KEF R300 vs Dali Rubicon 2 (6-song comparison) 

if you have to choose between kef, dynaudio, dali, what would you choose? I'm looking for some speakers to pair with a Yamaha s2200. What kind of sound do you like?

@@catalinniculae5740 depends on what genres you're listening to. I noticed I start to enjoy more genres with Kef (especially rock & EDM) since they are very neutral, focused & coherent, has the best bass with great vocals & Imaging-- this is my personal 1st choice. My next choice would be Dali since they are just super rhythmic and exciting to listen to with jawdropping detail & clarity (can get bright though). Dynes are great too and are technically the better of the 3 but can be very expensive and the sound can sometimes get boring (though super refined) (vocals seem a bit dry). I havent heard the special 40 so my judgement is limited to the Excite X18. The Kefs have deeper & stronger bass than SP40 according to a friend who has owned both but the special 40 has better midbass & airier smoother more resolving highs.

@@catalinniculae5740 I am pairing Dalis with a-s2100. It is a bit tiring I must say. Try to find some speakers that sound relaxed. There is a video a-s 2100 paired with monitor audio gold 200 5g. I think that is a good match. And I must say Dalis match really well with hegel h360.

@@jazzabana how does the Dali sound on the hegel? much more balanced? does it have decent bass extension with the hegel?

@@mykeldg the most obvious difference is that the soundstage is deeper and music is not playing to your face. It is rather relaxed, soft and the soundstage is further away behind your speakers. I am not a bass head but it was pretty decent nothing less than a-s2100. I think Dali's bass range is already good enough for me. I recently changed my source to innuos zenmini mk3 and purchased audioquest nrg y3 mains cable for a-s2100. This was another good investment I would say. Again I can easily say dalis r a really good match if you like your system sounding relaxed and have the stage further away from you which I do, because than the whole experience turns into a passive listening rather than an active one. So it relaxes. ✌

agreed

me,too.

also I noticed the recording I used for the Rubicons are old & using silver cables (a bit bright on this demo). I will try to make an updated recording

Hi, planning on upgrading to Rubicon. Do you think they are bright or harsh sounding at all. From this demo I can say it is lively in the top end? Thank you

@@MrComand3r what amp and dac do you plan to use? Currently they are not that bright any more but I do find that they can be lean on the mids/vocals a bit if not positioned correctly or too close to the back wall or if paired with bright electronics. They are very revealing though--- its as if the woofers are very fast (kef sounds compressed beside the Rubicon) and that additional detail can be perceived at brightness for some people but in my opinion they are just very low distortion so much detail comes out. In my latest video, I am using a chord mojo DAC and removed the guitar in the corner, not as bright any more : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dLo499n6G44.html but try to audition if possible because the level of detail from Rubicons I still have not found from any other speakers. (including dynaudio special 40)

thanks! nice to know a fellow Dali fan. Even compared to the more expensive Dynaudio Special 40, which I have now, I sometimes still miss that musical lively Dali character full nuance and snap. Most of the most engaged I have been are with Dali speakers so far (more specific to Rubicon 2). Hoping to have epicons in the future but might be too poor for it at the moment :D cheers

BTW how do you rank the rubicon 2 against all the speakers you have now including the contours? If you love the Rubicon sound, you should hear the Epicon 2. Its a bit more balanced but still has that fluid Dali rhythm.

@@mykeldg Well, you said it - liveliness and snap! That’s what I think sets these apart, plus their overall tonal balance, that just seems so right and engaging. Most fast speakers suffers deficiencies in tonal balance, and most full sounding 2-way speakers are slower by comparison. That goes for Dynaudio and Harbeth, both use heavy silica reinforced polymers for the woofers. Fine speakers though that do certain things like bass weight and detail very well. A limiting factor in my setup regarding speaker choice has been my Sugden amp, that probably works best with lively speakers that don’t need a ton of power. The Contour 20’s worked better with more power - a Primaluna Dialogue Premium sounded good for instance - but it still was not as fast sounding as the Dali’s. I got bored with those (Named each speaker after beautiful but cold ex-girls, haha). Harbeths are wonderful speakers, but more ‘pretty’ sounding and again, needs a lot (100 w) of power. Will probably get a more powerful amp now - Exposure 3510 int. - that may affect things. But if a speaker is not fast enough to do timing and dynamics effortlessly, I tend to quickly loose interest. Also why I prefer 2-way standmounts to floorstanders. Have considered the Epicon 2s - have only heard them in shop, where they sounded a bit warm to my taste and with less zing on top. No doubt a more correct speaker though. A guy at the Dali factory said to they generally consider the Rubicon 2 the gem of thier entire speaker lineup for price/performance. I use them with a Rega P10 / Avid Pulsus pre + Mytek Brooklyn Bridge DAC and don’t think they are outclassed at all. These are something special. Cross over is simple - two caps and three coils, five resistors - but all cheap parts. Bought $300 worth of high quality caps and resistors with same values for the crossovers, but they take up more space and but have realised I’m not qualified to mess with new crossovers myself 😁 Will have to find a professional to do the upgrade.

@@mykeldg Update: Sold my Rubicons and got a pair of (six month old/new in mint condition) Epicon 2's - have to admit it is the better speaker; and maybe the best speaker I have heard? I know that's saying a lot, but the sheer musicality, naturalness, detail, transparency, speed and scale is incredible in a single package, belies the size AND the price in equal measure. I prefer it to Focal Sopra for instance (at twice the price). Fantastic :-) Only minor thing, in my system it has exposed a bright sounding interconnect (Ansuz Signalz X) that now needs replacing, because the speaker is much clearer and detailed on top than the Rubicons. Will try to post a video soon :-)

Soundapple I recommend you listen to the ATC-100.

Да, благодаря маленькой девчушке кеф поинтереснее смотрелись, а дали заскучали в одиночестве. Люблю дали, но кеф звучали с этими композициями выгрышнее

It also faster ( the woofer) giving everything more prat( pace rhythm and timing)

they're still the champ from all the speakers i tried so far. (even after trying more expensive dynaudio special 40) i settled with them and stopped upgrading.

they sound warmer in person though. in this video its a bit bright because of room and weaker amp i had before during time of recording

@@mykeldg Might they pair well with the SMSL AO300?

@@MadLadsAnonymous I only tried the SMSL A300. its decent but probably not 50% of what the speakers are capable of. they will sound flatter dynamically and have less of that 3d soundstage in those amps but have will have great clarity. but dont take my word for it, i have a sound comparison of smsl amp vs traditional class AB amps here and see how you find it : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JBmH9uX4I0A.htmlsi=_kpMpjE6G3ghSOf_

@@mykeldg I'll take a look! So, you don't believe the advice that Class D amps now can be as good as Class AB? I heard the D amps use amazing technology. New to all this.

I also think the KEF are far more neutral and accurate to the source. You can also notice vocals are much more present & solid with the KEFs. Dali seems to have sprinkled some magic with its unique tonal balance and makes everything airy, rhythmic & engaging though (if you dont mind a bit non neutral)

@@mykeldg It seems that your taste changes with time. It tends to be. The finish will be very dry, fast and accurate German acoustics. It's like with wines, the finish is dry wine. Anyway, I like to look your way.

@ indeed it does. I went back to the Dalis eventually as the Kefs bored me lol.

This is True. I am also selling the R300 and went back to the Dali. :D

Thanks! Try Denon pma2500ne, hegel h95 or h190, nad c388 or M10, rega elex or elicit r, marantz pm8006, schiit ragnarok 2, schiit aegir

Hegel h360.

Moon

Marantz pm-14 sa

I prefer the Kef r300 by a large margin over the 606. I remember also preferring the q350 over the 606. probably the 706 is more comparable but I still prefer the Kefs over those since the bowers are brighter than the Dali. the uniq & imaging of the kefs need to be heard in person to be appreciated.

@@mykeldg Thanks for the reply and the offer. I am not in the Philippines. I'm in the United States. I will be considering buying the R3 soon. Have a great day.

@@Miguel8131981 Also consider Dynaudio if you have the Budget. I eventually got bored with the Kef and Went back to the Dalis. If you like neutral balanced sound with lots of bass go with R3. But I eventually found it sounds a bit compressed & less dynamic beside the Dali.

The Kef R3 are NOT the same as the R300....not even by a long shot! Pls don't bother with the R3s...trust me, I fell into that trap myself! Even the Kef Q100 sound (much) better than the R3s !!!

yeah that is plausible. what did you replace them with? Kef sounds a bit metallic in the mids. must be the aluminum woofers. it just has a weird (non-organic) tonal characteristic I could not point my fingers on. it is a bit veiled and missing some layers. In this demo I was already using partial foam plugs

@@mykeldg i got an opportunity on some Sonus Faber Venere 1.5. they can be a bit 'boomy' at times, but it's a nice speaker to live with. currently looking into some Dynaudios. maybe the Special Forty or even Contour 20i.

They do have midrange, in fact their mids are more fleshed out than most speakers I have tried. Perhaps its just a bit leaner. Some say this is because it is much lower in distortion due to Dali SMC. Could also be because they are wide dispersion by design and a bit tilted up in the treble on axis. Could also be because The onkyo driving them (which are leaner in character) are exacerbating this trait.

@@views8962 Agreed, hard to tell just from a recording but the Dali defiantly sounded more detailed to me and the KEF much more relaxed with a 'richer' sound. Maybe this could be solved with the addition of a sub, but it's difficult to draw conclusions without trying and listening in person. Very different sounding speakers for different tastes.

Other way around..

love the Dalis. Sounds even better in person than in this recording. The kefs sounds compressed beside the dali.

@@mykeldg yes, completely agreed, Kef sounded veiled compared to Dali,

I havent yet but i would love to. They do have similar low distortion and paper woofer natural sound so yes maybe ill like them too

Yes 100%

what genres do you listen to? I think it is safer to go with the Kef. it is a more balanced and complete sound with superior imaging. that said, Dali can be more engaging/rhythmic/natural/less-metallic at the expense of bass extension and midrange presence. Also I think the R300 is in a similar price class as the Rubicons which is a level higher than the opticons.

@@mykeldg I listen mostly jazz & funk, progressive rock, some reggae and a bit of classical. Just music, no TV. I'll listen to the Opticon tomorrow but sadly I've no chance to listen to the KEF. Thanks a lot for your answer!

@@mykeldg The most important is sound character, not the price. I had KEF Q300 and R300 and i was not happy with them. I preffer Opticon 2 over R300.

@@82ivaylo i agree!

@@82ivaylo I also got bored quickly with the R300. I went back to the Rubicon 2 which I find hard to replace.

Hi. In this video the tone controls were set to bypass / direct mode / off on both speakers

The Dali is about 30+% higher in cost. In person though, the Dalis are more forward & rhythmic. It probably sounds more forward in the recording for the Kef due to the waveguide & 3-way design. Both are great speakers with the Kef having advange in balance, vocals and bass. While the Dali is energetic, open and yes holographic.

they're very good all rounder speaker with big sound!

Kef also has that bit of tonal color where it sounds like aluminum woofers.

Narrower vs wider dispersion. Some would say that narrower dispersion actually has more clarity and detail due to less room interaction. But you do notice that it isn't as "ear filling" in mid to treble.

@@RennieAsh perhaps u r rite but KEF has always been a tad muffled to me. Even the hi end Ref 1 which i heard driven by exp accuphase sounded veiled. I dun know abt u but for me a veiled sound is no good, wide dispersion or not

Hi, maybe Dynaudio X18. Kef R300 is very good too but for some like myself it was a bit dull and less revealing than Dynaudio & Dali and the timbre is not as natural. But if you really like Rubicon, try looking for them in the used market. I got mine for only $1200

@@mykeldg hi myke. I just bought a pair of Rubies sh, I don't have them yet, but soon will arrive. You said that the Rubicon bass reach 46htz in you room. What tool did you use to measure that. There is an phisical instrument or an app to install to your phone that you use? Thx

@@sebastiannegrus9007 I just used simple bass sweep video from you tube like this one (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-M8gjsefNYpE.html) and check until which freq it is audible. There is a clear drop off at around 50hz and 49hz to 41hz is still audible but probably -6db to -10db

@@sebastiannegrus9007 congrats on the rubicon BTW. hope you'll like thm. make sure you run them in and giv a few days to adjust to the very fast detailed sound.

@@mykeldg Thank you Myke. You have had quite an influence in my decision to finally choose Rubicon 2, after a lot of research,I really hope I would like them. Currently I have a Yamaha A-S500 amp to drive them, I look with interest in your new amp choice, I'm sure you will let as know if you find something better than Onkio as my next step I think will be for sure amp replacement. My listening condition is very similar to yours.

maybe when they finally implement the meta tech to the R3 in the future. For the price of the r300 that can be had in the used market, its really a steal considering so much similarity with R3

in terms of preference it is Dali>Dynaudio>Kef>Atc. but maybe different for others preference, room and gear used.

yup dynes are really great with bass. the X18 for me had better bass than even the Kef r300. a friend did say dynes (subjectively) lacked rhythm for him -- so I guess it depends on your preference & priorities. there is a new M20 so maybe you should audition that as well. unfortunately I haven't heard the audio vectors yet.

both are great and plays on different strengths. I honestly think the Dali is a bit higher level (it costs 50% more than the R300). The Dali is super rhythmic with lots of insight, microdynamics, energy, clarity and engagement. However, the sound can sometimes be too much for some people and the mids & bass can be lean on certain occasions(it has plenty of texture & nuance though). The Kef on the other hand seems warmish neutral with floor-stander level bass and unmatched imaging due to uniQ technology. Vocals are also very good to great. Its a much easy to live with sound but needs careful positioning so the sound will not be dull due to the strong bass (in this demo, I was already using partial foam plugs)

@@mykeldg thanks for the review 👍🏻 The other problem with KEF is they will no doubt be fitting Meta technology to their whole speaker range eventually.. so it's tempting to wait for those versions to arrive I think!

@@jules153 that is also the reason I skipped the r3 -- might as well wait for an updated version. that said, I didnt expect to like the r300 as much as I currently do. and for the low price you can get them in the used market, they are a steal.

The R3 is better than the LS50 Meta no question....

Also the LS50 sounds muddled with orchestral tracks. The concentric driver has its limits

Rubicon 2 easily. but if you like bass extension, s400 has more of that

If you love the Dali sound,--- yes ---- Dali is way better. (More insight, clarity, super rhythmic, microdynamics). Kef strength is in the Bass, focus/coherence, vocals & Imaging and can be easily heard in this demo. Also the treble is also very detailed but does not become bright like the Dalis.

@@mykeldg hi, nice video. I am tempting to buy a second hand r300 at 700 euros. Room size 40 to 45cm2, current amp. Rotel RA1520 . Music preferences 50% heavy metal, pro rock, classic rock. 20% Jazz, 20% electronic 10 scores. You think would be matched?

@@mykeldg hi, another question. I have a pair of speaker stands but kind of old (made of wood) they include spikes underneath though. You think should i buy a new ones? Thanks

@@meletisstavridis3125 other than aesthetics, I think those will be fine. Im only using $80 wooden stands with sand filling.

@@meletisstavridis3125 other than aesthetics, I think those will be fine. Im only using $80 wooden stands with sand filling.

they are definitely less forgiving depending on the source track as it is more transparent. it is also less forgiving on placement (the room treatment I had when i did this video was horrible making it sound bright). out of all the speaker i tried, this one can handle the most complexity without the soundstage collapsing. But i believe complexity can easily be handled by any speaker above $500 if the amp and source are up to the task. i could not use super famous songs like MJ as they get muted due to copywrite.

@@mykeldg thanks!

А на Кефах голос с металлическим оттенком, да ещё и как из рупора.

Kef R300 probably especially for imaging, detail & clarity. but if you want warm Big sound, the linton is massive speaker.

Yup its just for fun. I guess you can hear the relative difference between the 2 speakers if u use neutral headphones. But its true nothing beats a personal demo especially when making big purchasing decisions.

@@mykeldg Thank you for not taking offense at my comment. As I said, I still enjoy watching and listening to these videos. Who is the artist playing the funk category. Reminds me of old Santana. Great stuff! The little girl is adorable. Thank you for the video.

You can clearly hear a difference in sound signature on youtube. Im absolutely sick of people leaving these smart ass comments criticising demo videos on RU-vid. Everyone knows RU-vid is compressed junk, EVERYONE. How else is the creater supposed to share his experience? Organise home visits for all youtube viewers. Piss off

yes they tend to sound a bit on the boring side. and timbre is a bit metallic.