Mind-Blowing Sound Quality: KEF Blade 2 Meta Review

Рет қаралды 67,303

Күн бұрын

Written review/data can be found here:
www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loud...
Support the cause:
Patreon: / erinsaudiocorner
Contribute via PayPal: www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_...
A simple request: If any of you find yourselves shopping for anything sold by the retailers below please consider using my generic affiliate link. These can earn me a small commission which goes a long way toward helping me review items and make content. It is a great way you can help me continue doing what I enjoy doing without costing you anything extra. It is truly appreciated!
Amazon: amzn.to/3v6i6ov
Audio Advice: www.audioadvice.com/?referral...
Best Buy: howl.me/ck2IPpcOp1h
Crutchfield: shop-links.co/cgZmmT81jmh
Newegg: howl.me/ck2IQg52L5b
Samsung: howl.me/ck2IQ5qe16w
Target: howl.me/ck2IRDNsIqn
Thomann: www.thomann.de/de/index.html?...
Emotiva: shorturl.at/pBEU9
Monoprice: bit.ly/3yAY6NH
Arendal Sound: arendalsound.com/store/?refer...
Purchases through these links can earn me a small commission - at no additional cost to you - and help me continue to provide the community with free content and reviews. Doesn't matter if it's a TV from Crutchfield, budget speakers from Audio Advice or a pair of socks from Amazon, just use the link above before you make your purchase. Thank you!
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
1:00 - Design
3:49 - Pointsource Magic
8:12 - Subjective Listening Impression
15:21 - Objective Data
21:09 - Summary
____________________
All of my tests are conducted using KLIPPEL Hardware and Software. KLIPPEL is an innovative leader in providing unique test equipment for electro-acoustical transducers and audio systems. Founded in 1997 by Dr. Wolfgang Klippel, the novel techniques developed for control and measurement systems of loudspeakers and other transducers are the result of over 30 years of fundamental research. This provides more accurate physical models of loudspeakers, micro-speakers and headphones valid for both small and large amplitudes. The focus is on revealing the root causes of signal distortion and defects and giving practical indications for improvements in design and manufacturing of audio products. For information on KLIPPEL products, please visit their site below:
www.klippel.de/company/about-u...

Пікірлер: 728

@ErinsAudioCorner 3 ай бұрын

Whoops! I said the midrange crossover is 550Hz. It’s 450Hz. My bad! Support the cause: Patreon: www.patreon.com/erinsaudiocorner Contribute via PayPal: www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=CLHSW4L9SBSLY A simple request: If any of you find yourselves shopping for anything sold by the retailers below please consider using my generic affiliate link. These can earn me a small commission which goes a long way toward helping me review items and make content. It is a great way you can help me continue doing what I enjoy doing without costing you anything extra. It is truly appreciated! Amazon: amzn.to/3v6i6ov Audio Advice: www.audioadvice.com/?referral=erins-audio-corner Best Buy: howl.me/ck2IPpcOp1h Crutchfield: shop-links.co/cgZmmT81jmh Newegg: howl.me/ck2IQg52L5b Samsung: howl.me/ck2IQ5qe16w Target: howl.me/ck2IRDNsIqn Thomann: www.thomann.de/de/index.html?offid=1&affid=2577 Emotiva: shorturl.at/pBEU9 Monoprice: bit.ly/3yAY6NH Arendal Sound: arendalsound.com/store/?refer=hardisj Purchases through these links can earn me a small commission - at no additional cost to you - and help me continue to provide the community with free content and reviews. Doesn't matter if it's a TV from Crutchfield, budget speakers from Audio Advice or a pair of socks from Amazon, just use the link above before you make your purchase. Thank you!

@Cantatos 3 ай бұрын

Have you heard the DALI EPIKORE 11?

@rolandd5397 3 ай бұрын

No love for the Tannoy dual concentric drivers?

@arnfinnhorne 3 ай бұрын

After your review of the KEF LS60 I got my self a pair, and they are just mindblowing good in our big livingroom. Soundvise, lets say the LS60 score 100. What will these very expensive speakers score?

@CanadaSocial 3 ай бұрын

I think you heard the PerListen S7t too right… any thoughts between the two… similar pricing if I am not wrong.

@ccdccd8615 2 ай бұрын

I enjoy your channel, especially because you discuss measurements in connection with subjective evaluations and because you discuss speaker design more than most reviewers. However, I sometimes wish you would discuss design more often, especially when you have a different and interesting design. This speaker is one such example where you could have done a video just on the design because there is a lot going on here that differs from most other speakers IMHO. A coincident driver on the front baffle is not that unusual. However, it is worth mentioning that KEF appears to have pioneered (ie patented) the use of coincident drivers where they also act as a wave guide. IOW, KEF has been at this for a long time. The really interesting part is the mounting of drivers on the sides just above and below the coincident driver in order to get all the drivers to act as a single point source, something a 3-way speaker normally couldn’t do. A crap load of engineering went into this. One indication of this is the low midrange crossover point given the use of 6” or 6.5” woofers. You would normally expect a higher crossover point, but I suspect integrating the side woofers with the coincident front driver seamlessly required the low crossover point. Then there is the cabinet. The top 2 side woofers appear to be in a sealed box while the bottom 2 woofers are in a ported enclosure. This mix of sealed and ported for the same size drivers is unusual. But it doesn’t stop there. The ported part of the cabinet has 2 ports, not the usual one. One port is on the rear at the height of the lower woofers and the second is down low on the rear near the floor. This leads me to suspect that the tuning frequency of the two ports is probably different. That is just what I can see. The really impressive part is that KEF, based on your review, got all of this to work!!!! Few speakers would merit extended discussion of their designs, but this is one of them. Would love to hear you interview one of KEF’s designers about the challenges of this design. Best of luck

@AnotherAnonymousMan 3 ай бұрын

I can't think of a more exemplary reviewer to show me these exemplary speakers. The fact that Erin still disclaimers his potential bias in being impressed despite the review being data based demonstrates a standard that can only be applauded. And yeah, the speakers are as phenomenal as we expected lol. Thanks for the great work!

@ErinsAudioCorner 3 ай бұрын

Thanks. Sometimes I feel like I over-disclaim but I try really hard to keep it real and let people form their opinions with as much knowledge as I can reasonably provide.

@kevinf9822 3 ай бұрын

Agree. Erin distinguishes himself from all other online reviewers by providing both subjective and objective data. The measurements are key and are the reason that, for example, I have always enjoyed John Atkinson of Stereophile so much over the years. Measurements are a foundation that you can build on when assessing a speaker. Erin is unique in that respect, which is why I became a Patron.

@SimonSalloway1 3 ай бұрын

I love KEF, I started 20 years ago with small KEF eggs. I had the privilege to have a day in their Kent factory and listened to REFERENCE 5's and Blades. I am now the proud owner of a pair of REFERENCE 1's 🌟

@hypojames 3 ай бұрын

How did you get a tour around the kef factory? Its only 20miles from my house and I would love to go and see it

@SimonSalloway1 3 ай бұрын

@@hypojames I won a KEF competition, so I was very lucky. I went all around the factory, the research and design areas, their anechoic chamber, the museum and more - it was fantastic day. If you are a genuine buyer they will allow you in I think, they are a working business and factory so I can't imagine KEF would allow anyone in randomly for free. Contact them and see, they may have open days.

@marcgallant5270 3 ай бұрын

Love it! Not that I'd ever spend that kind of money, the Reference Meta is my end game. I especially appreciate the scientific approach KEF takes among other brands (Revel being another) to their high end speakers. It's great to see all that extra money isn't only speaker "jewelry" but to improve resonance, dispersion etc. There's going to be so many butt-hurt individuals but keep'em coming!

@bigjay1970 3 ай бұрын

😅

@JamesWilliams-gf8gm 3 ай бұрын

Agreed, Kef, revel, JBL are a few. I would say Magico and Vivid are also engineering based but drift off into the cost no object exotic realm at the same time.

@KoeiNL 3 ай бұрын

These speakers are expensive, but if you really want them they aren't completely unreachable. At the same time I don't see any reason for speakers beyond this one. I doubt the Blade 1 would be really worth it for example.

@FOH3663 3 ай бұрын

@@KoeiNL If the room and listening habits needed more bottom end, it would likely be worth it.

@KoeiNL 3 ай бұрын

@@FOH3663 at the levels the Blade 2 lacks output just adding good subs would probably do more.

@swllz 3 ай бұрын

Appreciate all your reviews with detailed measurements.

@swllz 3 ай бұрын

Waiting from you the reviews for super deton and SVS 6.5 evolution bookshelf.

@platinumyaadmusic6410 3 ай бұрын

This is a master class review. I love your objective and subjective breakdown. I'm interested in the kef reference series and your reviews are definitely helping me make a decision. Keep up the good work. Honestly your channel is 🔥

@richh650 3 ай бұрын

Excellent in-depth explanation of the Blade's. The best I have seen in fact. Well done.

@ErinsAudioCorner 3 ай бұрын

Wow, thanks!

@kgspollux6998 3 ай бұрын

My KEF Blade Two got a low-bass extension by an additional Subwoofer (SVS SB16-Ultra). Crossover at 60 Hz. Phenomenal result. Deepest precise sound image with subsonic components, if needed - and less effort of mid-bass reproduction. By the way, given a certain audio material (3D recording & mixing, crosstalk-cancelation), the Blade is able to project a closed acoustical holo-cocoon around the listener. The sound of this (psychological) cocoon fits directly to the listener's skin - it doesn't commence beyond the loudspeaker distance . . .

@JR-ho5qm 3 ай бұрын

Great review! I hope it works out for you and your able to get this speaker. You deserve it!

@derekfisher4806 3 ай бұрын

Love your passion coming through in this review. Was very cool to hear your excitement

@voxxonline 2 ай бұрын

Usually I don't say that easy but you are by far the most respected reviewer out there.

@ErinsAudioCorner 2 ай бұрын

Well, dang! Thanks!

@johnstowe298 3 ай бұрын

Thank you for the great review. Really appreciate both the data and your listening thoughts. Although these speakers are out of my reach, I enjoy hearing/reading and learning more about the leading edge of our passion. Currently happy with my R3ms, but looking at R7m and R11ms.

@QuintEssential-sz2wn 3 ай бұрын

Saw thumbnail. Popped Diet Coke, sat down, review delivered! Great stuff Erin!

@thomaslutro5560 3 ай бұрын

Thanks, Erin. Even when gushing about the best you ever heard, you still make sense.

@rasta.j 3 ай бұрын

Fantastic video! Watching it at 1am here in Australia

@JamesWilliams-gf8gm 3 ай бұрын

Great video, keep up the good work. I hope this leads to more highend review samples.

@simonbrook6185 3 ай бұрын

Thank you... No Ego, no BS. You are answering questions I've had for 30 years explaining what I'm hearing but most importantly, why. You are completely disrupting the 'hifi' norm. I wish you well... Nearly 50k subscribers & that will surely increase substantially over the next 12 months. And although I look forward to any extra content, do please remember this hifi rubbish is just a hobby of ours & life only gives us one chance.

@ErinsAudioCorner 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the kind words.

@DearSX 3 ай бұрын

Wow, great to have this information, thanks a bunch!

@marcosvictor4935 3 ай бұрын

Great! Thanks for the review

@kl9941 3 ай бұрын

Great video and education. Appreciate you reviewing higher end products as well.

@giovanni1269 3 ай бұрын

Ok folks time to pay attention, class is in session. Great work man, thanks for the time you put into these videos. So much to learn here. Thank you!

@ErinsAudioCorner 3 ай бұрын

Much appreciated!

@allanellis5827 3 ай бұрын

What a great review! Enjoyed it very much. It appears Kef has hit it out of the park with these speakers. Thanks a lot.

@jakeslavin9355 3 ай бұрын

I love how you are starting to creep into the high end. I think more speakers of this caliber need to be tested. So much lack of transparency in the industry. If you can find the capital or get someone to loan it to you I would love to see more reviews like this. Maybe a magico A series or a wilson sabrina X would be another cool thing to test out. Also, Cabasse is making some crazy active speakers that have insane specs but I wonder how accurate they are. Might be worth checking out their pearl series, especially if you like point source designs.

@ErinsAudioCorner 3 ай бұрын

I’ve emailed both Magico and Wilson (many times, recently) and not heard back. I think the best option here is for those who are interested in purchasing these kind of speakers is to email the company and request they send me a pair to review. Otherwise, they tend to think my audience doesn’t spend that kind of money (two “high end” manufacturers have explicitly said this to me in the last year).

@grumpy9478 3 ай бұрын

you are to be commended for investigating a very high end speaker. anyone seriously reviewing speakers via quantitative techniques (instrumentation / data collection & analysis / facility) as you have ought to include a very high end ($$$s & perf) set like these Blades. it is quite valuable to perform both relativistic & absolute comparative listening & empirical tests - independent of the price range or even target mkt (while respecting the many distinct intents of the various mkt segments!). among the benefits is identifying issues related to the test rig & procedures that might bear attention (or be confirmed as just fine). rotating those "halo" reference speakers over time could further everyone's insight to the numerous designs, segments & price-regimes. @@ErinsAudioCorner

@swllz 3 ай бұрын

The manufacturer's of Magico and Wilson may not care what youtube viewers think or afraid to be measured. Most of their customers are not checking youtube for measurements. They think they are intelligent enough to make decisions of their money without looking any measurements. As long as their customers willing to pay premium to get premium service such as in home seto up offered by PS Audio.

@FOH3663 3 ай бұрын

@@ErinsAudioCorner Then Magico and Wilson don't have a clue of the sophistication of your viewers. Data, assessment, optimization of best practices ... "this is the way".

@JamesWilliams-gf8gm 3 ай бұрын

The one I want to see on the kipple… don’t laugh is the RTJ 410. The “tower of power” with the 4 stacked 18” woofers looks so crazy I just want to see measurements. Audioholics has some but I would love to see more and then combined with the subs.

@ottoburgess1555 3 ай бұрын

Another great review!

@MS-pw8yu 3 ай бұрын

Saw this vid pop up in ny feed but I was busy and short on time. Came back and went to my subscription list to watch it. It was then I noticed I was NOT subscribed. Now I am. Sorry for the delay in supporting your great channel. Great vid as always!

@ErinsAudioCorner 3 ай бұрын

Welcome aboard!

@jimhunton6356 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the informative review.

@jamesbaranowski8755 3 ай бұрын

Awesome great review! Would love these!!!

@Dave-vu3cu 3 ай бұрын

Great description of diffraction audibility there, Erin! 😉

@tlr5457 3 ай бұрын

I've owned my pair since August of 2022 and they are a treasured possession. I've owned and heard a lot of speakers in my almost 40 years as a music lover and audiophile and these are the best I've heard. Only the big Blades, and a very few others costing considerably more, can best them - with truly not much more to gain. Truly end game - until perhaps KEF produces the next iteration several years from now.

@we8463 3 ай бұрын

Lucky you 👍🏻

@freddymcculloch6811 29 күн бұрын

Can you get away with not using a sub?

@tlr5457 27 күн бұрын

@@freddymcculloch6811 yes - it is possible. Although it took about 200 hours or so before the bass response reached its maximum potential. It also depends on your room acoustics and speaker placement. Although, you might find that over time you are lacking the Nth degree of low end extension and will eventually want to add subs; however, I think initially, you will be so overwhelmed by the absolute coherency that the B2s, that the lack of extreme low end won't be that compelling - EDM and some classical being the exception.

@purextc692008 3 ай бұрын

Heard these speakers at a HiFi show a few months back. They were powered by some serious amplification, but good f***ing god were they good. My friend and I were blown away. If you want a stereo setup and can somehow afford these I will recommend them without reservation. This Hifi show had speakers and setups in excess of £250,000 and these stole the show without question. Nice video as always Erin, love your work.

@thomosburn8740 3 ай бұрын

Agreed. I heard YG Acoustics ($110k at the time) and the Blade 1 at the same AXPONA and the Blade 1 sounded so much better, and I was using the same source material.

@Lucasnxvii 3 ай бұрын

I heard some blades at best buy and they vibrated my insides like I was at a concert. Couldn't ask for more 👌

@freddymcculloch6811 29 күн бұрын

Do you really need a sub with these?

@thomosburn8740 29 күн бұрын

@@freddymcculloch6811 depends on the room and placement I would think. Demos I've heard of both Blade 2 and Blade "1" did not include subs and I did not feel anything was lacking.

@SwirlingDragonMist 3 ай бұрын

Sweeeet! Makes me feel good about my kef Q series from 20 years ago, good on kef for having halo product after halo product, with solid entry level stuff that’s also gorgeous in any context.

@carlbrown3634 3 ай бұрын

Good review Erin! Hope you are able to acquire them. Thanks for sharing.

@rrd1975 3 ай бұрын

Your subjective impressions and test data for the KEF Blade 2 Meta confirms the excellent results obtained by other reviewers, such as Stereophile, The Absolute Sound and HiFi News. Thank you for providing detailed and science backed equipment evaluations.

@avnut5517 3 ай бұрын

Wow! What a speaker! I don't have a place for these, but if I did ... Fantastic review! Great shirt!

@ErinsAudioCorner 3 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@josegazal701 3 ай бұрын

Great review!

@benpatana7664 3 ай бұрын

And here I was saving furiously for the Kef Reference 1! This speaker is more than twice the price but sounds like the one I should be aspiring to. Man this hobby is expensive and addictive! Great review Erin!

@deanfisher1656 3 ай бұрын

Own the Reference 5s which are basically the blade 2 with a normal box. Listened to both and determined the 5s were a little more tunable in my room. Love the KEF brand and value for money and very pleased with mine. Great review Erin.

@danielduesentriebjunior 3 ай бұрын

KEF came up with their UniQ speakers in the late 1980's and they have developed them to perfection.

@Karto86 3 ай бұрын

This is the way, just like Porsche with their 911. Now, would love to see Klipsch do the same with their horn design :D

@danielduesentriebjunior 3 ай бұрын

@@Karto86 Do you mean bass horns? They have become bettered by speaker developments long ago.

@Karto86 3 ай бұрын

@@danielduesentriebjunior nope, high/mid range in horns, check out Erin's reviews of the Klipsch speakers, still lot of room for improvements.

@bbfoto7248 3 ай бұрын

@danieldusentriebjunior6611 The KEF UNIQ drivers were actually using and licensing some of the concentric driver technology that Pioneer/T.A.D. had developed in regards to their "CST" technology.

@mrebersv 3 ай бұрын

Would you pronounce UniQ as “uni queue” or “unique?”

@ryanchappell5962 3 ай бұрын

This is really amazing. I think this speaker kinda proves the correlation to data and subjective sound quality.

@mjdrock00 3 ай бұрын

You are a man with real passion and honest so please don't listen to anything or anyone tried to let you down with no real reason or argument , So please keep doing what you already doing because we know that you are honest man .

@philipeli1192 3 ай бұрын

At 66 I think these are the best looking speaker I have ever seen and would love to own a pair in black with the gold cones. I am a believer in point source drivers.

@imaquis8368 Ай бұрын

Got to check out a pair of these at my local hifi store. They absolutely blew me away. Sadly can’t afford them right now, but I will have a pair one day! For now I’ve got a pair of R11 Metas on the way! Super stoked to get them set up! Keep making awesome content! 🔥

@Mishael_Agyei-Boamah 3 ай бұрын

This is awe inspiring 🔥🔥🔥

@jeffreythurston1822 3 ай бұрын

Really great review. I have the Reference 3 Meta and have a hard time believing I can get much better without spending a fortune. I love the KEF sound. The Blade sure are tempting though.

@JamesWilliams-gf8gm 3 ай бұрын

I think you are correct. You are in that good performance to dollar ratio. If I owned the Ref 3 I would probably skip the blade. I would be looking for used Vivid giya speakers. As a Kef fan you will enjoy vivid as they sound similar but more goooderrrr in technical terms.

@m_c_8656 3 ай бұрын

Thanks, Erin!

@likelydaily6767 3 ай бұрын

So firstly, I love you as a reviewer and a human and I'm really pleased that you found the opportunity to obtain and review these exceptional speakers and really hope you find the funds to own a pair for yourself....maybe even the bigger ones??. As a KEF owner myself (R300, R3) I've long been sold on their concentric designs and he addition of a mid/bass driver makes it much cleaner still. Even my studio monitors are concentric designs. Hearing the detail in the way you speak about the more subjective elements of sound I have to ask, do you have some musicianship or recording engineering in your past? Thanks

@alexyashchenko9846 3 ай бұрын

Great and informative review. I would love for kef reference 3 meta and refefence 5 meta reviews to come out, eventually.

@as2onish 3 ай бұрын

Great review as always. I'd love if you mentioned the stack of electronics you used for subjective parts of these reviews. Also hope some day we can get Paradigm to send you their speakers so we can see how their founders/persona series stack up. These KEFs are definitely end game material. Though if I ever get there I'm going to be auditioning a lot before dropping that kind of $$$

@mrlinde6518 3 ай бұрын

Great video, thank you. Now onto Blade Meta One next 😊

@happyburial 3 ай бұрын

Great video as always. Have been wondering how these compare to the D&D 8c.

@delvalle9256 3 ай бұрын

Time to update your playlist Erin… I live how you describe what you hear in the music you use .

@svenmuilwijk9952 3 ай бұрын

I agree with you on every bit! I also was absolutely mind bogled when I heard the blades I used to work in a high end store and the original blade 2 was my favourite even though we had speakers of up to €120k/pair. The way they put this enormously wide, holographic soundstage together with the huge dynamic and low end capability is just sheer perfection. The design is just pure form follows function with perfect results.

@Casmael01 3 ай бұрын

Wow really interesting review. I’d always wondered if the blades were style or substance - will have to listen to them some day. Peace my dude x

@stevenma2010 3 ай бұрын

Wow. It’s like when I first heard Jimi Hendrix play the guitar and I thought: “How could anything possibly be better than this?” I sincerely hope to hear these one day. Thanks Erin!

@Godschildjesus Ай бұрын

It is awesome to see a fellow audiophile this excited about a piece of gear that has changed their view.

@Carrera6rennsport 3 ай бұрын

Blade One Meta owner here. They are superb and significantly better than the previous non-Meta versions, its easily audible.

@JamesWilliams-gf8gm 3 ай бұрын

Can you describe the difference for me? I buy used so the opinion is valuable to me.

@michaeloconnor9465 3 ай бұрын

I don't believe you. You are justifying your out lay. There is not a lot between non Meta and Meta speakers. Then I have to question your age because as we age our hearing deteriates. By the time we are 30 we can't hear above 16,000hz. Women can hear upto 20, 000 hz. Then that depends on the individual. A slight difference for the Meta, but the BS of marketing can make you believe different, and marketing gives you desire. As a once sells person once I sold you desire I had the sell.

@Carrera6rennsport 3 ай бұрын

@@michaeloconnor9465 The lower treble region extends down to 4khz, the entire region on up is a lot cleaner subjectively and better integrated with the mids which also subjectively sound clearer--no small feat. The xover is completely redesigned a well. Kef took many years to come up with an improved Blade they weren't just sitting on the hands making up marketing BS. i have several hundred hours now on the Blade Metas and owned the previous model, how about you?

@CC-xu2yz 3 ай бұрын

@@michaeloconnor9465Give it up man. You don't have a clue.

@CC-xu2yz 3 ай бұрын

@@michaeloconnor9465😂😢

@ronmiller6344 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the honest review, Erin. I went from the KEF R11s directly to the Blade 2 (massive jump).The Blades do require a bit of placement- tweaking and quality amplification. I also tried them with a pair of Subs (not needed in my opinion) and didn't like the results. Their ability to cast sound vertically is what sold me, compared to other higher-end speakers that I listened to and failed in that department. The Blades just play the music without calling any particular attention to themselves. I am skeptical of Speakers that do that and whether they can provide enjoyment over the long haul, like the Blade 2 can. Side comment: The Blade 1 requires a larger listening area than the Blade 2. Cheers

@kyleo2113 3 ай бұрын

Great review!! That 200hz might be preferable spot if any just for separating the bass and midrange based on watching videos regarding mixing. I think with something this high end with tight tolerances increases speaker to speaker matching phase, FR etc. don’t hear much about this but I think it maybe a big factor in clarity imaging etc etc (taking the room out of the equation). Job well done as usual and thank you!!

@nhennessy6434 3 ай бұрын

Once again excellent, excellent review, Erin. You do a terrific job of explaining what these measurements mean, especially regarding how they will be audible to someone hearing them in their listening space. The one question I have is regarding the Blade 2's efficiency. I have a Purifi Eigentact which puts out around 130-140 wpc into 8 ohms, and I'm wondering if that would be sufficient for most rooms. Not that I'll ever be able to afford these. But I do play Powerball from time to time. 🤤🤤

@trevorbartram5473 3 ай бұрын

As a Brit living in the US since the mid 80s I'm proud to see KEF still producing the best engineered speakers in the world. Their management team deserves kudos for maintaining excellence for 60+ years. What's more, KEF trickle down their technology to their affordable speakers.

@aa5az423 2 ай бұрын

So, the up-to-date (2023 and forward) speakers do something I've never seen in a set of speakers, which is entirely takes away the "sweet seat" effect, which is a good thing, IMHO. My wife and I can sit on entirely opposite ends of the couch and hear the same thing as if we were sitting in the middle of the couch. How they do that, I don't know. I sat through the demo at Audio Advice Live in Raleigh 2023. After I listened for a few minutes and even brought up this sweet seat fact, the guy kneeled down beside the couch and said, "Could you see yourself spending $35,000 on these speakers?" I said, "I could, but I won't." It's been 9 months or so now, and quite frankly, my mind keeps coming back to these speakers. If I am willing to spend $13 on Lascalas, if I could get a deal on a set of these, I might just be willing to do it. After all, this is like buying a boat. It's the same thing. But, it's in fact cheaper than a boat. My wife keeps telling me my HiFi is my boat.

@alont93 3 ай бұрын

Erin, thanks for yet another great review! These bad boys are definitely end-game material 🤩

@ErinsAudioCorner 3 ай бұрын

Yes they are!

@christianrogers2355 3 ай бұрын

end game comes down to ones budget, they are nice but there's much better out there

@ErinsAudioCorner 3 ай бұрын

@@christianrogers2355 nah. I’ve heard all your favorite Dyns. They can’t touch these, man. But if you like them more power to you.

@christianrogers2355 3 ай бұрын

lol, if you say so better than the contour, yes/maybe, not in the same atmosphere of the confidence,, but to each there own@@ErinsAudioCorner

@ErinsAudioCorner 3 ай бұрын

@@christianrogers2355 lol. That’s how I feel about the Dyn. They’re good. But they’re always adding their own “flavor” and I find I prefer a more neutral speaker. Doesn’t mean I don’t like other speakers, but if I’m spending my money, then I’m most likely going to spend it on one that doesn’t alter the sound of the music I’m listening to on purpose.

@rranta 3 ай бұрын

I'm lucky to own Blade 2 first gen version. There might be better speakers (like the new meta) but speaker wise I'm good. Even the first gen without meta, speaker is so good I don't want to change. I have heard lot of speakers. Even worked at the hifi retail shop part of my life. Selling B&W etc. I love these speakers. Pair it with GOOD amp and GOOD room with some acoustic design. I have done that and I love them.

@loudandclearmedia 3 ай бұрын

That's how I feel about my pair of Reference 1 non metas. Are there better speakers out there?...probably, but very very few, and I'm after about 5 years with them still completely satisfied.

@juanosorno8153 3 ай бұрын

Great Review. Thank you for posting. I am deciding on which speakers to buy and right now the KEF Beta 2 and the Perlisten S7t are my two options. Have you reviewed the s7t? If so, which one do you prefer?

@saint6563 3 ай бұрын

Congrats on your future endeavors. New home & potentially new personal/reference spks. Enjoy.

@NosEL34 3 ай бұрын

Damn thats nice. That is end game performance. In the grand scheme of things the price isnt bad. The fact that Erin is willing/wanting to buy them you know they are the real deal.

@gaurd3 3 ай бұрын

Even though I would never buy these it’s good to have reviews out there.

@KravchenkoAudioPerth 3 ай бұрын

I'd argue that the 200 hertz dip is probably filled in during real world placement in most peoples listening rooms. A lot of speakers are actually a little heavy there. Nice review Erin. Mark

@vitalii1372 3 ай бұрын

As a proud owner of 4367 this is the first time I’m impressed. Not that I’m looking for an upgrade but I really want to listen to a pair

@JamesWilliams-gf8gm 3 ай бұрын

I see you have good taste as a fellow owner of the 4367s lol.

@bryantai747 3 ай бұрын

I have 4367 after seeing Erin's review. This one def piqued my interest in KEF...

@JamesWilliams-gf8gm 3 ай бұрын

@@bryantai747 I also own the 4367. Make sure you listen to Kef for yourself. I demoed the non meta blade 2, the Reference 5 and 3 and thought they all sounded pretty dull. Vocals lacked the transparency of the JBLs and the highs were even farther behind and pretty meh. Not sure how much change there was between the older and newer kefs. Maybe a lot… maybe marketing, I am truly unsure. The 4367 sounds a lot less reproduced. My guess is there is some transient response differences not showing up in the measurements (look at the efficiency and impedance curves). Maybe the kefs need silly amounts of power to come alive. If you demo the kefs I would love to hear your opinion. Hard to argue with the measurements of the kefs but I find the 4367 much more enjoyable. I honestly wonder if Erin had both 4367 speakers or did he just have one in mono for a single night, I can’t remember (could have been the M2 he only had one of). A better upgrade path would be adding subs with a proper highpass to your JBLs. Subs take mine to a whole other level. But yes this review made me second guess my Kef demo and I will seek another.

@nervouscough7115 3 ай бұрын

This is praise from you, absolutely. I've never even remotely considered these speakers... until this review. I feel like what you're saying is these are better than the JBL 4367, which changes everything for my end-game speaker top 5 list.

@JamesWilliams-gf8gm 3 ай бұрын

You should demo for yourself. You might have a different outcome. As a mainstream brand a Kef demo should be pretty easy. I would assume a demo of the JBLs will be a lot harder, I had to buy mine blind. I own the 4367 and have demoed the blade 2 (reference line too) and came away pretty lukewarm on the Kef. Specifically the Kef Reference 3 (same price as the 4367) just sounded kind of veiled. While the big JBLs just make everything seem less reproduced. I will chalk it up to a bad demo of the kefs , hard to argue with the amazing measurements of the blade. The one place the kefs are a lot better is sound stage depth. The sound stage on the JBL is all in front of the speaker with very little depth. The Kef blade has a nice depth of soundstage and disappear as a source far better than the 4367s (I mean look at the two…) As a whole the 4367s dig out dynamics where I thought there were none. Even old 80s hard rock/metal comes to life on the JBL. Maybe I will buy a used pair of blades (a few on audiomart) and do a direct A/B. I was a big revel fan until I did a direct A/B of the 228be and 4367 in my own room/system… now I am less of a fan of Revel and no longer an owner lol… the Revel is a great speaker but the JBL is the closest I have come to that “real” sound. I believe that real sound is hidden in the transient response. Maybe that shows up in the compression data. I would love to see how these speakers produce a square wave. Back with headphones dot com did headphones measurements a lot could be determined from the square wave. Maybe in a direct A/B I would eat my words and be on the Kef train, hard to say.

@nervouscough7115 3 ай бұрын

@@JamesWilliams-gf8gm , all sounds good. Truth is, it would be hard as all hell for me to give up the idea of a pair of 4367s in my living room. So no arguments from me.

@kirkaparty4143 3 ай бұрын

Great Review. How much of an upgrade over KEF LS60? Similar driver configuration

@x2oChannel 3 ай бұрын

Great review! Cross-over modulation design: In a home theater, should I try to reduce mid-range load to the maximum on the subwoofer? (Ex. Let the subwoofer play only sub 40Hz)

@roccobruno8027 3 ай бұрын

The Blade 2 definitely has to be one my favourite speakers. Great design and great sound. Hopefully you'll be able to review the bigger PS Audio speaker in the same price range. Another few speakers would be the Vandersteen Quatro Wood CT, TAD Labs Evolution One TX - E1TX and the Paradigm Persona 7F.

@charlietuna127 3 ай бұрын

Fantastic Review, ! makes me wonder what the Muon would sound like now.

@stephenyoud6125 3 ай бұрын

Ry interesting and nicely done. I’d be interested in a comparison with the even more costly Linn 360’s or with Danny’s cheaper NX-tremes + dual triple stack subwoofers

@dan_hitchman007 3 ай бұрын

Generally speaking, and considering the principles of room acoustics, you may not actually want a "full range" speaker, or at least one that hits in the lower frequency range, so the bigger KEF Blade model may not be the best investment anyway. The interaction of sound waves and a room normally show that separate subwoofers taking the bulk of the low end are the better option. The place where the main speakers interact best with room nodes (peaks and nulls) may not be the best place for the drivers reproducing low and low mid bass frequencies. With quality subs (two or more), and electronics that include fine time alignment adjustments, you have the flexibility of proper placement of both, so that the sound integration and overall reproduction is much, much smoother than one big speaker in one location in the room.

@MW-ii5nb 3 ай бұрын

I think for me the important part for once is the subjective part of the review as that detail that Erin is talking about and clear distinct sound for certain sounds. I have genelec 8361a and kef reference and those details are missing from the sound on the genelec. Because of the extra detail and layering you get much more emotion and enjoyment, it simply sounds like there is more resolution.

@bbfoto7248 3 ай бұрын

@MW-ii5nb Make sure that you're using a lossless version of this track from the Original Release or the MOFI release. The stick/klack-like percussion element almost sounds like a close-mic'd old-school mechanical metronome. :)

@ibakedit5850 3 ай бұрын

Erin, I enjoy watching your channel. After your review of the Blades I went to my new pair of Audiovector QR3 SE speakers and put them to the test with "Wanna Be Startin' Something". I could hear that "click" distinctly. After I put on Shirley Bassey's "Something Else" album and listened to her version of "It's Impossible". In this track is a subtle, very fast "tick, tick, tick" hanging above the orchestra...my speakers passed the test. Try Shirley Bassey's song. Would love to know if you can hear it.

@stu3232 3 ай бұрын

Borresen X6's would be a great speaker to get a hold of at around this price point considering how much praise they are getting and apparent value for money. Anything from the Borresen X line would be a great review idea I think!

@FransDoolaar 3 ай бұрын

Hi Erin, thanks again for your excellent review. Can you comment on the comparison with the Dutch & Dutch 8c? Obviously the amplification needs to be set aside somehow in such a comparison. However, I am under the impression that the Kef Blade 2 Meta review was more or less amplification independent as well, as influence of that was not mentioned.

@JT-lf6es 3 ай бұрын

Ditto, Erin would love your opinion on this vs 8C

@dainang7726 3 ай бұрын

thx for the review Erin....Wish you can grab some Cabasse point source like the Pearl series for instance....

@pedroortiz9744 3 ай бұрын

Amazing!

@hl321662 3 ай бұрын

Another coaxial speaker I look forward to your review is the Kali SM-5-C. Really curious if Kali can fix some coaxial issue with their IN series.

@buffal0bilious 3 ай бұрын

I heard the Blade One Metas connected to Classé Delta electronics about a year ago. I've played in (unamplified) jass bands, and the horn blasts I heard over the Blades were probably the closest speakers have come to making my brain actually feel like there were real instruments in the room. "It's like real instruments are there" is an oft claimed, seldom delivered on audiophile trope, but the Blades and the Deltas delivered.

@drummerdoingstuff5020 3 ай бұрын

Hmm.. interesting

@JaytheP 3 ай бұрын

Superb video Erin, loved the breakdown and coaxial education. My only critique is that we didn't get more B-roll of these beauties. Question, do you think DSP/DSP XO would address any of the issues you noted?

@Luke-qs2cg 3 ай бұрын

Bought these from bestbiy in blue 2 years ago. Been waiting on reviews. I dont think ill ever ask for another speaker. Looks qmazing, sounds the business, I'm done for a long time

@JamesWilliams-gf8gm 3 ай бұрын

I once told my wife I had found my final speaker. That was about 6 pairs ago and she still brings it up.

@hifihometheater 3 ай бұрын

How would you objectively explain why the Blade is able to reproduce those sounds you mentioned from those two tracks so much better than the other speakers? Is it lower distortion? A bump in response in the frequencies those sounds are in? Better match in response between the pair of speakers giving them better imaging? Room interaction? I have heard you explain brightness using measurements; is it possible to explain these examples in a similar way? Excellent review as usual. Thank you!

@thomosburn8740 3 ай бұрын

I think it's their amazing phase & timing coherence. They are SO coherent that the tiniest change in pitch is easily detected. Off-center vinyl will drive you bananas on these speakers.

@bbfoto7248 3 ай бұрын

@@thomosburn8740 @hifihometheater Agreed. When you see such smoothness in the amplitude response/FR and ERDI, plus low distortion, and no issues through the crossover regions, it really points to a speaker with really good phase coherency and impulse response/timing. Low compression/good dynamic range also means those attributes remain intact. In addition, when you measure FR that is this smooth, it usually points to BOTH the Left & Right speakers matching very closely in this regard, which further improves the pinpoint focus and Separation/space between each element in the soundstage without smearing underlying details.

@KeithWong1972 3 ай бұрын

Hi Erin. These speakers come with port plugs. If you still have them, would you be able to test the effect of the port plugs?

@richardgrant418 3 ай бұрын

Could you do a simple comparison to the Dutch and Dutch 8c. Which would be better in circumstances/ rooms/ listening levels x and y, vs the other in a and b

@baruchdor 3 ай бұрын

Amazing thank you for that! So for me is the ps audio the kef reference or blade and now i need to hear the borresen x line... If you can do the borresen x1 or x2 i will love that ❤❤❤

@abboberg 3 ай бұрын

My Adam Audio S3Vs resolved that "percussive scratch" quite nicely - it was in the right channel, for sure, but a little to the left and just above the right speaker.

@KimmoJaskari 3 ай бұрын

$30 grand is a pretty serious chunk of change but still a lot less than some flagships. It's rare to see such an unequivocal amount of approval on here though so these have to be something pretty special. Nice job, KEF.

@happygil4698 3 ай бұрын

yup, kef's "flagship" is 100k 👍

@borgon23 2 ай бұрын

great review. Similar to what others have said, the Reference Meta is my goal, but these sure are nice

@cygnus720s2 2 ай бұрын

Hi Erin. Great review! I'm sorry if I missed it, but what amp did you drive these with? Do they play fairly loud? These are on my radar and I like to crank them up once in awhile! Thanks!!

@ron5493 3 ай бұрын

Great job. There is nobody else out there who can tell both sides of the story. Notice KEF has a BLADE 1 Open Box for the same price as Blade 2 ! You KNOW you Want it!!! Lol

@jpsalazar706 3 ай бұрын

I have the Kef LS50 meta with a Rel sub and a marantz for few months now and I can only imagine what these blades would sound like.

@timomy8 3 ай бұрын

@erin may i please ask what did you power thrm with?

@krazyolie 3 ай бұрын

I have some significantly older and cheaper kef q100 and the thing I like best is that I can sit in the sofa way of centre and the imaging is still great. Would be keen to try some higher end stuff

@bartbarelds8454 3 ай бұрын

Looking good is subjective, while i love the look of these beauties, my wife hates them 🤪 So they probably will never end up in my room. That said, the best speakers i’ve ever heard are the Blumenhofer Gran Gioia 2x16. Those wiped the floor subjectively with the blade meta’s. The best soundstage i’ve ever experienced were from a set of Illumnia Magister MK2, mind blowingly great. Love the review, love the speakers! For now I’m sticking with my DIY speakers and Hegel H390 🥰

@JoeJ-8282 3 ай бұрын

What about a waterfall plot, which shows things like decay/ringing and resonance nodes? The kind of measurement and plot that Danny Richie at GR-Research does in his speaker testing. Do you ever do those plots or graphs? I'd be curious to see that for this speaker, to see just how good it is in that regard!