KEF Q-series. Any thoughts?

[jOesavesbeEs]

I own a pair of Kef Coda 70s, which I think are pretty darned good. Does anyone have any insight to give on their Q-series? I'm thinking about either going iQ1 or iQ3. Supposedly they have fantastic imaging and soundstaging.

Are they worth the upgrade, if there even is one?

[philhh]

I own a pair of Kef Coda 70s, which I think are pretty darned good. Does anyone have any insight to give on their Q-series? I'm thinking about either going iQ1 or iQ3. Supposedly they have fantastic imaging and soundstaging.

Are they worth the upgrade, if there even is one?

I haven't heard the Coda 70s, but I have the older XQ1's which have superb imaging and soundstage to them... though I'm starting to get that upgrade fever myself... horrible, isn't it!

[jOesavesbeEs]

Its a really horrible feeling!!! I absolutely love my Coda's, but that itch is always in the back of my mind. Just like with my JBL S38s. They have been "demoted to Home Theater" when my Coda's came into the picture. KEF just seems to be more musical than JBL, although my S38s could rock like no other. The reason why I posted this thread was because there were some iQ-1's listed on ebay, which closed at about $120. I do know the XQ is a step up from the IQ's, maybe I should just save my pennies and focus on a more serious upgrade, rather than a lateral move.

But boy, do I love my Coda's! Highs are detailed and refined, mid's grab you, bass is smooth and tight... and when I close my eye, I feel like I can pinch the instruments out of the air.... :-)

[jOesavesbeEs]

By the way, Philhh. I would die to listen to your Krell KAV-400xi. Krell is one of those brands when I see its name the phrase "well ****, I could never afford that" pops in my head. Then again, when I was a Marantz guy, Rotel was the "well ****, I could never afford that" name. So maybe one day, right???!

[audio amateur]

If you can grab the iQ1 for 120$, that's pretty good. There's a pair of iQ5 SE in my parents' house (courtesy of me:)), and I live there half the year. For the price, I think they are quite good.

[jOesavesbeEs]

Oh, you are so good to your parents! About 10 years ago, I bought my Dad a pair of Bose 501s. I thought I was doing a good thing... :(

I would like to get either the iQ5 or iQ7's, but I'm not sure floor standers will be good in my bedroom. Placement will be restricted which might result in boominess.

[audio amateur]

It is something I can enjoy too, so i'm not that good :)

The iQ5 have a very small footprint, which means they take up very little space and therefor allow for a lot of placement options. The iQ1s on stands would take up more room, simply because the base of any stand will have a bigger footprint than the iQ5s.

[frenchmon]

I think LeRoy use to own a pair and he did not have a good experience with them.....maybe he can chime in.

frenchmon

[philhh]

By the way, Philhh. I would die to listen to your Krell KAV-400xi. Krell is one of those brands when I see its name the phrase "well ****, I could never afford that" pops in my head. Then again, when I was a Marantz guy, Rotel was the "well ****, I could never afford that" name. So maybe one day, right???!

Hey Joe,

Sorry for the delay in responding... I lost this thread and had trouble finding it! I see you're in LA... any time you feel like coming down to Escondido you're most welcome (you just need to put up with my 3 kids lol). Bear in mind my Krell is entry level and my room is far from ideal, but overall I'm very pleased with the sound of it and the soundstage and it's a good real-world situation. Some have criticized Krell for a cold sound, but with my KEFs I'm very pleased with the sound and don't find myself missing my older (and larger) Class A amps and separate preamps. If anything, I think it was a big improvement to my system while simplifying things for my wife as well. I'm a big fan! And I mean what I said... you'd be welcome to come listen!

[L3VY]

I listen to iQ3, iQ30 & iQ70.
When you take them from the box that arrive stright from dealer KEF plays really bad. After about 200 hours they are warmed up and perform very well.
I never listen to KEF Coda, but iQ3/iQ30 plays amazingly well as for their price. The best are big stage and that they play a lot of detalis buy they are also very musical. I can listen to them all day long and never get bored.

Notice that Krell 300 series plays different than 400 series.

[jOesavesbeEs]

Ah thanx Philhh. I have a friend who lives in San Diego, maybe I'll have to set up a trip! If by cold sound you mean bright sound, then that is the same thing I hear about my Rotel gear. I guess Kef matches well with cold amplifiers.

Hi L3VY, yeah, I had originally posted up this thread because there were some iQ10s posted very low on ebay... needless to say, the auction closed and sold to some lucky new owner. However, it worked out for the better. I think I would rather go with the 30s or 50-70s. I also heard Kef has an incredibly long break in period, so i'll be prepared for that if I purchased them new. My Coda 70s are very musical, and image very well. Soundstaging is good, but my listening is near field with them. Not sure of how they will sound if they were required to fill up a medium sized room. I rarely drive more than 1 watt into them.