Audiophiles are the happiest people on earth. I watch so many audiophiles reviews and all are happy and excited talking about the topic they love the most.
I compared LS 50's Meta and Concerto's 2 days ago and have exact same observations as you have, glad to see I know something. Ended up buying Concertos for their sound stage and low end.
The ls50 meta is indeed bright and precise, but I love it for that. I have accompanied mine with a small rel subwoofer, which adds depth and warmth. Also makes it a great system for movie soundtracks.
I demoed both R3 meta and these Q Concerto Meta’s last week and the difference was very small, in fact if it were a blind test I don’t think most people would be able to tell the difference. Yes the R3 have a nicer build quality and finish but you really are paying for that. Diminishing returns here for sure, I expect KEF will be releasing a new R line eventually because as it is right now it just doesn’t make sense to buy the R series over the new Q meta in my opinion.
@@hclandscapes Hello! I have a question, although Steve already answered it. Right now I can afford to get the R3 Metas, should I get them for nearfield listening and PC gaming, or should I get the LS50 Metas instead? I may also sometimes move them to the living room in case I want to watch a TV movie. As far as the amplifier, which one would you recommend? Is the NAD C389 good? It has HDMI eARC too.
I would always recommend Hegel with KEF speakers, perfect match. KEF use Hegel to demonstrate their speakers at hifi shows so tells you something. Personally I’m not a fan of NAD stuff , unreliable software and generally sound quite lean and verging on being bright in my experience . As for speakers if it were for near field computer use then definitely the ls50 meta’s much smaller and more practical for your requirements.
@@hclandscapes Hey, where I live the Kef R3's Meta are now available for just $300 more than the LS50 Meta. That would be $1360. I think they are on sale now. What do you think?
@@das0ss23 sounds like a pretty good price, ideally you still need to factor in the cost of stands to go with the R3’s. I think if money is no object then the R3 metas are really nice speakers.
I AB demoed these for a good while and I think the difference is quite notable. It might not be worth double the price but I would say you get 20% "more sound" with the R3 meta. The bigger tweeter/mid do a lot for the R3 meta over the concerto imo. I was looking forward to getting the concertos but I decided to stick with my current Buchardt S300 MKII.
Steve based on your review (and others), I purchased KEF Q350s a few years ago. A very good Bookshelf speaker in all repects - trouble free , no issues, easily driven 8 OHMs. Using a Denon DRA-800H Receiver. In violation of Audiophilistic wisdoms, I play The KEFs with a pair of Elac Debut 6.2s connected to the A Speaker connection and the KEFs connected to the B Speaker connections on the Denon. I can play them individually or simultaneously. When played together, the compliment each other - sounds great in my Finished Basement (Mancave). My acoustic Drum kit is located nearby, using the system to play My Music to play along to. As a further testament to the quality of KEF, I have a pair of KEF 104/2 Tower speakers purchased in 1987 in my Living Room. NO Sub woofers, No Equalizers, simply connected to my NAD 1300 PreAmp and NAD 2600 AMP purchased at the Same Time!! The speakers are as Clear highs and Mid ranges with no Muddy Bass notes, with great spatial sound as the Day I bought Them. FWIW, I used Monster Cable (the thing at the time).
You know just don't say NAD. It's like we're waiting for a farm animal to make a certain noise and we'll say oh you know, that's a cow, (Mooo) or that's a sheep (Baaa). NAD is a noise that's made by you know, low down buyers. NAD ... KEF ... DENON. It's not Audiophile, it's a very modestly priced item.
I have the original LS50 wich i purchased 4 years ago on black friday for 900$ and i could not be more happy until this day! Next to my Technics SL-1210GR and Onkyo A-9110 my small hi-fi sounds so big and so alive i just love it.
Love the music you use, love the way KEF has turned out such successful speakers at such low prices enabling newcomers to build a satisfying high-end system at low cost. Way to go Steve...
I went to a small venue show in a theater in LA years ago, the headliner was Duane Eddy (40 miles of bad road) with Ry Cooder playing backup guitar for him. It was fun. Took my wife. It should have served as a warning to her about my hobby.
@@keplermission Probably 35 minimum. I once went to a guys house to buy his Hafler amp and he told me Cooder had just left with a Gibson guitar he sold.
I remember first seeing KEF uni-q drivers at Clark Music in Syracuse NY in the 90's. I was so amazed by them. It's amazing though how much they have changed for the better over the years. They are for sure a brand that has improved so much over the years. And it was either in Stereo Review or Stereophile where I would read about them.
Steve I’m still loving my Kef LS50 Meta ( bought after your review ) in my smallish listening room with a Rel T5X sub. It always amazes me every time I improve my amp, DAC , streamer, CD transport, spkr wires, USB connects , Iso Gaia etc the sound just gets better and better. I personally think it sounds fantastic with a tube amp. I don’t think I’ll move from them unless the Kef R3 Metas are on sale lol.
@ The KC62 is expensive. I chose the T5X cuz my listening area is not big and it has more tuneful tight bass. Prior I had a Klipsch sub , no comparison. Others I haven’t tried.
I still have ny 45 rpm copy of "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night" that I bought when it came out in my high school years. The Brits weren't the only ones to have some kick ass music.
The SPL (Sound Pressure Level) of 94db on the Klipsch, versus the Q Concerto Meta's 85db, Steve thought made the Klipsch sound more alive with the amplifier he hooked up ... BUT ... the 85dB speaker actually suits a different amplifier output stage than the American 95db speaker! The British Q Concerto suits a transistor that works better running hotter, or passing more current than with the Klipsch. Okay so Steve gets an ideal amplifier for the Q Concerto that makes it sound as alive as the Klipsch did and which is better? Well ... they actually sound much alike but the lower SPL in theory will sound best, it will be less shrill and easier on the ear. Loud speakers generally have lumpy sound and need a very special matching system to give best.
Really love your reviews. More accurately, l love the stories you tell about the music and musicians. You have a natural cadence to your voice that is very engaging. 🎉
Erin's Audio Corner did a Klippel scan of the Concerto Meta and it seemed to show a speaker that is very good for its price range. Is it perfect and can it hit reference at over 100 dB peaks? No. But it doesn't seem like KEF skimped in order to hit its slightly above budget level price target.
Another amazing video Steve!👍🏼 But i really love your shirt …you reminded me of my struggles during my college days…those very complex quadratic equations and derivatives😩 Stay healthy Steve!
y'all, just did a A/B comparison between the Concerto and LS50 meta. Your perceptions pretty much describes the two speakers to a T. I wasn't sure about that vinyl wood wrap on the Concerto at first. But the second look! Just gorgeous!. I'm sure y'all no about the ls50s sale price. The ls50s were in Black, matte black, just stunning. The pain. The pain. Stuck. Which ones to choose?
I have the R3 META, i was kind of sad, when i saw KEF releasing these for almost half the price. I shouldt have, the finish is nowhere near as nice to the the R series, and the sound although very good for the price, doesn´t compete with the R3 META either. Both very good speakers for their class. I do notice the sound form the R series to be more refined and effortless.
In my opinion, the concerto gives you 85% of the R3 Meta at half the price. The savings can be used to buy the stands for the concerto or a better amplifier which may bring it closer to 90% of the R3 Meta.
@@feelgeorge Well that's certainly a valid opinion. With audio, I believe in getting to my acceptable level of performance using compromises that allow me to get there in the most cost efficient manner. "Sounds like" your point follows "the beat" of that line of logic.🥁😉
I'm in the same boat. However, unlike you, I believe the R-series, as of today, is a glorified furniture speaker. Yes, the R-series is *probably* better. Then again, when you've got them in your home, will you ever be bothered about that allegedly -10% performance? For literally half the price BEFORE sales. No. I no longer believe that the R-series or even the Reference have any reason to exist, so in that regard I agree 100% with you. In fact, I'd be surprised if ANYBODY doing ANY amount of research and/or is doing a A/B-test, they'll be like "Hey dealer, what's the price of the Q11 and R11? The dealer: Well, one is €2400 and the other €7000. WHAT? Ok, gimme those Q11's". Either they re-release a new R-series and Reference series, or they should just get rid of all of them and just have the Q and Blades and call it a day. OR, massively lower the prices of the mid- and high-range speaker line. And I've got the R11's/R3's and R2C, so I'm not joking that I should have waited and save myself a ton of money.
Silently, the old Dynaco preamp lives in the background. I built so many of those. I had a Pat5 biFet that ran every day for 40 years, then I sold it for 4 times what it cost 😝
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac thanks 😀 I miss the PAT5 BiFET's vast number of connections and flexibility. In my old age I need reliability and the luxury of a remote control. I chose the Denon 1600 NE (powerful and very welll built in Japan) with matching DCD 1600 NE SACD (Japan). These 2 units don't get the press or respect they deserve. The amp needs a few more inputs and Sub out. Additionally I connect the Denon DCD 1290 (Japan) for it's track controls, Linn Mimik CD (Scotland) spare and a Sony 950 (Japan) cassette deck. Output is a Niles HDL-4 speaker switcher. Speakers vintage 1970 ESS AMT-1 (Nelson Pass and wife), recent ESS LTD Ed., Polk SDA2 (jukebox) & Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 as monitors.
@@johnnyhiett DENON 1600NE wow. I wouldn't choose anything like that. I got on old ... wide-band amplifier (5Hz-50KHz) and rebuilt it and I've got another one to work on but its Damping Factor is a bit high (60) and I'm not too enthusiastic about doing it. ESS AMT-1 are interesting but I have a few speakers and one is an EMI 319 that is a very strange speaker, it reminds me of the Dolby Cinema program that turns music into a surround sound effect, but the voices are central, and they shine out across the center of the ceiling, but other more modern speakers don't do that, they give a clear emphasis to all the sounds but not at all so weird. EMI are really strange speakers, using your power in very complex ways, but I suppose you'd need high end sources.
@@johnnyhiett and ... I have the Realistic Optimus X-100 and these are very similar to Tannoy Dual Concentic, the 12 inch Cheviot. They're just awesome, but closer to Tannoy than the EMI, that are certainly not speakers for any DENON. I feel that a lot of people on Steve's comments have bought some things and appear eager to boast about it but I think I'm closer to a builder like Nelson Pass and not a lot of Steve's viewers with their lavatory minds.
Oh my! That Grateful Dead, "American Beauty" is one of my favorite albums and when I show people my stereo I play Ripple and it gives them goosebumps. For the time I felt this was an excellent recording of an album. Sorry.. had to throw this out there.
I know the focus of this review is 1:021:04 about the Kef Q Concerto! I was fortunate enough to audition the Concerto twice. Different rooms, different experience. the first powered by a Rotel A12 MkII the second experience was with a big Macintosh (sorry I didn't get the model name.) I nailed my speaker search down to three. The Q contento, Kef SL50 and the Focal Vestia No.1. The Focal was powered by the Macintosh. I thought the Focal sounds wonderful sweet quality Hi-Fi. But the cabinet finishing was just too cheap looking for me all my decor. The Q Concerto with the Macintosh. Way to ballsy, in your face. At the same time, just wanted to crank that up! With the Rotel just sweet the male and female voices were beautiful. With nice bass extension. The Walnut wrapped cabinet looks a lot better than most. It's so ugly it's beautiful, seriously it really has grown on me. Right now the SL 50s are at a affordable price for me. I love that construction, the love the shape, in matte black sound very decent with the (my starting point) with the Rotel A12 mk2. SL50 I heard them with the Macintosh with music I wasn't familiar with. Macintosh amp just heaven on Earth. My order is in the Kef SL50. Can't wait for their arrival.
Quite pricey, but you are getting a 3 way unit, plus it looks good. A 3 way unit means that the woofer can concentrate on the bass frequences rather than struggling to reproduce mid and upper midrange at the same time, for which it is not idealy suited. The 4" midrange with dual concentric tweeter appeals to me, but it boils down to how it sounds rather than expectations. I think KEF have a winner on their hands with this one.
KEF usually has some wiggle room in the retail pricing to give occasional discounts on their speakers, so if you can find these on sale, they might be a steal. If you want a laid back speaker.
Keith sounds like Ry? I think it’s the other way around. Keith’s signature style is heavily “borrowed” from Ry (open g tuning). In fact the stones secretly recorded Ry playing in the studio during Sticky Fingers sessions and used a bunch of his riffs and licks. Ry never forgave them for that.
I listened to them for two weeks with different amplifiers and I concur with Randy's opinion. He didn't mention the unnatural male vocals. My Triangle Borea 3 bookshelves sounded better for a third of the price. Also, the KEF vinyl wrap looked cheap in the Walnut finish. They didn't meet my expectations.
hi Steve, thanks for all you do, love your reviews ! Was wondering if you could get your audio hands on the Leak Sandwich 150 and Leak Sandwich 250 speakers for review ? I'm in the market wondering which speakers to buy .. thank you so much !
I wonder how it compares with its little brother the Q1 meta. I tried the Q150 in my small listening room a few years ago, and although it had wonderful imaging and soundstaging, it had a bright and hard quality that I did not like.
KEF seems to have voiced, at least the three-way Concerto Meta and the two three-way towers, to be more mellow and laid back. On the Klippel data analysis of the Concerto, it shows that it's not very harsh and "zippy" or in your face in the upper treble region.
This is a really nice speaker. However, I'm thinking about getting the R3 Metas. Do you think they can be good for nearfield sitting at a desk w/ a PC setup?
Great review. The price is right for what I want to spend. Have you heard of a brand called Cabasse? They are selling their $4500 speakers for $2200. I was just wondering ❓
*Can anyone speak to the comparison between these two speakers?* Trying to decide between the KEF R3 Meta's for LR and Ascend Acoustics SIERRA-2EX V2. I have heard the Meta's but not the Sierra's. Using for a mix of TV, movies and music. Currently using a older 70w Denon 5.1, the AVR 1700. Will likely upgrade the AVR to the Denon 3800h, Marantz Cinema 50, or just released Onkyo 30. I listened to the Q series in this review but for the extra money thought the R3 Meta was worth it.
The dark grey driver surrounds on these look so much better than the puke-inducing walnut and champagne combo on the R3. KEF may be good at engineering, but I just don't like the looks of the R3.
you think if you were in the business of doing reviews you would compare this to the R3 in an A,B test. interesting he rarely seems able to get components or speakers to do an A,B. would like to see more comparisons from this fella rather than just his normal "its alright for the money"
Today I saw someone using KEF's muon with Burmester's 088 preamplifier and LUXMAN's M-10X and LUXMAN's D-03X CD player. Although it feels wrong and I can't tell. Can anyone tell me the correct way to match it? Thanks
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac I’ve been following for several years and never really noticed until recently. In my defense, I mainly am listening when traveling, I have a lot of windshield time throughout my day. Thanks 🙏
If I hear one more time, from anyone "you don't need a sub if you don't listen to bass heavy music or home theater" Nonsense! An accurately integrated sub helps ALL music.
@@MikeK6046 It depends on the music. What if you listen to large pipe organ music too? What if you also throw in some electronic music or the occasional movie? Then YES you usually need a decent subwoofer (or more) to round out the sound.
@@dan_hitchman007 YES, I agree, however "for me" I'm not into Pipe Organ Music, or Home Theater/ Movies. As for Electonic Music, "I" am not going to miss that occasional 20Hz from my 40Hz Speakers (also my apartment/ condo neighbors, will not miss that "boom/ boom" that often comes with having a sub).
@@MikeK6046 And don't forget about all the piccolo and triangle solos. Good point. It's not about the "boom". Subs help tremendously at low volume. Try one in your system. You will never go back.
@@donnowak4304 Subs help at low volume? Well ... I've got EMI 319 (Essex Music International) that have elliptical 13 inch mid/woofers and I've got Realistic Optimus X-100 12 inch true woofers and the low frequency of these is totally different ... not better but one source sounds totally different when heard on either of these. Sub-woofers? Again it depends on everything as a whole.
Of course, you can't beat the 3 way and KEF! But there are also quite cheap Edifier S1000MK2, which play very well! UA-cam doesn't allow for higher sound quality, but you can still get an overview from this link! ua-cam.com/video/zc_Je8iAvLw/v-deo.html
The Kefs have too much "hiss"? In an audio show when you get into the room you straight away notice the "ssss" on peoples voice. The Tanoys tend to have an "aggressive" mid high region and the Kefs have a presentation that I straight away turn my back on because it just does not sound natural. Not to me, anyway. I am listening to you on my small dynaudios and there are no "sss" at all. they just sound natural.
Everything new is the next and the best. In two years from now, they’ll be another one that’s better than this one. No wonder high-end or audio is a laughing stock. If you put the speakers up against the old speakers and put Steve in the room and played them 10 times in a row he couldn’t tell which one was which. Is he going by memory or is he playing them in the same room level matched switching instantaneously. Otherwise this is total BS and it is.
Chops alone are not the measure of a musician. Beside Richards works exclusively within the context of a band and has his entire life. The band in turn works in the context of songs. The stupendous number of good songs and performances over 60 some years is monumental.
Right, this is subjective. Many will find speakers with a flat response to be boring and that is okay. But I find KEFs to be very non-fatiguing over the long haul compared to some other brands I won't mention here.
@@Harrisongrey19 I was just annoyed that you stated it with such authority like it was fact. To answer your question: In Hifi terms not necessarily, for example: a measurably lower SNR or dynamic range are always worse. A certain deviation in frequency response could be a deliberate choice.
Audiophiles are the happiest people on earth. I watch so many audiophiles reviews and all are happy and excited talking about the topic they love the most.
I compared LS 50's Meta and Concerto's 2 days ago and have exact same observations as you have, glad to see I know something. Ended up buying Concertos for their sound stage and low end.
Excellent choice, and thank you for watching!
The ls50 meta is indeed bright and precise, but I love it for that. I have accompanied mine with a small rel subwoofer, which adds depth and warmth. Also makes it a great system for movie soundtracks.
If you have the klipsch rp600m ii you don't even need a sub, it goes down to 30hz for me
I demoed both R3 meta and these Q Concerto Meta’s last week and the difference was very small,
in fact if it were a blind test I don’t think most people would be able to tell the difference.
Yes the R3 have a nicer build quality and finish but you really are paying for that.
Diminishing returns here for sure,
I expect KEF will be releasing a new R line eventually because as it is right now it just doesn’t make sense to buy the R series over the new Q meta in my opinion.
@@hclandscapes Hello! I have a question, although Steve already answered it. Right now I can afford to get the R3 Metas, should I get them for nearfield listening and PC gaming, or should I get the LS50 Metas instead? I may also sometimes move them to the living room in case I want to watch a TV movie. As far as the amplifier, which one would you recommend? Is the NAD C389 good? It has HDMI eARC too.
I would always recommend Hegel with KEF speakers, perfect match.
KEF use Hegel to demonstrate their speakers at hifi shows so tells you something.
Personally I’m not a fan of NAD stuff , unreliable software and generally sound quite lean and verging on being bright in my experience .
As for speakers if it were for near field computer use then definitely the ls50 meta’s much smaller and more practical for your requirements.
@@hclandscapes Hey, where I live the Kef R3's Meta are now available for just $300 more than the LS50 Meta. That would be $1360. I think they are on sale now. What do you think?
@@das0ss23 sounds like a pretty good price, ideally you still need to factor in the cost of stands to go with the R3’s.
I think if money is no object then the R3 metas are really nice speakers.
I AB demoed these for a good while and I think the difference is quite notable. It might not be worth double the price but I would say you get 20% "more sound" with the R3 meta. The bigger tweeter/mid do a lot for the R3 meta over the concerto imo. I was looking forward to getting the concertos but I decided to stick with my current Buchardt S300 MKII.
Dynamics are important to me so good info. Thanks Steve
Steve based on your review (and others), I purchased KEF Q350s a few years ago. A very good Bookshelf speaker in all repects - trouble free , no issues, easily driven 8 OHMs. Using a Denon DRA-800H Receiver. In violation of Audiophilistic wisdoms, I play The KEFs with a pair of Elac Debut 6.2s connected to the A Speaker connection and the KEFs connected to the B Speaker connections on the Denon. I can play them individually or simultaneously. When played together, the compliment each other - sounds great in my Finished Basement (Mancave). My acoustic Drum kit is located nearby, using the system to play My Music to play along to.
As a further testament to the quality of KEF, I have a pair of KEF 104/2 Tower speakers purchased in 1987 in my Living Room. NO Sub woofers, No Equalizers, simply connected to my NAD 1300 PreAmp and NAD 2600 AMP purchased at the Same Time!! The speakers are as Clear highs and Mid ranges with no Muddy Bass notes, with great spatial sound as the Day I bought Them. FWIW, I used Monster Cable (the thing at the time).
You know just don't say NAD. It's like we're waiting for a farm animal to make a certain noise and we'll say oh you know, that's a cow, (Mooo) or that's a sheep (Baaa). NAD is a noise that's made by you know, low down buyers. NAD ... KEF ... DENON. It's not Audiophile, it's a very modestly priced item.
I have the original LS50 wich i purchased 4 years ago on black friday for 900$ and i could not be more happy until this day! Next to my Technics SL-1210GR and Onkyo A-9110 my small hi-fi sounds so big and so alive i just love it.
Love the music you use, love the way KEF has turned out such successful speakers at such low prices enabling newcomers to build a satisfying high-end system at low cost. Way to go Steve...
I've never heard anybody say they had a favorite Electric Prunes album until today.
Nuggets made them famous, or infamous.
@@itchylois 🤣
I went to a small venue show in a theater in LA years ago, the headliner was Duane Eddy (40 miles of bad road) with Ry Cooder playing backup guitar for him. It was fun. Took my wife. It should have served as a warning to her about my hobby.
@@keplermission Probably 35 minimum. I once went to a guys house to buy his Hafler amp and he told me Cooder had just left with a Gibson guitar he sold.
I remember first seeing KEF uni-q drivers at Clark Music in Syracuse NY in the 90's. I was so amazed by them. It's amazing though how much they have changed for the better over the years. They are for sure a brand that has improved so much over the years. And it was either in Stereo Review or Stereophile where I would read about them.
Phil Lesh's passing was announced a few hours after this video posted. I'm glad you featured American Beauty - time to listen to that one again.
@@keplermissionjust give it a rest, no one cares what you have to say
@@Harrisongrey19 I bet you walk with small rapid footsteps like a little fly.
@@keplermission I’m 6’5” so… no. But I’ll smash you like a fly. I bet you pee sitting down.
@@keplermission I’m 6’5” so no, wrong again. I bet you pee sitting down.
Steve I’m still loving my Kef LS50 Meta ( bought after your review ) in my smallish listening room with a Rel T5X sub. It always amazes me every time I improve my amp, DAC , streamer, CD transport, spkr wires, USB connects , Iso Gaia etc the sound just gets better and better. I personally think it sounds fantastic with a tube amp. I don’t think I’ll move from them unless the Kef R3 Metas are on sale lol.
im thinking of the t7x sub instead of my kc62. Or a ryhtmic f12-400. Have u tried any of those?
@ The KC62 is expensive. I chose the T5X cuz my listening area is not big and it has more tuneful tight bass. Prior I had a Klipsch sub , no comparison. Others I haven’t tried.
I still have ny 45 rpm copy of "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night" that I bought when it came out in my high school years. The Brits weren't the only ones to have some kick ass music.
You’re killing it Steve thanks-I think that’s an adjective
The SPL (Sound Pressure Level) of 94db on the Klipsch, versus the Q Concerto Meta's 85db, Steve thought made the Klipsch sound more alive with the amplifier he hooked up ... BUT ... the 85dB speaker actually suits a different amplifier output stage than the American 95db speaker! The British Q Concerto suits a transistor that works better running hotter, or passing more current than with the Klipsch. Okay so Steve gets an ideal amplifier for the Q Concerto that makes it sound as alive as the Klipsch did and which is better? Well ... they actually sound much alike but the lower SPL in theory will sound best, it will be less shrill and easier on the ear. Loud speakers generally have lumpy sound and need a very special matching system to give best.
Really love your reviews. More accurately, l love the stories you tell about the music and musicians. You have a natural cadence to your voice that is very engaging. 🎉
Thank you so much
Waiting for this from you !!!
Erin's Audio Corner did a Klippel scan of the Concerto Meta and it seemed to show a speaker that is very good for its price range. Is it perfect and can it hit reference at over 100 dB peaks? No. But it doesn't seem like KEF skimped in order to hit its slightly above budget level price target.
Another amazing video Steve!👍🏼 But i really love your shirt …you reminded me of my struggles during my college days…those very complex quadratic equations and derivatives😩 Stay healthy Steve!
y'all, just did a A/B comparison between the Concerto and LS50 meta. Your perceptions pretty much describes the two speakers to a T. I wasn't sure about that vinyl wood wrap on the Concerto at first. But the second look! Just gorgeous!. I'm sure y'all no about the ls50s sale price. The ls50s were in Black, matte black, just stunning. The pain. The pain. Stuck. Which ones to choose?
I have the R3 META, i was kind of sad, when i saw KEF releasing these for almost half the price. I shouldt have, the finish is nowhere near as nice to the the R series, and the sound although very good for the price, doesn´t compete with the R3 META either. Both very good speakers for their class. I do notice the sound form the R series to be more refined and effortless.
👍 you basically just articulated what we all already know
Usd1300 Vs R3 meta at 2k
I think dealer going discount n sell at 1k
Most will add to get R3 meta
In my opinion, the concerto gives you 85% of the R3 Meta at half the price. The savings can be used to buy the stands for the concerto or a better amplifier which may bring it closer to 90% of the R3 Meta.
@@feelgeorge Well that's certainly a valid opinion. With audio, I believe in getting to my acceptable level of performance using compromises that allow me to get there in the most cost efficient manner. "Sounds like" your point follows "the beat" of that line of logic.🥁😉
I'm in the same boat. However, unlike you, I believe the R-series, as of today, is a glorified furniture speaker. Yes, the R-series is *probably* better. Then again, when you've got them in your home, will you ever be bothered about that allegedly -10% performance? For literally half the price BEFORE sales. No. I no longer believe that the R-series or even the Reference have any reason to exist, so in that regard I agree 100% with you. In fact, I'd be surprised if ANYBODY doing ANY amount of research and/or is doing a A/B-test, they'll be like "Hey dealer, what's the price of the Q11 and R11? The dealer: Well, one is €2400 and the other €7000. WHAT? Ok, gimme those Q11's".
Either they re-release a new R-series and Reference series, or they should just get rid of all of them and just have the Q and Blades and call it a day. OR, massively lower the prices of the mid- and high-range speaker line. And I've got the R11's/R3's and R2C, so I'm not joking that I should have waited and save myself a ton of money.
Hey Steve!, Thank you very much!
Silently, the old Dynaco preamp lives in the background. I built so many of those. I had a Pat5 biFet that ran every day for 40 years, then I sold it for 4 times what it cost 😝
Thanks, but did you miss it after you sold it? And what did you replace it with?
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac thanks 😀
I miss the PAT5 BiFET's vast number of connections and flexibility. In my old age I need reliability and the luxury of a remote control. I chose the Denon 1600 NE (powerful and very welll built in Japan) with matching DCD 1600 NE SACD (Japan). These 2 units don't get the press or respect they deserve. The amp needs a few more inputs and Sub out. Additionally I connect the Denon DCD 1290 (Japan) for it's track controls, Linn Mimik CD (Scotland) spare and a Sony 950 (Japan) cassette deck. Output is a Niles HDL-4 speaker switcher. Speakers vintage 1970 ESS AMT-1 (Nelson Pass and wife), recent ESS LTD Ed., Polk SDA2 (jukebox) & Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 as monitors.
@@johnnyhiett DENON 1600NE wow. I wouldn't choose anything like that. I got on old ... wide-band amplifier (5Hz-50KHz) and rebuilt it and I've got another one to work on but its Damping Factor is a bit high (60) and I'm not too enthusiastic about doing it. ESS AMT-1 are interesting but I have a few speakers and one is an EMI 319 that is a very strange speaker, it reminds me of the Dolby Cinema program that turns music into a surround sound effect, but the voices are central, and they shine out across the center of the ceiling, but other more modern speakers don't do that, they give a clear emphasis to all the sounds but not at all so weird. EMI are really strange speakers, using your power in very complex ways, but I suppose you'd need high end sources.
@@johnnyhiett and ... I have the Realistic Optimus X-100 and these are very similar to Tannoy Dual Concentic, the 12 inch Cheviot. They're just awesome, but closer to Tannoy than the EMI, that are certainly not speakers for any DENON. I feel that a lot of people on Steve's comments have bought some things and appear eager to boast about it but I think I'm closer to a builder like Nelson Pass and not a lot of Steve's viewers with their lavatory minds.
Oh my! That Grateful Dead, "American Beauty" is one of my favorite albums and when I show people my stereo I play Ripple and it gives them goosebumps. For the time I felt this was an excellent recording of an album. Sorry.. had to throw this out there.
I know the focus of this review is 1:02 1:04 about the Kef Q Concerto! I was fortunate enough to audition the Concerto twice. Different rooms, different experience. the first powered by a Rotel A12 MkII the second experience was with a big Macintosh (sorry I didn't get the model name.) I nailed my speaker search down to three. The Q contento,
Kef SL50 and the Focal Vestia No.1.
The Focal was powered by the Macintosh. I thought the Focal sounds wonderful sweet quality Hi-Fi. But the cabinet finishing was just too cheap looking for me all my decor. The Q Concerto with the Macintosh. Way to ballsy, in your face. At the same time, just wanted to crank that up! With the Rotel just sweet the male and female voices were beautiful. With nice bass extension. The Walnut wrapped cabinet looks a lot better than most. It's so ugly it's beautiful, seriously it really has grown on me. Right now the SL 50s are at a affordable price for me. I love that construction, the love the shape, in matte black sound very decent with the (my starting point) with the Rotel A12 mk2. SL50 I heard them with the Macintosh with music I wasn't familiar with. Macintosh amp just heaven on Earth. My order is in the Kef SL50. Can't wait for their arrival.
Rp600m ii still my favorite
I'd love to see you review the new FR5s PS audio!
There is a Dyna PAS-3X preamp in the background. Vewy intewestingh!
Quite pricey, but you are getting a 3 way unit, plus it looks good.
A 3 way unit means that the woofer can concentrate on the bass frequences rather than struggling to reproduce mid and upper midrange at the same time, for which it is not idealy suited.
The 4" midrange with dual concentric tweeter appeals to me, but it boils down to how it sounds rather than expectations.
I think KEF have a winner on their hands with this one.
KEF usually has some wiggle room in the retail pricing to give occasional discounts on their speakers, so if you can find these on sale, they might be a steal. If you want a laid back speaker.
Everyone, call your significant other over to see Gary's System of the Day.
"See, now that might be a little overkill, mine ain't bad."
Thanks for another great speaker review. The KEF Concerto is very similar to the Elac UBR62. Thoughts?
Can you review ELAC Debut 3.0?
I assume the R3 has real walnut veneer but the Q series is their budget range so I bet it's a vinyl finish.
You are correct
How does the Concerto compare to Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G and Wharfedale Linton?
Have you tried the Q1 meta? Wondering how they compare to the Q150s. Recognize the Concertos are in a different tier.
I just bought the Sound Artist LS3/5a based upon your review. I wonder how they would compare for near-field listening.
Keith sounds like Ry? I think it’s the other way around. Keith’s signature style is heavily “borrowed” from Ry (open g tuning). In fact the stones secretly recorded Ry playing in the studio during Sticky Fingers sessions and used a bunch of his riffs and licks. Ry never forgave them for that.
But how are we to be sure theres no one over at KEF really into the show "Westworld"? That meta pattern is just so distinct.
That's what I thought when I saw that pattern for the first time
I listened to them for two weeks with different amplifiers and I concur with Randy's opinion. He didn't mention the unnatural male vocals. My Triangle Borea 3 bookshelves sounded better for a third of the price. Also, the KEF vinyl wrap looked cheap in the Walnut finish. They didn't meet my expectations.
Your shirt looks like A Beautiful Mind & your goatee reminds me of Maynard G. Krebs.
hi Steve, thanks for all you do, love your reviews ! Was wondering if you could get your audio hands on the Leak Sandwich 150 and Leak Sandwich 250 speakers for review ? I'm in the market wondering which speakers to buy .. thank you so much !
Hi, great Review!! Thanks, how much diference are between this KEF and the ELAC uni-fi ub52? Thanks again, regards from Guanajuato México
I am I the only one who thinks this opening music to his program sounds like something from the old Adam West Batman
I had the same thought first time I heard it...
Absolutely.
That’s 60s psychedelic right there
Curious what is considered a small, medium or big room when it comes to speaker space.
Obviously I can only give a rough generalization, a small room would be 10 x 12', medium would be 15 x 20', and large rooms would be even bigger.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac this helps me to understand better, much appreciated.
I wonder how it compares with its little brother the Q1 meta. I tried the Q150 in my small listening room a few years ago, and although it had wonderful imaging and soundstaging, it had a bright and hard quality that I did not like.
KEF seems to have voiced, at least the three-way Concerto Meta and the two three-way towers, to be more mellow and laid back. On the Klippel data analysis of the Concerto, it shows that it's not very harsh and "zippy" or in your face in the upper treble region.
Do I see a Dynaco preamp on the shelf behind you? I had a PAT-4A for years. My first audiophile preamp.
This is a really nice speaker. However, I'm thinking about getting the R3 Metas. Do you think they can be good for nearfield sitting at a desk w/ a PC setup?
For nearfield, 4 feet or less, if you have good electronics LS 50 metal
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Thanks!
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac What would you recommend between Cyrus One Cast, Peachtree Nova 150 and Hegel H95?
i think the comparable is elac unify UBR62, considering alomost same price range
Hi, I’m considering this and Elac UBR62, how does those 2 compare?
Will these maintain 100db SPL?
I noticed a Dynaco PAS 3 preamp behind you. To your ears, does it compare well to modern preamps?
Does it sound modern? No but it sounds good, really good. Not as clear and detailed as modern preamps
Isn’t the pass labs unit only a few watts? How does that drive speakers of this nature?
Pass XA 25 delivers 50 watts into 4 ohms, trust me, plenty of power.
Great review. The price is right for what I want to spend. Have you heard of a brand called Cabasse? They are selling their $4500 speakers for $2200. I was just wondering ❓
Hurt was composed by Nine Inch Nails. Cash covered it. The album got it wrong on the credits!
*Can anyone speak to the comparison between these two speakers?* Trying to decide between the KEF R3 Meta's for LR and Ascend Acoustics SIERRA-2EX V2. I have heard the Meta's but not the Sierra's. Using for a mix of TV, movies and music. Currently using a older 70w Denon 5.1, the AVR 1700. Will likely upgrade the AVR to the Denon 3800h, Marantz Cinema 50, or just released Onkyo 30. I listened to the Q series in this review but for the extra money thought the R3 Meta was worth it.
The dark grey driver surrounds on these look so much better than the puke-inducing walnut and champagne combo on the R3. KEF may be good at engineering, but I just don't like the looks of the R3.
Is that a Dynaco Pas 3 preamp on the shelf behind you?
Yes
you think if you were in the business of doing reviews you would compare this to the R3 in an A,B test. interesting he rarely seems able to get components or speakers to do an A,B. would like to see more comparisons from this fella rather than just his normal "its alright for the money"
Can i use it with WiiM AMP? Or best go for WiiM AMP PRO?
Today I saw someone using KEF's muon with Burmester's 088 preamplifier and LUXMAN's M-10X and LUXMAN's D-03X CD player. Although it feels wrong and I can't tell. Can anyone tell me the correct way to match it? Thanks
With the good stuff?
I see you’ve testing out new font for your moniker. So far I prefer the original.
If you mean that little opening bit, I change them all the time. I don't even remember which is the oldest in the newest. Thanks for watching.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac I’ve been following for several years and never really noticed until recently. In my defense, I mainly am listening when traveling, I have a lot of windshield time throughout my day. Thanks 🙏
If I hear one more time, from anyone "you don't need a sub if you don't listen to bass heavy music or home theater" Nonsense! An accurately integrated sub helps ALL music.
How does a sub help when listening to a Flute or Trumpet or Violin? Anyway, not many instruments go below 40 Hz, Y/ N??
@@MikeK6046 It depends on the music. What if you listen to large pipe organ music too? What if you also throw in some electronic music or the occasional movie? Then YES you usually need a decent subwoofer (or more) to round out the sound.
@@dan_hitchman007 YES, I agree, however "for me" I'm not into Pipe Organ Music, or Home Theater/ Movies. As for Electonic Music, "I" am not going to miss that occasional 20Hz from my 40Hz Speakers (also my apartment/ condo neighbors, will not miss that "boom/ boom" that often comes with having a sub).
@@MikeK6046 And don't forget about all the piccolo and triangle solos. Good point. It's not about the "boom". Subs help tremendously at low volume. Try one in your system. You will never go back.
@@donnowak4304 Subs help at low volume? Well ... I've got EMI 319 (Essex Music International) that have elliptical 13 inch mid/woofers and I've got Realistic Optimus X-100 12 inch true woofers and the low frequency of these is totally different ... not better but one source sounds totally different when heard on either of these. Sub-woofers? Again it depends on everything as a whole.
Hi Steve , interesting that q concerto is cheaper that r3 meta , another great video, regards mark
How does Making Love to a Vampire with a Monkey on My Knee by Captain Beefheart sound on them?
Awesome
Better
I have a pr or the klipsch 600 with my older klipsch Sw 12 sub. And they sound great together
Of course, you can't beat the 3 way and KEF! But there are also quite cheap Edifier S1000MK2, which play very well! UA-cam doesn't allow for higher sound quality, but you can still get an overview from this link!
ua-cam.com/video/zc_Je8iAvLw/v-deo.html
Is that Dynaco ST70 lying down on the ground? *wink* *wink*
Buy products that are made in your country, unless you have no other choices.
Thanks, Steven (or is it "Stephen"?)!
I am so done with small speaker euphoria with their minuscule soundstage.
The Kefs have too much "hiss"? In an audio show when you get into the room you straight away notice the "ssss" on peoples voice. The Tanoys tend to have an "aggressive" mid high region and the Kefs have a presentation that I straight away turn my back on because it just does not sound natural. Not to me, anyway. I am listening to you on my small dynaudios and there are no "sss" at all. they just sound natural.
Olean, (New York) is pronounced OH-lee-ann.
I wonder how they compare with the LS50 meta (which I have with my Rel subwoofer)
Please watch this video! I compare q concerto with ls50 meta!
Maybe if you watch the video, for crying out loud. I mean, really?
How can I buy in India?
it's vynil
Steve, Olean NY is pronounced O-LEE-ANN, not O-LEEN. sust so you know.
Ry Cooder is way better than Richards.
Yeah, that must be why he's sold so many more records and is so much more well known than . . . than what's his name again? Keith who?
Everything new is the next and the best. In two years from now, they’ll be another one that’s better than this one. No wonder high-end or audio is a laughing stock. If you put the speakers up against the old speakers and put Steve in the room and played them 10 times in a row he couldn’t tell which one was which. Is he going by memory or is he playing them in the same room level matched switching instantaneously. Otherwise this is total BS and it is.
To low sensitivity is bad for my taste
come on ..... ridicolous review without any objective references. Bye
The term meta is now unappealing...reminds me of Zuckerberg.
Ry Cooder is a much better guitarist than Keith Richards
Chops alone are not the measure of a musician. Beside Richards works exclusively within the context of a band and has his entire life. The band in turn works in the context of songs. The stupendous number of good songs and performances over 60 some years is monumental.
@@rapier5 he sucks
@@rapier5 he sucks
Way overpriced 💯
KEF prices a little high, so they can build in some space for discount sales every so often.
The new hollow box kef for fan boys
Kef speakers have a boring sound, the only speakers even worth listening to in their line up are the R11 meta and LS60.
thats entirely subjective
@@julianklietz6558 isn’t all audio?
Right, this is subjective. Many will find speakers with a flat response to be boring and that is okay. But I find KEFs to be very non-fatiguing over the long haul compared to some other brands I won't mention here.
@@armanddimeo6575 Why wouldn't you mention the other brands here?
@@Harrisongrey19 I was just annoyed that you stated it with such authority like it was fact. To answer your question: In Hifi terms not necessarily, for example: a measurably lower SNR or dynamic range are always worse. A certain deviation in frequency response could be a deliberate choice.