Thoughts of KEF

[Guangui]

My brother is not an audio enthusiast, but wants a good speaker for his HT system. Doing his own research he found a great deal on KEF's iQ7 or iQ9 mains, not much of a price difference ($150/pr.) between them, KEF's iQ8DS dipoles for surround, KEF's iQ6C Center Channel, and KEF's HTB2 sub.

The price he is being offered (new) is very good, $2,200 for the complete 5.1 system, and he can go under $2K if he buys a sub from HSU and changes the dipoles to KEF's iQ1 or 2 bookshelfs as surrounds. Total package with that change is $1,800.00 total.

Personally don't know KEF anymore than my brother, as I have never auditioned them, and can only go with the reviews I read. But, he asked my advise, and come to you guys for advise as to what speakers they would compare in sound and quality. Also, the opinion of those of you who own or have auditioned KEF's iQ series...Thanks!!!

 

[AdrianMills]

I like the sound of Kef iQs but I'm not sure how much help that is; personal preference is everything. They tend to have that "British" sound similar to B&W speakers although of course they sound different.

I was set on getting a 5.1 based on Kef iQ 9's, 8ds and 6c until I heard the B&W 703s and then 804s.

Reviews that I've seen don't rate the iQ7 as highly as the iQ9 or iQ5.

Build quality is good but, and this was definitely a negative for me, they have a vinyl cover not a wood veneer although it looks good enough that many people have bought them and been fooled until it's been pointed out.

A few things to be aware of; I've seen people complain that Audyssey can report issues with phase during setup (probably because of the way the uniQ driver is wired internally) but it's just a spurious "error" that doesn't mean much. Also, the uniQ driver is not that easy to drive so make sure the receiver it’s attached to is of a reasonable quality if they are going to be played loud. Oh yes, and definitely go with a different sub than the Kef.

I can’t comment on the price as I’m in Europe and all your prices seem incredibly low to me.

 

[mike c]

"no.5" has some iQ bookshelves, i'm sure he'll comment when he sees this.

I have the Q1 (predecessor to the iQ) and I think that they're a really good value.

i've compared my Q1 to speakers thrice the price:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33290&highlight=monitor+audio

 

[Guangui]

Thanks

Thanks for your replies. Seen many different reviews and opinions. Don't think I have ever seen such a range of opinions for the same speaker. There are a couple of B&W dealers in the area, so I will have him audition them, and compare pricing. Also, will have him hear Monitor's RS6 silver series, as the complete package not much more expensive than KEF. Sadly for KEF I have not been able to find a local dealer to audition them, so at the end might not be able to compare properly.

 

[no. 5]

"no.5" has some iQ bookshelves, i'm sure he'll comment when he sees this.

Yep, though it may be a while before he finds the thread.

My biggest dislike about the model I have is light bass response (but they are bookshelves, so one cannot expect all that much), I like that they do image well, and are detailed - which is either a positive, or a negative, depending on the quality of your music collection. They do not sound bright (at least to me), horns sound particularly nice IMO.

They seem to be built pretty well, real wood veneer would have been nice, but the vinyl looks fine, and the shape of the cabinet makes up for it.

As for suggestions; go with a different sub. I would use iQ1's or iQ3's for surrounds, but that's just my preference.

Please, let me know if there is anything you want to know.

 

[Guangui]

Thanks for your opinion. My brother was going to audition PSB Image Series, Monitor's Silver Series, and B&W. Price is around the same as the KEF set he was looking at.

 

[sivadselim]

The speakers your brother is considering are fine, but the sub choice leaves much to be desired. I'd get another sub if I were him.

Also, unless he really wants surround-specific speakers, I'd look into the iQ1s (or iQ3s, although the iQ1s will probably suffice) as surround speakers. The iQ1s are probably cheaper than the iQ8dss, and IMO a better choice.

 

[Guangui]

The speakers your brother is considering are fine, but the sub choice leaves much to be desired. I'd get another sub if I were him.

Also, unless he really wants surround-specific speakers, I'd look into the iQ1s (or iQ3s, although the iQ1s will probably suffice) as surround speakers. The iQ1s are probably cheaper than the iQ8dss, and IMO a better choice.

As you can see in my original post, I agree with your sub comment, that is why I mentioned HSU, there others, like SVS, that I would consider instead of KEF.

iQ1's were finally selected for the package, but in the end, because he couldn't audition KEF in the island, as he couldn't find a KEF dealer in their website, he decided to go with PSB's Image Series, and a Paradigm Sub, which were available from the same dealer. Monitor Audio Silver would have been my main choice, but it was his money and ear, not mine. Shipping for an HSU or SVS sub to Puerto Rico was simply too much for one unit.

Here there are dealers for most consumer and high-end brands, but apparently none for KEF.

 

[no. 5]

Here there are dealers for most consumer and high-end brands, but apparently none for KEF.

I had a similar problem, the nearest KEF dealer to me is around two-hundred and fifty miles away, so I had to buy it to try it.

 

[Guangui]

I had a similar problem, the nearest KEF dealer to me is around two-hundred and fifty miles away, so I had to buy it to try it.

In Puerto Rico we are lucky, as we have all the brands you would get in the mainland, but at only 15-20 minutes from my house, metro area. If you leave outside the metro area I would say that the most you would travel is 2 to 2-1/2 hours with traffic. Within a 20 mile radius I can audition most high end brands, and all the consumer brands. B&W, Klipsch, Linn, Monitor, PSB, Paradigm, JM Focus, Gallo, Vienna, Energy, Dali, Defiinitive Tech, Splendor, Mourdant, Jamo, Avant Garde, Tannoy, Soliloquy, Martin Logan, Polk, Infinity, Jacobs, etc. The only problem is that the audio specialty stores, only think high end, so their pricing reflects that; they get the same discounts as US dealers, in some cases even deeper as manufacturers are aware of higher cost of doing business and freight involved, but freight is not as expensive as people would think; actually shipping charges inside the USA to get the merchandise to port is more expensive than the ocean freight part. So, I usually end up waiting for them to have clearances, or order from USA, and make my own freight arrangements.