Experience with new Kef-line ("R" or LS-50) combined with tube-amp

Sorry, can't help you there. With the LS50's being quite new, don't expect any answers any time soon! But you never know...

Thanks David, but it's for the R100 and R300 etc. too.

I just wait, maybe it will inspire people to go listen those speakers with valve-amps, because i already saw some review, and recomendation, where they used ss-amp.

As the new Kef's are finding their way to new customers, there could be some answers now ?!

Well, we are 2 weeks further, so please leave your comments. Thanks!

Next tuesday i will compare the Epos ES-11 to the Kef's. I'm curious because the Kef's will have a hard job!

It will be a good comparison, and I look forward to see if the young pretender can triumph.

It has been done.

I only compared the Kef to the LS-50. the shop said the R100 has no benefits whatsoever, only price, and the R300 would sound more nasal but not too much more bass.

Unfortunately i could not take the amp with me. I listened with Cambridge 840 CD-player (newest version) and Denon PMA 2010 amp which is slight warm in the bass ??.

To me listening to a trannie amp was a lot more fatiguing but considering the bass more exciting. The Epos sounded a bit more relaxed (still very good after 21 years!), but the Kef had the upper hand in soundstage. The bass was comparable, but i think the LS50 will be harder to drive than the Epos.

The guy from the shop was a real musiclover and had a tube-amp himself. He offered me a private demo in my own space for some small money because they will not let you take equipment away at home. He said that if i didn't like the Kef's he still could help me with positioning the Epos.

I also had a short listen to the Dynaudio Contour S1.4 (3 times the price of the Kef's). They sounded sophisticated but a bit less exciting and darker, compared to the Epos as well as the Kef. I think they are less suited to valve-amps. Sweet and sweet will be too much.

Still i have another candidate, namely the Epos Epic 2 or new Elan-series. And i want to listen to an Audio Note speaker once.

I'll keep you all (interested), informed.

Good job...that went very much as I expected. 

I also agree about SS amps, as it is only the Class A ones that I would consider owning.

I look forward to the next intallation. 

Ps. Would the dealer take the cost of the private demo off the bill if it led to a sale?

Cno

Thanks!

I think the difference between class-A ss and tubes is way too big for a serious comparison.

The cost of the private-demo will not be subtracted from the bill, because it is his own private initiative, and not too expensive.

Well, in the end it was me to hear the Kef LS50 with a (my own) tube-amp (at home) 1st! I just finished listening and am sad to have seen them leave again. In other words: i was very impressed!

Not in the first 20 to 30 minutes or so, because i had to get used to the somehow different balance of the Kef. It was a bit more crispier then the Epos, and a bit more loose in the bass. Both significant. But after a while i first started to appreciate the spaciousness of the Kef, and after that i started to like it's less precise imaging. Not longer did i feel myself "looking" for the exact positioning of instruments and voices because i felt less focussed on it and enjoyed the sound more as a whole. Instead of a spacious mid, and left and right from the Epos, i heard more total space from the Kef's. They disapeared much more without becoming vague. They sounded less direct and much more relaxed. The Kef seemed to have just a tiny bit less low-end but that could also be caused by it's looseness. After "adjusting" a bit to the crispier character of the Kef, i found out that it was not sharpness. Various violinmusic has showed that to me.

What most struck me was the "balance" between imaging and space. It led to much more at ease listening. Now i could really focus more on the music. Furtermore the bass was really, really amazing for that size. And then i had to listen to the Kef's on Epos-stands on some wooden blocks to fix the height. On dedicated stands there could be some tighter bass. I listened on 4 ohm speakeroutputs and still had enough volume left. So no problem with the low efficiency.

If, in the future, there would be something to gain in quality in the system, the Kef's will make that be heard much easier then the Epos's. After 21 years it seems as if i have found a new speaker!

Tomorrow i will listen to my Epos's again and will find out the difference the other way. I'm curious what it will bring. But i will not forget this demo, as even my coffee went cold. And that is always a good sign to me, called: listen and forget!

I just put it on top again, and hope for some reactions.

Sorry, I completely missed this....a great report and it bears out my hunch (and yours) that it would be a great combination. As you say, good stands should make further improvements.

Cno

Hopefully I'll get to try them on some Custom Design FS104's soon. I used to be quite keen on the Epos stands, and these look similar. Should bring out better definition in the bass/midrange.

Yesterday i listened to my Epos again. Still a really, really good speaker. Very good in rythm, even (amazingly) with a valve-amp. Only the sharp imaging forces to keep the head positioned sharply (2 cm. gives a big change in soundstage).

First, in about 3 weeks, i'll be listening to an ultimate tube-amp (a selfdesign) with strong bass and dynamics. I am very curious about that. I will still use the Epos then. If that gives me a big difference i could try it with the Kef Again.

I'll keep you informed.

This listening has been done. Tube-amp was the "Artephonos", a selfdesign by a former electronicsengineer with experience in (Philips) audio. It's price was (un)fortunately high, some 4.500 euro's, compared to 3.750 GBP. Ascociated equipment: My Epos ES-11 and Cayin CD50 cd-player.

The difference didn't seem so big in the beginning but after a while i was aware of more soundspace, real air in the sound, and less blooming, but (it seemed) lesser in total, bass then my Cayin amp. The bass was stronger articulated. And again i was impressed by the speakers! As was my host.

After listening home again, the next day, for the first time i am aware of the more digital (bit edgy) sound of my Airport Express DAC. It seems i have to work on that too.

Now i am considering

- Buy this Artephonos and buy bigger Epos speakers with more bass

- Buy an Electrocompaniet (gives a tubelike sound with power ?!) and Kef's LS 50 or leave the Epos or bigger (new) Epos.

- Buy a Creek Destiny 2 (power) and Kef's LS 50's or leave the Epos or bigger (new) Epos.

Any advice is appreciated!