Kef LS50 versus Bose 901 Series VI

[Mark Ricotta]

Hi All. . . This is my first post. I am an audiophile. . .kind of a wannabe, because my budget is extremely limited. Here's my question for the group: I have owned 901s before (Series IV) and loved the sound and ambience and somewhat three-dimensional sound. Thinking of buying 901s Series VI new, with equalizer and 18" stands of course. But I've been reading a lot of great reviews of the KEF LS50 50th Anniversary mini-monitors. The price between the two is comparable. I have an 80-watt Kenwood integrated amp, OPPO BDP-105D Blu--Ray and CD DAC, and a Pioneer PL-550 with a Denon 110 cartridge and stylus. I want that room-filling sound (my listening room is only about 400 sq. ft.). I'm already sold on the Bose sound.. Can anyone make an argument why I should go with the KEF LS-50s this time, instead of the Bose 901 Series VI? Or might you suggest even a better pair of speakers under $2K. Thank you all and happy new year. Happy to be part of this group.

 

[shadyJ]

The LS50s will give you accurate sound, whereas the Bose 901s look to give you the sound you enjoy. Much as I loathe Bose, you should go with what you will enjoy more. You just have to keep in mind what you are hearing from the Bose system is not what the recording is intended to sound like.

 

[Mark Ricotta]

Thank you very much. Good advice. Still leaning toward the 901s, but would sure like to actually hear the KEF LS50s. Don't know how to do that, without buying them first.

 

[Dennis Murphy]

The LS50s will give you accurate sound, whereas the Bose 901s look to give you the sound you enjoy. Much as I loathe Bose, you should go with what you will enjoy more. You just have to keep in mind what you are hearing from the Bose system is not what the recording is intended to sound like.

The 901 series was the best system Bose marketed, although it is indeed a "special effects" product. There is no scientific foundation for the driver configuration Dr. Bose promoted. I forget the exact ratio of direct to reflected sound the 901's were supposed to replicate, but it was based on the ratio that Dr. Bose thought was present in a real live orchestra hall. What he forgot, or chose to forget, was that the reflected sound in a hall comes from the pure unadulterated direct sound of violins, brass, and winds. The sound that gets bounced around in a 901 is a recorded signal that already contains the ambiance (reflected sound) of the recording venue. So you're bouncing already reflected sound off of the listening room walls and getting bounced-bounced sound. In addition, all that rear-wave bouncing tends to create a cancellation in the midrange that introduces a somewhat hollow coloration to the sound. But the 901's can sound really interesting, and in a manner that you're not likely to get from a conventional forward-firing speaker. So if you like what you're hearing from the 901's, I would stick with them.

 

[Mark Ricotta]

Thank you, Dennis. Great info. This is a wonderful, very well-informed and polite group. Happy to be part of it. Thank you.

 

[Sky1]

Boze 901's were the cat's meow back in the 70's. They still have a different sound but cant compete. You want to hear something that will blow you away like the Bose did back in the 70s" Go to a high end audio store and ask to listen to some GoldenEar Titan 5's. Best speaker I have ever heard. Beware if you have cats, they look like a scratching post!
If my SVS that I ordered dont work out for me I am going with the Titans and make up a metal fence to go around them to keep the cats from ripping them up.

 

[PENG]

Thank you very much. Good advice. Still leaning toward the 901s, but would sure like to actually hear the KEF LS50s. Don't know how to do that, without buying them first.

Even if you like the LS50's sound, they may not be "loud" enough for you in your 20X20 room. You could help them with a couple of nice subwoofers but then you will go over your budget of 2K. I added just one sub that costs more than the LS50 but the result is good. As others have suggested, stick with the Bose since you think they sound good.

 

[KEW]

Thank you very much. Good advice. Still leaning toward the 901s, but would sure like to actually hear the KEF LS50s. Don't know how to do that, without buying them first.

You do have to buy them first, but Amazon has an easy 30 day return process.

http://www.amazon.com/KEF-LS50-Mini-Monitor-Gloss/dp/B00EPDMDZ8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451753565&sr=8-1&keywords=ls50

 

[Mark Ricotta]

Thank you, Sky. . .I've read about the Titan Series and the Titan 5s and I have a lot of interest. . .just didn't mention them in my initial post. Thanks for reminding me. Question: do you think my 80 watt Kenwood integrated amp has enough power to get the best sound out of the Titan 5s that they can reproduce. Plus, I live in an apartment, so I need an efficient speaker that sounds very very good at relatively low volume. Are the 5s efficient, as far as you know?. What do you think, Sky? Finally, as my budget is rather limited (although I could afford $2K for a pair of 5s), what speaker cable (10-12 ft.) would you recommend? I certainly don't want to be spending $500 for speaker cable. My classic audio guy here in Rockford at VideoLab, with whom I've been doing business for 30 years, swears that simple, off-the-shelf 18 awg speaker cable is sufficient to maximize sound quality. Maybe I read too many Music Direct catalogs, but I don't agree. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions. Very much appreciated. Mark

 

[Seth=L]

Hi All. . . This is my first post. I am an audiophile. . .kind of a wannabe, because my budget is extremely limited.

Welcome to Audioholics. $2K is a nice budget to start with for speakers. Nothing at all what I would consider limited (though others may disagree with me).

Here's my question for the group: I have owned 901s before (Series IV) and loved the sound and ambience and somewhat three-dimensional sound. Thinking of buying 901s Series VI new, with equalizer and 18" stands of course. But I've been reading a lot of great reviews of the KEF LS50 50th Anniversary mini-monitors. The price between the two is comparable. I have an 80-watt Kenwood integrated amp, OPPO BDP-105D Blu--Ray and CD DAC, and a Pioneer PL-550 with a Denon 110 cartridge and stylus. I want that room-filling sound (my listening room is only about 400 sq. ft.). I'm already sold on the Bose sound.. Can anyone make an argument why I should go with the KEF LS-50s this time, instead of the Bose 901 Series VI?

I certainly couldn't recommend spending $2K on any speaker (other than a subwoofer) that I had not heard of before. One thing that I find troubling in this thread is that no one has thought to ask, but what is the difference other than age and finish between the Bose 901 IV and VI? Would this really be a worthwhile upgrade? As I understand the differences between versions of the 901 is very minor. Unless there is something wrong with the IVs I would see this as more or less a lateral move unless you're intention is not to replace the speakers, but add more.

Or might you suggest even a better pair of speakers under $2K?

I would suggest go out and listen to all the speakers you can, even ones that aren't necessarily in the $2K budget restriction (meaning listen to ones that cost both more and less). Get a sense for what else is available how compare notes to what you already have and among the products you sample.

Thank you very much. Good advice. Still leaning toward the 901s, but would sure like to actually hear the KEF LS50s. Don't know how to do that, without buying them first.

What is a general location for you? Maybe we can help track down a dealer that would allow you to demo them on their showroom floor or possibly even in your home.

Question: do you think my 80 watt Kenwood integrated amp has enough power to get the best sound out of the Titan 5s that they can reproduce?

Those old Kenwood integrated amps (silver face era) are plenty powerful. Should be more than enough in an apartment.

Plus, I live in an apartment, so I need an efficient speaker that sounds very very good at relatively low volume. Are the 5s efficient, as far as you know?

Because of the small space efficiency probably isn't an issue. The more efficient a speaker is the higher output it will have given a specific wattage input.

What do you think, Sky? Finally, as my budget is rather limited (although I could afford $2K for a pair of 5s), what speaker cable (10-12 ft.) would you recommend? I certainly don't want to be spending $500 for speaker cable. My classic audio guy here in Rockford at VideoLab, with whom I've been doing business for 30 years, swears that simple, off-the-shelf 18 awg speaker cable is sufficient to maximize sound quality. Maybe I read too many Music Direct catalogs, but I don't agree.

The classic audio guy is correct. 18 gauge wire is sufficient for most applications unless you're talking some serious current, so a non issue. The high end boutique and esoteric speaker cables and interconnects are 99% snake oil and a very misplaced way of spending money. Even if you could get a measurable difference in performance from a speaker cable that costs $500 next to a 18 gauge lamp cord the cost of the speaker cable would have been much better spent putting it toward a speaker that costs $500 more. Speaker cable is on the bottom rungs of appreciable performance improvements that can even be measured, let alone heard.

Thank you all and happy new year. Happy to be part of this group.

Thank you and a happy New Year to you as well. We are glad to have you here.

 

[KEW]

My impression from reading the OP was he no longer owns the 901s.

 

[Seth=L]

My impression from reading the OP was he no longer owns the 901s.

So much for me going into vast detail. Woops.

 

[Mark Ricotta]

Kurt is correct. I do not still own the 901s. However, every comment and every response was extremely helpful in assisting me in making my decision. I'm now leaning toward the Triton 5 Towers, and will be traveling into Naperville, Illinois, to give them a listen at Deluxe Audio and Video. I will always like the sound and ambience of the 901s (I owned IVs and was very seriously close to going with the VIs), but all the reviews and the comments here of the KEF LS50s gave me serious pause. But as good a reference monitor as the KEFs appear to be, I think I'll get the deeper sound I like with almost as much as big a soundscape the KEFs are purported to produce if I purchase the Triton 5 Towers (with AudioQuest G2 16 gauge speaker cable). I am extremely impressed by the knowledge base, the participation and the credibility of this forum, and the willingness of everyone to help. I am very grateful that I joined this forum and this group, and I hope someday soon to be able to offer as much help to others that has been so freely and politely given to me. Thank you to each and every one of you. Most sincerely, Mark.

 

[KenM10759]

I see that dealer has the Golden Ear, though also a dealer for Paradigm, Focal, Martin Logan, JL Audio and more. See how they treat you and perhaps audition a few others to learn if you like something else.

My thought based upon your comment of how you liked the "sound everywhere" signature of the 901's is that you may initially think all the others are inferior because they don't work like that. All these other speakers, if set up as stereo pairs, are going to create a specific soundstage. Most AV stores will have some degree of room treatment because their rooms tend to be fairly small, so it's going to be completely different than YOUR space. That said, you will be comparing apples to apples in the same basket while there.

Unless they treat you horribly, if you like what you find please buy from them. Their prices won't be far off (if at all different) from internet pricing for the same product, and you'll be supporting the local merchant who provided you with the opportunity to hear them all. They should offer in-home trial period. My dealer here allows me to take any of their demo stock home to try it without buying it, then go home with new in box product if I like it. Or, once a year they sell off demo stock for a good discount. (I hit that lucky day with some of mine.)

If you have intent to buy via internet even after sampling, just order that way with return policies in mind. You then hear them all in your own space with your equipment.

 

[KEW]

The Mirage OMD series is a more modern design with nice sound that implements reflected sound (though not near so much as the Bose 901). I use a pair of OMD-5 surrounds because I like the way the throw sound around for surround speakers, but I also enjoy listening to them in stereo. For orchestral strings (which radiate sound in all directions), the width of the sound stage is excellent, but for a trumpet (which is very directional) the imaging is not as good as traditional speakers. I had 901's and experienced the same differences, except the orchestral strings sounded like they were in a hall with poor acoustics (too many reflections).

http://www.miragespeakers.com/products/om-design/

Note that Mirage OMD speakers was bought by Audiovox and has been in a state of closeout/discontinued for about 4-5 years now!

 

[Muzykant]

If the original poster likes the sound of Bose 901, would Definitive Technology bipolar towers be an alternative more to his liking? I see both BP-8080ST and BP-8060ST being on sale on their website and Crutchfield, and are within OP's target budget. They are also sold at Magnolia BB.

The original poster mentioned liking "deeper sound", which I take to be stronger bass, and these towers have it covered with built-in powered subwoofers. Their midrange and tweeter drivers sound pretty good to my ears (I have them in SM-65 bookshelf speakers I own). Maybe not as detailed as some other speakers, but pretty pleasant none the less.

 

[ski2xblack]

DefTech bipolars may be a good option for that particular bosey, reflected sort of sound. They'll easily dig deeper, get louder, and have smoother response than any 901.

My concerns are that Mark R's taste will evolve over time.

On my own audio odyssey I've owned both Bose and DT. The bose were sorta fun for the uninitiated, the DT much better but they still heavily involve local acoustics, which is more of a parlor trick. I wouldn't buy either speaker ever again.

 

[Muzykant]

Perhaps you are right. I was just suggesting the DefTech as an option based on what the original poster wrote. I myself have never owned bipolar speakers, although I've had a bipolar girlfriend.

 

[its phillip]

...if I purchase the Triton 5 Towers (with AudioQuest G2 16 gauge speaker cable).

Skip the expensive cables.

http://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=2820

 

[KEW]

Mark R.,
If you listen to the LS50's or the Triton 5's, they may well sound "empty" compared to the sound of the Bose 901's.
Many of us here would say that is because you are used to the myriad reflections of the 901's (which are definitely room filling). We have many professional and amateur musicians among us and non of them prefer Bose, so that kind of leads us to believe that the Bose sound is not realistic. Nonetheless, if you are going to enjoy your music more on the 901's that is what you should get.
However, if you do find the Tritons or KEF's "empty" I would encourage you to listen to a pair of the Mirage OMD series or the DefTech's (DefTech's is a better suggestion because they are more readily available to audition).
If you like the Bose better, then Bose it is!
If you like the DefTech better, they will get you a more accurate speaker without losing all of the Bose effect.

As Ski2xblack mentioned, your tastes may change over time.

My advice is to be sure to listen to your favorite songs, with a wide variety of styles. The Bose store has music they select to make the 901's sound exceptionally good!