KEF R700 loudspeaker Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Digital Sources: Marantz UD7006, Oppo BDP-105D universal players.
Preamplification: Jeff Rowland Design Group Consummate line preamplifier, Integra DTC-9.8 preamplifier-processor.
Power Amplifier: Parasound Halo A 51.
Loudspeakers: KEF R900, Monitor Audio Silver 10, Paradigm Monitor 11, Revel Performa3 F208; Hsu Research VTF-15H subwoofer.
Cables: Digital: Kimber AGDL coaxial (sources to pre-pro), AudioQuest Carbon HDMI (to pre-pro for SACD), TARA Labs Rectangular Solid Core (sources to preamp), Cardas Hexlink (preamps to power amp). Speaker: Monster M1.5.
Accessories: Monster HTS5000 Reference Power Center (preamps, players).—Thomas J. Norton

COMPANY INFO
GP Acoustics (UK) Limited
US: GP Acoustics (US) Inc.
10 Timber Lane
Marlboro, NJ 07746
(732) 683-2356
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
James.Seeds's picture

I know many manufacturers have a practice of doing this "Designed in the U.K, U.S.A or Canada and manufactured in China to the specifications of......."
Is KEF getting that much of a break on the labor costs and having them shipped by boat to North America, is it worth it to be associated with China?
At $3500.00 a pop is it not feasible to keep it in-house and take a slight hit on production costs, at the dealer they will be marked up by 50% anyway
My hobby is apparently supporting the PRC

shp's picture

I was looking forward to the new KEF R series. But as I read it, the review seems a bit qualified. A good speaker that's slightly idiosyncratic in its distribution pattern and sonic signature. I was waiting for something like "proper system matching is critical."

With a slightly rolled off high end and shallower bass extension, it seems like most tube amps wouldn't be the best match.

Is that a fair read?

raspeaker's picture

As a purely subjective observation from someone who used to sell KEF products, I think KEF has recently improved their speakers' reproduction of high frequencies. In the early days, KEF speakers sounded smooth and spacious but too rolled off at the top. I would not have bought them for myself. Some of the more recent models produced by KEF sound noticeably better to me in high frequency reproduction, however, and I have recommended these to others on occasion.

Bkhuna's picture

In a flash of inspiration..... that dawned on them decades after Tannoy did essentially the same thing.

John Atkinson's picture
Bkhuna wrote:
hat dawned on them decades after Tannoy did essentially the same thing.

The Tannoy driver was very different. It mounted the tweeter dome behind the woofer pole-piece and used the vented pole-piece and the woofer cone as a horn. The KEF driver mounts the tweeter on the front of the woofer pole-piece and while the woofer cone modifies the tweeter's dispersion, it doesn't horn-load the tweeter.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

Bkhuna's picture

Thanks for the lesson.

Oguz's picture

I bought this speaker one week ago after auditioned it against R500, Sonus Faber Venere 2.5, Monitor Audio Silver 8 and Focal Aria 936. I went to the store with the prejudgement of "bass shy" speaker but after auditioned all these speakers, I can say R700 has deepest and cleanest bass. It is also very well detailed. The only thing I did not like too much is treble performance which I hope it will get better after 50 hours of listening. I tested these speaker with my own Cambridge Audio 851W power amplifier.

Whitty's picture

Oguz, what about the treble response did you not like? Has the treble response improved after break in?

Oguz's picture

Yes, treble response has significantly improved. I am happy with R700 speakers.
I bought Hypex Ncore modules (NC400) and directly drive them with balanced output of Twisted Pair's Ivy III. The sound is not as musical as Cambridge Audio 851W but these modules drive R700 speakers more aggressively. R700 certainly likes power.

Whitty's picture

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