KEF Q300
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In this month's mag
July 2013
SUPERTEST: Soundbar solutions £250-£450
GROUP TEST: 46-47in smart TVs
GROUP TEST: Standmount speakers £350-£450
© 2013 Haymarket Publishing
Comments
The July 2013 issue knocks the Q300 because, in a test of six similar speakers, the Q300s are the most expensive (£450). I bought these speakers over a year ago - for £399. I've seen them on sale for £20 less than that. Unless the prices of all the reviewed speakers are lower than the prices stated, this seems a bit unfair.
We reviewed all the speakers in that test based on the price given to us by the manufacturer. In the case of the KEFs, that price was £450 - which is the price Sevenoaks and Superfi, among others, sell them for. Of course, that doesn't mean they aren't available elsewhere at a discount.
Hello HiFi friends,
Hello What HiFi experts.
I have a deep desire to buy a better standmount speakers than my 10 years running very good Wharfedale Pacific Pi10s, which are bi amplified by NAD C350 integrated & C270 power.
I'll be quite thankful if any body tells me his experience matching KEF Q300s with NAD amps.
Thank you friends.
I'm using the Q300s in place of some 22 year old Neat Petites. The amp is a three-box Naim, CD player - Marantz CD6004. Great timing, more compelling, less coloured vocals and a bit more detail than the Neats. But the bass - hard to control.
I've experimented with placement as much as I can, but though there is a nice richness, the bass is sometimes distractingly flabby and occasionally pops are heard. I currently have the foam inserts in the ports.
Also there is nothing like the space and airiness of the Neats and other speakers. But then the Neats were able to do that because of their open treble, which, combined with not very low bass, otherwise made you want to turn the volume down when playing rock music.
Don't get me wrong, I think the Q300s are better overall, and their timing is the clincher; I can enjoy more of my music. I just think the WHF? reviews are too good to be true for most home users.
BTW, I tried the Q300s in a dealer's demo room where I couldn't believe the bass was so uncontrolled, but I got it good enough in my own system to want to keep 'em.
Update. Since the above comment I've made changes to my set up. The speakers were stood on filled spiked stands on a carpeted floor. I have now got each speaker stand stood on a square slab of one inch slate. This allows me to slide the speakers in and out easily. I have them now almost two feet away from the chimney breast that is behind them.
This isn't the best position to create domestic harmony, but soundstage and bass are a lot better; there's an openness that makes listening very enjoyable. The foam bungs are not needed. When required, I can just push them back. Previously, because of an uneven floor, I had to adjust the spikes every time I moved the stands which was a real pain.
Hallo aweryone!! I hawe a king rex t20u amplifire and it sound exellent. but it hase only 12w of power. So i dont know how would preforme with kef q300. Any comment is welcome! Sory on my bad english!
Great little speakers,great all rounder, quite alot of bass, like WHF say needs to have a good system matching, im on a budget, running NAD C326BEE, and NAD c54BEE,QED XT evo. I am more than pleased with these. Highly recommmended.
I'm using Soundstyle Z2 from the previous system...they work fine...however the top plate seems to be a little bit too small...
Overall I'm very happy, I compared them with:
b&w 685
MA BX2
MA RX1
To my ears Q300 is the winner...at least with PM6004/DacMagic...
It says to be careful with system matching, due to the thin high frequencies. So, which amps do these work best with???
I have to say that I have noticed a lack of fullness with the treble. Currently I use the Marantz PM6004 with Chord Carnival Silverscreen cable. .
They will work well with the PM6004, so no worries there, and if you wanted to up the budget we'd recommend the Rega Brio-R at £480.
I'm running the Q300s with the Rega Brio-R (and Marantz CD6004) and it's a fab combination - I'm very pleased with it. The sound-stage is great - I'd never really known what sound-stage meant but now I do; it's like 3D for your ears. Slippery slope though this hi-fi upgrade thing. My mate has just bought a Rega Saturn CD player (paired with the Rega Brio-R) and boy it sounds good ;~p
Any suggestion for the speaker stands?
I've just chosen Q300 with Marantz cd6004 + pm6004 as the 5 star recommendation
And these "bookshelf: speakers do not like bookshelves at all - hence the sorbothane feet. sadly only 1 can go on a stand, the other will have to remain on a wood surface..or maybe wallmounts?
Any advice wlecome before I conclude these are a £300 pup....thanks.
I bought the Q100's and have been keeping my fingers crossed that they turn into performers once run in. So far, bass and higher ranges are now good but the mid tones on fast or complex instrumental music are muddled and unmusical - not what I would expect from the specs. Lovely sweet tones on acoustic and vocal music as long as it isn't complicated. I've put them on sorbothane feet which has helped performance immensely but the midtone problem remains. I'm running them from my nice but soon to be replaced Denon DRF100. My previous speakers had no problem with the midranges so I know it's not the amp - I swapped the speakers around and the difference was obvious. (But those were lacking at top and bottom of range.) I rather think the Q100's are designed as speakers for surround system not stand alone for music. Anyone else used these and can give me advice? Will they improve with use or do they go to ebay - and what should I get in their place? I'm probably going to buy the Denon DRF107 - have space issues so need a small system and have been very happy with the little DenonF100. I suspect a little too bright for these speakers but not by much.
By the way I echo the comments re space and air around them and under no circumstances use the foam bungs for the front port - they just sound muffled.
As we point out in the speaker Group Test in the current (February) issue, the Rotel RA-04 SE is a good partner
How would they sound with a Cyrus amp and a Marantz 6002 CD?
I love KEF / NAD combinations.
I bought two pairs of Kef Codas in the 80s, amazing sound i still have a pair left connected to the NAD 3130 in the kitchen.
Since moving to CDs and then home cinema, is it just me or is the sound terrible (i.e. does not compare to vinal) ?
Will look at Q300s as an option.
Love to see what Amp What HIFI reccommend with Q300s.
I'm still running KEF Cresta 2's would love to win a new pair of KEF's
so what amp. will you recommend using?
I have a feeling the Q300's would sound quite good in my system, I hope I win a pair
System: Thorens TD160mkII~ SME Series III ~ Goldring G900IGC/NAD CD524/Beresford Caiman DAC (Gator'd)/Audiolab 8000c/Hafler DH220
I have them running on Sonos Zoneplayer 120. Sound is so sweet you will find your self listening to them whole day long. I can only imagine how much better they perform on a high-end source.