I will more than likely Ring in the new year Live on Twitch. Alone. Cold, Hungry, devoid of human comforts... Feel free to join me if you are East Coast from 10pm-1am!! www.twitch.tv/zeospantera
I’ve had these for a month now and I have to say I’ve had quite the opposite experience. After break in, bass really opened up. I also compared them to the LS50 wireless but the R3 was in my opinion a class above. I haven’t compared to the R300’s. I do have the same bent front grill though, but I’m been promised to get a replacement. A lot of money but well worth it in my opinion. I love them.
After listening to a bunch of cheaper speakers, my partner and I chose the R3s based on the fact that of everything we'd listened to, ithey rritated us the least. We had no idea we'd be spending this much money, but after listening to them, everything else seemed like too big a compromise. The R3s come with all the notes, straight from the factory. Unfortunately they also came with a dented woofer cap and no speaker grilles! Still, they sound as magnificent in our home as they did in the showroom.
For the benefit of those who are struggling with the decision between LS50 and R300...I just spent a month comparing the two back and forth in my bedroom and while they sound very similar, the R300 was a bit too much for the size of room and I got slightly better midrange performance from the LS50. The thing that sealed the deal for me was adding a REL T7i to the LS50’s. That more than made up for any bass deficiency of the LS50 and gave me a better overall experience than I was getting from the R300. If I had a room the size of Z’s living room then I might have gone for the R300 instead.
Me too interested in similar setup. I want to buy Kef ls50 wireless active speakers and connect to them one Rel T7i. Is it enough for 25 sq.m room? Does high level input in comparison to low level make difference with Kefs? It is important, cause active ls50s cannot connect to subs via high level.
@@Cerberus7070 In my experience with Rel yes the hi level connection does make a difference with music (as thats the most likely sernario using that connection) but you have to be aware not all amps like that connection class D for example (hence the kefs don't have that connection) That connection allows for more taught and musical bass i feel. It has more rhythm. Personally i wouldn't get the key ls50 wireless. If they where just straight active speakers id get them in a heart beat. But as they are no. The app isn't stable and the controls scheme very difficult to live with ie one quirk with the volume is when your turning them through the app isn't live feedback so won't actually turn the speaker up till you let go of the slider. (though may of ratified now) Personally id go with rotel with Kef the synergy is great and good quality components at reasonable prices second hand or new and add a dac of your choice and you'd still have change left i feel with better performance but just my opinion
The Bass wasn’t less after the break in, the mids and highs got louder. Break in happens with bass a lot faster because there is a ton of movement. The smaller the movement, the longer the time it takes to loosen up the surrounds.
A credible reviewer said that r300 were more neutral where r3 have more life in them more exciting sounding speaker and that’s good enough reason for me to go with r3
POW! Perfect timing. Flying KEF R300s now., went by my favorite audio shop to check out the r3s contemplating possibly Trading. Agree with you 100% the difference isn't worth it. Then I heard the R5 and R7s. Game changers! If I choose to stay in the KEF line, the upgrade would have to be at least to R5s. Am ordering the S400 Bucards today because that is the only way to hear them here in Atlanta, and am listing to the Monitor Audio line tonight. This is starting to get interesting, what a blast to love good audio in 2019! Happy New Year to all.
@@blade1535With Prima Luna? Same opinion when I heard the R5. Really special combination, Tubes and KEF''s new R series. Amazing rewards when certain combo's just click!
I compared the R3 and R300 in a treaded room and there was surprisingly significant difference - R300 a bit lacking in upper midrange and more boomy bass. R3 very tight bass, flatter frequency response, more open natural highs than the R300, better soundstage, better image separation, more details/dynamics. Overall the biggest difference and most annoying is the lack of upper midrange of the R300. If you search on youtube a video of Tharbamar R300 sound demo and you compare with his LS50 or other speaker video, youll hear how dark the R300 sound in comparison. Anyway I heard them live and I got what I heard in the Tharbamar vids
i guess its just a matter of taste and your preference of music , i personally prefer the 300 , despite all the details, seperation, etc i somehow feel the R3 sounds too bright , like better vocals and tighter bass but feels less spacious . i think the R3 is good for the ear and the brain but the 300 is soothing for the heart.
@@adiphotspur That's an interesting perspective. I recently got a good deal on some R500's. I haven't sorted out my system yet, but I'm looking forward to hearing them. I do have a R2C for comparison.
@@kadiritu Not something discussed online, I work for a KEF Retailer, our R series demonstration units had the same issues. My own personal pair of R5’s did not have any issues with the grilles.
Medium listening room 25 m2 : Have the KEFs R3 with their Stands (all white) + Mytek BROOKLYN DAC+ DAC / PREAMP + ROKSAN K3 POWER AMP, and they are biwired (ECOSSE Cables) ... WOAW ! Love the sound 🙏🏻 They HIT and Imaging is FANTASTIC ! Source : NUPRIME CDT-10 CD Transport, or MacBook Air + Audirvana + SYNOLOGY NAS 2 x 4TB for "Hi-Res" Files. Couldn't be happier at this time 😋
2 things that I cannot accept for $2,000 how you have to constantly push back in the bit of the speaker that comes out and how the speaker cover is warped I understand that this is a defect but I do not know if it's just affecting just this one speaker or others as well.
@@altops4490 A money grab with expensive parts and heavy cabinets? That makes no sense at all. They will only loose money with that, since there will be a lot of people complaining about those manufacturing defects and many units returned. Some Bose products are a money grab, expensive speaker cables are a money grab. And what all of those have in common? They are all much cheaper products with a hefty price tag, but with very effective marketing. Bose speakers have terrible components and cost much more than they should. And I don't remember the price of silver being that high to justify paying $1000 for 1m of hdmi.
Today I had a chance to audition the KEF LS50's OMFG!!!! WOW, I can't believe how these speakers floored me, however, the KEF R3's do provide more depth and better soundstage but either choice is good. The R3 provides you with a built-in sub basically and for 2k is A LOT of speaker for your money. I am trading in my Von Schweikert VR 2's in for quite possibly the R3 but with that being said I am torn between the KEF and the Buchardt S400 which sadly, I can't audition and do a side by side comparison with the KEF's :( If you were in my shoes, KEF R3 or Buchardt S400??? Hmmmm? Let me know, thanks
I want to upgrade my KEF Q150s. I really love them but damn i really wanted the LS50. Now many people said that the r3s are way better. I want to use them on my desk so they would be my daily for everything. Movies, music and gaming. Would you say the r3s are too much on a desk especially for the money or should i think about spending the extra money for the r3s? In germany the LS50 Black Edition are now 900 Euros and the R3s 1600 Euros so the r3s are almost double the price. :/
I got my R3s before I saw this review. I've got the same complaints but not as bad as the pair Z reviewed. One grill is a little warped but it's barely noticeable. I only checked the speaker surrounds after watching the review and they were out very slightly. I've had them for almost a month. I'm not going to let it bother me as long as it's not affecting function. I had the Q350 before and these are definitely an upgrade in every way. I'm happy with their bass performance but bass isn't an issue for me either since I'm using them with an SVS SB2000. As far as color goes, I think the black is by far the best color. When I was considering the R300, white was a more valid option but I still would have chosen black. Since I've never heard the R300 I can't say if I'm missing anything with the R3. I don't regret having them.
Kelvin Mullahoo i compared the r300 and r3 in a well treated room. The r3 is better in everything - flatter frequency response, tighter bass, more details, better instrument separation, bigger soundstage. Bought them on the spot. My bigger concern was the color because the white is beautiful imo, but I chose black, very stealthy, invisible almost
I also have the kef r3. Previously I had the kef ls50, I had a different experience than zeos. The left r3 is better in all respects, but I think the bass is on par, maybe the ls50 is a little tighter but the r3 bass have more presence overall. Also on a personal note, I think the tone is neutral on r3 and the ls50 is a little bit bright in comparison. Hope that helps.
Uncomparable. Just heard KEF R3 and the Buchardt S400 in my home. KEFs are too directional, too flat sounding. S400 way better in sound image, in bass, in everything. Dont consider R3 if you can buy S400. Only negative on S400 can be design-looks and build quality.
@@marksmeets5315 Kef r line is anything but directional, perhaps the electronics you used or the room is the source of the problem. Flat sounding ? I had exactly the opposite problem. I found the holographic imaging amazing in some material but terrible is other. Keep is mind that this speaker costs less than 1500 euros in europe.
I have had 3 pairs of KEF, 2 sold: KEF LS50W and Q350. Amp broken with the 1st one. Driver units broken on the latter. Now, I have KEF R3, walnut scratch out of the box. So, KEF QC is really bad in 惠州. Worst of the worst. The only reason why I still have a KEF is that it sounds neutral, tonal balance very good, low distortion and affordable price *to showcase my product-tube preamp YiXin Audio 「拾M.D.」.* It is the business reason I keep a KEF........but it shows how hi-end, expensive soundstage and detail, magnificent timbre , noble, dynamic but mellow and sweet sound of my product, YiXin Audio 「拾M.D.」
I got them yesterday and like your copy mine had the same warped grill problem. The rubber surround on the woofer has different dimensions on left and right speaker which to me is a clear indication of manufacturing defect. Sending them back today. Maybe I will get lS50 or studio 590 again, should have never sold them.
Ditto. I own a pair of LS50s and like them a lot. But when I saw the Whathifi review of the R3s, I had to check them out at my local hi-fi shop. The shop owner did A/B comparisons of the LS50s and R3s for me with multiple genres of music. The R3s sounded better and the difference was very clear and obvious. Long story short, I ordered a pair of R3s and will be putting my LS50s up on eBay soon.
Z, you always bring home the bacon, in your reviews....Meaning I think you tell it like it is .... brother! Some reviews on the Tube, are Commercials for the manufacture (that's it) nothing more!!! You have what it takes for a Real Down to Earth hands on REVIEW! OK, tell me how do these KEF R3 match up to a Pair of Buchardt S400's ???? Thanks, keep up the good work & HAPPY NEW YEAR! LATER
I bought a cheap 100 bucks edifier speaker but I put a decent dsp before the speaker input and got a 3000 dolar sound with 300 bucks. That is amazing but I liked your video. Keep going bro....
I don't understand how Z gets ANYTHING to sound RIGHT in his current set up! No, reallly!! Little to no acoustic treatment considerations, speakers on SUUUPER high stands, locating the woofers half way between the ceiling and floor, and one speaker located in front of open door and to the kitchen?? Im certain those stand locations where just rando considerations
There is something off about the grille on the R series. I just got 3 R series speakers (2x R7, and R2c) and all 3 grilles were warped just like yours, two of them so much that they wouldn't even remain in place. I contacted support and got radio silence. It's now been several weeks and they are starting to straighten out, but at this price point everything should be ship shape when it comes out of the box.
In Europe atm one can buy a new pair of r500 for 1500 euros a new pair or r700 for 2k or a pair of r900 for 2.5k. Honestly for 2k I'd pick r700 over R3 any day of the week.
In the UK the prices are much more reasonable as they're designed and made there (the more premium ones anyway), so they dictate the conversion in other currencies, which is never favourable.
The r700 are so huge comparing to r300 , never mind r900 . I had before r700 in my room , and they were just too big as a size , also as a sound stage . Now I've got r300 and they sound just perfect for a medium room . Powered by ONKYO a-9050 . Very happy .
@@ndis1977 I'm sorry I have not tried them in my room . However my friend got them and I've heard them a lot , and of course they sound amazing for their price . If you can afford Reference Line go for it , or even Blade Two if you have enough room space and $$$ . They will last forever and we live only once on this amazing Planet . That is my next purchase when I move to a bigger house .
This brings up an interesting question from my ignorance. Has anyone ever tested 2 or more of the same exact speakers to see if they preform similar? Or go to one set broken in vs new? I'm sure that wouldn't be cost effective but it would be interesting to see. I've got a pair of speakers from the 70's that are phenomenal at filling the room with warm richness that is there tone after years of love being poured out of them. I'd love to hear a new pair of them if it was somehow possible.
The R 300 has been $1598 CAD in Canada for at least 6 months. The LS50 went as low as $999 CAD. A year ago I low balled a pair of R 900s for only $3600 CAD. I also got a pair of RTi A9s for only $750 CAD. All pairs and brand new (not open boxes). £700 is a smoking deal for R300s.
Hello Z, Please advise if KEF reference 1 are that much better than the R3 as to justify the increase in price? What amplifier would you recommend to drive either of these model speakers? Thanks.
Z love your reviews, but I have two requests. 1. Anime figure reviews, this is should've happened years ago the anime figure scene has needed your touch for decades now 2. Upload more affordable shit, as much as I like seeing you tear apart 1200 dollar headphones, I would really prefer if you had more reviews on stuff within the 200 - 800 dollar tier.
Ok I'm sorry, I've been watching for just under 8 minutes Are you telling me that that bass is coming from just the speakers?! What!? That's insane. OK I'm going to keep watching to be sure.
zakblue just ordered q150s vs only 200$ is that a good deal? I was like shit im only 18 and i could just get the klipsch r51m for 140 but i spent the extra 60 on the q150. Would you say it was worth it?
@@paulwenzel8914 I've never heard the q150 only the q300 and q350. I think you probably can't go wrong with the q150 though. I'd pair it with a sub and should sound great. Lots of people seem to prefer the q150 over the q350 i think partially due to size. Congrats on the purchase.
Excuse me pal but could I ask in your opinion, for mostly 5.1 sound (I have tannoy revolution xt floorstanders for music and dont want to change that) would you go Kef R3 + R2C or B&W 706 S2 + HTM71 S2...so basically Kef R3 vs 706 S2 bookshelf's since the centres are matching the lineup. Spec wise they're similar, but nobody near me has both avail to demo in same locale. Thanks!!
Regarding the warped grille: You should be able to easily get it replaced. I had a similar problem with a warped grille on a Paradigm speaker. I just phoned the dealer who sold me the speaker and he got me a new grille right away, no charge of course.
I hate to be not picky but your speaker front end is not even as close to as clean as your headphone gear. I feel like your speaker setup is more geared to home theater and not critical listening. I’d love to see these speakers pair with the a different amplifier stage and one of your more expensive dacs.
Also, one thing to look for is how a speaker scales. Does adding a better dac make a difference? Some speakers just won’t. Others, get better and better as you improve the signal chain. Scalability would be cool thing to share in your reviews. Thanks
ehhh. I think you are underestimating both my living room system and the fact I use most speakers I review in multiple places before the final assessment.
@@ZReviews I don't mean to be disrespectful. I support you as a content creator. I think you can agree that your headphone gear is far advanced than your two channel. As much as you love the crown doom stacks for home theater, they are not two-channel reference amplifiers. They just aren't. If you apply everything we have learned along the way from headphone amplification, you have to agree. Yes, you have a ton of power in the crowns, but those output stages and power supplies aren't designed for audiophile listening. that's not their purpose. Great for home theater. Not for high-end two channel audio. Think of all the headphones you've reviewed that are particular to some amps versus others. Speakers are no different. I'm not saying you should get some crazy audiophile rig, but I don't think crown amplifiers are a good demonstration ofthe Kef R3s capability.
You won't here a difference between a crown amplifier and your typical audiophile amp. The only difference you here is pure placebo :)@@rickbradshaw2148
@@LarsTimme Everyone is entitled to their opinion.Your opinon just happens to be wrong. Amplifiers absolutely make a difference. At the same volume level, my Primaluna Prologue Four sounds very different from my Behringer A500 which is still different from my Marantz PM8006 and my vintage Marantz 2230. Each of them, present my Focal Aria 926s differently. Some speakers actually don't respond well to high current. Others do. Not to be a d-bag, but if you believe that amplifiers don't make a difference then like 70% of the headphone amplifier reviews are complete BS. Same goes with the DAC reviews. DAC chips are off the shelf. What seperates good from great is often the power supply and the output stage (um the amplifier). I've been in this hobby long enough to experience the difference so honestly it doesn't bother me that you disagree, but for the sake of others who are new. Amplifiers will scale. The difference isn't huge. There are diminishing returns. The difference is there :)
Where do you get a $500 sub that has the quality of bass as the R series? I have tried subs over double the price and I just can't listen to music with that quality of bass. I bet some bass traps behind your speakers would make a huge improvement. Those sunken window wells with glass surface can't possibly be good for sound quality. Hard surface bounces can either double the intensity or completely cancel out certain bass frequencies, depending on how the crests and troughs in the frequency wave match up after the rebound.
As an owner of R3s for a year, I found they are not transparent enough. .... switched to B&W 606s2 a couple of days ago.... I can feel nothing from them when listening to cello or violin.
Just curious, are all this speakers on top of those ohms getting any speaker placement experimentation? Or just thrown on top of those nice ohms and expected to sound good...
His Ohms are where he has placed mainly every other speaker in his living room. That is the best place to put the speakers. He talks about it in one of his videos, I can't remember which one. Maybe doom stack video or sub placement?
@@MrDanderskoff maybe, but i donno of two type's of speaker's with the same acoustical properties, the ohms are omnidirectional so they can be placed alot easier for good results almost anywhere in the room, some speakers need to be alot closer together and some more far apart also further away from the walls etc., well in a way most people wont have the luxury to have speakers placed for best results. Also can't generalise that a pair of speakers are bad cause the don't work in ur room as they might work differently in someone else's room with different electronics etc..
Bought r300's (1200.00) six months ago and added (2) JL Dominion 10'' subwoofers w/1500 watt's (2200.00) and I'm pretty sure I could hang there with any 8,000 to 10,000 speaker setup. For some reason I think you've got something against KEF r series speakers, I could tell by the way you talked about the r300 review and this video kind of backs it up. By you're own admission or enthusiasm! I'm not saying you're wrong, but I really don't think they are that bad at at all. But anyone who thinks they can get away without a good subwoofer or much better 2 subwoofer setup is wrong, especially with bookshelf speakers. Good subwoofers will get you more bass and open up your mid-range frequency to where you will never go back. J L subs are BADASS! Period! No matter what, I just love your awesome reviews and attitude...
@@En_Joshi-Godrez People have to quit comparing bookshelf with floorstanders. They both have there own attributes for a certain reason and sound! Physics can't be changed
robert deboer No, buchardt's are all bookshelves. I don't know about the bookshelf vs tower argument as I've only had bookshelf's and the only towers I've heard were significantly more expensive than that, so its not really a fair comparison. If I had a guess, anything pass 2k you will start to see diminishing returns on a bookshelf vs a tower of equivalent cost. I've not heard the kef reference 1's, but I don't think they are going to sound all that much better than the r3 or the buchardt s400's in any realistic capacity.
soundstage is slightly wider on R3 and bass is slightly better, otherwise R300 and R3 sound the same. Physically R300 is wider and shorter and without the grill looks better (aluminum rings)
cars which cost hundreds of thousands break. so it’s a moot point, it’s a simple defect, you have a warranty, easily replace. and the new r3 have double the excursion than the r300 which is huge, among other upgrades.
Can someone please answer me with simple words..?Buchard s400 or Kef R3?I already got the JBL 530s by the way...By the way Kef means "Pleasure" in my language... :)
He never answered so I will. There are a lot of good vintage speakers and it will depend on what sound signature you prefer. I have listened to many, I am 53 so have had the time to audition many, the ones that I ended up keeping and will never part with are the ADS L710's, they are a 3-way design with 2 woofers in separate chambers. They are not a large speaker and I would consider them a large bookshelf speaker but they sound awesome and do all genres of music very well, I might not want to drive them to extreme levels with hard thumping music (though I have never tried it) but for casual listening they cannot be beat. I have never heard of anyone who owned a pair not like them.
@@The_Story_Channel I had a pair of the Braun L710 (preceded ADS picking up the line) purchased 1974. Fantastic speaker and one which I wish I never sold. I preferred them over the slightly large L810 which were not as balanced sounding as the L710.
KEF is an acronym derived from the company's original name: Kent Engineering and Foundry. These are OK speakers, but are hardly end-game units. BTW - thanks for not testing them upside-down.
Come on KEF.... quality control failure. For $2000 these should be immaculate. The KEF Reference speakers concept is a good one. In many ways they are good value and will do justice to good music from a good front end.
i would buy the r series... if... they had the same color options as the reference series does. But they haven't. Personally i like the blue / white combo of the LS50s and the Reference.
Hear the reference 1. They mop the floor with these. The crazy thing is, that the >10k price range is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to high end audio.
I'm listening through Momentums and felt the rhythm as the vid started .... after 6 years of Kef Ref 2012s ... I'll admit it ... I miss my bass :'-( Even with 2 x Sb2000s
You ever review vintage speakers like the klispch kg 2.5 large bookshelf speakers ? their amazing !! I bought a pair in 1997 for 499 and it's hard for me to find better in the price range the elac 6.2 didn't even come close I sold them to my cousin one day when i do find s replacement going to send you the KG 2.5 to get your full review for the money their nice
I just purchased a pair of R3s and stands. KEFs stands DO NOT bolt up directly to the R3s. The mounting plate is smaller than the spacing of the threaded inserts on the speaker. Not acceptable for a high end product/ company to advertise a product "mounted" to another of their products when there needs to be another mounting plate fabbed up and finished so it can be used. I wrote a review on KEFs site and they won't post it. Not impressed.
