Review! The KEF R3 Bookshelf Loudspeaker!

Рет қаралды 194,738

Күн бұрын

Link to the KEF R3 White Paper: www.shop.us.kef.com/pub/media...
Intro Music by: Roof - 'So So'
Link to the KEF R3 Product Page:
us.kef.com/r3.html
------------------------------------------
Primary Components used in the Evaluation
AMR CD-777 SE
amr-audio.co.uk/products/cd-7...
Cambridge Audio CXA-81
www.cambridgeaudio.com/usa/en...
Iotavx SA3
www.iotaenterprises.co.uk/pro...
Iotavx AVXP1
www.iotaenterprises.co.uk/col...
Parasound HALO HINT 6
parasound.com/hint6.php
Parasound JC2BP
parasound.com/jc2bp.php
Parasound JC5
parasound.com/jc5.php

Пікірлер: 450

@ZeroFidelity 4 жыл бұрын

Ouf. At 17:58, I meant to say "It's not my money and its not my experience". My mind tends to shut down towards the end of these videos. :D.

@mdlam04 4 жыл бұрын

Sean what are your thoughts on the Alchemy DPA2 amplifier? It’s an Elac product and retails about 1900, but no reviews online anywhere! I think reviewers mentioned that it was a completely unrealistic mismatch to a UB5, but sounded good

@hclandscapes 4 жыл бұрын

Any chance of doing a review on the new b&w 700 series?

@scottlowell493 4 жыл бұрын

almost done....don't blow it....almost...crap.

@sonomaconcho 4 жыл бұрын

Sean, I own a pair of KEF R3 bought them about eight months ago and have been waiting since then for your review and opinion. I truly love these speakers which work in my room and connected to a Peachtree Nova 65. Thank you for you honest and and expertises evaluation. I am 62 years old and have recently gotten back to hi fidelity from my younger years. I appreciate what you do to help people like myself to get back into this wonderful age of music and finding great and affordable equipment.....

@ZeroFidelity 4 жыл бұрын

Cheers Joe! Enjoy the R3's!

@gary5926 3 жыл бұрын

Why do you need a review of equipment you already own? Do your own ears not work?

@graydonbardwell4637 3 жыл бұрын

Joe - I’m curious how you’re enjoying your R3s now? Are they still doing for you? I’m 58 and with COVID I’ve built an office in our detached garage and I find myself LISTENING to music again. I currently have a pair of ProAc Studio 1 MK II speakers that bought 25 years ago - I love them but I also have fond memories of a pair of KEF Q90s that I had before them...

@sonomaconcho 3 жыл бұрын

@@graydonbardwell4637 Not just trying to say but I still really like these speakers. They are pretty detailed as Sean has said in his video. My last speakers were a smaller pair of Bower & Wilkins CM1 S2 which I say were great and a little more forgiving to most music but they lacked the “ump” when I wanted to turn them up and listen at a higher level when in a jamming mood which can be quite often around our house. My room acoustics and peach tree amp seem to work for these speakers. They will definitely jam at higher levels. My opinion when feeding a good recording to these speakers is when they shine for me. When the recording is not so good they do ok. I have a Rel Sub-Woofer which helps also but these R3 do a pretty good in my room also on the lower end. I went to a BestBuy magnolia room and listened to these KEF R3 and and my B&W’s side by side and made the decision to buy them. I am not a Sean by no means having the audio ear but so happy this set up worked for me. Best of luck and truly hope you find what works for you...

@graydonbardwell4637 3 жыл бұрын

@@sonomaconcho thanks very much, I really appreciate you getting back to me...

@file1man 4 жыл бұрын

you are the best reviewer to teach us, inspire us. Refreshing, honest reviews noting the good and bad of an item, based on your skills & opinions developed over years of exposure. At age 71, Ive been into music and audio since my 20's. Sadly, never met anyone else with a stereo system here in NJ. so you, steve and stereo, jay, darko, zeos, steve guttenberg, and Hans Beekhuyzen each make learning so much easier than reading the stereo rags. Please keep your foot in the door even if you feel the urge to try other hobbies and interests. Steve and jay are still honing their skills. You and the others shares the mantel of leadership serving a real need.

@rosshanchett 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your review! I think you nailed the sound and attributes of the R3. I have the R3 paired with McIntosh 252. The warmth of the tube preamp pairs very well with the R3. I have a difficult listening room and the point source you mentioned is spot on.

@sujupravin 4 жыл бұрын

When it comes to reviewing HiFi AV Gears, Zero Fidelity in my top pick. No dragging, no unwanted information and never repeating the specification provided by the manufacturer. You come the point directly. Keep up your good work.

@itzhakazoulay1271 4 жыл бұрын

This is defently the best review of the R3 which describes this speakers very well .

@sunvalleydrivemusic 3 жыл бұрын

Really like the guitar analogy here. I think it’s such a great way to translate sound for people who might not understand the impact of frequency response type descriptions. Super cool. Love these reviews!

@harrym7570 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent review, thank you for giving an accurate and expert opinion about the speakers. I have a pair of R 3 about three years from now, they are excellent speakers as you say very real with a balanced and crisp sound, but not a tiring or harsh sound with an over expression of highs.... Reasonable bass, in other words very pleasant and easy listening speakers. Very recommended for anyone looking for a high-quality reasonably sized speakers. I also have a pair of reference 5 KEF speakers, although that’s another lineage of speakers, they are fabulous and superb sounding out-of-this-world speakers.

@midevil1980 4 жыл бұрын

Finally, a KEF review, awesome! This was very helpful, thank you. Next up, Revel! 😉👍

@hi-fihaven2257 4 жыл бұрын

Hey Sean those are some gorgeous speakers. Love that veneer finish. I have always got some great sound from the KEF speakers. Using my pair of Q100's as elevations over my T1+'s. Always love seeing dual binding posts. I have my Emotiva T1+'s bi-amped with a pair of Adcom GFA-5400's. Thanks for another great review, have a great day man!

@LuxAudio389 3 жыл бұрын

EXCELLENT guitar analogy for explaining the sound experience. There are so many different terms that are used to describe characteristics of Hi-Fi and it quickly gets confusing.

@mmdusa 4 жыл бұрын

As always, an excellent review. It's interesting that you and Zeos came to almost the same conclusion about this speaker and how it compares to the Buchardt's. I'd love to audition both. Very happy to see you say you're planning on reviewing some more higher end gear. Yay!! If I see any more SVS or Emotiva reviews I may have to do something mean. Grrr! Anyway, thanks Sean. You rock!

@RennieAsh 4 жыл бұрын

The walnut version sounds warm, the white is cool and the black one is on the dark side

@ZeroFidelity 4 жыл бұрын

Measurement and BliND ABC CoNFIRMED!

@itzhakazoulay1271 4 жыл бұрын

😆

@erikdam8850 3 жыл бұрын

That actually happens. I've forgotten which manufacturer it was (Wharfedale?), but in the 80'ies they tested identical speakers in blue and red finishes, and unanimously, the red ones sounded warmer to the test audience.... we are easily fooled :-)

@RennieAsh 3 жыл бұрын

Erik Dam good looking speakers matter lol I like wooden colours for the most part

@pcsekaran2995 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent and neutral review! I realized as an audiophile I can never be satisfied with one set or type of speakers! I love the Buchards, KEFs, Klipschs, Lintons etc., at different times & so I decided to have them all. Now I hear them at different times based on my mood swings!

@FarHagh 4 жыл бұрын

That's the way to do, as long as you can afford it, and have the space for them all ;)

@shahidyt 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the review. I had the KEF Q300 and then moved to the R300 since I got a deal on them as they were end of line discounted. I’m now using the Magnepan LRS and couldn’t be happier. The KEF R300 are great speakers but I have a preference to the sound of the LRS. So the R300 are in my home theatre system along with the R200 centre channel

@Sunshine_Superman 3 жыл бұрын

Swapped out my P3ESR's for R3's a year and a half ago and never looked back. Made my quads come alive. Was like flicking a lightswitch. Admittedly, probably wasn't getting the best out of the Harbeths but 100% no regrets. Quads and Harbeths have gone but the R3's are still here. Love them.

@jonnsmusich 3 жыл бұрын

Very good review. Clear and to the point. Well done.

@danieloherrick6332 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for another great speaker review. Love to have you review the Walsh 2000 Tall.

@ThujanK 4 жыл бұрын

Lol, Sean has literally given his "hats off" to Kef in this video.

@benjaminqilafku5714 3 жыл бұрын

I love your reviews and you are a smooth operator with ample knowledge in the field given your age, keep it up.

@ThujanK 3 жыл бұрын

@@benjaminqilafku5714 Thanks!

@benjaminqilafku5714 3 жыл бұрын

@@ThujanK Thujan you are somebody with competence in this hobby and your under 1G best speakers post with Jay has been very informative. Greetings from Milan,Italy

@linkeddevices 3 жыл бұрын

they haven't been using the woofer as a waveguide since 2007 when their patent expired. the last of their classic Uni Q was the XQ series and the IQXX series. These added the little rim which prevented the widest dispersion from hitting the woofer allowing the woofer to play that range instead without any phase issues between them, but there was still a range between 2 and 3k where you can see a squiggle. the XQxx and the IQXX were both really good and the best of their classic Uni Q arrays that still DID use the woofer as a waveguide which gave the tweeter and the woofer a more unified sound. after they finished perfecting the tangerine waveguide which equalized the air pressure across the dome they no longer needed to profile the woofer as a waveguide and their patent had expired anyway so they went ahead and inverted the design. the tweeter now plays really broad with really even dispersion with only the waveguide doing its job, they were then able to lower the crossover point a lot, allowing the tweeter to shine brightest, the woofer was flattened as was the surround allowing the tweeter to fire clear of the woofer and surround. then the woofer was re profiled to match the directivity of the tweeter which allowed the woofer to punch much lower.

@AntonioPerez-gj7js 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent review Sean!

@ishanmindika 4 жыл бұрын

Very nice review Sean! Well done. I have R300’s with Naim Nait 5si. I love them. Superb imagining and big sound stage.

@Michael-xz1nk 4 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a great combo! Always loved the 5i series. I also proudly own the LS50's. Enjoy!

@santiagodelrio8880 4 жыл бұрын

I have the R3s with dual REL T9s with a McIntosh amp and I dont think I will ever need anything else. I LOVE the sound.

@oleksiifilippov68 4 жыл бұрын

Have you tried it with t7i’s?

@Ustaleone 4 жыл бұрын

@@oleksiifilippov68 what's the difference between the T9s?

@oleksiifilippov68 4 жыл бұрын

Ustaleone that’s what I’d like to find out

@Pushing_the_cathinone_limits_ 4 жыл бұрын

Which amp do you use please ?

@tombillard5264 4 жыл бұрын

Thats the combo i was thinking of never actually hearing either enjoy

@jimji2774 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome as usual Mr. Zero !!!!

@fraicheness 4 жыл бұрын

Perfect timing. Either R3s or S400s are gonna be my next babies

@benjaminqilafku5714 4 жыл бұрын

Beautiful to die for

@adaboy4z 2 жыл бұрын

Bought my first Kef speakers Q150. The 3D spacial sound is great on a lot of music. I found a few Cd's it was so much separation it was like listening to the Hall EQ setting on a receiver.

@vic0125 4 жыл бұрын

thank you for the review my man!

@mantasdapkus1198 4 жыл бұрын

Good point regarding difficult rooms. I've started with Elac UB5s, which i loved, but then i moved to another apartment and i stopped enjoying these speakers, as they were impossible to drive in the new room. Echo all over the place, bass simply non existent. It's a rental, so i didn't do much in regards of room treatment (aside from bringing more stuff here, with hope that it will help with echoing), but i've tried every single placement position that i could come up with... Nothing helped. So i have bought R300s. They only needed one minute to blow me away. My subwoofers were not even connected, but i had to double (well, triple) check that, because i couldn't believe how good & tight the bass sounded. I don't understand how that makes sense, but the echo problem has gotten much smaller. I only face it if i put them in a really wrong position. Overall, i can't express enough how happy i am about these, especially knowing that i've bought them for 700€ second handed from some crazy guy. My best purchase ever.

@reaality3860 4 жыл бұрын

The thing about almost all speakers by KEF is the better the source, the better the sound.

@Slant88 4 жыл бұрын

Great review as usual.

@divinecurrent9053 4 жыл бұрын

Wow, I was literally thinking just this week if you would eventually review the R3, and you did! Thank you very much for the comparison to the Buchardt, I tend to prefer a warmer sound with less forwardness, so maybe the R3's are not for me. I'm going to try out the Elac Debut Reference first, and then maybe the S400 if budget allows.

@ralex3697 4 жыл бұрын

DivineCurrent You should try the Wharfedale Denton 85th Anniversary Leans toward warm sounding, good value

@mihirchitnis905 4 жыл бұрын

Sound quality discussion starts at 4:46

@Justwantahover 4 жыл бұрын

I made some point source speakers with hotted up full range drivers and 10" woofers (and also some bass coming from the FR driver). Balancing the woofer with that is crazy. The wave response between the two drivers affects the sound a lot. And just by changing the resistance of the woofer (by a half an ohm) you get a completely different sound. That much difference in resistance hardly effects bass output, but the wave response between the FR driver and the woofer does (with really small changes in woofer resistance).

@saltaormina9404 11 ай бұрын

I have had the R3 for over a year now…paired with the Rega Aethos, Rega P6, and Aria MK3 phono stage. These speakers handle this setup with ease. Don’t be afraid to throw 125 watts of high current application at these bad boys….I understand now how folks at audio shows say these are married up with the Hegel H390 for demos…they can devour that power. It’s a speaker where amplification will cost a lot more than the speakers themselves to get the most out of them…but you will not be disappointed. I have a REL sub to round out the low end. Fantastic.

@bluejeanblues3789 4 жыл бұрын

Good honest review Thanks

@j.r.j.8499 4 жыл бұрын

Great review Sean! I love your videos. I was actually thinking about buying the Kef R3 or the Buchardt S400 and this video gives me more information to make my purchase decision. However, I still don't know which ones to pick and if I would be impressed if I compare them with my Edifier S3000 Pro. I know it is a different set up, but that is the idea. If I'm paying 2.000 euros (which is almost thrice the price of the Edifiers) for a passive speakers, I really want to feel the difference, a huge improvement. Thanks for the great work Sean

@nespressoman 3 жыл бұрын

Brilliant review, thanks.

@PascalUB 3 жыл бұрын

Medium listening room 25 m2 : Have the KEFs R3 with their Stands (all white) + Mytek BROOKLYN DAC+ DAC / PREAMP + ROKSAN K3 POWER AMP, and they are biwired (ECOSSE Cables) ... WOAW ! Love the sound 🙏🏻 They HIT and Imaging is FANTASTIC ! Source : NUPRIME CDT-10 CD Transport, or MacBook Air + Audirvana + SYNOLOGY NAS 2 x 4TB for "Hi-Res" Files. Couldn't be happier at this time 😋

@binhvu5071 4 жыл бұрын

Very informative good job, thanks.

@ryanschipp8513 4 жыл бұрын

Great review Sean:) Since you brought up a 2k bookshelf speaker. I cant help myself. Canton Reference 9.2...4k MSRP are at accessories4less for $1499. Incredible value. Sparkling highs with tons of detail...yet not metal sound..they are ceramic. A sweet sound. Strong bass, rich midrange. 25lbs each. Gorgeous piano black finish. Canton has over 45 years of hifi experience. Crazy value at $1499.....yes I own them:)

@chrisevans8330 4 жыл бұрын

Ryan Schipp I'm curious about the Cantons. What is your frame of reference? I like a nice sparkly top end. I've owned Paradigm S2, Dynaudio X12, Monitor Audio RX2, B&W 805D, DALI Rubicon 2, Revel M16 and Joseph Audio Prism. I currently still own the last 3. I was considering the R3 but after Sean's review, not so much. As I mentioned, I enjoy a sparkly treble. I own a pair of Revel F208 and F228be driven by Parasound amps. Wonderful speakers. My next set for my 'man cave' will likely be something from Focal but you piqued my interest with your mention of the Cantons. They get no 'love' here in the U.S.

@bartvanransbeeck1341 4 жыл бұрын

Nice review honoust and much more revealing then the written ones from the 70ies and 80ies...who were a bit too commercial most of the time

@aleck72 3 жыл бұрын

I recently auditioned these, and I was pleasantly surprised that they were more warm sounding than the Q150, 350. The highs are not as "screamy"

@buttonman1831 4 жыл бұрын

Great review! Would love to see some Spendor reviews someday.

@Darrellsrelm 4 жыл бұрын

Great review!

@wenc8796 4 жыл бұрын

I just received the KEF R3 yesterday and been listening for over 8 hours with multiple position adjustments. Then this review showed up and you’re spot on. My first impression is exactly how you described.

@anmic3590 3 жыл бұрын

Great review! Thank you so much! If you had to choose between the R3 and the R5, which one would you choose? I’m not looking for loud auditions, but for something that would sound hifi at low volume as well. My open space living room is about 60sqm, but the distance from the couch to the speakers would be 3 meters. Thank you!

@stephengriffie8143 3 жыл бұрын

I own these speakers and love them with my Arcam SA20. Perfect for me as they're very revealing and as Sean mentioned really capture micro dynamics. I also own a pair of Totem Hawks which are equally fantastic in their own way.

@kwokwong2444 2 жыл бұрын

I have sa20 is it powerful enough to feed the r3s?

@stephengriffie8143 2 жыл бұрын

@@kwokwong2444 absolutely.

@Doenermannhier Жыл бұрын

@@stephengriffie8143 Thanks for sharing! Have an SA20 as well and I'm about to pull the trigger on a pair of R3s, R5s, or R7s (can't decide yet) for lower volume, small rom listening. What stands do you use for the R3s? Thanks!

@GH-zs8eq 4 жыл бұрын

Hi Sean, great review. I'm interested in the R3s. Was wondering any tube amp models that you would recommend for a good match for the R3s? I listen mainly to vocals, pop, acoustic, jazz - all at lower to mod levels. Thanks!

@BigBoss-kk8hq 4 жыл бұрын

About damn time, I was about to start watching Alton brown videos

@dennisheadley4408 4 жыл бұрын

Great review. Wish you would review the Tekton Impact-Monitor for comparison.

@oleksiifilippov68 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the review! Sounds like they’re quite similar to the r300 that I have. They drag attention, against disappearing in the room, as you described. A bit dry but clear midrange. Interesting experience, pleasure to listen, but I guess I’m gonna try Rosso Fiorentino (or at least ProAc’s) in the future. Do you think Rel T7i can fix somewhat soft base from Ragnarok 2 with Kefs? I really like its refinement, tone and microdynamics in mids and highs.

@wiebl5266 4 жыл бұрын

Again, the comparison (very valuable segment), helps me to make up my mind, if this product is for me. With the distinctions made clear with the S400, I'm tempted. But at US$2000, the difference you've mentioned does not outweigh the price. That's obviously subjectively my value equation in my mind.

@dilbyjones 4 жыл бұрын

Nice description at 8:30 well said

@MESSENGER-OF-JESUS-CHRIST 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent explanation thank you

@vnitto 4 жыл бұрын

My Kef's sound great about a foot from the wall with the foam plugs in the ports

@BTFD0618 3 жыл бұрын

hows the bass

@jarodreddig63 4 жыл бұрын

Nice review man.

@Gary_M 4 жыл бұрын

Based on your reviews, it seems like the Parasound Zonemaster 2350 would be a good match; or do you think the class D topology would exacerbate the dry sound?

@2savetherepublic 4 жыл бұрын

Sean, i appreciate your reviews and this one is no exception: Excellent descriptions. Any advice on amp pairing my Q acoustics 3050? I need more detail in the top end (currently have an old NAD 40watt receiver. Wondering if there is any hope. Thanks up front.

@robertbrody4032 2 жыл бұрын

Using R3's with the NuPrime IDA-16 streaming Tidal, Audiosource transport and a Rega P3 turntable, subs are SVS SB3000. I alternate between the R3's and my Magnepan .7's. Different presentation and both are a lot of fun to listen. Before the R3's I had the Revel 126BE, which cost twice as much. I actually enjoy the R3's more. The Revel's high tech tweeter was far from friendly regardless of the amps I tried and there were something up in the mid-bass that could make them sound boxy and slightly boomy on some material. The R3's seem to like whatever I throw at them, though they don't image nearly as well as speakers like my old Merlin TSM's.

@amarcy5369 4 жыл бұрын

Well sir thank you for yet another video May I be a bit cheeky and and call you by your first name So hi Sean my reason for commenting is to thank you personally for all your informative and unbiased reviews over the years The hifi market is awash with product orientated coverage Yet you seem to navigate a path that benefits not only the potential buyer of these products But also the manufacturers If you feel their is room for improvement you say-so likewise if you think product A is only to be considered under certain situations you do not hesitate to bring your reservation to our attention So again a big thumbs up 👍. I think you may sometimes feel you have I been to hard or to forgiving of a certain product Rest a-shored this is definitely the case. The good people who watch your channel me included know what ever you say will be informed considered and respectful So well done you. Best wishes and kind regards from Mike in the U.K.

@ZeroFidelity 4 жыл бұрын

I genuinely appreciate the kind sentiments! Thank you.

@jamieslater8991 4 жыл бұрын

Cool review Sean! I've owned a pair of these Kefs! For a few months. Didn't really enjoy them, i thought they were too revealing, for my ears & they sounded bright on alot of music that I listen too. I enjoyed the low end quality! Because I don't live in a large room! So it was good. So I replaced them with a pair of Dali Rubicon 2s! & WOW!! These Rubicons are perfect for my ears, & work excellent with my Yamaha A-S2100. Maybe I don't like Metal Dome Tweaters or Driver's. Anyways Sean, keep smiling my friend! 👍✌

@ralex3697 4 жыл бұрын

Jamie Slater Agree, I’m not a fan myself of this new line of KEF, of course the older models made in the UK were excellent Still would rather buy Harbeth, Spendor, PMC, ATC, Neat, ProAc. All have excellent midrange which for me is the defining aspect. I also don’t like rear ports, produces very unnatural sounding bass.

@jamieslater8991 4 жыл бұрын

@@ralex3697. I wanted to buy a pair if PROAC DT8s, but I didn't have the money for them. I Love the REAL WOOD they use on there Proac ranges, Especially in luxury Rosewood! & the Ebony range! I don't mind rear ported speaker's. These Dali Rubicons are excellent speaker's my friend! I'm guessing you probably wouldn't like them because of the "Rear port" anyways, each to there own i guess. Have a good weekend! Stay safe. 👍

@FRL2000 4 жыл бұрын

Looking at a pair of R5 mini towers and the R2C center for my new main living room system. The beautiful box/driver/grill is likely to carry the day with the wife in my public space. I just have to find a way to hide the big sub. Maybe I missed it in the review, but the grills on these are lovely and really set em off.

@anjinsan1977 4 жыл бұрын

I'm with you on the metal driver comments.

@gary-kr7dm 4 жыл бұрын

I have the R900’s and don’t need a sub woofer. I would only change them now for the Kef Reference 3 but they are too expensive. So I’m happy to stick with R900’s. They will sound too bright on certain amplification, but used with Hegel, they are sublime.

@trekjudas 4 жыл бұрын

These are great, high quality, gorgeous speakers that are totally wrong for me.

@Justwantahover 4 жыл бұрын

16:17 When I heard they were aluminium I reckon they would have a metallic tinge to everything. I use aluminium on my drivers but only a few square mm of it to increase the khz of full range divers. And the metallic sound is there, but only on the cymbals and metal percussion etc. and the treble is quite prominent but not so much on CD's and high end streams, but on KZfaq mainstream music. lol The rest of the cone is paper and I think a combination of alloy and paper would be better than all alloy (inherently). That's just my opinion.

@tbbt2515 4 жыл бұрын

You can buy these in Canada for roughly 1370$ ($1000 usd). I know a few people who've bought them from Pat's audio Art in Vancouver!

@ZeroFidelity 4 жыл бұрын

You basically just outed a dealer for busting MAP agreements. ;).

@amusikpoem1071 4 жыл бұрын

@@ZeroFidelity Yikes!

@ThujanK 4 жыл бұрын

Rip

@ralex3697 4 жыл бұрын

TBBT I’ve never seen them that cheap in Canada, maybe they have lowered their pricing on them.

@tbbt2515 4 жыл бұрын

@@ralex3697 you'd have to call in and negotiate. They are quite easy to lower the price. I have friends who picked up the floor standers for 50% of the msrp.

@johnnixon2504 4 жыл бұрын

11:29. “One must know thy self” this is the zero fidelity golden rule.

@DeAudiofilosyLocos 4 жыл бұрын

I really want to try these!

@BigBoss-kk8hq 4 жыл бұрын

That's what she said

@williamfoster1034 4 жыл бұрын

Great review, Sean. I own two pairs of KEFs as well as a pair of the big floorstanding Elac Adantes. I find the integrated tweeter (Andrew Jones from Elac was formerly with KEF) on both the Elacs and KEFs create a holographic depth to the music that simply can't be reproduced with any convention setup. The sound stage is always just a little beyond your reach if you close your eyes and listen and try to "touch" the instrument. I also find that both the KEFs and the Elac are very unforgiving of recordings that are not the highest quality. Nonetheless, time for me to get a pair of the R3s in white for my den system.

@na_98_45 4 жыл бұрын

I'm thinking to get the r3 as fronts and with time upgrade to full 5.1.2 all from the R seris what do you think

@scottyo64 4 жыл бұрын

I may not be a fan of KEF but this makes me want give these a listen. Great job!

@mornecoetzee735 4 жыл бұрын

Brilliant speaker, end of story. Most likely best in class.

@craigjohnchronicles2504 3 жыл бұрын

@Denes Szerdahelyi China does a damn good job piecing these beasts together. *tip my hat*

@greymatterstome 4 жыл бұрын

I actually thought these were on the larger size for a bookshelf until Sean was in the frame with them.

@rotorfix 4 жыл бұрын

What is most admirable and uncommon at this price point is the quality of the cabinet.

@jameswheeler7679 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent review: Thank you

@thebellooch 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this review. Please add to your list, a similar review of the R7. And the differences between the R models. I own the R3. But want to upgrade to the R7. And I'm running 2xRell T9i, Hegel H360.

@JEG6919 4 жыл бұрын

Viva la KEF!

@kvrhifi 4 жыл бұрын

There is a website to purchase reports with little money on certain things like badminton racquets review and to full details about . Same way you should do it With full documentation. It’s that much valuable. I had kef r 300 , Ls50, la50 w .100% accurately you explained sound signature of these . I do prefer kef Ls50 over r3 .

@Diatonic5th 4 жыл бұрын

KVR Listening Room I too like the LS50 with a sub better than the R3’s. I was prepared to upgrade my LS50’s and changed my mind after hearing the R3’s. There wasn’t a big enough difference in the sound, and I actually preferred the top end of the LS50.

@1antastik 4 жыл бұрын

Dear Sean, I've become a regular listener of your channel, that I love. I have a question. Can I put the R3s upside down to have the tweeter level with my ears? Would this ruin anything like imaging and soundstage? Thank you!

@pjo1964 2 жыл бұрын

Ummm... Try it?

@danielmelendrez1616 3 жыл бұрын

these KEFs have to be the best looking out there. My gosh they are pretty...

4 жыл бұрын

Using these as I do for professional work in a mixing and mastering context, I do understand why home listeners may not like them. Frequency Response wise they’re really really flat, and though people think they want this, they usually don’t and find it uninspiring. Working with unfinished music means I need a lot more wattage to deal with spikes and peaks that aren’t there in mastered music, and I agree about not using a bright amp. Either something flat designed for pro use, or something warmer.

@hansdampf2084 6 ай бұрын

Hi! I usually hear music with reference akg headphones. Do you think these speakers work well with a cambridge cxa 81?

@linkeddevices 3 жыл бұрын

the woofer hasn't been used as a waveguide ever since 2007 when their patent expired. that's why they flattened their surrounds. you can even see the tweeter from the widest angle even with the woofer extended out. the whole reason why they added he tangerine waveguide was so that they would no longer need to use the woofer as a waveguide which caused phase issues at the crossover whenever they played the same thing. they added the horn to block the least stable

@davidricardo942 4 жыл бұрын

Nice video Sean

@amusikpoem1071 4 жыл бұрын

Another excellent review, Sean...man, you really pack your reviews to the brim with insights and comments! Much appreciated! I own a pair of KEF Reference 2's from the mid '90's, designed and built in the UK, and I really enjoy the sound...it's probably more laid back and not as bright as some of these recent KEF models, as the Ref 2's uses a fabric dome tweeter and a polypropylene midrange driver in a Uni-Q array. I noticed over the years, KEF has shrunk their rubber surrounds...there's barely any in these R3's...and I'm wondering what their main reason is for doing this...I really hope it's not simply to make them look better for home decor at the sacrifice of some other virtues that comes with bigger rubber surrounds. I could see that a smaller surround increases the radiating surface of the cone, and perhaps reduce unwanted air turbulence around big and protruding rubber surrounds...but then they would of had to stiffen the suspension of the drivers to minimize the amplitude of the cone movement due to a lack of support from a beefier rubber surround, which could change their sound and dynamics. I need to stop watching these videos...not good for the itch and the wallet...lol.

@ZeroFidelity 4 жыл бұрын

Check out the white paper. The answer to your concerns is on page 15. Link is in the description box.

@amusikpoem1071 4 жыл бұрын

@@ZeroFidelity Great, thanks Sean! I'll have a read.

@eddi3h89 4 жыл бұрын

👍🏼 nice review... any chance we can get a review on the Wharfedale Evo 4.2 bookshelf speakers??? Thanks again for your videos.

@quitegenius 4 жыл бұрын

Love your reviews man. Can you please recommend good speakers for metal? I want to feel the wall of sound. People have said Klipsch before but I find them almost intolerable (too bright) at high volumes.

@ZeroFidelity 4 жыл бұрын

Tekton. Pendragons at 2k. Double Impacts at 3k.

@a0ag2 3 жыл бұрын

Does Cambridge Audio CXA81 will be good match with kef R3 ??

@andreasmoller9798 4 жыл бұрын

Should pair well with Hegel h120 or h190, have h190 now for a few days and wow what an amp

@RustyNotesTV 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for a great video! Buying these speakers soon. Do you have any specific recommendations for a tube amp in the price range $1000 - $1500?

@poetryonplastic 3 жыл бұрын

I would try the Willsenton R8 with these.

@angelgrant1609 3 жыл бұрын

Good evening sir, my question for you is this, would you buy the KefR3 for 2 grand, or save another 1k and buy the Tekton double impact. Does the 1k higher price bring you a much better sound? Depth? Soundstage? Midrange? Clarity in your opinion ,,,,please.

@geohof 4 жыл бұрын

Seem like an awesome speaker! Would you say it would safe to pair them with the Parasound Hint 6?

@ZeroFidelity 4 жыл бұрын

Yep. A very solid match!

@MrFLORESBR Жыл бұрын

Thank you! What do you think about KEF R3 vs B&W 706 S2 for a home theater setup, focused on movies?

@moktaabdul6310 4 жыл бұрын

Gone are the oldskool design, where you had 4 and 5 way designs. Super tweeter Tweeter Midrange Midrange bass Bass.

@stevewhitehead7171 4 жыл бұрын

I have an NAD thx 218 with my kef R300 speaker’s and i think that they sound good

@gtr5408 3 жыл бұрын

hi Zero , Do you suggest the Yamaha A-s801 with the R3?

@jay12345ist 4 жыл бұрын

Finally !!!! Kef speakers !

@grateful86 4 жыл бұрын

I'm torn between these KEF R3s or Polks L200. Which would you pick?

@SStrandh 4 жыл бұрын

I own the R5. awesome speakers. I have one tip about placement: Point the right speaker to your left ear and the left speaker to the right ear. If you do this you will get a much wider sweetspot and two persons will be able to get advantage of almost perfect sound (atleast if you look at measurments)

@oluhamilton2121 4 жыл бұрын

Hmmmmm....

@fatherlandchild2780 4 жыл бұрын

Hmmm...

@Michael-xz1nk 4 жыл бұрын

Tell me more about your R5's....how much power do you have @ 8ohms? What specific amp are you using? I am guessing the R5's are like the R3's (with more bass) and not like the forward LS50, which I enjoy. Different voicing is not an issue for me. The R5's are also gorgeous looking speakers. What color do you have? Thanks much!

@johnsmolley1941 Жыл бұрын

Sound advice and applies to most speakers, but particularly with those having a higher directivity

@juanjoseamezcuaramon6617 4 жыл бұрын

Nice review. Try a pair of Fyne Audio F501 and see how they compare. They have a coaxial design and they are downported, good bass.

@tbansal2691 2 жыл бұрын

Would these speakers be a good choice to place on or very near to my computer desk to listen while working? If not, what kind of speakers should I be looking into. Please advise, newbie here.