[OzarkTom]

Maybe this summer.

I want to build a furniture to my second system. Thick plywood shelves with hidden 1 mm steel sheet glued below (I have "tons" of RF/EMI in the air too).

Hey Maty, if you are building stuff, get those plans from Decware and build a pair of DNA Horns. My buddy Rex did for about $300 plus his labor and those easily was better than his KEF LS50's. The plans cost him $20 at the Decware site. You can then use your KEF's for your second system.

[maty]

They are yet my second system, where I can listen my musics, you know: classical, baroque, jazz, acoustic, traditional, world music...

In the future only I will want a very good coaxial speakers or tweeter with logarithmic waveguide. The sound is different in front traditional speakers, coherent/time aligned and big soundstage too. Great dispersion.

http://www.decware.com/newsite/paper120.html

http://www.decware.com/newsite/HORN.html

[IMG] http://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/images/product/Alpair-10P-A-freq.jpg


I LOVE the Plutone graphs:

http://www.humblehomemadehifi.com/Plutone.html

[IMG] http://www.humblehomemadehifi.com/Plutone/Plutone_SPL_off-axis.jpg      

* Up: frequency response with incredible good dispersion.

* Down: phase response almost flat < 7 kHz

And crossover without any resistors!

[OzarkTom]

If you go fullrange with no crossovers, you will never go back. Vocals are the very best with no crossovers.

[maty]

But with orchestral music is bad choice. And you need a subwoofer too. I listen to few sung music.

Well, just now:

Elvis Presley - That's the Way It is=4LP= (Expanded Edition) 1970, 2014

http://www.vinylvinyl.nl/elvis-presley-thats-the-way-it-is4lp-expanded-edit.html

[maty]

Replace that cap. Replace the resistor. Don't need anything fancy either. ANYTHING will be better than what is there now (look at Tony Gee's rating for cheap Bennics. Some of the worst ratings in his list). After that remove the ferrite and compare. That would be my suggestion.

WLM Diva Monitor

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/wlm/divamonitor.html  2007

[IMG] http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/wlm/hero_xover.jpg


WLM Diva MKII  only $5,930 each !!!

https://audioaddiction.net.au/shop/wlm-diva

[IMG] https://audioaddiction.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/WLM-Cross-Over.jpg

[maty]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R29P1XL7D31MDR/ref=cm_cr_othr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0047K3X1M

The Best or Nothing
By Coachman30555 on May 20, 2018

These sound so good you think you have an extra pair of floor standing speakers in the room. They make you think twice about adding atmos speakers. I decided on these instead to give the room deeper sound and I'm glad I did. Paired with a Yamaha CX-A5100 & MX-A5000. I could swear I had birds in my living room while watching a golf tournament on tv the other day. Things you don't hear from basic speakers.

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-CX-A5100-MusicCast-Preamplifier-Bluetooth/dp/B012UJZWF6

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-MX-A5000BL-AVENTAGE-11-Channel-Amplifier/dp/B00DJ4BMIS

[maty]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R32SOLI5BTMB90/ref=cm_cr_othr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0047K3X1M

Not my cup of tea

By aczn on May 22, 2018

Not my cup of tea. Listened without a sub-woofer using SMSL SA-98E for power. A lot of details in the sound, but the sound was harsh and ear piercing to the point of being uncomfortable. Bass was present but lacking. Developed ear fatigue in about an hour of listening. Was directly comparing them to ELAC B5. B-5 sounded smoother, fuller, and, dare I say, warmer, and I could listen and enjoy them for hours...

How many times have I commented on the need to burn in these speakers? That new sound very bad, without bass, that make you want to return them!

Now is very easy to use the search engines and inform us well before spending money. If not -> compulsive buyer.

https://www.google.com/search?q=kef+q100+burn+break+bass


************ ***********

Look at aczn profile and his reviews

https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFH76H53YIKYVYAG6YK6YT6SLEOA/ref=cm_cr_othr_d_pdp?ie=UTF8

[maty]

SMSL SA-98E, class D with TDA7498E

[PDF] http://www.st.com/content/ccc/resource/technical/document/datasheet/ad/92/18/e8/c0/bf/42/b6/DM00044235.pdf/files/DM00044235.pdf/jcr:content/translations/en.DM00044235.pdf

160 watt + 160 watt dual BTL class D audio amplifier

More aproppiate to 4 Ohms nominal speakers and not with 8 Ohms nominal like KEF Q100 (4.7 Ohm min).

4. Characterization curves, page 11

Power, in SS, we must look at 0.1% THD always. (Tubes, at 1% THD). The best you can see is at 1% THD because the manufacter hide the curve at 0.1% THD -> much less power. And at 8 Ohms -> even less. KEF Q100 speakers love watts.

Figure 7. FFT performance .... like the cheap/old class D amps -> a lot of noise at HF -> very bad idea with tweeter, only with subs or woofer.

Very probably the frequency graph at 8 Ohms has a great peak at HF, like other cheap/old class D amps.


But you know, many audiophiles think that specs/measures are not important. They are a necessary condition but not enough. But necessary.

[maty]

To finish, why to hide power at 0.1% THD?

Because this chip is to work with bass frequencies. At low frequencies, the human ear is much less sensitive to the noise -> power graphs at 1% - 10% THD are logical in the PDF.

The problem are the chinese manufacturer and diyers that use an amplifier for another frequency range for which it was not designed. And buyers who do not inform themselves before buying, looking for information or asking in the audio/electronic forums.


Btw, talking about the human ear. It less sensitive with phase shift at LF -> a good active subwoofer you can modify the phase up to 180 - 200 Hz to integrate better with the speakers.

< 180/200 Hz, modifying the phase will not alter the sound quality.

[maty]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R18GXHACQRNUV2/ref=cm_cr_othr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0047K3X1M

Yup, just get them

By zKi Compon May 27, 2018

There can't be a better speaker set for $250 out there right now. I set these up in sub-optimal conditions and A/B'd them real quick with my recently purchased R500's. Neither are fully broken in, but the Q100 was fresh out of the box.

The R500's sounded better, of course, but the small margin by which they differed was startling. They have similar midrange and soundstage. Q has smaller but tighter bass, as to be expected, but it was still way more bass than this little driver should produce. It really is interesting to put your ear up to one driver and hear nearly the whole spectrum. The R has more clarity and sparkle.

I bought these as side surrounds and now I want to buy another set for my office as a stereo set. At this price, it's super tempting, especially because they won't last forever.

KEf R500 Floorstanding Loudspeaker

https://www.amazon.com/KEF-R500-Floorstanding-Loudspeaker-Gloss/dp/B007VIV0EE/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8  $1,900

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/component/content/article?id=444:kef-r500-loudspeakers

https://www.soundstage.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=793:nrc-measurements-kef-r500&catid=77:loudspeaker-measurements&Itemid=153https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=post;msg=1688516;topic=150792.40


You know, with my cheap tweaks, more mass and one/two subwoofers...

[maty]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R259REXCSQ3F6Z/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0047K3X1M

For a small footprint these speakers KICK ASS!

By Allen Woodon May 29, 2018

Wow! After these speakers are broken in the sound is phenomenal! In my small living room which is @ 12X12 with my Adcom GTP 500 preamp and GFA 535 60W per channel amp these speakers offer outstanding imaging and DEEEP Bass. I don't understand how other reviewers can say these speakers don't exhibit good bass. In my environment they do an outstanding job with excellent clarity across the full frequency range.

Don't expect stellar performance right out of the box, but after a good 30 hour or so burn in these speakers really start to open up.

One thing to mention is that these speakers will not do well with sub standard amplification. They will show you very quickly when you have a crappy source. They are brutally honest. Fit and finish is outstanding! These speakers look good in just about any environment, and the sound they produce proves it.

https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/adcom/gtp-500.shtml


https://www.stereophile.com/content/adcom-gfa-535-power-amplifier-specifications

Description: Two-channel, solid-state amplifier. Output power: 60W into 8 ohms (17.8dBW). Input sensitivity: 970mV RMS. Input impedance: 100k ohms. Frequency response: 10Hz–20kHz, –0.25dB. S/N ratio: 110dB. Power consumption: 300W.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/adcom-gfa-535-power-amplifier-measurements


Note: poweramp with input impedance > 50 kOhms works well with a passive preamp.

[fredgarvin]

As far as the bookshelves, I thought the R300 was better sounding than the LS50 that gets all the press. But I liked the Ascend Sierra and the Klipsch 160 better overall.

[maty]

KEF LS50 passive have a lot of problems:

* At -3dB: 79 Hz -> they need a subwoofer yes or yes.

* Rear bass-reflex. Over there I read that these speakers need at least 90 cm of separation to all the walls.

* True sensitivity is only 83 dB -> you need a powerful amplifier.

* Minimum impedance is 3.3 ohms. Really they are 4 Ohms nominal and not 8 Ohms. More watts.

* High price but cheap components in the crossover, like Q and R series. Very widespread practice in the sector.

Crossover pictures here: Free measuring and testing services

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=156605.0


[Polish] https://audio.com.pl/testy/stereo/zespoly-glosnikowe/458-kef-ls50

to English with Google:

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=pl&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Faudio.com.pl%2Ftesty%2Fstereo%2Fzespoly-glosnikowe%2F458-kef-ls50&edit-text=&act=url

[maty]

As far as the bookshelves, I thought the R300 was better sounding than the LS50 that gets all the press. But I liked the Ascend Sierra and the Klipsch 160 better overall.

http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/SRM1/srm1.html

http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/SRM1/srm1meas.html

$848 + $300 NRT upgrade


Ascend Sierra-1 NrT tweeter, woofer and crossover Photo

http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/649122453-ascend_sierra1_nrt_tweeter_woofer_and_crossover/images/740115/

[IMG] http://img.canuckaudiomart.com/uploads/large/740115-ascend_sierra1_nrt_tweeter_woofer_and_crossover.jpg 


http://byrneweb.com/sunburn/blog/2011/06/06/ascend-acoustics-sierra-1-nrt-review/comment-page-1/

[IMG] http://byrneweb.com/sunburn/blog/img/crossovers_small-2011-06-6-21-45.png 

[maty]

Klipsch RP-160M

https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/gallery/album/357-rp-160m-crossover-upgrade/

[IMG] https://community.klipsch.com/uploads/gallery/album_357/gallery_62937_357_784696.jpeg 

[fredgarvin]

As is they sounded better than the others I heard, like Elac and Wharfedale. I'm sure the new xovers sound even better. The Ascends I heard had the ribbon tweeter. Very nice, maybe too much for fans of a laid back sound.

[maty]

Ascend Sierra-2 with RAAL tweeter

Natural: $1448 /pair

Sierra-2 upgrade kit: $408/pair


http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/SRM2/srm2meas.html

Impressive measurements!!!


DR's Sierra-2 Thread

http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/showthread.php?5567-DR-s-Sierra-2-Thread&s=9c96dcd553580ca523a56cc5c744e1e7

I am very excited to say that I'm now the proud owner of two Sierra-2 upgrade kits

Crossover updated:

[IMG] http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh540/darkranger762/Sierra-2/IMG_0701_zpsce55b238.jpg

[Dan Driscoll]

 


Hi folks,

This topic has been fun, but it has strayed far beyond the scope of this the Sweet Deals Circle. It really belongs in one of the more technical circles at this point. I'm not going to lock it for now, but I would like to see any further posts more on the value of the KEF, rather than the technical and engineering aspects.

On the upside, I am absolutely positive that this will be the longest thread of all time in the SDC!   

[neonwilderness]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2YXJOTANCLLQ7/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0047K3X1M

By Mr. CPRon January 15, 2018

Again, KEF Q100 needs a long burning. And power too. With 80 watts at 8 ohms or more like my cheap tweaked and second hand AV Marantz SR4500.

Somewhere over the rainbow I wrote:

(*) ELAC B6 and Wharfedale Diamond 10.1

Focal Alpha 50 is an active pro monitor.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Alpha50/reviews

Hi, I had (still have) a pair of Boston Acoustics A25s and I love how they sound, but wanted to try something else. So I bought a pair of Kef Q100s last week and liked them out of the box; as stated by others before me they're crystal clear, the timing is amazing, the sound of the drums is amazing... but after around 25 hours of burn in I don't know if I should send them back. Yes, they do sound amazing with balanced and punchy recordings, but they're terrible with harsh or poor recordings, and I mostly listen to punk rock so I'm afraid many of my favorite records are unlistenable with this Kefs... the Bostons are much more forgiving with bad sounding recordings, still having decent detail though.
Also, they're positioned 10 cm from the back wall (I can't put them further out) and the bass is boomy with a bunch of songs/records. I had to use foobar equalizer (never used before!) to turn down the 110Hz frequency because the bass was piercing my ears. The A25s had kind of the same problem cause the same bad positioning, but it was a little less prominent.
If I paid $229/200 euros for the Kefs, I would probably keep them, but here in Italy they costed me 300+ euros.
So, my question is: do they really improve that much after like 100/200 hours of burn in? I've only have 2 weeks to send them back, so I can't test it for myself. I've also bought a pair or Tellurium Q Black II cables (used) that will arrive next week; could those cables solve the problem?
My setup is: Marantz PM6006 amp, Schiit Modi 2 DAC, Audioquest Big Sur signal cable.
Thanks!

[envydd]

Give it  200hrs. My q100 sounds quite like my ls50 except for the lower end and a tiny more glare for 1/5the the price