

FWIW, I'd be more reluctant towards buying "hifi" (or home cinema or whatever) speakers without listening to them than monitors. With that said, I didn't listen to the z-5500's before clicking on "purchase", and I brought the MSP's home and worked with them a bit before buying them. But that's just because my living room speakers were so cheap and the reviews were good Flat sound is however something they don't deliver particularly much

BTW, can't you order a few different interesting sets and return the ones you don't want after giving them a listen? Dunno if you can do that in NZ. You can in Sweden atleast, and apparently where BONES live too (Austria? Australia? One of the two I think... )

[Dayl]

Actually, Krit, I think we touched on this topic a while back.

Seek and ye shall find.

Oh yes...and dont forget the 'import from where ever, all the way to the bottom of the world Tax' that you will find...but I see you have touched on that also

[kritikon]

Hmmm...so the general opinion is that KEF are OK, but not necessarily a hidden gem?

Yeah...Mission - I've had Mission stuff before, and I must admit I liked them. I think the shop that delivers sells Mission. And at least they don't double the price. I listened to some Quad stuff in Wellington - possibly even a bit more rounded and balanced than the B&W, but still $3,000 for their smallest. Not what I call good value


I dunno...I'm veering towards nearfields with a sub. At least I can get them at international prices (and from JRR shop, I assume it's GST free?) That's one nice thing here...I've bought European s/w and not had to pay any GST (supposed to officially, but unofficially - they don't check all incoming post ). When I look at some of the bookshelf ones on offer - my Tannoys reproduce better bass. I checked out the Tannoy website too...they make some nice looking speakers that I didn't know about - but I haven't found anywhere over here that stocks Tannoys .

Maybe I set my sights too high - after all, it's only HiFi speakers I'm after. They don't really have to be top notch, just decent.

[littlepig]

I have owned a pair of KEF speakers for about 20 years (maybe more) don't know what model but they sound good. Actually I did even know they were still in business.

[kritikon]

20 years use is a good testimonial then. So what are they like? Not too boomy in the bass end or anything?

[djverne]

Hi Kritikon, check out the Quad 21F probably the best hi fi floorstanding speaker under $3000. You can grab a pair off audiogon.com for under $1000. Way more accurate, and nuetral than anything from BMW under $8000. Also anything by PMC is worth a look. GO QUAD 21L or 22l if you want more bass. Nothing can touch quad 21l for the price, nothing... I have not found a single negative view of the quad 21l ever.. anyware on the entire internet.

[Dayl]

Hi Kritikon, check out the Quad 21F probably the best hi fi floorstanding speaker under $3000. You can grab a pair off audiogon.com for under $1000. Way more accurate, and nuetral than anything from BMW under $8000. Also anything by PMC is worth a look. GO QUAD 21L or 22l if you want more bass. Nothing can touch quad 21l for the price, nothing... I have not found a single negative view of the quad 21l ever.. anyware on the entire internet.

Nice, I'm going to have to keep an eye out for em.

[Dayl]

Hi Krit.

Heres the contact for the guys that bring in the Tannoy
domestic gear:

Eastern HiFI Phone (+64 9) 573 5933

and for the professional products, you will have to call SYMTEC 09 263 9885. I have dealt with a guy called Conrad previously, last time I spoke, he had some pretty good deals on some subs that were old stock

Hope that helps

[Dayl]

Hey Krit,

How about these little piggy's.

They are in your area

[kritikon]

Hey, thanks for those links etc. I might have gone had a look more closely at some of the Quad stuff...but the only place I could find locally that sells Quad started at $3000. I thought they sounded nicer than the equivalent B&W ones, but TBH, I'm not prepared to spend quite that much on HiFi..at least not this year, anyway . I would have checked that audiogon link if I'd not gone away to Nelson for a long weekend recently...



...And bought these

Not the type of thing I was looking for initially, but Nelson has a couple of good HiFi shops...got these at Living Sound Audio (Hardy St, Nelson). They deal mainly in Naim, Rega and Rotel with some Marantz stuff thrown in, but had some specials on some Jamos. You know what it's like...you're on holiday, you're in a good mood, and credit cards seem bottomless... I had a listen to some mid range Mission speakers they had in, and the Jamos blew them away. Not as clean as the Quads and B&Ws I'd listened to earlier, but nevertheless bright and airy without any obvious boosting in either bass or hi-mids etc. A very spacious sound. And I always liked Jamo - had a great pair in the past that sold way below their worth. Same here as far as I'm concerned. And they had a special on...$500 off normal price (I think they're coming to end-of-line or something). Cost $1300 in the end, a bargain for the sound they throw out. There was another posher set for $1800, but not enough of a difference to be worth the extra. To me they sounded more like a $2000 pair.

I would have checked out that Audiogon site but I hadn't seen that post before I went away. And a real shame I missed it because I definitely would have checked out that Tannoy supplier. Damn! Never mind, next time I will. Nice thing with the Nelson shop is that they'll deliver in the North Island...saved me lugging them onto a little prop plane back...


I'll let you know what they sound like (hopefully they'll be delivered Tues or Wed). Hopefully I didn't get deafened by the placebo effect...you never know until you demo them properly in your own home. Because I was already biased in favour of Jamos, and feel-good factor was definitely in play at the time. But from what I heard in the shop, Jamo still play above their weight.

And thanks for all the input.


Now I need to start thinking about a decent amp to replace my old studio one...but that's another thread, I think.

[kritikon]

Just set up the newly arrived Jamos (shit, those buggers are heavy!)

Nice sound

They have a lovely balanced bass that will shake your booty if you set them up with the woofers pointing in, and sat exactly in the middle, but once you move out of that zone the bass is very well rounded. No boominess at all and great clarity. I'm pleasantly surprised by the sound panorama too. You can move around the living room quite alot and still hear good stereo placement.

Up till now I had my old Tannoy monitors in place for the HiFi (no other choice), and of course you have to compensate for the fact they're nearfields, but the Tannoys, I always thought were a tad too bright at the 2.5KHz-ish range. A bit grating sometimes, although definitely give great detail up high. But the Jamos really don't seem to have any obvious standout frequencies - everything sharp as a pin. I've yet to test them out properly at quiet volumes later, but they sound like they'll be good. Too tempting to blast out a bit of Faithless once they were up and running . There's a couple of tracks on their first CD that I think are beautifully mixed...it sounded like I was inside the Lexicon unit when it was playing.

Next I'll have to mess around with placements. Find out which is best - to have the woofers pointing in or out. The shop geezer recommended pointing them out at an angle. Makes sense to me - maybe pointing out, with the woofers pointing in - which means there'll be a bass sweet spot at the triangle point out in the room, but the mids and highs will still be spread out.


Jamo can still cut the mustard, pleased to say. The last pair I had were old - they really have moved on in quality since then. I'd be perfectly happy using these in the studio.

[eaglefree]

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I have used the C-Series speakers common in the 1980s
C10, C20 and C40. Excellent sound, great value for money. Cost me several hundred dollars at the time.

Check out their website http://www.kef.com (http://www.kef.com)

Cheers