sort of agree. bought a 1 ft x 8 ft sheet of real oak veneer $ 52. , linoleum knife . $8. and press roller $22. and took my timing flattening the veneer and then cutting rough size ( 1 /2 in oversize)then final trim & 3 coats miniwax poly. look real good to me, first time try. I'd say B+ . > only question, how long will the pre glued veneer stick to the stock vinyl .??? good review. I've had mine a year, Cambridge 100w receiver.
Mr cheap audio man, like your chilled vibe, thank you for you. These speakers are the droid you are looking for. - The Kef q350 are like nothing I have heard before, after being an audiophile for 40 years plus I've never heard anything like it. Anyone who has the opportunity to demo a pair (or is lucky enough to own a pair) - just play 10cc " I'm not in love" at a high volume and I promise you, you will discover another dimension you didn't know existed. -
Thank you for making so many quality reviews to help us along our journey towards choosing and discovering new speakers. - I got these on sale recently, they are my first major speaker investment purchased along a new turntable. I will continue to use either my old Marantz 2015 or 2252B receivers. Thank-you
Thank You for all your reviews. I just bought these used today from Amazon @ 504...I also purchase the sony's sscs5 you talk about. Great speakers for the money! Keep up ALL your Great Work!!!
I know it's not my review you're after, but I'll be keeping the UB52's over the Q350's no doubt. The Q350s are great and I'm sure will appeal to some: deeper and more impactful bass, still crisp highs, but the overall sound is warmer and in the mid just feels muddier compared to the UB52's. I've got them hooked up to A and B outputs of my Cambridge AXR85 and am switching back and forth mid-song streaming from Amazon Music HD. The UB52's wipe the floor with the 350's in mids, in hearing each instrument clearly, 3d soundstage, and in filling the room vs. sound just coming from speakers.
I have the Kef Q350s and they are very good indeed. I am pairing with my Powernode integrated streaming amp. In addition, after several months of use these get even better now that they're broken in. I got the faux walnut vinyl version and they look great.
@@Birmingham_racing you're not going to get quite the same level of sound out of the Q350s as the much larger q950s, but you already know that. I've since added a REL T5x sub to my set up to compliment the lower end of the q350s. They have a good amount of bass response for their size, but the single REL brings a whole new world of bass to the system.
An update to my comments concerning the KEF Q350s. I just received them from as noted in my earlier comment. I am playing them now.... They attached in parallel on the same side of the room to Elac Debut Reference speakers... Wow do they Play "nice" together ... Clear, great mids , spatiality, and good , sharp (not Boomy) Bass delivery. Yes, I have a 60 Watt small 10" SW(great buy at Amazon- Monoprice 60 Watt SW - amplified with Auto On ). I'm Really Liking this ...
Glad to see you brought back the notebook. Keep being you,that's what drew me in. People don't understand that humor is part of your presentation. As for price mark ups,the auto industry is king!
I've started to look forward to the intros to your videos every day. You should do a compilation someday. Thanks for gearing the channel towards quality audio that is affordable. Last night saw one of your early videos about how you got started in audio and the importance of music in our lives. I couldn't agree more. Well, my coffee is ready so I'll sign off. Thanks for what you're doing.
thanks, Kevin. That means a lot. I've been struggling with the comments lately. Not ones like yours but as the channel has grown there are more and more critical comments and despite my reasonable nature it still hurts a bit. Comments like yours reinforce and reinvigorate me. I needed it. Thanks, brother
Spot on good review, one of the best so far I think. Good lighting and sound too. You've been improving all around. 👍 Just keep being you and have fun. "Cheers mate" 🥴, from SW Virginia.
After i picked them up in Nov 2021 and have listened to them with all kinds of music, these are the end game for me, yes R3's are tempting, but then I would need to upgrade the rest of my stuff and in my little apartment these are to die for, definitely a break in period, about 6 months for the q 150, and these have just come alive at around 11 months, so, note to the wise, don't pre judge them, they are Really good!
Someone asked me why I bought the silky smooth looking, black Kef Q350 speakers. It was this man, and this man alone, that sold me onto the Kef 🤗🙏🏠 when he used the word buttery to describe the sound, I was instantly all in 😍🙏🏠
was so curious about your opinion on Q350. got these at an incredible sale, around 250 and i love them. idk what some people require in terms of bass, but these offer great bass also. kind of sensitive about positioning, but great sound whatsoever. thanks for the fun delivery!
Great review! I have been using the Q350 in a near-field desktop setup for about 3-4 years now and have only grown to appreciate them as time goes by. Even recently tried the LS50 Meta(~$1500) for about 3 weeks in the same setup and ended up returning them due to them being too harsh where I was constantly trying to EQ them into being enjoyable. Current setup that gets double-duty for Music while working and PC Gaming: Mini DSP SHD DAC/Streamer w/ DIRAC Live digitally crossed over 75hz > XLR > Crown XLS1002> Q350(port plugged) Under 75hz > XLR > Monoprice 10" Studio Sub Time/Phase alignment using the software has only made a decent setup sound holographic now.
@@trapperxzw Yes, at the time MiniDSP sold their Umik-2 for a discount with the SHD as a combo. There are other compatible calibration mics at different price points but I just went with something from the same in-house ecosystem. As long as the mic is powered by an interface or direct USB and has the calibration file for that mic you are ready to rock. Loaded the calibration file, placed the mic, kicked my cats out of the room and ran Dirac. Because I have the q350 on stands at ear-level I only needed to EQ up to about 500hz to deal with room gain I was getting and I could time-align my 2 subs to the speakers. It pushed my setup from pretty good to the best I have heard. Some people run Dirac for the whole frequency band but I had better results just compensating for the peaks/valleys.
@@GreyTileGaming thanks. I bought a diff mic will arrive soon. I have minidsp 2x4 hd, no Dirac yet. Interesting note regarding 500hz. Btw have you ever experienced harsh sounding highs on the KEFs?
@@trapperxzw Awesome, I think the cheapest path to Dirac is the DDRC upgrade for the 2x4HD but would definitely research to make sure before shelling out anything. REW is a great alternative too at no cost. Harshness is tough to pin-point and can be subjective to ears, brain, room and setup so I think the above is a bigger influence on polarizing opinions regarding harshness but I will share personal experiences and theory. This may prevent others from dumping the KEFs before unlocking their magic. I have used the Q350 in about 6 different rooms and setups over the last 4 yrs. from LR home theater main channels to near-field desktop monitors. The perceived harshness from my experience usually was an indicator that my bass and mid-bass was being reduced in the room and making perceived upper-mids elevated in contrast. I'll explain in more detail but the port-plugs that come with the Q350 make a difference here, check out the sterophile.com Q350 review which includes multiple measurements and you can see their impact on the bass drop-off slope around 100hz. For me, using the plugs reduced the impact of bass room gain and preventing the upper-mids getting out of line with bass/mid-bass at the cost of low-end extension. Otherwise, if I want to rock out with the q350/LS50 full range, no plugs and no EQ and crank them up the bass might be about -3db lower than upper-mids so if I get a recording with any kind of gain around 2.5-3khz I am going to get blasted if I am using the sensation of bass to get my volume dialed in. This is why I think you see so many people pushing for Subwoofer integration with the Q350/Q150/LS50/Meta. For me, letting the Q350 handle anything above 100-120hz I have not run into the upper-mid glare since they are practically flat from 500hz and up and using EQ/Measurements you can see if there is a bass drop and upper-mid bump to correct in your room. I currently use a Schiit Freya+ with the stock tubes to add more soundstage and reduce point-source detection and have a SMSL AO200 level matched to two Monoprice 10-inch studio subs. With my setup I just turn the amp volume up or down to regulate bass-levels to upper-mids and have had no harshness for at least the last year since putting together my current desktop setup. I know this is a long response but I hope it helps. Much of what I mention can be applied to other speakers since 0-300hz can get pretty wonky in some setups and I think it is unfair to blame the relatively flat speakers.
Love you UA-cam channel and I am slowly but surly getting sucked in to the 2 channel audio bug!! Just want to let you know that you have helped me to get my best speaker upgrade I could wish for! I just bought a set of KEF Q350 for $455 on sale here in Denmark 💪🏻👍🏻 Based on your reviews on this speaker I now own a pair and I think they are hard to beat for $455 🙌🏻👏🏻 So thx man, for the great work you present us low budget audiophiles with! Keep up the good work! 💪🏻👍🏻
I've had the opportunity to audition a number of KEF's for my nearfield desktop setup. I settled on the LS50s but I can understand why they don't suit everyone. The q150's were a very close second, followed by the LSX and lastly q350. The LSX was just too much $ for too little; including the finicky app interface. Nearfield--the q350 too forward, and difficult to get a consistent phantom center and integration (speaker localization was an issue for me). [Again!! This is all nearfield at a desk!! I have no doubt the q350's would out perform the q150's in a larger room. Perhaps even the ls50's] It took me a while to get the most out of the ls50's.. But this is what I learned: - Proper positioning took me from meh to holy sht. - Subwoofer is mandatory. No seriously, you need one. Without one and its as if you're listening to audio from your TV speakers. Okay, it isn't that bad--but the lack of their inherent bass will probably surprise you, and in a bad way. Alone they will feel anemic for the majority of people, me included. - Having the sub. is mandatory. But having it properly integrated is equally important.. cuz guess what, you're probably going to have to cross your sub closer to that 90-100 hz for the ls50's. It isn't so much about the raw SPL, but also the tonality of your bass, if you've ever experienced that sort of difference. That's what made it difficult, but sort of the final piece.. And once i achieved it-- ooooof, damn was it worth the trouble. It truly balanced them out and allowed me to get lost in the tracks. There's clarity and dynamics.. and man, the depth.. That stage is well behind my monitor and back wall. q150's, put them on your table, use a sub or don't. Hook it up via avr or whatever. Stream music from youtube, they dont care. Try that with the ls50's and lol...
I’ve found the LS50’s too forward as well - the 350’s even more forward to the point of being unlistenable in a nanosecond - I was hoping that I could find consensus with the rest of the “reviewer world” that rates them highly, but that’s not the case - taking someone else’s advice on sound is a bit like getting someone else’s advice on a potential girlfriend 😀
"proper positioning took me from meh to holy sh*t" love it. Totally agree, with correct positioning/volume set up, Kef q are the best speakers in the world. 150 for desk to/small room. Q350 for every thing else!
Couldn't agree more with the replies. Still rocking the og ls50 nearfield, using a kube 10b sub. Been contemplating about trying q350 again in my new home with a larger living room (to compete against emotiva floorstanders) albeit for HT setup. Got me pondering about KEF floorstands too. A/B Tested the kube sub against a couple of rel models and surprisingly the kube sounded better integrated to me (music). I would no way pay MSRP for either the ls50/kube but if you can find the kube for
Just seen this comment and I just bought the LS50 Meta for my desktop setup too which was an upgrade from my old KEF Q300. I ended up returning the LS50 Meta because the sound is so similar but the Q300 has better bass and mid-range body through my NAD amp. I just cannot hear £600 in increased sound quality vs the Q300s at RRP. The lack of bass is sorted with a sub on the LS50 series for sure, but I don't want a sub, the Q300s have such deep and detailed bass that you'd think there was a sub, for example. I find them that good and superb for cinematic media like the bank scene in Dark Knight, you feel the bass score in your chest as it kicks around that section of the movie. I have them stand mounted for reference and positioning is perfect: i.imgur.com/01iTAHE.jpg
So glad I found your channel. Love the humor, love how you listen to all types of music, and most definitely love how you review equipment I dont have to sell my body for. Seriously thx man...especially for that last point.
Btw, I have a pair of Kefs 104/2 towers in my LR. Purchased in 1987 together with a NAD 1300 Preamp and a NAD 2600 AMP connected to the Kefs. They have played for 35 Years without issue and still sound amazing no SW.
got mine today for 309€ (325$). I use them in combination with a Sonos AMP (579€ /600$)and it's a great setup for way under 1000$. love them. thank you for the video, was very helpful for my decision.
I really love these reviews, the captain Hadock style of the cheapaudio man, very good stuff. My fav! Also, will order those, right now - on discount of course ! :D
got a chance to hear these in a store and they are fantastic! If I hadn't found a steal of a price on some wharfedale denton's I honestly would have gone with these more than likely.
Enjoyed your review with my coffee. I've had a white pair of these for two years now, and I'm still very happy since day one. I've listened to these on Yamaha, Marantz and Cambridge Audio amps, and it absolutely sounds the best on Cambridge Audio amps. Keep up the great work!
Agreed on the Cambridge. I considered sending my Q150’s back as they sounded a bit lifeless with a Marantz class d receiver I had. Bought a refurbished Cambridge AXA35 integrated class A/B amp and they sound great.
As an owner of these speakers, I agree with your assessment. I would also mention how smooth the top end is. Not overly bright and not harsh sounding. It's all there though, never becomes fatiguing. There a joy to listen to for hours.
Update to my comments of 6 months ago. I have now paired the KEFs with a pair of Fluance Signature HiFi Series connected to my Denon DRA-800H Receiver. They seem to play Nicer together than with the Elacs I note previously. Less "muddy", if that's the right word. I know I am applying a terrible Overkill to my system, however when I play the KEFs / Fluances in the rear of the room, with a 2 pairs of Elacs connected to IOTA equipment in the front of the Basement "studio" room - it achieves an extraordinary sound. I do this to play My Music to in order to play Drums as my retirement Hobby. Playing TOTO IV LP right now ... trying to play Roseanna and Africa..
I went to buy Q150s used for 200 and bought them. Not until a week later I realized the dude miss posted the 350s as 150s. Now I have the 350s as my desktop monitors all the while I thought they were 150s lol.
Randy my man, you earned a subscriber. Your review of the KEF Q150's led me to get Best Buy open box ($255, what?!!), whose sound impressed me. I then watched this review of the Q350's, which compelled me to take a chance on these. I saw a Best Buy open box in excellent condition for $359 (+ Cali tax $395 out the door) for the walnut finish. Man, I was blown away how much fuller these were vs. the Q150's. I used them on a Yamaha RX-V585 paired with two Polk PSW10's, crossed at 80 Hz. Oh boy! I played Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" vinyl album in 2 channel stereo. It sounded like I was front row at a NY night club as the band played. These are the best speakers I've ever owned, hands down. I played World Of Tanks in 5.1 and it brought the battlefield to life. So now, the Q150's are going into my bedroom. I tried to get the KEF Q650c center channel to match, but I was not impressed with it. I opted for the Martin Logan Foundation C1 (again, open box $305). Hi-Fi rabbit hole?? I'm tip-toeing around the edge!! X^D
Well, I going to cancel my Q350 order and wait for a deal like that. I just placed order for 515 + tax. I found the walnut q150 for 251+tax. Glad I came to watch review.
Well, I going to cancel my Q350 order and wait for a deal like that. I just placed order for 515 + tax. I found the walnut q150 for 251+tax. Glad I came to watch review.
I've just bought a pair to run on a small streaming system (NAD 3020 V2 - Bluesound Node X) in my back room to replace some older B&W DM 600 S3s. Early days but the one thing I've noticed is I don't need bass boost turned on on the NAD. Greetings from the UK
I have a pair of these that I picked up on sale last year after listening to about 10 different speakers at a Best Buy Magnolia store. Their imaging was a huge standout to everything else there, and they were nowhere near the "correct" listening position. I've been very impressed with them in my home office. I'm driving them with the Sonos Amp since I already have so much Sonos and their feature set is so nice.
Thinking of doing exactly this. In our new (upcoming) home we want to go Sonos, because ease of use for everyone. But I have a turntable I want to add into the matrix. Girlfriend wants 'simple' Arc soundbar under the TV and be done with it, not because she likes Atmos or anything, she hates anything surround actually, or so she says (yeah, I know right ?!), she wants a soundbar because it looks super clean. ... Meanwhile there's the aspiring audiophilicus maximus inside me that is looking at the Sonos Amp (instead of the Port) to add the turntable ánd be able to run a pair of decent speakers that can sit on the modern floating TV furniture thing and not look totally out of place. Should I persist in my attempts to persuade my significant other to go for 'ugly' speakers instead of an Arc to enjoy my precious vinyl's or is it not worth the hassle? Please send help.
love your reviews, keep up the great work. Some other suggestions for test material. Some of my go to material: Bass- James Blake (There's a Limit to Your Love), female vocals (Sarah MacLachlan (Angel), Celeste (Ideal Woman), Male vocals- Ray LaMontage (This Love is Over), Sam Cooke- (A Change Is Gonna Come) male vocals and guitar Jeff Buckley (Hallelujah). enjoy
Randy have you ever reviewed some of the speakers from the Canadian companies such as PSB and Paradigm? They have speakers in the price range you are discussing and I really like their stuff. May be interesting to see in some of your comparison videos. Thanks for all the great work that you are doing!
OK, ya got me…subscribed! Dig how ya break down the info. Dig your taste in music, but judging by your “salt&pepper” hair color…it kinda makes sense, cause we’re probably around the same age! You’re fighting the good fight there! I look forward to seeing many more informative, interesting videos.
I know there is a lot of competition and a lot of Speakers in the 500-1k $/Eur price range. I heard the LS50 (Active & Passive - great speaker) but even this are not as good (for my taste) as my Abacus C-Box 4 Monitors wich i prefer. For 890,- you get a closed, active Speaker with an great neutral, powerful Soundstage (maybe a speaker for you to review?!). As a Coaxial Owner (KSdigital c88) i prefer normal 2 or 3 way concepts - Solid informative review 👍
I bought these on sale and they sound amazing. Paired with topping d50s and denon pma-600ne plus klipsch R-100SW subwoofer this will be my setup for a long time. I just wish the build quality was better, my unit came with some glue markings and poorly wrapped edges. Its almost as if kef designed the cabnet and driver then sent to some cheap shop to wrap it. I payed 1/4 the price on a pair of JBL A130s and the overall build quality is better on the JBL
Hey chief! Thanks for the review. I am wondering how you would describe the R3's. I know it's out of your price range but those are "The Speakers", and I would happily lend them to you if you lived nearby :)
I think your reply to "vince Malloy" was the most humane and honest piece of writing that I have ever read in a UA-cam comments section. ( Okay, low bar to start with, still ... ) In general, I am often aghast at the nastiness of comments in UA-cam videos. You remind all readers that we are human, and UA-cam is a free and voluntary source of entertainment. Thanks for taking the time to write out those thoughts. Remember that old one about thinking before opening your mouth ? 1. Is it necessary ? 2. Is it true ? 3. Is it kind ? Ha ! I have started to get a cup of coffee before listening to your videos !!
Really appreciate that, Mr. Doe. I really got defensive and angry but didn't want to add to the negativity. I get negative comments now and again but I've never gotten one quite like that before. So I figured... hey, let's just honest with what I'm feeling. Still sucked up way too much time when I could have sleeping, doing work around the house, or getting ready for the next video. Nobody one from that comment last night. I think he deleted it because I don't see it anymore and I pinned his comment. He also apologized which was cool. The comments are a trip. I really want to participate and enjoy interacting with all the viewers but for every 50 good ones I'll get a nasty one and then for every 1000 good ones I get something like this that is just totally deflating and cuts to the core. I appreciate what you wrote though. Very nice of you. Comments like his make me just want to ignore the comments section and that's sad.
I have the older Q100s at my desktop setup with the SMSL AD-18 and I love them! I've tried replacing and upgrading them, but nothing beats them (at the price I paid new - $359 a couple years ago). For such a small speaker, they have rather good bass extension and the highs have nice, crispy, metallic sound to them, but not harsh. My only small gripe is that they're not very sensitive, so even at near field listening, you have to turn the volume knob up a bit further than you might be used to.
These are terrifically revealing and detailed. A bit forward with highs and good quick but not terribly deep bass. I don’t run a sub, though. They can be ruthless with bad recordings...they sound as bad as the recording. They are awesome with female vocals, Jazz, and instrumental music...very clear and detailed.
Another great review Randy. Love your no-nonsense, get down to it, perfectly set up and beautiful reviews. Even if sometimes I feel u should spend more time, getting your hair in better order first 😀
Excellent review Randy. Thanks for making me laugh loads too. 99% of Hi Fi reviews on UA-cam are so dull and serious. I guess you are a 1% er. I am going to buy these bad boys. Cheers, from sunny England
I just auditioned these Q350's vs the ELAC UB52's. I found the Q350's to be awesome except for my unfortunate sensitivity to experience ear "fatigue" from certain speakers. Unfortunately, these fell into that category, which was frustrating, because I heard all the good stuff you mentioned in this review (and I picked up a pair for only $375 open-box). I love the fact the port can be plugged (fully or partially) to deal with different rooms/setups/subwoofers. I was basically loving everything about these, except for the fatiguing effect I was experiencing. I was able to mostly-negate this by lowering the treble by 1db on my AVR, but I hate doing that, knowing that I'm losing detail and clarity. The UB52's are superior speakers, but they cost more. I'll have to accept that the extra $ for the UB52's is worth it for me (personally) to have the same kind of experience without fatigue. In the meantime, I'm trying to convince my friends to buy the Q350s from me at the price I paid, because they're awesome.
I find the specs interesting on the modern Kef UniQ's. I have a pair of Q15.2s from 2001 which are the Q150 and 350's antecedents and have a 61/2" bass/mid and a 1" tweeter. They still sound great and are rated at 8 ohm, 91db sensitivity, 50hz to 20K. So go lower, and easier to drive by a wide margin. I wonder why modern Kefs seem to be much more demanding? Still, love to get my hands on a pair of the Q350's. Great review as always.
@@cheapaudioman could you take the conversation further and talk about the crazy margins some companies have. I think some of them have higher markups than Apple
Dan, I got a pair, and I left my comments in a different post to Randy. They are Great. I play them in unison with a pair of Elac 6.2 Reference (in parallel) on one side of my Basement Sound "studio" created in the COVID Hibernation. One point that is NOT mentioned by Randy and in other reviews, is an important fact: These can be Placed on their sides w/o any effect to their Clarity and Sound separation..Many Bookshelf speakers advise against that, the KEFs do not . I really Enjoy these speakers and they "play" so nice together (with the Elacs). Connected to my Denon DRA-800H Receiver.
Thanks man you might of saved me $1000.00 since I’ve been on the fence with the LS50 metas for a while now and these seem like they might do the trick for me when I want less bass then RP8000f’s but not loose that butter and detail 😁
Although I enjoyed hearing your impressions, I feel like you wasted my time due to the fact that you made no mention of the LS50's that I am close to buying. Why did you put it in the title?
Randy, fantastic review, and great to see you so excited! you obviously really like these ones! wow!! any thoughts compared to Elac DBR62 you also like so much...? I guess my question is: which speakers give your more "insight" into the music and more enjoyment? (they have very very similar price)
great question. I'd say the kefs are more neutral and the elacs more buttery. I could live and be happy with both for sure. which one you get would be the type of flavor you like. and I will be living with both because I bought them and have no intention of selling. i think down the line a bit there will be a saturday speaker shootout between the two
@@cheapaudioman you bought them both! coooooool!! hope one day, after you have lived with both pairs enough time...you do that shootout...it will be fascinating! thanks again!
Hey Randy, how's it going? One of these days try Paul Simon's "Graceland" album for checking audio gear quality. It's got great songs, great musicians and the sound quality is to die for. Good old 80's analog recording magic.
Hi again. I reccomended the diamond 11.2 and I liked the review. A new thing that has peaked my interest is flare audio listening plugs. They reduce the reflections in the ear to make a cleaner listening and some people seem to like them. And tripowin tc 01 in ears are gr8 Just some tips :)
I wish they had magnetic covers. I just get nervous with open speakers for damage. The internet is full of KEF 350 for sale with pushed through drivers. OEM replacement $230 which is more than entire value of a used single-speaker.
I'd be very interested to see a head to head with the Model 2b Fibhorn Speakers. They are 600 + shipping, 42-20,000hz, 88db and roughly the same size. So very comparable in that regard. Because one is coaxial and the other single point source, I'm guessing the response curve will be a bit different though.
I sell meat to restaurants for a living. I've never eaten Wagyu beef but one of my colleagues bought some. An 8 oz steak cost him about $40.00, his cost, uncooked . I asked him how it was. He said he'd wished he'd never done it. He said it probably ruined him for every steak he'd ever eat again, it was that much better. Is it overrated? Doesn't sound like it. Me I'll stick with AAA well aged. It's fine and I can be happy with that. Is $500 a pair cheap? My buddy who works in a high end audio store and thinks a grand for a pair of speaker cables is justifiable thinks so. Everything is relative but there's never been a better time to get mighty fine sound for a very affordable price. Guidance from guys like Randy make it even easier.
I don’t know if it’s because slow and dry opening tricked me into dropping my guard, but I was howling laughing by the end of the kangaroo sponsor. Five stars, bravo, instant subscription!
Also i think the best affordable speakers are : Wharfedale Diamond 11 series , EVO series and Elysian series designed by Peter Comeau. They sound and look like speakers that cost 3 or 4 times more , they are unique and very good built. I HAVE SPOKEN ✌🙂👍
Four comments: 1) I love seeing the TA100 and the box of sticks in.the background. It anchors all of your videos. 2) I have no idea how big the Q360 is without Chewbacca 3) ELAC’s price inconsistency pisses me off too. But... I have not heard them together, But I think I’d go UB52 over the Q350 4) did the topping really reveal more than the ta100? If so, I will be ordering tomorrow 4)
I wouldn't say it reveals more. I think it's just a bit livelier on top so it gives the impression of being more revealing. I should have clarified that. Chewbacca actually went to live with Zeos as a thankyou for doing B2S. Yeah, I forgot to lump Elac in with them. However, they don't have the huge swings that JBL, Klipsch, and KEF has. It's so weird.
@@cheapaudioman If type need a replacement for Chewbacca, I have a Mrs potato head that you could use for size comparisons. Or maybe just an arm? Let me know.
This is the first video of yours that I have seen. I got to 7 minutes and decided to subscribe because so far I like your approach. Dare I say that you could stand in for Dennis Miller ? That is a compliment in case you don't like him.
I maybe hate to say it, but this guy makes really great to the point no BS reviews. who knows if there is a certain influence in either his room, or lack of experience or what not, but the guy tests a lot of speakers, and the results are interesting. he test a lot of klips pure Kr*p, and he likes them too... though.
watch tomorrows saturday speaker shootout with the klipsch rp600m. I also test each speaker in 4 different rooms of my house all with different characteristics.
These are 350$ over here but I can't get over the fact that they look like washing machines.
I knew they reminded me of something 😂
sort of agree. bought a 1 ft x 8 ft sheet of real oak veneer $ 52. , linoleum knife . $8. and press roller $22. and took my timing flattening the veneer and then cutting rough size ( 1 /2 in oversize)then final trim & 3 coats miniwax poly. look real good to me, first time try. I'd say B+ . > only question, how long will the pre glued veneer stick to the stock vinyl .???
good review. I've had mine a year, Cambridge 100w receiver.
Yeah, can't get over the ugly on these KEFs.
Yeah but they sound better than the Maytag any day of the week.
A front loader?
I actually got a coffee sat down and watched. Great way to start the day.
having this as my first comment with a cup of coffee in front of me is a great way to start my day, brother. Thank you!
Me too
Mr cheap audio man, like your chilled vibe, thank you for you. These speakers are the droid you are looking for. - The Kef q350 are like nothing I have heard before, after being an audiophile for 40 years plus I've never heard anything like it. Anyone who has the opportunity to demo a pair (or is lucky enough to own a pair) - just play 10cc " I'm not in love" at a high volume and I promise you, you will discover another dimension you didn't know existed. -
Thank you for making so many quality reviews to help us along our journey towards choosing and discovering new speakers. - I got these on sale recently, they are my first major speaker investment purchased along a new turntable. I will continue to use either my old Marantz 2015 or 2252B receivers.
Thank-you
Whenever I feel a little down, I come to see Dr. Cheap. Funniest guy around. Super smart too.
Guaranteed entertainment! And no BS.
The UNI-Q is known for having great imaging, because the two drivers emanate from the same point, making it more like the ideal point source.
Thank You for all your reviews. I just bought these used today from Amazon @ 504...I also purchase the sony's sscs5 you talk about. Great speakers for the money! Keep up ALL your Great Work!!!
I see a shootout between Unifi 2.0 and the Kef q350 in the future
I've got both hooked up in my living room right now driving myself bananas over which I want to keep!
I know it's not my review you're after, but I'll be keeping the UB52's over the Q350's no doubt. The Q350s are great and I'm sure will appeal to some: deeper and more impactful bass, still crisp highs, but the overall sound is warmer and in the mid just feels muddier compared to the UB52's. I've got them hooked up to A and B outputs of my Cambridge AXR85 and am switching back and forth mid-song streaming from Amazon Music HD. The UB52's wipe the floor with the 350's in mids, in hearing each instrument clearly, 3d soundstage, and in filling the room vs. sound just coming from speakers.
I have the Kef Q350s and they are very good indeed. I am pairing with my Powernode integrated streaming amp. In addition, after several months of use these get even better now that they're broken in. I got the faux walnut vinyl version and they look great.
I've got the powernode I am thinking of purchasing these. Already got the q950 but they are too big for my room
@@Birmingham_racing you're not going to get quite the same level of sound out of the Q350s as the much larger q950s, but you already know that. I've since added a REL T5x sub to my set up to compliment the lower end of the q350s. They have a good amount of bass response for their size, but the single REL brings a whole new world of bass to the system.
An update to my comments concerning the KEF Q350s. I just received them from as noted in my earlier comment. I am playing them now.... They attached in parallel on the same side of the room to Elac Debut Reference speakers... Wow do they Play "nice" together ... Clear, great mids , spatiality, and good , sharp (not Boomy) Bass delivery. Yes, I have a 60 Watt small 10" SW(great buy at Amazon- Monoprice 60 Watt SW - amplified with Auto On ). I'm Really Liking this ...
Glad to see you brought back the notebook. Keep being you,that's what drew me in. People don't understand that humor is part of your presentation. As for price mark ups,the auto industry is king!
I've started to look forward to the intros to your videos every day. You should do a compilation someday. Thanks for gearing the channel towards quality audio that is affordable. Last night saw one of your early videos about how you got started in audio and the importance of music in our lives. I couldn't agree more. Well, my coffee is ready so I'll sign off. Thanks for what you're doing.
thanks, Kevin. That means a lot. I've been struggling with the comments lately. Not ones like yours but as the channel has grown there are more and more critical comments and despite my reasonable nature it still hurts a bit. Comments like yours reinforce and reinvigorate me. I needed it. Thanks, brother
@@cheapaudioman just block those that can't behave
That’d be an awesome video to wrap up 2021 with and a fun way to highlight Randy’s success with this channel.
Spot on good review, one of the best so far I think. Good lighting and sound too. You've been improving all around. 👍 Just keep being you and have fun.
"Cheers mate" 🥴, from SW Virginia.
After i picked them up in Nov 2021 and have listened to them with all kinds of music, these are the end game for me, yes R3's are tempting, but then I would need to upgrade the rest of my stuff and in my little apartment these are to die for, definitely a break in period, about 6 months for the q 150, and these have just come alive at around 11 months, so, note to the wise, don't pre judge them, they are Really good!
Someone asked me why I bought the silky smooth looking, black Kef Q350 speakers. It was this man, and this man alone, that sold me onto the Kef 🤗🙏🏠 when he used the word buttery to describe the sound, I was instantly all in 😍🙏🏠
was so curious about your opinion on Q350. got these at an incredible sale, around 250 and i love them. idk what some people require in terms of bass, but these offer great bass also. kind of sensitive about positioning, but great sound whatsoever. thanks for the fun delivery!
Great review! I have been using the Q350 in a near-field desktop setup for about 3-4 years now and have only grown to appreciate them as time goes by. Even recently tried the LS50 Meta(~$1500) for about 3 weeks in the same setup and ended up returning them due to them being too harsh where I was constantly trying to EQ them into being enjoyable.
Current setup that gets double-duty for Music while working and PC Gaming:
Mini DSP SHD DAC/Streamer w/ DIRAC Live digitally crossed over 75hz > XLR > Crown XLS1002> Q350(port plugged)
Under 75hz > XLR > Monoprice 10" Studio Sub
Time/Phase alignment using the software has only made a decent setup sound holographic now.
I had the same experience with the LS50's
For DiracLive did you buy a mic for calibration?
@@trapperxzw Yes, at the time MiniDSP sold their Umik-2 for a discount with the SHD as a combo. There are other compatible calibration mics at different price points but I just went with something from the same in-house ecosystem. As long as the mic is powered by an interface or direct USB and has the calibration file for that mic you are ready to rock.
Loaded the calibration file, placed the mic, kicked my cats out of the room and ran Dirac. Because I have the q350 on stands at ear-level I only needed to EQ up to about 500hz to deal with room gain I was getting and I could time-align my 2 subs to the speakers. It pushed my setup from pretty good to the best I have heard.
Some people run Dirac for the whole frequency band but I had better results just compensating for the peaks/valleys.
@@GreyTileGaming thanks. I bought a diff mic will arrive soon. I have minidsp 2x4 hd, no Dirac yet. Interesting note regarding 500hz. Btw have you ever experienced harsh sounding highs on the KEFs?
@@trapperxzw Awesome, I think the cheapest path to Dirac is the DDRC upgrade for the 2x4HD but would definitely research to make sure before shelling out anything. REW is a great alternative too at no cost.
Harshness is tough to pin-point and can be subjective to ears, brain, room and setup so I think the above is a bigger influence on polarizing opinions regarding harshness but I will share personal experiences and theory. This may prevent others from dumping the KEFs before unlocking their magic.
I have used the Q350 in about 6 different rooms and setups over the last 4 yrs. from LR home theater main channels to near-field desktop monitors. The perceived harshness from my experience usually was an indicator that my bass and mid-bass was being reduced in the room and making perceived upper-mids elevated in contrast. I'll explain in more detail but the port-plugs that come with the Q350 make a difference here, check out the sterophile.com Q350 review which includes multiple measurements and you can see their impact on the bass drop-off slope around 100hz. For me, using the plugs reduced the impact of bass room gain and preventing the upper-mids getting out of line with bass/mid-bass at the cost of low-end extension.
Otherwise, if I want to rock out with the q350/LS50 full range, no plugs and no EQ and crank them up the bass might be about -3db lower than upper-mids so if I get a recording with any kind of gain around 2.5-3khz I am going to get blasted if I am using the sensation of bass to get my volume dialed in. This is why I think you see so many people pushing for Subwoofer integration with the Q350/Q150/LS50/Meta.
For me, letting the Q350 handle anything above 100-120hz I have not run into the upper-mid glare since they are practically flat from 500hz and up and using EQ/Measurements you can see if there is a bass drop and upper-mid bump to correct in your room.
I currently use a Schiit Freya+ with the stock tubes to add more soundstage and reduce point-source detection and have a SMSL AO200 level matched to two Monoprice 10-inch studio subs. With my setup I just turn the amp volume up or down to regulate bass-levels to upper-mids and have had no harshness for at least the last year since putting together my current desktop setup.
I know this is a long response but I hope it helps. Much of what I mention can be applied to other speakers since 0-300hz can get pretty wonky in some setups and I think it is unfair to blame the relatively flat speakers.
Love you UA-cam channel and I am slowly but surly getting sucked in to the 2 channel audio bug!!
Just want to let you know that you have helped me to get my best speaker upgrade I could wish for! I just bought a set of KEF Q350 for $455 on sale here in Denmark 💪🏻👍🏻
Based on your reviews on this speaker I now own a pair and I think they are hard to beat for $455 🙌🏻👏🏻
So thx man, for the great work you present us low budget audiophiles with!
Keep up the good work! 💪🏻👍🏻
"binge listen to music and FILL YOUR SOUL WITH HAPPINESS!" thanks for the words of wisdom cheap audio man!
Thank you for the great review! I always enjoy waking up to find what you have posted!
Me too!
@@welderfixer Hey Kevin!!! Great to see you out here, buddy!
I've had the opportunity to audition a number of KEF's for my nearfield desktop setup. I settled on the LS50s but I can understand why they don't suit everyone. The q150's were a very close second, followed by the LSX and lastly q350. The LSX was just too much $ for too little; including the finicky app interface. Nearfield--the q350 too forward, and difficult to get a consistent phantom center and integration (speaker localization was an issue for me).
[Again!! This is all nearfield at a desk!! I have no doubt the q350's would out perform the q150's in a larger room. Perhaps even the ls50's]
It took me a while to get the most out of the ls50's.. But this is what I learned:
- Proper positioning took me from meh to holy sht.
- Subwoofer is mandatory. No seriously, you need one. Without one and its as if you're listening to audio from your TV speakers. Okay, it isn't that bad--but the lack of their inherent bass will probably surprise you, and in a bad way. Alone they will feel anemic for the majority of people, me included.
- Having the sub. is mandatory. But having it properly integrated is equally important.. cuz guess what, you're probably going to have to cross your sub closer to that 90-100 hz for the ls50's. It isn't so much about the raw SPL, but also the tonality of your bass, if you've ever experienced that sort of difference. That's what made it difficult, but sort of the final piece.. And once i achieved it-- ooooof, damn was it worth the trouble. It truly balanced them out and allowed me to get lost in the tracks. There's clarity and dynamics.. and man, the depth.. That stage is well behind my monitor and back wall.
q150's, put them on your table, use a sub or don't. Hook it up via avr or whatever. Stream music from youtube, they dont care. Try that with the ls50's and lol...
I’ve found the LS50’s too forward as well - the 350’s even more forward to the point of being unlistenable in a nanosecond - I was hoping that I could find consensus with the rest of the “reviewer world” that rates them highly, but that’s not the case - taking someone else’s advice on sound is a bit like getting someone else’s advice on a potential girlfriend 😀
"proper positioning took me from meh to holy sh*t" love it. Totally agree, with correct positioning/volume set up, Kef q are the best speakers in the world. 150 for desk to/small room. Q350 for every thing else!
Difference between ls50 and q series, is that ls50 is usable in the nearfield and the q series just need space to shine.
Couldn't agree more with the replies.
Still rocking the og ls50 nearfield, using a kube 10b sub. Been contemplating about trying q350 again in my new home with a larger living room (to compete against emotiva floorstanders) albeit for HT setup. Got me pondering about KEF floorstands too.
A/B Tested the kube sub against a couple of rel models and surprisingly the kube sounded better integrated to me (music). I would no way pay MSRP for either the ls50/kube but if you can find the kube for
Just seen this comment and I just bought the LS50 Meta for my desktop setup too which was an upgrade from my old KEF Q300. I ended up returning the LS50 Meta because the sound is so similar but the Q300 has better bass and mid-range body through my NAD amp. I just cannot hear £600 in increased sound quality vs the Q300s at RRP.
The lack of bass is sorted with a sub on the LS50 series for sure, but I don't want a sub, the Q300s have such deep and detailed bass that you'd think there was a sub, for example. I find them that good and superb for cinematic media like the bank scene in Dark Knight, you feel the bass score in your chest as it kicks around that section of the movie.
I have them stand mounted for reference and positioning is perfect: i.imgur.com/01iTAHE.jpg
So glad I found your channel. Love the humor, love how you listen to all types of music, and most definitely love how you review equipment I dont have to sell my body for. Seriously thx man...especially for that last point.
Btw, I have a pair of Kefs 104/2 towers in my LR. Purchased in 1987 together with a NAD 1300 Preamp and a NAD 2600 AMP connected to the Kefs. They have played for 35 Years without issue and still sound amazing no SW.
Great review
Sharpie ticked boxes has to be the way forward for reviews
Peace from not so sunny Scotland
GREAT channel DUDE! JUST CHECKED THE SPEAKERS OUT THAT YOU HAD FEATURED AN IM STRONGLY CONSIDERING PURCHAING THESE THANX TO YOUR DETAILED ANALYSIS!!
got mine today for 309€ (325$). I use them in combination with a Sonos AMP (579€ /600$)and it's a great setup for way under 1000$. love them. thank you for the video, was very helpful for my decision.
Love the new speaker positioning in this video which allows them to be in focus!
we're trying to get better each video and when I say "we" I mean me
your videos are so real and conversational, noless actually professional and well done holy cow ty ty ty from a grateful newbro!
thanks, brandon. appreciate it.
Great job Randy! You’re getting better on the videos 🤜🏼🤛🏻💥
Oh, I can hang out with this guy! Great video my man, keep em' coming!
I really love these reviews, the captain Hadock style of the cheapaudio man, very good stuff. My fav! Also, will order those, right now - on discount of course ! :D
got a chance to hear these in a store and they are fantastic! If I hadn't found a steal of a price on some wharfedale denton's I honestly would have gone with these more than likely.
I've had Kobe beef and definitely not overrated. So much flavor and melts in your mouth. Delicious 🤤
Enjoyed your review with my coffee. I've had a white pair of these for two years now, and I'm still very happy since day one.
I've listened to these on Yamaha, Marantz and Cambridge Audio amps, and it absolutely sounds the best on Cambridge Audio amps.
Keep up the great work!
Agreed on the Cambridge. I considered sending my Q150’s back as they sounded a bit lifeless with a Marantz class d receiver I had. Bought a refurbished Cambridge AXA35 integrated class A/B amp and they sound great.
Great review. I've always wanted to hear Kef.
As an owner of these speakers, I agree with your assessment. I would also mention how smooth the top end is. Not overly bright and not harsh sounding. It's all there though, never becomes fatiguing. There a joy to listen to for hours.
yeah. really great neutral speaker with a hint of butter and a hint of excitement with no fatigue.
Update to my comments of 6 months ago. I have now paired the KEFs with a pair of Fluance Signature HiFi Series connected to my Denon DRA-800H Receiver. They seem to play Nicer together than with the Elacs I note previously. Less "muddy", if that's the right word. I know I am applying a terrible Overkill to my system, however when I play the KEFs / Fluances in the rear of the room, with a 2 pairs of Elacs connected to IOTA equipment in the front of the Basement "studio" room - it achieves an extraordinary sound. I do this to play My Music to in order to play Drums as my retirement Hobby. Playing TOTO IV LP right now ... trying to play Roseanna and Africa..
I went to buy Q150s used for 200 and bought them. Not until a week later I realized the dude miss posted the 350s as 150s. Now I have the 350s as my desktop monitors all the while I thought they were 150s lol.
Randy my man, you earned a subscriber. Your review of the KEF Q150's led me to get Best Buy open box ($255, what?!!), whose sound impressed me. I then watched this review of the Q350's, which compelled me to take a chance on these. I saw a Best Buy open box in excellent condition for $359 (+ Cali tax $395 out the door) for the walnut finish. Man, I was blown away how much fuller these were vs. the Q150's. I used them on a Yamaha RX-V585 paired with two Polk PSW10's, crossed at 80 Hz. Oh boy! I played Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" vinyl album in 2 channel stereo. It sounded like I was front row at a NY night club as the band played. These are the best speakers I've ever owned, hands down. I played World Of Tanks in 5.1 and it brought the battlefield to life. So now, the Q150's are going into my bedroom. I tried to get the KEF Q650c center channel to match, but I was not impressed with it. I opted for the Martin Logan Foundation C1 (again, open box $305). Hi-Fi rabbit hole?? I'm tip-toeing around the edge!! X^D
Well, I going to cancel my Q350 order and wait for a deal like that. I just placed order for 515 + tax. I found the walnut q150 for 251+tax. Glad I came to watch review.
Well, I going to cancel my Q350 order and wait for a deal like that. I just placed order for 515 + tax. I found the walnut q150 for 251+tax. Glad I came to watch review.
Good advice at the end, but Ricky Gervais' 'After Life' is worth the time investment.
I have the Q150s powered by a Adcom amp at my workstation. Absolutely love them.
Compared to 350, is yours sounds alike and just less bass?
I've just bought a pair to run on a small streaming system (NAD 3020 V2 - Bluesound Node X) in my back room to replace some older B&W DM 600 S3s.
Early days but the one thing I've noticed is I don't need bass boost turned on on the NAD.
Greetings from the UK
CAM, got these based on your review and loving them!
Hey Randy, looking forward to a review of that Xduoo MT-602 you've got in the background, keep up the good work dude.
going to be in tomorrow's video. not a full on review but I'll touch on it.
You had me at the "ball of music" phrase.. ! These recently went on sale for $500 and Amazon has them with Free Returns, ball of music included!
I like the idea of getting great sound quality without spending what it would cost to buy a luxury sports car.
Your Prince voice is amazing! 😁
I have a pair of these that I picked up on sale last year after listening to about 10 different speakers at a Best Buy Magnolia store. Their imaging was a huge standout to everything else there, and they were nowhere near the "correct" listening position. I've been very impressed with them in my home office. I'm driving them with the Sonos Amp since I already have so much Sonos and their feature set is so nice.
Thinking of doing exactly this. In our new (upcoming) home we want to go Sonos, because ease of use for everyone. But I have a turntable I want to add into the matrix. Girlfriend wants 'simple' Arc soundbar under the TV and be done with it, not because she likes Atmos or anything, she hates anything surround actually, or so she says (yeah, I know right ?!), she wants a soundbar because it looks super clean. ... Meanwhile there's the aspiring audiophilicus maximus inside me that is looking at the Sonos Amp (instead of the Port) to add the turntable ánd be able to run a pair of decent speakers that can sit on the modern floating TV furniture thing and not look totally out of place. Should I persist in my attempts to persuade my significant other to go for 'ugly' speakers instead of an Arc to enjoy my precious vinyl's or is it not worth the hassle? Please send help.
love your reviews, keep up the great work. Some other suggestions for test material. Some of my go to material: Bass- James Blake (There's a Limit to Your Love), female vocals (Sarah MacLachlan (Angel), Celeste (Ideal Woman), Male vocals- Ray LaMontage (This Love is Over), Sam Cooke- (A Change Is Gonna Come) male vocals and guitar Jeff Buckley (Hallelujah). enjoy
Randy have you ever reviewed some of the speakers from the Canadian companies such as PSB and Paradigm? They have speakers in the price range you are discussing and I really like their stuff. May be interesting to see in some of your comparison videos. Thanks for all the great work that you are doing!
OK, ya got me…subscribed! Dig how ya break down the info. Dig your taste in music, but judging by your “salt&pepper” hair color…it kinda makes sense, cause we’re probably around the same age! You’re fighting the good fight there! I look forward to seeing many more informative, interesting videos.
I love my KEF Q350s.
I know there is a lot of competition and a lot of Speakers in the 500-1k $/Eur price range. I heard the LS50 (Active & Passive - great speaker) but even this are not as good (for my taste) as my Abacus C-Box 4 Monitors wich i prefer. For 890,- you get a closed, active Speaker with an great neutral, powerful Soundstage (maybe a speaker for you to review?!). As a Coaxial Owner (KSdigital c88) i prefer normal 2 or 3 way concepts - Solid informative review 👍
I bought these on sale and they sound amazing. Paired with topping d50s and denon pma-600ne plus klipsch R-100SW subwoofer this will be my setup for a long time. I just wish the build quality was better, my unit came with some glue markings and poorly wrapped edges. Its almost as if kef designed the cabnet and driver then sent to some cheap shop to wrap it. I payed 1/4 the price on a pair of JBL A130s and the overall build quality is better on the JBL
Hey chief! Thanks for the review. I am wondering how you would describe the R3's. I know it's out of your price range but those are "The Speakers", and I would happily lend them to you if you lived nearby :)
I think your reply to "vince Malloy" was the most humane and honest piece of writing that I have ever read in a UA-cam comments section.
( Okay, low bar to start with, still ... )
In general, I am often aghast at the nastiness of comments in UA-cam videos.
You remind all readers that we are human, and UA-cam is a free and voluntary source of entertainment.
Thanks for taking the time to write out those thoughts.
Remember that old one about thinking before opening your mouth ?
1. Is it necessary ?
2. Is it true ?
3. Is it kind ?
Ha ! I have started to get a cup of coffee before listening to your videos !!
Really appreciate that, Mr. Doe. I really got defensive and angry but didn't want to add to the negativity. I get negative comments now and again but I've never gotten one quite like that before. So I figured... hey, let's just honest with what I'm feeling. Still sucked up way too much time when I could have sleeping, doing work around the house, or getting ready for the next video. Nobody one from that comment last night. I think he deleted it because I don't see it anymore and I pinned his comment. He also apologized which was cool. The comments are a trip. I really want to participate and enjoy interacting with all the viewers but for every 50 good ones I'll get a nasty one and then for every 1000 good ones I get something like this that is just totally deflating and cuts to the core. I appreciate what you wrote though. Very nice of you. Comments like his make me just want to ignore the comments section and that's sad.
I have the older Q100s at my desktop setup with the SMSL AD-18 and I love them! I've tried replacing and upgrading them, but nothing beats them (at the price I paid new - $359 a couple years ago). For such a small speaker, they have rather good bass extension and the highs have nice, crispy, metallic sound to them, but not harsh. My only small gripe is that they're not very sensitive, so even at near field listening, you have to turn the volume knob up a bit further than you might be used to.
Randy is cheaper than a cheap old man..... LMFAO..... Andrew Robinson is the elephant in the room
KEF Q350 Vs Polk R200.... which will be better?
Thanks ! Looking forward to/curious about these vs Novus & UniFi 2.0.
it's coming
Great review, great channel. Dying to hear a review of the Revel Concerta2 M16 series. Keep up the great work!
I have the Concerta2 F36. The tower. I can tell you some stuff if you’d like to know.
Me2
These are terrifically revealing and detailed. A bit forward with highs and good quick but not terribly deep bass. I don’t run a sub, though. They can be ruthless with bad recordings...they sound as bad as the recording. They are awesome with female vocals, Jazz, and instrumental music...very clear and detailed.
I'm with you Randy on the pricing BS. And on binge listening too. 😊
Another great review Randy. Love your no-nonsense, get down to it, perfectly set up and beautiful reviews. Even if sometimes I feel u should spend more time, getting your hair in better order first 😀
Ha! It’s all about the speakers, bro! Lots of youtubers out there with very locked in hair. I gotta be me
Hmmmm... Why do you care so much about his hair?😎
Hey Paul O. Those sound like fighting words 😡
@@danielubbink2573 So be it!!! 😂😎
@@cheapaudioman its just proof that you actually listen to the speakers on max volume. All the other speakers guys just pretend😂
Love your videos!
Excellent review Randy. Thanks for making me laugh loads too. 99% of Hi Fi reviews on UA-cam are so dull and serious. I guess you are a 1% er. I am going to buy these bad boys. Cheers, from sunny England
Kangaroos are awesome pets. Yes, I’ve had one and I’d have another in a heartbeat.
I fkn love the sponsor announcement 🤣
So these are a definate buy at €369.00 FOR THE SET? They're on sale now.
Thanks for the great vids, regards from The Netherlands!
This is one of my favorite sponsers so far
Love you Randy!! Should I get the Q150 or the Q350?
Good point about price!!! You are so right.
I just auditioned these Q350's vs the ELAC UB52's. I found the Q350's to be awesome except for my unfortunate sensitivity to experience ear "fatigue" from certain speakers. Unfortunately, these fell into that category, which was frustrating, because I heard all the good stuff you mentioned in this review (and I picked up a pair for only $375 open-box). I love the fact the port can be plugged (fully or partially) to deal with different rooms/setups/subwoofers. I was basically loving everything about these, except for the fatiguing effect I was experiencing. I was able to mostly-negate this by lowering the treble by 1db on my AVR, but I hate doing that, knowing that I'm losing detail and clarity. The UB52's are superior speakers, but they cost more. I'll have to accept that the extra $ for the UB52's is worth it for me (personally) to have the same kind of experience without fatigue.
In the meantime, I'm trying to convince my friends to buy the Q350s from me at the price I paid, because they're awesome.
The UB52's have been my favorite neutral speaker to date and they can be cranked with zero fatigue
I completely understand you. Most can not understand listening fatigue ...
I find the specs interesting on the modern Kef UniQ's. I have a pair of Q15.2s from 2001 which are the Q150 and 350's antecedents and have a 61/2" bass/mid and a 1" tweeter. They still sound great and are rated at 8 ohm, 91db sensitivity, 50hz to 20K. So go lower, and easier to drive by a wide margin. I wonder why modern Kefs seem to be much more demanding? Still, love to get my hands on a pair of the Q350's. Great review as always.
they're fibbing about their sensitivity and their nominal resistance. check out the ls50 review by ron at new record day
@@cheapaudioman Randy was able to pick up a pair of the Q150 for $300 for both. cant beat that, right big guy?
You should talk about the markup situation with Ron next time you guys get together.
we've briefly touched on it. the industry needs to get their pricing stable. it's wrong and it's a cash grab and it makes me mad
@@cheapaudioman could you take the conversation further and talk about the crazy margins some companies have. I think some of them have higher markups than Apple
@@cheapaudioman If you don't get it on a 40% to 50% off from MSRP, you've paid too much.
These Kef Q350"s are beauties.👍
they're a good looking speaker
Dan, I got a pair, and I left my comments in a different post to Randy. They are Great. I play them in unison with a pair of Elac 6.2 Reference (in parallel) on one side of my Basement Sound "studio" created in the COVID Hibernation. One point that is NOT mentioned by Randy and in other reviews, is an important fact: These can be Placed on their sides w/o any effect to their Clarity and Sound separation..Many Bookshelf speakers advise against that, the KEFs do not . I really Enjoy these speakers and they "play" so nice together (with the Elacs). Connected to my Denon DRA-800H Receiver.
I bought it for $414. for this price they are amazing. Thanks
Wild Jacks !!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Wasn’t interested in these speakers but now you’ve got me thinking 👍🏻
They’re good.
Thanks man you might of saved me $1000.00 since I’ve been on the fence with the LS50 metas for a while now and these seem like they might do the trick for me when I want less bass then RP8000f’s but not loose that butter and detail 😁
You killed me with the Prince intro....oh wow!
Although I enjoyed hearing your impressions, I feel like you wasted my time due to the fact that you made no mention of the LS50's that I am close to buying. Why did you put it in the title?
Randy, fantastic review, and great to see you so excited! you obviously really like these ones! wow!! any thoughts compared to Elac DBR62 you also like so much...? I guess my question is: which speakers give your more "insight" into the music and more enjoyment? (they have very very similar price)
great question. I'd say the kefs are more neutral and the elacs more buttery. I could live and be happy with both for sure. which one you get would be the type of flavor you like. and I will be living with both because I bought them and have no intention of selling. i think down the line a bit there will be a saturday speaker shootout between the two
@@cheapaudioman you bought them both! coooooool!! hope one day, after you have lived with both pairs enough time...you do that shootout...it will be fascinating! thanks again!
This review has got me considering the q150 again as a cheaper alternative to the kef lsx . Another good one!
ua-cam.com/video/T1eufnt7TRE/v-deo.html
@@cheapaudioman How does the Q350 compare to the Q150? Better rolloff?
Ouch that cost analogy of comparing travelling to audio equipment kind of makes me want to cry
Hey Randy, how's it going? One of these days try Paul Simon's "Graceland" album for checking audio gear quality. It's got great songs, great musicians and the sound quality is to die for. Good old 80's analog recording magic.
Agreed that would be a good one
Yepper.... Great Album / CD .... That would be one for testing stereo sounds...
+100 for calling out the manufacturer pricing bullshit.
And they have no TOF issues which really helps.
Great flow today sir. Stream of consciousness was well above average.
Hi again. I reccomended the diamond 11.2 and I liked the review.
A new thing that has peaked my interest is flare audio listening plugs. They reduce the reflections in the ear to make a cleaner listening and some people seem to like them.
And tripowin tc 01 in ears are gr8
Just some tips :)
"Piqued", not "peaked".
I wish they had magnetic covers. I just get nervous with open speakers for damage. The internet is full of KEF 350 for sale with pushed through drivers. OEM replacement $230 which is more than entire value of a used single-speaker.
Cheers Randy!
Cheers, Obi Ron Kenoberi. No worries
@@cheapaudioman 😁 You guys......
I'd be very interested to see a head to head with the Model 2b Fibhorn Speakers. They are 600 + shipping, 42-20,000hz, 88db and roughly the same size. So very comparable in that regard. Because one is coaxial and the other single point source, I'm guessing the response curve will be a bit different though.
I sell meat to restaurants for a living. I've never eaten Wagyu beef but one of my colleagues bought some. An 8 oz steak cost him about $40.00, his cost, uncooked . I asked him how it was. He said he'd wished he'd never done it. He said it probably ruined him for every steak he'd ever eat again, it was that much better. Is it overrated? Doesn't sound like it.
Me I'll stick with AAA well aged. It's fine and I can be happy with that.
Is $500 a pair cheap? My buddy who works in a high end audio store and thinks a grand for a pair of speaker cables is justifiable thinks so. Everything is relative but there's never been a better time to get mighty fine sound for a very affordable price. Guidance from guys like Randy make it even easier.
I don’t know if it’s because slow and dry opening tricked me into dropping my guard, but I was howling laughing by the end of the kangaroo sponsor. Five stars, bravo, instant subscription!
Some of these are hard to watch. I think the newer ones are better.
Also i think the best affordable speakers are : Wharfedale Diamond 11 series , EVO series and Elysian series designed by Peter Comeau. They sound and look like speakers that cost 3 or 4 times more , they are unique and very good built. I HAVE SPOKEN ✌🙂👍
Loved the diamond 11.2's and have a video on them
These replaced my B&W DM7. They need a bit of volume to get good, but it's a very good speaker. Great for voices and natural sounding instruments.
Hi @cheapaudioman thanks for the review, enjoyed. Will these speakers pair well with Yamaha RN-602 amp, please could you let know.
Four comments:
1) I love seeing the TA100 and the box of sticks in.the background. It anchors all of your videos.
2) I have no idea how big the Q360 is without Chewbacca
3) ELAC’s price inconsistency pisses me off too. But... I have not heard them together, But I think I’d go UB52 over the Q350
4) did the topping really reveal more than the ta100? If so, I will be ordering tomorrow
4)
I wouldn't say it reveals more. I think it's just a bit livelier on top so it gives the impression of being more revealing. I should have clarified that. Chewbacca actually went to live with Zeos as a thankyou for doing B2S. Yeah, I forgot to lump Elac in with them. However, they don't have the huge swings that JBL, Klipsch, and KEF has. It's so weird.
@@cheapaudioman If type need a replacement for Chewbacca, I have a Mrs potato head that you could use for size comparisons. Or maybe just an arm? Let me know.
This is the first video of yours that I have seen. I got to 7 minutes and decided to subscribe because so far I like your approach. Dare I say that you could stand in for Dennis Miller ? That is a compliment in case you don't like him.
Thanks. Lots of other widely unpopular videos on my channel as well for your enjoyment.
Dennis Miller ref- love it! Miller always new his rock n roll trivia!
Would love to see a review of the Tekton Mini Lore Monitor
I have a great song for testing deep bass. Boz Scaggs - Thanks to you. Very deep bass if the speakers can do it :)
LOWDOWN RIGHT?!
Which song ? Let me guess, “Low Down” , from the ‘Live” album ? It has a great bass line and I love it. Cheers.
I maybe hate to say it, but this guy makes really great to the point no BS reviews. who knows if there is a certain influence in either his room, or lack of experience or what not, but the guy tests a lot of speakers, and the results are interesting. he test a lot of klips pure Kr*p, and he likes them too... though.
watch tomorrows saturday speaker shootout with the klipsch rp600m. I also test each speaker in 4 different rooms of my house all with different characteristics.