Really wanted to like this speaker but I returned it. Speakers with midrange drivers (i.e., at least three-way speakers) have a distinct advantage over two-way speakers. After going through a few speakers with my Yamaha amp, KEF delivers the most dynamic and enjoyable sound. Triangle Borea BR03 2-Way Bookshelf Speaker (Pair) WALNUT. However, the driver size and other technical requirements are different. 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. You will only use this t, For the environmentally conscious, choosing an ENERGY STAR Certified speaker may be important to you. 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. Also, the orientation doesnt matter. Setup Would have loved to buy it but it costs literally twice as much. But they dump product and destroy native industries like my little Nesco Products in Two Rivers Wisc.., they copied the product ( mistakes and all ) then way undersold our Nesco at all the Walmart Stores. Because people like you won't pay the premium and instead expect the Government to. Would you like to receive updates from KEF and be notified when this product becomes available? I own the LS50s with Sound Anchor stands. I do buy valuable products made by skilled artisans and workmen, products like PS Audio, Sennheiser, Festool, Brisson Interfaces, Electrocompaniet, Thiel Audio, Meridian, Linn Products. The BR08 fairs a little better in this regard. The Paradigm DCS-208IW3, the perfect blend of performance and practicality. Some of the products have been objectively measured at the Audio Science Forum, some very good, and some not. The latest model of the Q series, the Q150 is small, compact, and elegantly powerful. Theres also speculation that the Q150 is inherently superior because it uses the same size driver and similar size enclosure as the LS50. Setup Reviewing loudspeakers is plagued with uncertainty. Why do I get the feeling that ownership of these Qs is a "period of time" specific experience, not to be confused with Ownership of a Pair of LS3/5a Rogers being a "Lifetime" experience with Grandchildren lining up to inherit the darn things ? I'm wondering how they compare with my Paradigms, listened to and bought based upon Stereophile's glowing review of 20 years ago? You should also ask yourself why these companies have shifted manufacuring to China, or Indonesia, or Mexico? Although these speakers do not come along with amplifiers, you need to use a medium-watt amplifier if you want to experience the full sound capacity of these speakers. Now, one and two years later, respectively, I'm enjoying both Schiits more than ever. The Uni-Q driver has indeed been reconfigured to the middle of the cabinet to improve the clarity and quality of the Q Series bookshelf speakers. https://www.av-online.hu/pictures/gallery/kef-q350_2017-09-18/big/KEF-Q350-hangfal-csatlakoz%C3%B3_big.jpg. They're still based around the company's proprietary Uni-Q driver, which housed a 1-inch tweeter inside a 5.25-inch woofer resulting in excellent and accurate sound, but KEF refined them in a number of key ways. The embedding of the tweeter at this particular position ensures dynamic and more precise sound delivery. The Q350 costs US $700 on Amazon including prime shipping. Please consider creating a new thread. I would never have known KEF was For-Sale or how much it Sold for. That said, it is the looks that seal the deal the L82 Classic is a dead ringer for the L-100 Classic with the same vintage design, wooden cabinets and what are arguably the most conspicuous speaker grills ever made (available in blue, black or orange). To those who don't they have the same truthiness as Gizmodo. The Q350 was not released recently but . For now, I simply can't endorse Name Brand's policy of "Outsourcing". Seas (makes some very nice tweeters, midrange, woofers) was founded in 1950 as a spin-off of the Norwegian radio manufacturers Radionette and Tandberg. I've tried: Klipsch RP-600M - didn't like them at all Triangle BR03 - liked them, but when comparing side by side with KEF, Triangles sounded more After going through a few speakers with my Yamaha amp, KEF delivers the most dynamic and enjoyable sound. It is the logical thing to do in the free enterprise system of which the US is purportedly a shining light. Low-end performance is surprisingly deep and taut making them adept with all kinds of music and they will never be the weak link in your system. Ending Thoughts - KEF Q150 Vs Q350. 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. We sold scads of LS3/5a pairs !!! Audiophiles prefer bookshelf speakers because they are small and portable. Also, the design and specs seem perfect for all the small and medium-sized rooms. Adding the stands made a huge improvement. ( I'm pleased that you found a way of revealing this in some sort of painless way, I think that JA keeps a stethoscope handy for revealing these types of issues ). Usually, the traditional arrangement of drivers is made in vertical form. buying an amp dependent on THD, SNR, and power balancing with the speaker is preferred. However bass is very undefined and sloppy (not tight, not controlled). In the past few years, Bowers & Wilkins decided to update its famed 600 range of speakers (which is now over 25 years old). We are starting by comparing the sound quality of kEF q150 and q350. I take these matters seriously. 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. The Q350 doesn't have the same constrained layer damping as the LS50. Opinions on that seem to vary quite widely. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I am thrilled with these speakers, they will outlast my ears. The Uni-Q driver has been reconfigured to the middle of the cabinet to improve the clarity and quality of the Q Series bookshelf speakers by reducing unnecessary internal resonance and adding precision to their acoustic clarity and detail.Lower treble output is greatly enhanced with the inclusion of the damped tweeter loading tube, which offers a smooth termination of sound emitted from the rear end of the tweeter, and a new low-distortion inductor provides clearer bass on the crossover. The price of the KEF Q350 is double the price of Q150. After this bad experience, Ive been ordering from Crutchfiield which has 60 day returns and actually checks its gear. The Triangle Borea BR03 is a great Bookshelf Speaker for its $379 asking price. The specs are Class A, 100 watts per channel at 0.006 THD and SNR of 105db. Nuff said, done here. And these are already pretty pricey for my budget. The Dali Spektor 2 are another strong contender for the best budget bookshelf speakers that you can buy. This tends to deliver super powerful sound with broader coverage. 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. $379.00 SHOP NOW. It was made in the UK. This is usually known as socialism. Our 'British' boxes are always wonderful. You apparently do not read the newspapers to notice the hollowing out of Chinese manufacturing is beginning. Europeans seem to be less accepting of Chinese product dumpers. To optimise the listening experience, the Q series provides the Uni-Q driver has been repositioned to the center of the cabinet. Triangle Borea BR03 are a popular option in the middle of the speakers price range. Years ago I read B&W's first foray into manufacturing speakers in China resulted in a surprising find; after production for B&W's entry speakers stopped for the day at the factory, night shift workers had copied the original B&W speaker and were producing exact copies without B&W's permission, for the Chinese market, and in some cases badging them with the B&W logo for sale. Plus Sanyo, B-Tech, Teac, Techcraft, LG, StudioTech, Bell'O & more. Seattle Area. Exceptional soundstage. In simple words, we can say that KEF q150 has a very wide soundstage and sounds fantastic even at low volume with neutral sound. With AI, rising wages, communist gov't interference there have been companies including Oracle and Seagate that have packed up some of their production and left. Therefore, you can either use exposed wires or banana plugs here. "KEF can hold its head up high: the Q350s are a cut above the rest. The KEF Q350 bookshelf speaker is the newest iteration of KEF award-winning Q Series. The JBL L82 Classic won't be for everybody. The primary components of a bookshelf speaker are drivers, which are the cones that actually create the sound. Often, for the highest audio dispersion, bookshelf speakers should be put on stands. This may require an app from the brand, such as Yamahas, Speakers with built-in Bluetooth allow you to stream audio content directly from device (e.g., smartphone, tablet, laptop) on the speakers. or We who take our Music Hobby seriously ? Generally speaking, the size of the tweeter is not as important as the shape. Someone please define Chinesium: aside from the fact that many of the best built best sounding audio products I know are both designed and manufactured in China, I must tell you: Throughout the 1980s I lived in a giant factory-loft builting in Brooklyn. Wanting to build an 50% Home Theater / 50% Music system for my family room that is starting out as a 2.0 system, and not really having access to a local For a bit of background, I'm a hobbyist audio and mastering engineer with about 20 years of studio experience. You are not 'old school'. Every feature on the Ultra Bookshelf speaker cabinet is designed with a sonic purpose in mind. There are two main types: acoustic suspension and bass reflex. The Uni-Q driver array is at the core of the advanced Q Sequence. Well, the increment in prices is only due to the larger size of the driver. 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. Imagine expansive pipe-organ notes energizing the air and echoing throughout my little room. KEFs tangerine waveguide over the tweeter dome adds to Uni-ultra-wide Qs distribution. The Q150 also have a nominal impedance of 8 ohms, making them fairly easy to drive for most amplifiers. In China. The drivers installed are also the same in KEF q150 and q100 speaker ranges. I stuck those to the bottom of the LS50s. Their task is surely not to act as an entry drug to the (IMHO) aurally bizzare cult of the LS 35a, but rather to find good products and tell us about them. OK looks, but very boxy cheap cabinet with sharp edges and corners. 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. 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. Voices, instruments, and recorded atmosphere not only felt more expansive; everything seemed more exposed, more sacred, more directly communicative, possibly even more darkly transparent. The Q Acoustics 3020i are available in several different colors and because they are a few years old you can often find them discounted. It makes a significant difference to move it forward or farther away from the wall. 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 When the speakers arrived they looked fine but the tweeter on one speaker was blown. What Triangle has done with the Borea range is ensure that it is very definitely less marmite than some previous offerings from the company. The Q150 comes with just enough bass for small to medium rooms and does not instil a vibration. If that is your interest, you can buy some very good components directly out of China from sellers like ShenzhenAudio.com and others should you choose to do so. How much would an non-Chinesium Audio Entry Level system cost ? There is still no such thing as a free lunch. I could feel the pull and push of the players' bows. 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. I bought these and a new set of Monoprice speaker stands. Now, the World is Competitive again and I'm wanting to return to the Good old Days of the 1970s. They didnt realize the R5 speakers werent playing until I pointed it out. Beautiful, Accurate, Warm, Comfortable Sound, Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2020. amazon.com. I wonder who got them next. Mistahhhhhhhh Space., You're Not Suggesting Block or unblock port if using with subwoofers? I have listened to many many speakers around this and we'll above this price range. ( at the cost of crushing our local suppliers of quality ) dam em. The speakers entire functioning is based on the unique arrangement of the driver, which is dubbed and integrated with uni-Q technology. More specific and focused drivers means more accurate, robust sound. Regarding hardware, content, and other features, the Q series bookshelf speakers are very close. I replaced the Bel Cantos with the Pass Laboratories XA25 stereo amplifier ($4900) and listened to Robert Palmer's Quintet for A-Clarinet, String Trio, and Piano, composed in 1952 and performed by clarinetist Arthur Bloom, violinist Kees Kooper, violist Paul Doktor, cellist Warren Lash, and pianist Mary Louise Boehm, and produced by Marc Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz (LP, Vox Turnabout TV-S 34508, now available on CD as Albany 153).