I just sold my beloved focal 726 tower speakers that cost 3.5 times are much at the Q350s, and I also own a pair of Polk A3s. A facility tour will reveal all. Not sure if I understand this right, but are you saying the Q350's really need the Tontrager stands to shine? These items were sold in major retail stores across America. Generally, In addition to the shape of the tweeter, the material has a big impact on the type of sound emitted. Kef Q350 are a well-known option at the top of the price range. The KEF LS50 quickly became regarded as some of the best-sounding passive speakers when they were released in 2012. 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. ITEM WATCH Canada-Wide Free Shipping. I agree it's somewhat of a risk to buy deaf/blind (lol), but they have a 30 day return if I don't like them, so it's kind of minimal. What you spinning #nowplaying. Basically, if you thought KEF's previous speakers sounded good the new LS50 Collection takes that sound to the next level. Bigger drivers produce greaterbass in general. 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. View: https://youtu.be/Hz9PyawLrrQ. Triangle Borea BR03. I could feel the pull and push of the players' bows. 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. With YPAO processing, should I be leaving Q350 ports plugged or unplugged? Anyone with 400 to spend on speakers would have to consider these wouldn't they? Description You apparently do not read the newspapers to notice the hollowing out of Chinese manufacturing is beginning. In this post, we have included a detailed comparison between KEF Q150 Vs. KEF Q350. Pretty cheeky. Kef Q350 are $500 more expensive than the average speakers ($299.98). KEFs tangerine waveguide over the tweeter dome adds to Uni-ultra-wide Qs distribution. Q350 Bookshelf Speaker | KEF USA Overall, the KEF q150 and q350 are the perfect choices that you can make to get your hands on the best bookshelf affordable speakers. The Q350's box material is 0.59" MDF, with a 1.34" thick front baffle. Since the Q150 and Q350 have back ports to boost bass, you should not put them too close to the wall. There is no way to try another amplifier or DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) to alter the sound. 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. Trust me and ignore any negative reviews for this speaker. only 2 years cover too. But, for some guidance, consider that a larger tweeter (measured by diameter in inches or millimeters) will likely be louder and able to disperse sound over a larger area. 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 ! Exceptional soundstage. These speakers are truly remarkable for their size and price. - Oct 2018. Also, they are speaker than KEFLS50 speakers as well. I'm probably choosing peanut butter over steak because of this Spiritual Position. So, again, I can't wait. 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. I added a SVS SB 2000-Pro sub and it literally calms my soul when I listen to them. 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. For us consumers, Chinesium is coming down to a personal choice unless our national trade leaders work out a Trade Agreement over all things Manufacturing wise. The Q350is bigger than the Q150 and is ideal if you already have a tall stand maybe in the range of 18-24 inches. Driven by Rogue Audio's Sphinx hybrid integrated amplifier (tubes, class-D, $1299), the Q350's sound had stout bones, especially through the bottom octaves. The only thing that KEF Q150 lacks is the presence of the grille, which many people might not need to maintain the aesthetics. On 4 Mar 2023 (17 hours ago) we went through 92 Speakers expert endorsements . Insert . I originally ran the LS50s not on stands, just sitting on the same cabinet as my electronics. The KEF bookshelf speakers are small to medium-sized perfect, and they are perfect for any room or even for a moderate space. Plus Sanyo, B-Tech, Teac, Techcraft, LG, StudioTech, Bell'O & more. I tried the foam plugs for Really wanted to like this speaker but I returned it. Also, Q350s are way easier to drive. The Q350s replicated Couperin's "Parish" and "Convent" organ masses with greater scale and finer, more intricate detail, but less forcefulness, than did the LS50s with the same amps. I had to play around with positioning a lot to get the Kef to sound best. Excellent speakers, but be weary of less-than-ideal placement, Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2017. Kef Q150 vs Wharfedale 11.2 impressions : r/BudgetAudiophile - reddit The speakers entire functioning is based on the unique arrangement of the driver, which is dubbed and integrated with uni-Q technology. I'm proud of my Stereophile reviews of Schiit Audio's Yggdrasil DAC ($2299) and Ragnarok integrated amplifier ($1699). Triangles talented standmounters take the fight to the established class leaders. Audiophiles who like more bass should still match this with a subwoofer. A general rule of thumb is a bigger woofer means louder, more powerful bass. They integrated their new proprietary Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT), which KEF claims have the ability to "absorb 99% of the unwanted sound radiating from the rear of the driver." I can't demo them in store now obviously, so looking for some input. The LS50 has a 5.25" Uni-Q coincident array with an aluminum-magnesium alloy midrange-bass cone, a 1" aluminum dome tweeter, and a cast-aluminum basket, in a 7.5-liter, 15.8-lb cabinet made of MDF and a sculpted structural foam solid molding. Apart from the Driver and design, both speakers also share the same crossover frequency of 2.5Hz, the same technology of the Uni-Q array/CFD port, and a nominal impedance of 8ohms. More specific and focused drivers means more accurate, robust sound. One knock on Amazon, it took a month before I got these! I take these matters seriously. Would have loved to buy it but it costs literally twice as much. Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon, Marantz NR1607 Ultra HD 7.2 Channel Network A/V Surround Receiver with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The ports design has been tweaked to reduce vibration at higher speeds, resulting in little port noise and LF compression. Beautiful, Accurate, Warm, Comfortable Sound, Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2020. As a Manufacturer, how can I approve the concept of moving our labor supply "offshore", strictly to improve my Corporation's P/E ratio ( momentarily ). is a knock-off Rolex a good thing ? Triangle BR03; Save Share. The price of the KEF Q350 is double the price of Q150. Currently, Triangle Borea BR03 received 3 endorsements from Wirecutter (17 Jan 2023), Gear Patrol (6 Sep 2022) and What Hi-Fi (16 Nov 2022). All of these speakers are highly regarded. If you're willing to take the jump from the sub-$500 price range to the sub-$1,000 price range, these bookshelf speakers are about as good as you can get. Compared to the other drivers, midranges cover sounds, not surprisingly, in the middle of high/treble and low/bass tones. 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 You should also ask yourself why these companies have shifted manufacuring to China, or Indonesia, or Mexico? Triangle Borea BR08 Floorstanding Speaker Review | AVForums To those who don't they have the same truthiness as Gizmodo. Therefore, you can either use exposed wires or banana plugs here. The Q350 was not released recently but . It's here. These speakers are among the best value for the money on the market IMO. Passive loudspeakers are more flexible as you can experiment with different types of amplifiers, DACs, and placement options. If you have empirical evidence for Chinese manufactured equipment being of worse quality please present it. And these are already pretty pricey for my budget. ), Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2022. The midrange was clear as water. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Manufacturer-provided product description, urls and documents. This voltage criteriais a measurement of a speakers volume, and it should be expressed as 2.83V RMS at a distance of one metre. The KEF Q350, however, while a reasonable product for $749, doesn't stack up against its competitors quite as well. premium . Triangle was less fatiguing. Raymond Cooke of KEF got his "K" from his success in Exporting British technologically advanced Products, not from importing cheap labor Chinese loudspeakers. The SONY CSS5 at $78-$128 per pair outperforms this $499-$599 speaker easily in definition, detail and instrument separation. Considering $1000 be your highest price, according to most users, the Q150 speaker model seems to be underpriced. Triangle Borea BR03 Hi-Fi Bookshelf Speakers Pair (White) for Home Theater Systems or Music, 100 W Power Handling, High Efficiency Horn-Loaded Tweeters, Excellent Realism, Fast and Accurate by triangle Color: White Change Write a review How customer reviews and ratings work Top positive review All positive reviews Story Angel Oh, that's right, no smartphones are made in any of those countries. We are starting by comparing the sound quality of kEF q150 and q350. 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. Is there any of these that should be a clear favourite? Finally, my first Naim. One evening I setup the Q350 set as the main speakers and had a few friends over. 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. Because stereo sound is special. 5. 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. Probably because it happened such a long time ago. 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'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: It is a 2-way bookshelf speaker, which comes along with a rear port as well. Trust me and ignore any negative reviews for this speaker. The front port has been shifted to the rear of the Q350. It's a complex thing that our next generations will be working, struggling, anguishing with. I too found myself on that see-saw of trying to decide which to buy and if the Q350 was worth the extra $200. However, because active loudspeakers are an entirely different breed they have numerous wired and wireless connectivity options and demand a significantly higher price tag we've omitted them from the below list. Audiophiles prefer bookshelf speakers because they are small and portable. The KEF Q350 bookshelf speaker is the newest iteration of KEF award-winning Q Series. But as we have already mentioned that it is a passive speaker, the customization shouldnt be expected anyways. But, as with any speaker metric, this number alone doesnt describe the loudness of the speaker and should be taken into consideration with other measurements such as sensitivity, which describes the loudness of a speaker per watt. I also noticed a bit of "talk" from the cabinet, but only rarely did I detect any cabinet resonances in the fundamental range of human speechapproximately 200750Hzwhile listening to music. Your praise for Magnepan misses the point. The Q350 is an excellent sounding speaker on its own. Usually, the traditional arrangement of drivers is made in vertical form. Buy Epson Projectors, Onkyo AV Equipment, Sonos wifi audio, Samsung LED in Canada. The significant difference is that q100 has a front port, whereas KEF q350 has a backport. Discover. The other control part that you get with these speakers is that you can lay down the speakers on their side. The speakers can fit in very easily and look stunning while delivering impeccable quality of sound. The tweeter is placed in the acoustic middle of the midrange cone, taking the acoustic concept of a single point source closer to reality than ever before. As opposed to the Q150s sensitivity, the Q350 can get marginally quieter and use less power. PSB has been manufacturing award-winning loudspeakers for over 40 years. If you really care about sound quality, there are plenty of passive (which require amplification) and active (with built-in amplification) loudspeakers to select from. However, if I'm KEF and need some dam good "Print" reviewing, where on earth do I go? I tried the foam plugs for the bass reflex port in the back and positioning in/out from the walls, but the bass remained very woolly and not tight at all. answer: My old pals at Stereophile and hope to have the Industry's leading Poetically respected Philosopher crawl into bed with ( and spend some quality time with ) our lovely little Q loudspeaker, thank you ! On the strength of this review, if I was not already satisfied by my vastly more expensive and bigger speakers I would be going to my local KEF dealer this morning. At one point in my critical listening, I got up and put my hands on the sides of the Q350s' cabinets. The Q150 comes with just enough bass for small to medium rooms and does not instil a vibration. Although you can choose your type of amplifier can be considered as a customization feature. Regarding hardware, content, and other features, the Q series bookshelf speakers are very close. What, get outa here, a chinese outfit owns KEF. I read a zillion reviews. The speakers need to be 3/4 to 1 metre from side and back walls. I have listened to many many speakers around this and we'll above this price range. Kef iQ30 was on the verge to be bright but still non-fatiguing on the run of 2-3 hours. Wharfedale D220 also developed the bass extension that I did not expect. What you are searching for and your budget will determine the answer. NEW 2023 : SECRET New Hi-Fi & Home Theater In-wall speaker LCR7. 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. 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. You must log in or register to reply here. Reply Quote. This is how the drivers can incorporate and change the audio even though you are seated next to the speakers. So I contacted online chat customer service and after waiting forever, Ashwandi was helpful and refunded my credit card. At least they were Made in America - right? All the talk of the Q350's cabinet vibration is a little disconcerting, you'll get none of that from the Paradigms, as they use the more expensive matrix cabinet construction. The Q150 is available in a matte black and white vinyl design. I bought and auditioned the Triangle Bro 3, the Klipsch RP 600M, Elac Unifi 2.0 and this KEF Q350. There will always be a market for bookshelf speakers. The attacks of piano notes felt surprisingly natural. 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. Electronics for Less Canada : TVs, AV Furniture, Audio Video & Kitchen I played a variety of music during the break in period and have been very pleased with them. Released in 2018, they're the next-generation versions of the 3020 and, compared to their predecessor, the 3020is are slightly taller and have a 25-percent deeper chamber to deliver more punchy bass. Decent mid/high detail and surprising amount of bass. They're in the top 3 bestselling speakers and have dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Klipsch R-51PM or Kef Q150 . In 2018, it introduced the 606 bookshelf speakers and then just two years later, in 2020, it replaced those speakers with these 606 S2 Anniversary Edition speakers. The frequency range is wide, too, as you're getting lows in the 50Hz range and highs up near 50kHz. After this bad experience, Ive been ordering from Crutchfiield which has 60 day returns and actually checks its gear. It is capitalism in action. Apart from that, the design element is also stunning with sober colors. Though the speakers have the save drivers installed along with the same enclosure material like q150. Besides, the Q series KEF speakers are almost similar to each other in terms of technology, features, and design elements. Mine are in walnut as I have many speakers that are black and wanted a change. Might someone translate "Tony in Michigan"'s comments into plain ol' English for me? Triangle Borea BR03 are $7.01 more expensive than the average speakers ($299.98). After replacing the LS50s with the not-yet-broken-in KEF Q350s, I restarted Eis Thanaton. Just wonderin'. I was getting some harsh treble and lingering sibilance in the center image. However bass is very undefined and sloppy (not tight, not controlled). It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. Why have they gone overseas? 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. I'm sorry. 3. There are dozens of newer speakers on the market. Fairly obviously Stereophile's audience is those who already know Stereophile. Purchased a pair be the rear speakers of the HT system. During my wait time I saw them listed with next week delivery. 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 kept moving them to determine which combination of wall-to-speaker distance and port plugging worked best. Hence, you might need to purchase them separately. The parameters are carefully considered in the rest of the review so that you come up with the right decision about which speakers best suits your needs in the aspect of money, space, and requirements. Decent mid/high detail and surprising amount of bass. The JBL L82 Classic won't be for everybody. The position also ensures lesser mechanical resonance and also helps in generating more stable output as well. It makes a significant difference to move it forward or farther away from the wall. Kathy Gifford having her beautiful Designer clothes made by near slave labor was a rather public scandal that started the Chinesium kinds of Rants. In this variant of the KEF speaker, the position of the tweeter is in the acoustic center of the line instead of the usual mid-range of the speaker where the twitter is embedded at the very heart of the uni-q driver technology. Imagine how I felt as I lay on the couch in my night-dark, candlelit apartment, feeling like I was surrounded by the stone walls of a Gothic cathedral begun in 1295. It is the biggest driver in size, and is usually shaped like a cone. This tends to deliver super powerful sound with broader coverage. They key to quality in a woofer materia. The Q350 was not released recently but the KEF sound with the Uni-Q drivers has been praised for many years. The PSB Alpha P5 is available in two finishes: walnut or black ash. 2-way bookshelf. ", The LS50 crossover has a third-order low-pass filter and a second-order high-pass filter; the Q350 has first-order filters for the high and low passes. The louder the speaker will be, the higher the sensitivity. Kef Q350 were released in 2017. Cons:. Our 'British' boxes are always wonderful. kef q350 walnut. Really wanted to like this speaker but I returned it. 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. We can now look at eBay's Audiophile "Sold" listings to realize that quality Audio Gear maintains close to it's original purchase price and often the Gear appreciates to near current gear price points. But the vast majority of people like yourself aren't willing to put their money where their mouths are and pay more for products built in the USA by people who get the (tiny) US minimum wage. Is there a wonderful story to tell? Replaced Klipsch RP-600M with these and was literally blown away. * Measurement per unit, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Aco, Measured in decibels, or dB, sensitivity measures a speakers ability to convert power to volume. You can drive these with 35-50 watts and wipe the floor with any wireless loudspeaker for many years to come. In simple words, we can say that KEF q150 has a very wide soundstage and sounds fantastic even at low volume with neutral sound. When they realized this B&W quickly put a stop to it, but I remember the manager saying that it was a constant battle working with the Chinese in protecting intellectual property, and manufacturing techniques. Nuff said, done here. 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. The Q350 doesn't have the same constrained layer damping as the LS50. They indicate the frequency spectrum that a speaker produces, including higher and lower frequency values. For reference, the human ear can hear a frequency range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (shor, When sound is played through a speaker, an electromagnet is activated using the power from the amplifier to bring the driver forward, and another magnet pulls the driver back. But, we're here at Stereophile, an established Audiophile's reference Journal, absorbing the findings of inspired writers who take the time to carefully and fully evaluate various things of interest to our "tiny" group. I read a zillion reviews. 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. There is a single horizontal brace in the middle of the cabinet. No worries. The Q350 features a New cabinet, sleek New finishes, and an improved 6.5 Unit-Q driver Array. For a retail price of $500 I am so incredibly blown away. or is Waste Management the only option. Its recorded by measuring how loud, What you may not know about bookshelf speakers is that they dont always work straight out of the box. But the reviews have told me a lot of characteristics that appeal to me, mainly the soft dome tweeter as opposed to metal (metal kills my ears and gives me fatigue) and that separation and vocals are strong, which is what im searching for. For my ears, I like KEF Q350 better than LS50. components, and hallmark Paradigm sound quality. Personally, I would be very happy if KEF would offer a stand that's specific to the LS50 including wire connections on the stand -- at the floor level instead of at waist-level on the speaker which is seriously ugly regardless of cable used. There are two main types: acoustic suspension and bass reflex. Though both the variants of the speaker use the same driver arrangement, the design of the KEF Q350 speakers is also more sturdy and thicker. The human voice and most instruments fall into this range. NEW 2023 : SECRET New Hi-Fi & Home Theater In-wall speaker LCR7. Every product is carefully selected by our editors. It is the logical thing to do in the free enterprise system of which the US is purportedly a shining light. OK looks, but very boxy cheap cabinet with sharp edges and corners. Seriously. Basically, if you thought KEF's previous speakers sounded good the new LS50 Collection takes that sound to the next level. I found the actual review rather florid, but as a current or prior owner of all the speakers referenced including KS50sabd Q300 it's about what I would expect. They bring shame to so many larger speakers setups that honestly it's quite embarrassing. Seattle Area. Maybe the reviewer took a Subway Train to NJ and had a nice look-round the KEF USA Parts & Service Centre. Or, is the Q series mostly aimed at those Big Screen 4K TV Buyers at Costco? I am thrilled with these speakers, they will outlast my ears. KEF is darn good at making loudspeakers and drivers both. Please keep in mind that the KEF Q150 is a 2-way concentric design with the tweeter dwelling in the middle of the woofer while the Polk is a 3-way design with the midrange on the top, the tweeter just below it, and the woofer below that (The woofer is housed in a separate chamber inside of the cabinet; isolating it from the midrange driver and The Q350 is a small to medium-sized 2-way bookshelf speaker with a rear port. Entry to hifi: Dali, Triangle or KEF? : BudgetAudiophile Has anyone paired them with a denon 600ne? I reckon some other customer blew it out, returned it, and Amazon doesnt actually check stuff out. Walmart & Best Buy specialize in products with very short half-lives. That being said, it is true that some Chinese manufacturing facilities have produced counterfeit goods. It's the stuff you'll find at places like Best Buy and Amazon. Also, due to the better and more strategic position of the tweeter in this version of the speaker, it delivers a more powerful sound even at the higher frequencies.