There will always be a market for bookshelf speakers. ( even though it's probably better at keeping time ), "I appreciate and value the beautiful things that Chinese Artisans produce and export to the USA.". Dali Oberon 1 (280 euro) Triangle Borea BR03 (300 euro) KEF Q150 (360 euro) They would be used for nearfield listening now (desk usage), but hoping to use them in a medium-sized room at some point in the future. Theft of intellectual property should indeed be stamped out, but has nothing to do with a company like KEF (or any of the other high end audio outfits) choosing to have their designs built in China. Every product is carefully selected by our editors. Hence, you might need to purchase them separately. 0637203215728, 0637203215742, 0637203216282. Maybe the reviewer took a Subway Train to NJ and had a nice look-round the KEF USA Parts & Service Centre. Please consider creating a new thread. DISCOVER . Is Stereophile writing to the emerging iPhone ( smart phone ) Audiophile Marketplace where Billions of potential Loudspeaker buyers are lurking at every Apple Store, spending their discretionary incomes on evolving technologies? The KEF q150 is scarce. Triangle was less fatiguing. As a Corporation I have to move my Labor Supply "OffShore" to take advantage of lower labor costs, my personal Contract and Bonuses are contingent on it. Even Foxconn has stated it could move some production overseas. Therefore, the natural-feeling energy, hip-shaking momentums, saturated colors, high-relief textures, and relaxed coherence they brought to the Q350s did not surprise me. The ports design has been tweaked to reduce vibration at higher speeds, resulting in little port noise and LF compression. I considered all the current bookshelf speakers that are being talked about in the current year. ReviewFinder is reader-supported - if you click on a link on ReviewFinder and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I'm thinking that this reviewer is say'n the Qs are competent competitors against ( and along side of ) the often touted Chinese Pioneers and Elac B5 & B6 & F6 of Andrew Jones, even among the "Loved" by Queen & Country, British Loudspeakers with their beautiful "real wood textures". JBL was slightly better on guitar, shocked that both of us noticed that. Is there anything coming out of China that has "Lasting" Value, is there anything Chinese that our Grandchildren will be taking to their Antique Road Show ? This tends to deliver super powerful sound with broader coverage. For now, I simply can't endorse Name Brand's policy of "Outsourcing". Triangle was much clearer on the treble and highs. Having said all the above I do have to admit that the United States has had Post WW11 lack of competition because everyone else had to rebuild. Opinions on that seem to vary quite widely. Our 'British' boxes are always wonderful. Decent mid/high detail and surprising amount of bass. Similar to KEF q150, this variant also lacks all of the control features. 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Select a location to see product availability, Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2022. Triangle Borea BR03 are $7.01 more expensive than the average speakers ($299.98). I just did a bit of a Search on the LS50 to discover that KEF originally intended the Design to be a more modern replacement for the LS3/5a. I prefer loudspeakers with well-controlled directivity, which is the main reason I admire KEF's Uni-Q concentric drivers. The Linn Kann could, the ProAc Tablette certainly could, the Thiel CS3 could because it had deep bass, the Quad 63s might ( depending on Amplifier type ). Wharfedale is one of the oldest loudspeaker manufacturers in the world and one of the best at designing affordable loudspeakers that can really reproduce a full-range sound. Kef Q350 customer reviews So, again, I can't wait. In the BR03, particularly in the black finish, this could also legitimately be seen to be a little dull. It is capitalism in action. Ideally, this is great for a small room. Usually located at the top of the speaker, tweeters come in different shapes (detailed below) and sizes. The Q350 was not released recently but the KEF sound with the Uni-Q drivers has been praised for many years. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Music that was recorded in stereo needs to be listened to in that format unless we are content with listening to single loudspeakers again that attempt to simulate stereo or even surround sound with multiple drivers packed into an enclosure the size of a coffee can. The Q150 are the smallest and most affordable speakers in KEF's Q series. Wasn't thrilled initially, played with the positioning and added an Energy subwoofer I had on hand and that's when they really started to sound good. With daily advancements in technology, the speakers and all the techy devices come up with different features and specifications. Your argument is odd (and perhaps a little personal). I also want to pair them with a Subwoofer, preferably SVS SB1000 if I can get for a good price. The Uni-Q driver array is at the core of the advanced Q Sequence. Pretty cheeky. Well, the increment in prices is only due to the larger size of the driver. Mistahhhhhhhh Space., You're Not Suggesting Block or unblock port if using with subwoofers? Clarity is enhanced by reducing the audibility of midrange leakage through the port, thanks to a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) port configuration with the port reconfigured to the speakers back. Triangle Audio. PSB has been manufacturing award-winning loudspeakers for over 40 years. This is a perfect example. Budget premium sound quality and look gorgeous. Many reading this are probably in the same predicament they find themselves in when the Q150 and Q350 frequently go on sale for $300 and $500 respectively. Because stereo sound is special. Before investing, it becomes crucial to check out the various variants of a particular brand to get the perfect knowledge about which s better than the other and worth the money. I ordered these speakers as an open box in like new condition checked by Amazon. Triangle Borea BR03 (300 euro) KEF Q150 (360 euro) They would be used for nearfield listening now (desk usage), but hoping to use them in a medium-sized room at some point in the future. No doubt, there are more expensive speakers available in this range, but KEF q150 stands out from all these with these stunning features. Also, please comment on how stand and speaker are to be joined (the speakers have no fasteners of any kind, and the fine LS50 lacquer can easily be damaged if using Blutac, for instance). I bought and auditioned the Before buying these KEFs, I like many others obsessionally belabored the choice. I don't want you to go out of your way. Fairly obviously Stereophile's audience is those who already know Stereophile. Probably because it happened such a long time ago. It is the biggest driver in size, and is usually shaped like a cone. During my wait time I saw them listed with next week delivery. and.. it explains an entry level $500 LS50 re-branded as Q series. The LS50 is now a balance scale transducer system that the Pro-Audio World ( including Genelec ) are carefully evaluating and comparing , pretty much like you and Steve G. do within most of your workings. Cons:. Low Stock : Order Soon Order by 2pm: Ships Today. The Wharfedale EVO4.2 is available in three different finishes: walnut, black oak or white oak. You and Art Dudley are terrific reviewers! Even with full woofer excursion, the sound does not break up! amazon.com. It seems that we Americans, on the whole, are demanding traditional levels of quality in our product selections and turning a blind eye to the circumstances of the people involved in supplying them. I'd prefer it if they were more open about the closeness of components such as the Q350 to much more expensive 'references' but such is life. On 4 Mar 2023 (17 hours ago) we went through 92 Speakers expert endorsements . Customer reviews and photos may be available to help you make the right purchase decision! I would definitely recommend these speakers. (The new KEF LS50 Meta is their current media darling. I too found myself on that see-saw of trying to decide which to buy and if the Q350 was worth the extra $200. i always look for your reviews. All the while it's been singing it's heart out and giving pride of ownership a steady polish. The tenor of your posts ill behooves the audiophile community or Stereophile. Bookshelf speakers do a rather convincing job recreating the soundstage; the physical space (studio, garage, music hall) where the recording was made and that illusion of being there with your favorite artist is a big part of the experience. They key to quality in a woofer materia. The woofer is the driver that is responsible for low frequency sounds and bass - crucial for well-rounded, booming sound. One thing is for certain, there is no shortage of affordable passive or active bookshelf loudspeakers for all types of spaces. Oh, that's right, no smartphones are made in any of those countries. The q350 series has higher wattage as compared to q150. Europeans seem to be less accepting of Chinese product dumpers. Seriously. I still miss all the Superb Gear that I once owned : Pro-Ac Tablets, Magnapan MG2s, Conrad-Johnson MV45a, Audible Illusions Modulus 2a, Bruce Brisson Cabling MH750s, Meridian M2s & M3s ( both in Rosewood ), both of my original Linn LP12s and a few other pieces of wonderful gear I had to part with as I left the Audio Industry for the Travel Work of a Major Corporation. In the end, I slightly preferred the Q350s 6' apart, toed in just a little, 33" from the wall behind them to their front baffles, and with their ports partially plugged. Tweeters (over 2000Hz), midrange (200-2000Hz), and woofers (under 200Hz) are the most common types of drivers used in speakers. Excellent speakers, but be weary of less-than-ideal placement, Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2017. The solutions you propose are basically the government intervening to support uncompetitive industries. The Q350's Uni-Q driver includes a damped loading tube for its tweeter, which, Sehdev says, "gives a gentler termination at the back of the tweeterimproving response at the bottom and reducing harshness. They also have been integrated with the same bracing technology Point to Point (P2P) that's in the company's $6,500 Concept 500 loudspeakers, which helps them be better at eliminating miscellaneous vibrations. The Q Acoustics 3020i are available in several different colors and because they are a few years old you can often find them discounted. There's much more good than bad in Stereophile annnnnnnnnd I've loved JA since the early 1980s and will follow him most anywhere, Phew. Trust me and ignore any negative reviews for this speaker. So I contacted online chat customer service and after waiting forever, Ashwandi was helpful and refunded my credit card. It would be useful if JA could make a set of measurements for the Q350 while driven by the PrimaLuna Prologue Premium to show what would be the effect of that amp's output impedance on the speaker's frequency response. This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. I'd logged a lot of hours with KEF's reference-quality LS50, and I wondered if comparing it to its lower-priced, Q-series sibling might disclose not only another high-value stand-mounted bookshelf speaker, but also show me some things about the effects of cabinet mass and crossover slope on loudspeaker performance. NEW 2023 : SECRET New Hi-Fi & Home Theater In-wall speaker LCR7. There are so many LS3/5a choices in the market, including Graham Audio, which makes both an LS3/5 and an LS3/5a, and reviews such as this are very informative. Elac Unifi 2.0 and this KEF Q350. Discover more. Common points from expert reviews summarized. Triangle BR03 - liked them, but when comparing side by side with KEF, Triangles sounded more . Buying a piece of Gear is like a Marriage Commitment, a Love Affair, a Relationship. The drivers installed are also the same in KEF q150 and q100 speaker ranges. Gear Patrol participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. The Q350 costs US $700 on Amazon including prime shipping. We can say that KEF q150 is the upgraded version of q100 bookshelf speakers. Plus Sanyo, B-Tech, Teac, Techcraft, LG, StudioTech, Bell'O & more. Hong Kong-based Gold Peak bought KEF (and Celestion) in 1992, IIRC. ( for gods sake ) "Real Wood" & pride of ownership ! The Q350's cloth grille is optional at $39.98/pair, but KEF does include concentric, two-piece foam plugs to partially or fully block the rear-firing ports when the pair are positioned near room boundaries. is a knock-off Rolex a good thing ? The KEF Q350 speakers turn out to be more efficient and durable. More specific and focused drivers means more accurate, robust sound. Each speaker features a unique Uni-Q driver which consists of a centered tweeter-and-woofer combo instead of two separately mounted drivers, resulting in a more direct and accurate sound that's similar to ones found in KEF's more expensive lines. If your budget provides you with the liberty of spending more, you should probably opt for the Q350.The Q350s CFD port ensures a deep and clean bass whilst eliminating noise or distortion. kef q350 walnut. Also, the build quality is very high for the price. The Q350s generated a proper soundstage and good timbres throughout my small listening room. For a bit of background, I'm a hobbyist audio and mastering engineer with about 20 years of studio experience. Curious to see this month's entire Bookshelf Speakers ranking? The data presented is for information purposes only. Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2023. The woofer sizes of the Q150 and Q350 vary. - Oct 2018. I had the Kef LS50s but they made my ears bleed after like 45 mins so I had to get rid of em. The port seemed quiet, but not as quiet as when it was partially or fully blocked. I bought these and a new set of Monoprice speaker stands. In Summary ( from my perspective ), Chinesium Loudspeaker can be made to sound dam good if you play them with Outstanding-Superb-Carefully Selected-Well Made front ends ! The midrange is superb and the bass response from such a small two-way pair of loudspeakers is resoundingly taut and agile even with electronica and hip-hop and driven with entry-level integrated amplifiers. Theres also speculation that the Q150 is inherently superior because it uses the same size driver and similar size enclosure as the LS50. Still, you get an option in these speakers to add a grille.s though you have to purchase it as it doesnt come along with this unit. The price of the KEF Q350 is double the price of Q150. Rather than refund $ to my credit card, Amazon put the funds in a gift card account where it sat for 10 days or so. After going through a few speakers with my Yamaha amp, KEF delivers the most dynamic and enjoyable sound. The BRC1 works well with the BR03. Excellent . If you're a true music lover and you have a bigger room to set up your system (these get loud), the B&W 606 are fantastic compact speakers. Its EVO4.2 bookshelf speakers sound positively like floor-standing loudspeakers when positioned on solid stands (which cost an extra $300-$500) no subwoofer required. and soft textiles (silk, cloth, Woofers are built with a variety of materials, such as paper, plastic, polypropylene, Kevlar, or metal. Kef Q350 were released in 2017. Although, the size of these bookshelves speakers varies up to a great extent. Unfortunately, there was a leanness that turned dry and flat through the uppermost octaves. Generally speaking, the size of the tweeter is not as important as the shape. Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2023. Of course I'm delighted to be noticed for doing this kind of work! This level of clarity and refined detail isnt something we usually hear at this mid-range price were really impressed." Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. For my ears, I like KEF Q350 better than LS50. High-rated Speakers in a similar price range. Also, Q350s are way easier to drive. Chineseium is a continuing warning that I'll issue to vulnerable Industries so that they will be aware that they are selling off their children's futures for a fast buck. Today Is the Best Time to Save, The Full-Size HomePod Is Back, and More Affordable, This Fun Bluetooth Speaker Looks Like Nothing Else, Sonos Is Selling Refurbished Speakers for Cheap. But if those aren't deal breakers and you're looking for loudspeakers with unmatched retro flair, the JBL L82 Classic is about as cool as it gets. The last speaker I reviewed, the Totem Signature One, had a rear port that whistled at about 560Hz, so the very first thing I listened for with the Q350s was noise from their ports and cabinets. Whereas KEF q350 has a large woofer, stronger bass, and sounds complete. The Q350is bigger than the Q150 and is ideal if you already have a tall stand maybe in the range of 18-24 inches. The Q150s provide comprehensive natural sound with high clarity and powerful bass thanks to the trademark KEF Uni-Q driver array and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) port architecture. 14.09 x 8.26 x 12.04 in (358 x 210 x 306 mm), KEF reserves the right, in line with continuing research and development, to amend or change specifications. These items were sold in major retail stores across America. I stuck those to the bottom of the LS50s. How many bookshelf speakers are included? Manufacturer-provided product description, urls and documents. It is a 2-way bookshelf speaker, which comes along with a rear port as well. Does seem to level the playing field a bit maybe even reverse the budget argument, why is that not commented on? Is there any of these that should be a clear favourite? I tried the foam plugs for Really wanted to like this speaker but I returned it. China has been our Global Industrial leader since the time of Christ, ( with the exception of the last 150 years ), they are no strangers to super high quality. Nuff said, done here. These vibrations may affect the drivers and their performance in a brutal way. For those that think the Chinese make crap, if you own an iPhone of any variety, then I suggest you turn it in for a some other brand made in the UK, Germany, or the USA. Compared to the other drivers, midranges cover sounds, not surprisingly, in the middle of high/treble and low/bass tones. I don't deny the qualities of various Chinese Mainland Artisan Companies like Cayin who manufacturer and engineer superb products. Each speaker weighs almost 14 pounds and is 18 inches tall much bigger than traditional bookshelf speakers and they require a big room and a powerful amplifier. Regarding hardware, content, and other features, the Q series bookshelf speakers are very close. I can't demo them in store now obviously, so looking for some input. Or, is the Q series mostly aimed at those Big Screen 4K TV Buyers at Costco? The frequency response of these two speakersdiffers. Hence, in this post, we will provide you with a detailed review of the most popular bookshelf speaker variants, KEF q150 VS q350. View: https://youtu.be/Hz9PyawLrrQ. There is a single horizontal brace in the middle of the cabinet. I'm not yielding to marketplace pressures. ( at the cost of crushing our local suppliers of quality ) dam em. buying an amp dependent on THD, SNR, and power balancing with the speaker is preferred. Alternatively, onecan position the speakerson open shelves with the tweeter at your ear height. Though the speakers have the save drivers installed along with the same enclosure material like q150. Like a TV, your speaker has to be high-res capable to play these high-res files. The specs are Class A, 100 watts per channel at 0.006 THD and SNR of 105db. The only thing that KEF Q150 lacks is the presence of the grille, which many people might not need to maintain the aesthetics. Behoove is the Duty or Responsibility to do something, I'm cautioning people about the concealed affects & effects from handing your/our cherished designs to Nation/States working to destroy our Foundational Industries. The KEF LS50 quickly became regarded as some of the best-sounding passive speakers when they were released in 2012. Copyrights 2020 All Rights Reserved | Techno-stuff.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Best Noise Cancelling Headphones Under 200, Best Budget Audiophile Headphones Affordable Audiophile Headphones, speakers, soundbars, headphones and earphones, Phillips SHP9500 vs SHP9500S : Review and comparison. If space is limited the Q350 will not limit your musical enjoyment, a Uni-Q driver and clever port design let it open up the sound. Sometimes, this capability comes with the caveat, Speakers with Wi-Fi connectivity connect directly to your home Wi-Fi network to stream audio from your devicessmartphone, tablet, laptop, etc. You can also use the links below for general shopping.Amazon Universal Link: https://amzn.to/2pgOoPxeBay Universal Link: http://ebay.us/qITNXUAll music playback is FLAC files via Marantz USB DAC to PMA-SX11 analog input stageTimeline; 0:00 Quick Unboxing0:22 Build Quality2:42 Measurements \u0026 Review6:53 Sound Sample I kept moving them to determine which combination of wall-to-speaker distance and port plugging worked best. Want a Sonos? I have no profit motives in posting this, have no business associations with those parties. I added a SVS SB 2000-Pro sub and it literally calms my soul when I listen to them. * Measurement per unit, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Their design, clarity, and range are head and shoulders above anything in their price range. E&OE. I could sense the thicknesses of the wood of the stringed instruments. The only real upgrade is that B&W upgraded the crossover in the speakers as everything else remained the same. OK looks, but very boxy cheap cabinet with sharp edges and corners. Nov 27, 2015 4,591 3,794 33,570. I'm probably choosing peanut butter over steak because of this Spiritual Position. They deliver unrivaled levels of coherency, clarity and presence in a stand-mounted design that can compete with significantly more expensive loudspeakers. The Q150 also have a nominal impedance of 8 ohms, making them fairly easy to drive for most amplifiers. During the hour preceding my removal of the. The Q350's resonance radiating chassis panels is a old trick from the cheap reciever speaker days. Apparently my outfit is buying wiring harnesses from these people and they are said to mostly keep their noses out of the Loudspeaker operations. The Danish hi-fi speakers have a traditional two-way design, comprised of a 25mm dome tweeter and 13cm midrange/bass driver, that deliver a way more dynamic sound than their normally $400 price tag would suggest. Often, for the highest audio dispersion, bookshelf speakers should be put on stands. Additionally, they have gorgeous-yet-bespoke design and are available in a number of different wood finishes including black ash, cherry mahogany, light oak and walnut. I'll join Raymond Cooke by turning over in my grave ( when it comes to that sort of thing -- three decades from now, fingers crossed ), where the KEF Q350 is manufactured: May 19, 2020. In speakers, frequency response is a critical component. These speakers are easy to drive: I am using the Aiyima A07 class D paired with a Schiit Modi 3+ DAC that I am streaming high res audio to via my laptop. Higher sen, Given as a range in Hertz (Hz), the frequency response is a measurement of the range of sound a speaker can produce. There are dozens of newer speakers on the market. $799.00 sale $599.00 Add to Cart that these lovely Qs are made of Chinesium, RRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrr you ? You are not 'old school'. 3. The position of a speaker has a significant impact on the sound quality. This reduces resonance within an enclosed space. I was first drawn to KEF's Q350 because I wondered how a larger version of their signature Uni-Q driver than the one used in the LS50 would sound in a less expensive, vinyl-wrapped enclosure of larger volume and thinner walls. The position also ensures lesser mechanical resonance and also helps in generating more stable output as well. Has anyone paired them with a denon 600ne? We can't guarantee correctness and completeness of all the data presented here, and therefore will not accept liability for any issues arising from usage of this data. High-Quality Drivers: A bookshelf design to be placed on a dedicated stand (S02 or S04), the Borea BR03 is equipped with a 25mm EFS silk dome tweeter and a 16cm midrange/bass driver. The test report for that amp showed that it had a very high output impedance. They also reproduce the scale of the recording in a far more convincing way; crank Led Zeppelins Kashmir through an HomePod mini or an Amazon Echo and you will discover just how poorly smart speakers reproduce the dynamics of a challenging track. The SONY CSS5 at $78-$128 per pair outperforms this $499-$599 speaker easily in definition, detail and instrument separation. 2. Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2022. Kef Q350 are $500 more expensive than the average speakers ($299.98). In this post, we have included a detailed comparison between KEF Q150 Vs. KEF Q350. I mainly listen to classical and jazz. This number is given in watts. The Point is that the LS50 is a modern LS3/5a and the Q350 is a price point LS50. You are racist. Thanks for Naim , I'll be looking for one of the Uniti pieces. KEF also gave them a more refined cabinet, a new rear recessed port, and a new cone neck decoupler and motor system. A proprietary SVS SoundMatch 2-way crossover enhanced by expertly refined topology ensures accurate frequency response and silky-smooth transitions between drivers as well as pinpoint imaging and phase coherency. KEF always seemed to have some sort of "entry" level loudspeaker, a price driven speaker like the beautiful CODA of the early 1980s. The L100 speakers have a finely tuned 1-inch pinnacle tweeter and a proprietary 5.25-inch Turbine Cone midrange/bass driver, the combination of which results in an ultra-detailed sound.