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KEF Owners Thread - Page 68

post #2011 of 6020
2/14/09 at 7:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pal1982 View Post

where are you located? we still have some good KEF product on display

Im in Tampa and called all 3 dealers in the Tampa Bay market and everyone of them told me they dont have a showroom
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

post #2012 of 6020
2/14/09 at 7:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rydenfan View Post

To be honest, every time you do something you shouldnt or cant sell a product line you then come on this forum and bash the company. I believe a few months ago MIT was the problem. I have had nothing both tremendous success with KEF in the form of both their product and their service. I had a center channel that was back-ordered and a calibration scheduled and KEF went about and beyond to take care of me. I know multiple KEF dealers and they all report that they have almost zero issues with the product. Funny how you have gone to constantly trying to drum up KEF business over the last few months and as soon as you realize it is not going to pan out for you, now KEF is a problem and you are going to move on to something else

I made a simple statement that they are not the company that they used to be since they go bought out... i don't think there is a problem at at with that... Thank You... i am very well respected and what i say i speak honestly.
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post #2013 of 6020
2/14/09 at 7:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CC Quest View Post

Im in Tampa and called all 3 dealers in the Tampa Bay market and everyone of them told me they dont have a showroom

Fort Myers, got one there
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post #2014 of 6020
2/14/09 at 7:54pm
The MIT deal was a real deal and has nothing to do with this... when we decide to move on from one line to another it is not of our own doing it is because of how a number of customers have been treated or that something is just not selling or add it all together... Been doing this for 6 years now, and i don't think anywhere i said i dropped KEF, i didn't see that anywhere
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post #2015 of 6020
2/14/09 at 8:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pal1982 View Post

I made a simple statement that they are not the company that they used to be since they go bought out... i don't think there is a problem at at with that... Thank You... i am very well respected and what i say i speak honestly.

have you seen or heard the new Reference line? Are you aware it was co-loudspeaker of the year in Stereophile? Please explain to me how that is a dip in quality?
Furthermore, you continually try and peddle the original Reference series speakers you had. Clearly you were a dealer of Reference then but not now, I am assuming you dont expect us to believe that was a decision you made...
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post #2016 of 6020
2/14/09 at 8:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rydenfan View Post

have you seen or heard the new Reference line? Are you aware it was co-loudspeaker of the year in Stereophile? Please explain to me how that is a dip in quality?
Furthermore, you continually try and peddle the original Reference series speakers you had. Clearly you were a dealer of Reference then but not now, I am assuming you dont expect us to believe that was a decision you made...

I wish not to discuss this further here. Short and simple. I am a Ref dealer thank you and yes i have heard the new ones. I have 201/2's in the TN store. You have mail.
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post #2017 of 6020
2/14/09 at 8:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CC Quest View Post

Amazing im still told to hear them first after stating

NO ONE IN MY AREA HAS THEM TO DEMO !!!

WHY IS THAT SO HARD TO COMPREHEND ?

ID companys wouldnt be in business if it werent for word of mouth , seems like lots of people on this board have bought LOTS of ID speakers. Im pretty sure they didnt all fly to wherever these ID companys are located just so they could hear them first

Is it really that odd to buy something when you CANT hear them and all you can go by is customer reviews.

I'm a huge KEF fan. Been since my college days (20 years ago) when I worked in a hi end stereo store. I still own a pair of 103.7's in rosewood!

Anyway, in general, KEF have a very natural sound. They have tight, but not hugely low bass. While not inefficient, they love lots of good clean power.

They are a British speaker. Thus if you are a fan of big boomy type speakers your likely not going to like KEF.

If you can't listen to them, but you think you want a pair, try on line retailers that have a return policy. But I would never, ever buy speakers without listening (unless you can easily return) If you can't listen to them, I wouldn't buy them. Regardless of reviews, word of mouth or whatever. Speakers just sound to different from each other. Even hi end or "top" tier speakers may all sound good, but will sound different.
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post #2018 of 6020
2/15/09 at 6:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by CC Quest View Post

Amazing im still told to hear them first after stating
NO ONE IN MY AREA HAS THEM TO DEMO !!!
WHY IS THAT SO HARD TO COMPREHEND ?
ID companys wouldnt be in business if it werent for word of mouth , seems like lots of people on this board have bought LOTS of ID speakers. Im pretty sure they didnt all fly to wherever these ID companys are located just so they could hear them first
Is it really that odd to buy something when you CANT hear them and all you can go by is customer reviews.

First suggestion... decaf. I completely understand you. Screaming (all caps)doesn't make it any more logical.

Second, ID (eg Ascend, Rocket, etc) companies work under a different business model. They attempt to cut out the costs of retail floor space and store personnel salaries by selling direct. But their model builds in the ability to listen to the speakers in your home with the ability to return if you don't like. Usually, at the consumers' cost. Their model gambles that a customer will be less apt to go through the cost and trouble of returning. I won't get into the question of B&M verss ID speaker purchasing since in your case, you are not talking about an ID speaker purchase

If you go back through my posts you should be able to understand a few themes: my belief it is better to hear a speaker before purchasing instead of relying on others' tastes ("what tastes better, Dove chocolate or Ghiradeli chocolate?" or "what jeans will fit me better, Levis or Lees?" or "what car should I buy, a Lexus IS350 or an Infiniti G35?"). So yes, in my opinion, it is odd base a decision like this soley on customer reviews.

A second point I made... with all of the many speaker brands out there, why feel compelled to buy one that you can't audition (if indeed, you really can't audition... someone located some in Fort Meyers)? If KEF doesn't have any local retailers, why don't you try PSB, or Monitor Audio, Paradigm, JBL, Polk, NHT, Klipsch, etc... That way, you can get local support if needed. You support a local business in the process. And hey, you will actually like the speakers *before* you spend your hard earned dollars.
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post #2019 of 6020
2/15/09 at 12:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CC Quest View Post

I dont give a crap how odd you think it is , STICK IT UP YOUR AZZ. Ill spend my money how i please
If your not here to help with my question then move on.

How many times do you have to be told ?

If you cant answer my question about the speaker than keep the rest to yourself !

Im looking for a very general opionion about KEFs .....Are they a bright speaker. Are they as bright as Infinitys ?

I gave you my opinion. I LOVE KEF. But I have friends that don't. Most would agree that Polk and Klipsch are good speakers, but I've never been a fan.

What type of speakers do you currently like? That would help in determining if you would like KEF. For example, if you really enjoy JBL's and Cerwin Vega's, then I doubt you would like KEF. If however you like Celestion, B&W, and perhaps Mirage, you would likely enjoy the KEF's.
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post #2020 of 6020
2/15/09 at 2:35pm
LOL... spend your money any way you wish, no matter how oddly.

Oh... you want a "very general opionon?" Generally, they look nice. Generally, they sound nice. Bright? Yea, sure, they sound bright. Brighter than some Infinity speakers, but less bright than other Infinitys. Hope that opionon was general enough.

Now go spend you money... glad to have been able to be of assistance. And make sure that if you end up selling them because you really didn't like the sound all that much afterall, post your for-sale ad under a different name, so that folks won't ask you why you bought speakers without listening to them first...
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post #2021 of 6020
2/15/09 at 5:08pm
Hi, I recently auditioned the KEF IQ1s and liked the sound so purchased 2 IQ1s and an IQ2c. Right out of the box, the highs and level of detail were amazing, I even turned down the Treble to 0db (usually set to the highest level with my older laid back B&W 302s.

Happy with my purchase, I ordered a pair of IQ5 floor standers for my fronts, delegating the IQ1s as rear surrounds. My expectation was to have the same amount of detail on the highs and even lower lows. Though they came from the same retailer - Vanns - and were new (packed), out of the box, they sound muffled and lacking any detail. When hearing in 5-channel mode, the sounds of cymbals, guitars etc are very detailed on the IQ1s and the same sound literally can't be heard on the front IQ5s.

I double-checked my connections (bi-wired, just as the IQ1s were) and everything seems in order. I can definitely hear the highs, but they simply pale in front of the IQ1s and even the IQ2c and some highs are just too feeble compared to the IQ1 and IQ2c.

So, I thought this may just be the bass overpowering the treble, so I plugged in the bass port. Did not help much and I cannot notice any difference. I followed the suggestion on the manual for IQ9 to remove one of the wires from the Low terminal. That only managed to turn off the LF driver, which given the frequency response would imply that I would actually lose information from 43Hz to 280Hz and make it worse than the IQ1. Again, even with that loss, the detail is just not there!

So, my only hope is that this is just how the speaker is during the "break-in" period. I have had the speakers on for approx 24 hours now but the detail has not improved.

Is this normal? Should I return this in favor of two more IQ1s for the fronts as well? Would appreciate any help since I just have another week at the latest to return this (if this is how they sound, I will have to pay for huge shipping charges back!).

Thanks
Raj
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post #2022 of 6020
2/15/09 at 10:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sdallnct View Post

I gave you my opinion. I LOVE KEF. But I have friends that don't. Most would agree that Polk and Klipsch are good speakers, but I've never been a fan.

What type of speakers do you currently like? That would help in determining if you would like KEF. For example, if you really enjoy JBL's and Cerwin Vega's, then I doubt you would like KEF. If however you like Celestion, B&W, and perhaps Mirage, you would likely enjoy the KEF's.

I was considering the Kef line, but I couldn't audition them anywhere near me. They didn't have the IQ5's, IQ3's, or the IQ2C, so I headed over to Frys. I auditioned the Polk RTI8's, Polk Monitor 70's, Polk TSI 300 & 400 and some Infinity speaker they had. I then walked out of the auditioning room and they had a 5.1 setup playing The Day After Tomorrow. It was made up of Boston Acoustics CS series speakers, it sounded amazing. Since I use my speakers for 95% home theater use, it was a no brainer. I bought 2 of the CS226's and put in an order for the matching center. I am now debating to get the CS26 bookshelves, or 2 more towers for surrounds. I hope they perform as well when I get them all hooked up here.
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post #2023 of 6020
2/16/09 at 10:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rajesh.raheja View Post

Hi, I recently auditioned the KEF IQ1s and liked the sound so purchased 2 IQ1s and an IQ2c. Right out of the box, the highs and level of detail were amazing, I even turned down the Treble to 0db (usually set to the highest level with my older laid back B&W 302s.

Happy with my purchase, I ordered a pair of IQ5 floor standers for my fronts, delegating the IQ1s as rear surrounds. My expectation was to have the same amount of detail on the highs and even lower lows. Though they came from the same retailer - Vanns - and were new (packed), out of the box, they sound muffled and lacking any detail. When hearing in 5-channel mode, the sounds of cymbals, guitars etc are very detailed on the IQ1s and the same sound literally can't be heard on the front IQ5s.

I double-checked my connections (bi-wired, just as the IQ1s were) and everything seems in order. I can definitely hear the highs, but they simply pale in front of the IQ1s and even the IQ2c and some highs are just too feeble compared to the IQ1 and IQ2c.

So, I thought this may just be the bass overpowering the treble, so I plugged in the bass port. Did not help much and I cannot notice any difference. I followed the suggestion on the manual for IQ9 to remove one of the wires from the Low terminal. That only managed to turn off the LF driver, which given the frequency response would imply that I would actually lose information from 43Hz to 280Hz and make it worse than the IQ1. Again, even with that loss, the detail is just not there!

So, my only hope is that this is just how the speaker is during the "break-in" period. I have had the speakers on for approx 24 hours now but the detail has not improved.

Is this normal? Should I return this in favor of two more IQ1s for the fronts as well? Would appreciate any help since I just have another week at the latest to return this (if this is how they sound, I will have to pay for huge shipping charges back!).

Thanks
Raj

Doesn't sound right, Raj. They should at least sound similar.

What do you mean by "I followed the suggestion on the manual for IQ9 to remove one of the wires from the Low terminal." They can't be tri-wired, can they? If you disconnect the LF binding posts that should turn off not just the LF driver but the midwoofer of the UniQ driver, too. If you only connect the HF binding posts, all that should be working is the tweeter. So, have you tried this to make certain that the tweeters are working properly?
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post #2024 of 6020
2/16/09 at 10:59am
Glad to see this thread returning to be about KEF
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post #2025 of 6020
2/16/09 at 11:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sivadselim View Post

Doesn't sound right, Raj. They should at least sound similar.

What do you mean by "I followed the suggestion on the manual for IQ9 to remove one of the wires from the Low terminal." They can't be tri-wired, can they? If you disconnect the LF binding posts that should turn off not just the LF driver but the midwoofer of the UniQ driver, too. If you only connect the HF binding posts, all that should be working is the tweeter. So, have you tried this to make certain that the tweeters are working properly?

Thanks for your respose! If I disconnect the LF binding posts, that ONLY turns off the LF driver - the UniQ is still on. If I disconnect the HF binding posts, the entire UniQ driver is off and I can only hear the LF driver bass.

Can anyone confirm if this is how this is supposed to work? How can I ensure that the tweeters are working properly? Is there some cross over issue here - if this is not how it is supposed to work, then please let me know so that I can return these as defective before the end of this week.

I did check the difference between the sounds again; and even after 4 days now, there were highs I hear on the IQ2c center that are just totally missing on the IQ5 unless I increase treble to +6db and turn the volume quite high.

Thanks!
Raj
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post #2026 of 6020
2/16/09 at 12:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rajesh.raheja View Post

Thanks for your respose! If I disconnect the LF binding posts, that ONLY turns off the LF driver - the UniQ is still on. If I disconnect the HF binding posts, the entire UniQ driver is off and I can only hear the LF driver bass.

Are you certain? That is not how it should operate. The HF posts should only be connected to the tweeter.


Quote:
Originally Posted by rajesh.raheja View Post

Can anyone confirm if this is how this is supposed to work?

Yeah, maybe someone else can clarify this.


Quote:
Originally Posted by rajesh.raheja View Post

How can I ensure that the tweeters are working properly?

Even if that is how it works, you should still be able to tell whether the tweeters are operating properly.


Quote:
Originally Posted by rajesh.raheja View Post

..........so that I can return these as defective before the end of this week.

Whether they are operating properly or not, and whatever the issue may be (if there is one), if you are unhappy with them and returning them is a possibility, then that might be the best thing for you to do. You could see if they will send you another pair. Note the current pair's serial numbers so that you know that you aren't sent the same pair.
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post #2027 of 6020
2/16/09 at 12:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sivadselim View Post

Are you certain? That is not how it should operate. The HF posts should only be connected to the tweeter.

Even if that is how it works, you should still be able to tell whether the tweeters are operating properly.

Hi Sivadselim, Absolutely positive - just tried it again now. The HF posts are connected to the entire UniQ driver, not just the tweeter. IF anyone else can also confirm whether this is how their floorstanders work (or not), that would be great.

The HF posts on the IQ2C and IQ1 are only connected to the tweeter as you mentioned. I confirmed this by disconnecting the speaker wire and I could not hear the "very highs" but can hear some highs from the midrange woofer. So I am still not sure how I can test the tweeters only on the IQ5 since I can hear highs but am not positive if those highs are from the midrange uniQ woofer or the tweeter.

The reason I was stressing on the defective piece is that if I just return it because I don't like it, I end up paying the return shipping. I really do want to like these speakers (since these were the last pieces on closeout and I probably will not get a replacement), so if these are really defective in the way the cross over works, then I can legitimately ask for return shipping paid by Vanns.

Thanks
Raj
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post #2028 of 6020
2/16/09 at 1:00pm
On a totally unrelated note to my earlier post on IQ5 treble not being detailed enough......

My kids poked their fingers at the IQ2C center speaker and the tweeter cap is now pushed in/deformed However, I had not even noticed any change in sound; and it still sounds way better in the treble than the IQ5, so I wanted to know if others have had their tweeters pushed in and if it causes any sound distortion.

I googled for this, and found some recommending sucking it out using a vaccuum hose, and others recommending replacing the tweeter. However, given that I got this on the recent closeout, replacing/repairing would probably end up costing me more than the $100 I paid for it, so I just wanted to find out if this is just a cosmetic disfigurement (that I will have to live with knowing that it is there beneath that beautiful finish!) or if the tweeters sonic characteristics and axis response have really been damaged. Any luck on this forum with "sucking it out" method?

Thanks
Raj
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post #2029 of 6020
2/16/09 at 2:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rajesh.raheja View Post

On a totally unrelated note to my earlier post on IQ5 treble not being detailed enough......

My kids poked their fingers at the IQ2C center speaker and the tweeter cap is now pushed in/deformed However, I had not even noticed any change in sound; and it still sounds way better in the treble than the IQ5, so I wanted to know if others have had their tweeters pushed in and if it causes any sound distortion.

I googled for this, and found some recommending sucking it out using a vaccuum hose, and others recommending replacing the tweeter. However, given that I got this on the recent closeout, replacing/repairing would probably end up costing me more than the $100 I paid for it, so I just wanted to find out if this is just a cosmetic disfigurement (that I will have to live with knowing that it is there beneath that beautiful finish!) or if the tweeters sonic characteristics and axis response have really been damaged. Any luck on this forum with "sucking it out" method?

Oops. Sorry.

I presume by "tweeter cap" you mean the tweeter, itself. Is it just dented or is it creased? How big is the dent? It will be much harder to pull a dent out of a metal tweeter than a soft dome. And if it is creased, even if you pull it out, it is going to still have the crease(s). More than it's sonic characteristics, it's dispersion characteristics have been altered. And what is important is whether the dispersion has been altered enough for you to really be able to hear a difference. It would not really be surprising if you can't.
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post #2030 of 6020
2/16/09 at 2:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rajesh.raheja View Post

Hi Sivadselim, Absolutely positive - just tried it again now. The HF posts are connected to the entire UniQ driver, not just the tweeter.

The HF posts on the IQ2C and IQ1 are only connected to the tweeter as you mentioned.

Yeah, that's weird. Never heard this, but that may be how it is wired. I just wouldn't think it would be like that. Granted, they are completely different speakers, but my XQ5s are not wired like that. The HF posts are connected to the tweeter and hypertweeter, only. The LF posts are connected to the midwoofer part of the UniQ driver and the lower 2 LF drivers. I can't see how the individual drivers could somehow be wired incorrectly to your crossovers. Maybe the crossovers are defective. Both speakers behave identically?

Someone with iQ5s (and maybe iQ7s or iQ9s) should be able to answer as to what the HF posts are wired to.
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post #2031 of 6020
2/16/09 at 5:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sivadselim View Post

Oops. Sorry.

I presume by "tweeter cap" you mean the tweeter, itself. Is it just dented or is it creased? How big is the dent? It will be much harder to pull a dent out of a metal tweeter than a soft dome. And if it is creased, even if you pull it out, it is going to still have the crease(s). More than it's sonic characteristics, it's dispersion characteristics have been altered. And what is important is whether the dispersion has been altered enough for you to really be able to hear a difference. It would not really be surprising if you can't.

Yes, I meant the tweeter itself. And it's dented as well as creased. As of now I cannot make out the difference, so I guess I will have to live with it. I will try to find out if the dealer can replace it and if my insurance will foot the bill for it.

By the way what does dispersion mean - how much of the axis it covers? Because the marketing description states that the metal dome provides "resonance breakup" (not sure what that exactly is) of upto 34khz as opposed to standard domes of 25khz. So I can only hope that with this deformation, the resonance breakup now has only gone to the levels of mere mortals (20khz) and not any lower.
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post #2032 of 6020
2/16/09 at 5:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sivadselim View Post

Yeah, that's weird. Never heard this, but that may be how it is wired. I just wouldn't think it would be like that. Granted, they are completely different speakers, but my XQ5s are not wired like that. The HF posts are connected to the tweeter and hypertweeter, only. The LF posts are connected to the midwoofer part of the UniQ driver and the lower 2 LF drivers. I can't see how the individual drivers could somehow be wired incorrectly to your crossovers. Maybe the crossovers are defective. Both speakers behave identically?

Someone with iQ5s (and maybe iQ7s or iQ9s) should be able to answer as to what the HF posts are wired to.

Thanks Sivadselim, I called up Vanns and the rep said it would be extremely rare for both the front speakers to be defective in exactly the same way, so it is probably just how the speakers are. He asked me to call the KEF customer service - which I did and left a vmail, have not heard back yet. If they say it is defective, then Vanns would accept it back on their cost (since these things are heavy and will cost a fortune to ship back). But I would appreciate if anyone with IQ5 IQ7 or IQ9 can confirm how the HF posts are wired and if they have noticed any issues with the tweeter.

Thanks
Raj
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post #2033 of 6020
2/16/09 at 5:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rajesh.raheja View Post

Thanks Sivadselim, I called up Vanns and the rep said it would be extremely rare for both the front speakers to be defective in exactly the same way, so it is probably just how the speakers are. He asked me to call the KEF customer service - which I did and left a vmail, have not heard back yet. If they say it is defective, then Vanns would accept it back on their cost (since these things are heavy and will cost a fortune to ship back). But I would appreciate if anyone with IQ5 IQ7 or IQ9 can confirm how the HF posts are wired and if they have noticed any issues with the tweeter.

Might want to email KEF, too.

Dispersion is the way that the sound radiates from the driver; that's all.
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post #2034 of 6020
2/17/09 at 11:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sivadselim View Post

Might want to email KEF, too.

Dispersion is the way that the sound radiates from the driver; that's all.

Thanks I got to speak to Khoury (I think that is how he pronounced it); very helpful person who took his time to explain everything.

Damaged Tweeter
The damaged tweeter pretty much needs to be replaced and it costs almost half of what the speaker costs! Thankfully they will support this for some time to come so I have some time to decide there.

IQ5 Detail Lacking Issue
Regarding the more critical issue of the IQ5 details lacking, his take was that the main culprit is the power requirements of the IQ5, which need a very strong amp - closer to the stated 130W. My current 90W receiver is probably not strong enough to drive them as well but they are able to drive the 100W IQ1 nicely. That is apparently the reason I hear the highs, but not ALL the highs.

He confirmed that the HF posts control both the Uni-Q and tweeter; and that is because this is a 3 way speaker, so the LF controls the woofer.

Thanks for all your help in this regard.
Raj
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post #2035 of 6020
2/17/09 at 12:34pm
The conversation with the KEF person had me thinking. I just checked my Marantz SR-7000 and it provides 100W x 5. The KEF person talked about having some "headroom" and provide power almost close to the rated spec of 130W for the IQ5.

Can anyone who owns an IQ5 provide details of what receiver they use to power it (or what amp wattage)?

I was thinking of "upgrading" to the SR-4002 which is actually 80W x 7, but I believe it allows the two unused channels (when used in 5.1 mode) to be used to bi-amp the front speakers. In this case, would bi-amping the IQ5 be considered as providing them with 80W x 2 = 160W ? Or would still each terminal really only see 80W and still be even further underpowered?

Given the above, I would then need to upgrade to a 130W (or higher) rated receiver, but my budget does not allow that currently.

Thanks for your responses.
Raj
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post #2036 of 6020
2/17/09 at 12:42pm
Glad you got to speak to someone. As I have pointed out, I have had very good experiences with their customer service.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rajesh.raheja View Post

Regarding the more critical issue of the IQ5 details lacking, his take was that the main culprit is the power requirements of the IQ5, which need a very strong amp - closer to the stated 130W. My current 90W receiver is probably not strong enough to drive them as well but they are able to drive the 100W IQ1 nicely. That is apparently the reason I hear the highs, but not ALL the highs.

I don't buy that. They shouldn't sound startlingly different, but very similar. The wattage rating of he speakers is not what they should be driven with. Yes, they will sound better with more power, but KEFs are not hard to drive. And you can drive them with twice their rated power with no ill-effect as long as you are reasonable about it.


Quote:
Originally Posted by rajesh.raheja View Post

He confirmed that the HF posts control both the Uni-Q and tweeter; and that is because this is a 3 way speaker, so the LF controls the woofer.

That it is 3-way is irrelevant. My XQ5s are 4-way and the HF posts are connected to the tweeter and hypertweeter, only. My first KEFs were Q5s (the equivalent of the iQ7s, but 2.5-way), and the tweeter was all that was connected to the HF posts. The iQ5s are 3-way, yes, but they are not like a traditional 3-way with a traditional midrange driver. The UniQ cone (not the tweeter) is more a midwoofer than a midrange driver. On traditional 3-way speakers, yes, the midrange and tweeter are what are connected to the HF posts. Odd.


So, if you drive just the UniQ driver (midwoofer and tweeter) of the iQ5s with the HF posts, do they still lack the detail of your iQ1s?
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post #2037 of 6020
2/17/09 at 12:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rajesh.raheja View Post

I was thinking of "upgrading" to the SR-4002 which is actually 80W x 7, but I believe it allows the two unused channels (when used in 5.1 mode) to be used to bi-amp the front speakers. In this case, would bi-amping the IQ5 be considered as providing them with 80W x 2 = 160W ? Or would still each terminal really only see 80W and still be even further underpowered?

No, when you passively bi-amp the power is not at all additive. Nowhere near it. The effective increase may be 10%. So, that is a bad idea. If you want to get them more power, a new amp for your front channels is a better idea. Does your current receiver have pre-outs?


Quote:
Originally Posted by rajesh.raheja View Post

Given the above, I would then need to upgrade to a 130W (or higher) rated receiver, but my budget does not allow that currently.

Your receiver should be able to drive those speakers just fine. Might they require more power than the iQ1s to really sing? Sure, maybe, but as I pointed out, they shouldn't sound startlingly different. But the difference between 100w and 130w is almost negligible.
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post #2038 of 6020
2/17/09 at 4:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rajesh.raheja View Post

The conversation with the KEF person had me thinking. I just checked my Marantz SR-7000 and it provides 100W x 5. The KEF person talked about having some "headroom" and provide power almost close to the rated spec of 130W for the IQ5.

Can anyone who owns an IQ5 provide details of what receiver they use to power it (or what amp wattage)?

I was thinking of "upgrading" to the SR-4002 which is actually 80W x 7, but I believe it allows the two unused channels (when used in 5.1 mode) to be used to bi-amp the front speakers. In this case, would bi-amping the IQ5 be considered as providing them with 80W x 2 = 160W ? Or would still each terminal really only see 80W and still be even further underpowered?

Given the above, I would then need to upgrade to a 130W (or higher) rated receiver, but my budget does not allow that currently.

Thanks for your responses.
Raj

I have iQ5s, iQ1s, and an iQ6c. I'm using a Denon AVR-1909 with 90 watt/channel, and it sounds fine. I don't think your receiver is the problem. Just because a receiver/amp is cable of a sending a max wattage, doesn't mean it always is. It depends on how loud you're playing it. You might only be using 1 watt...or 10...or 200, etc.
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post #2039 of 6020
2/17/09 at 5:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dysfunction26 View Post

I was considering the Kef line, but I couldn't audition them anywhere near me. They didn't have the IQ5's, IQ3's, or the IQ2C, so I headed over to Frys. I auditioned the Polk RTI8's, Polk Monitor 70's, Polk TSI 300 & 400 and some Infinity speaker they had. I then walked out of the auditioning room and they had a 5.1 setup playing The Day After Tomorrow. It was made up of Boston Acoustics CS series speakers, it sounded amazing. Since I use my speakers for 95% home theater use, it was a no brainer. I bought 2 of the CS226's and put in an order for the matching center. I am now debating to get the CS26 bookshelves, or 2 more towers for surrounds. I hope they perform as well when I get them all hooked up here.


Good choice. I like me some Boston! For me, thumbs down on Polk. Infinity are ok to me, but I wouldn't buy.

But again, these are all good speakers. It comes to a matter of opinion.
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post #2040 of 6020
2/18/09 at 12:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rajesh.raheja View Post

The conversation with the KEF person had me thinking. I just checked my Marantz SR-7000 and it provides 100W x 5. The KEF person talked about having some "headroom" and provide power almost close to the rated spec of 130W for the IQ5.

Can anyone who owns an IQ5 provide details of what receiver they use to power it (or what amp wattage)?

I was thinking of "upgrading" to the SR-4002 which is actually 80W x 7, but I believe it allows the two unused channels (when used in 5.1 mode) to be used to bi-amp the front speakers. In this case, would bi-amping the IQ5 be considered as providing them with 80W x 2 = 160W ? Or would still each terminal really only see 80W and still be even further underpowered?

Given the above, I would then need to upgrade to a 130W (or higher) rated receiver, but my budget does not allow that currently.

Thanks for your responses.
Raj

I just (this weekend) finished out my tower system. I'm running iQ9s in front, iQ7s on the side, and iQ5s in back. They're all fed by an Onkyo 805, which is rated for 130W/ch. I'll tell you that the highs of all of the speakers are solid and bell-like; no muffled tones whatsoever. I compared them with a spare 3005SE center channel, which uses a smaller midrange uni-q, but the newer "tangerine waveguide" tweeter, and there are zero differences in the highs between any of the speakers. In comparison, my old Infinity RS-5 reference towers are the ones that sound muffled and dull. This is something that I would have noticed immediately; both my wife and I are "Treble Freaks," and love to hear those soaring highs, which the KEFs do oh so well.

It has been stated that the KEFs are power-hungry... maybe you've hit the bottom-line on the power requirements on those towers, but I don't know enough about speaker power handling to say anything definitive about that. But those iQ5s should not sound muffled in any way.

To echo other's statements, the top post is feeding the Uni-Q array, both tweeter and midrange. The bottom post only feeds the LF driver. In other words, if you're only driving the top post, you're driving the array that's identical to the one in the iQ1 (but it's unported, so the bass extension isn't going to be as great, hence the ported LF driver in the towers.)

Cheers,
-P
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