KEF R900 Closeout sales HEADS UP!

[laurelkurt]

The mids are very much affected by the room. You seem like a really good candidate for indulging in REW.

Yes the room makes a huge difference. I recently spent 1,000 or so on absorbsion panels. My old Paradigms used to "hurt my ears", especially after long, loud sessions of poorly recorded old progressive rock. Nothing like hearing well recorded music to make you think, what the hell were these producers thinking? And, wow, my system is pretty darn good after all.

 

[ryanosaur]

The mids are very much affected by the room. You seem like a really good candidate for indulging in REW.

I’ve begun that path, good sir.

 

[PENG]

I’ve begun that path, good sir.

Below are the plots for the same speaker in the same room where the R900s are. One was measured at 33.375 inch from the speaker, the other 34.25 inches. Quite a bit of difference in FR when the distance differed by less than 1 inch.

 

[PENG]

Are the Focals setup just 2.0. ?

Yes, both are 2.0. Both sounded great with the 4B SST, A21 and the little DIY 5 W amp, or my oldest AVR,, the 3805.

 

[PENG]

Do r900 sound better than r700?

I have never heard the 700. I have auditioned the R500 a couple times, impressed both times.

 

[laurelkurt]

They are in different rooms and I have only listened to them in direct and pure direct mode. Each placed the way they are now, the Focal sounds more live like. I prefer the Focal mainly because I thought they are better looking.

Yes the KEFs do look a bit garish with the silver trim rings and the silver uni-Q. Other than that, the fit-n-finish is very nice. These are the most "expensive" speakers I have purchased. I've always bought used in the past and have had pretty good luck.

 

[ryanosaur]

Yes the KEFs do look a bit garish with the silver trim rings and the silver uni-Q. Other than that, the fit-n-finish is very nice. These are the most "expensive" speakers I have purchased. I've always bought used in the past and have had pretty good luck.

I would choose Austere, perhaps...

But you love the way they sound above everything, yes? Nothing like $5K speakers for $2800, right? Don't recall, were you doing HT, also? If you could swing for the center while its on deep discount, I'd do that, too. Those are what I would consider end-game speakers in many regards. Locking down your front three like that could take care of you for 10+ years!

 

[laurelkurt]

I would choose Austere, perhaps...

But you love the way they sound above everything, yes? Nothing like $5K speakers for $2800, right? Don't recall, were you doing HT, also? If you could swing for the center while its on deep discount, I'd do that, too. Those are what I would consider end-game speakers in many regards. Locking down your front three like that could take care of you for 10+ years!

Yes I bought the R600c. It was $1200 (not discounted as far as I know). I still don't know why, because I'll probably never watch a movie more than very occasionally. Cream Live Albert Hall DVD sounds great in 5.1. All the music is (luckily) in the 3 fronts, with crowd and hall sounds relegated to the surrounds. I generally don't like most of these re-releases of classic progressive rock with odd instruments/vocals coming from all around me.

BTW I use B&W CDM1 Signatures as my rears and have 2 SVS SB2000 subs in my big system...Ah, the only R600c that was available was either rosewood or black. The rosewood sure is a lot prettier than the walnut 900s. Sound is more important than looks to me and yes, I'm very happy with the sonics. I need to unload my Paradigm Studio 100 v2s now. I've never sold anything on Craigslist and I'm dreading the prospect. Plus lugging 100+ lb speakers up from the basement!

And as far as good for 10+ years: I'm 59 years old and these will probably outlive my hearing and maybe even me!

 

[ryanosaur]

Yes I bought the R600c. It was $1200 (not discounted as far as I know). I still don't know why, because I'll probably never watch a movie more than very occasionally. Cream Live Albert Hall DVD sounds great in 5.1. All the music is (luckily) in the 3 fronts, with crowd and hall sounds relegated to the surrounds. I generally don't like most of these re-releases of classic progressive rock with odd instruments/vocals coming from all around me.

BTW I use B&W CDM1 Signatures as my rears and have 2 SVS SB2000 subs in my big system...Ah, the only R600c that was available was either rosewood or black. The rosewood sure is a lot prettier than the walnut 900s. Sound is more important than looks to me and yes, I'm very happy with the sonics. I need to unload my Paradigm Studio 100 v2s now. I've never sold anything on Craigslist and I'm dreading the prospect. Plus lugging 100+ lb speakers up from the basement!

And as far as good for 10+ years: I'm 59 years old and these will probably outlive my hearing and maybe even me!

I think it retailed originally at 1500.

I've enjoyed my limited exposure to 5.1 audio quite a bit. Hope I get to expand my collection more. Focusing first on my DIY projects: First kit build, first subwoofer build, then... who knows.

Enjoy the new speakers!!!

 

[laurelkurt]

I think it retailed originally at 1500.

I've enjoyed my limited exposure to 5.1 audio quite a bit. Hope I get to expand my collection more. Focusing first on my DIY projects: First kit build, first subwoofer build, then... who knows.

Enjoy the new speakers!!!

I used to be an avid reader of Speaker Builder and had long wished that I could a beautiful pair of North Creek Rhythm Revelators MTM towers with ScanSpeak drivers. Ah, the silly dreams of my youth! I don't think they were a beginner's type of project. GOOD LUCK with your projects and don't wait too long!

 

[laurelkurt]

Below are the plots for the same speaker in the same room where the R900s are. One was measured at 33.375 inch from the speaker, the other 34.25 inches. Quite a bit of difference in FR when the distance differed by less than 1 inch.

View attachment 30091

They look pretty darn close to me! I doubt pairs of almost any brand would measure that closely even in the same exact position. That looks like a really flat in-room response! What speaker was that?

 

[PENG]

They look pretty darn close to me! I doubt pairs of almost any brand would measure that closely even in the same exact position. That looks like a really flat in-room response! What speaker was that?

They are my first unfinished DIY 3-way speakers designed by an expert in crossover design. I am counting on them to sound better than the R900 and LS50. In their unfinished state (back not glued, wires not shortened to length, connections not soldered to perfection, damping material not finalized), their sound signature seems to fit in between the R900 and 1028 Be.

By the way, my son-in-law was so impressed with my R900 that he eventually replaced his 5.1 Paradigm Monitors towers with the R900, R600C and R300s. To me I prefer my LS50+Sub but again I have not done do an apples to apples comparison between the two set up, they are in the same room size by size but to do a fair comparison is next to impossible. If I were to keep one, it will be the R900 because they can play much louder.

 

[laurelkurt]

They are my first unfinished DIY 3-way speakers designed by an expert in crossover design. I am counting on them to sound better than the R900 and LS50. In their unfinished state (back not glued, wires not shortened to length, connections not soldered to perfection, damping material not finalized), their sound signature seems to fit in between the R900 and 1028 Be.

By the way, my son-in-law was so impressed with my R900 that he eventually replaced his 5.1 Paradigm Monitors towers with the R900, R600C and R300s. To me I prefer my LS50+Sub but again I have not done do an apples to apples comparison between the two set up, they are in the same room size by size but to do a fair comparison is next to impossible. If I were to keep one, it will be the R900 because they can play much louder.

I have powered LS50Ws up in the smallish family room with 2 subs. They seem to have a much fatter mid-bass sound. I'm guessing, because I have them less than 2 feet from the wall behind them and flanking the TV cabinet. I sit around 6 feet away. When I first bought them I put them in the big room downstairs, set up each atop a sub, around 5 feet into the (untreated at that time) room. They sounded pretty bad and I was getting ready to send them back until I tried them upstairs. Wow! What a difference - It was the best sound I'd ever had. That's how I got started with the room treatments down stairs, and to where I am now with the Rs. I'm going to try moving the R900s back, a bit closer to the front wall, to get that fatter mid-bass that I like. Yes they play much louder than the LS50Ws and the highs & mids are more pronounced.