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New KEF Reference 5 speakers

After many months of auditioning speakers (and probably testing the patience of several salesmen) I finally decided to get the KEF Reference 5s.  I just loved the wide sound stage and almost holographic imaging, among other things.  They were delivered in February and I’ve spent many hours listening.  At first I was disappointed.  They just didn’t produce the same imaging at my house with my equipment as in the store.  Also, they sounded bright and harsh with violins and high end music.  The dealer came to my house along with the regional sales rep from KEF to provide advice.  They urged me to allow more break in time (at that point they had been played about 100 hours). After many more hours, I am becoming more acquainted with them.  They are still improving with time.  Them break in period seems to be very lon. They’ve played several hundred hours and are still improving. They are extremely source sensitive—meaning that a poorly engineered record or CD will sound terrible and a well recorded one can be great.  I suppose this is a good thing with the KEFS-that they reveal flaws so well says something about their accuracy. Unfortunately there seem to be more bad recordings than good ones so I’m finding many of my CDs and records very difficult to listen to.  I am still experimenting with speaker placement, learning which recordings are really good and which aren’t and other tweaks.  Not totally convinced it’s love but we are at least in like and the relationship is moving in a positive direction. I’ve delayed posting anything until now because I didn’t want to share any premature conclusions.  
fast
fast OP
92 posts
 
Thanks for bringing this discussion back on topic.  I am liking the Reference 5s more as I listen to them over longer periods.  Don’t known if the speakers are still breaking in, whether I am getting used to their sound or (probably) a combination of both.  I followed a suggestion on this board and changed the speaker wires from the 8 ohm to the 4 ohm terminals on my Audio Research power amp, which seems to help.  I have an old Musical Fidelity P170 solid state power amp and I’ve been thinking of trying this with my Audio Research preamp and the KEF speakers just to hear any difference.  I also may be able to borrow a McIntosh solid state power amp for the same purpose.  Some have suggested that solid state amps pair better with the KEF Reference 5s than tube amps, which is why I’ve considered this experiment.  All input is very welcome.  
trknomo
80 posts
 
@fast I’m having the same experience as you are but with the Ref 3’s. I also had AR gear and finally switched to McIntosh. Yes so much better and almost liveable, but still not making me 100% happy with all my music. I did a lot to try and like these speakers, but I’m finally calling it quits. It’s 8 months later and going to cut my loss. 
theothergreg
222 posts
 
I started with an MC275 (90 wpc) with my Reference 5s and the sound was good.  Very smooth with nice mids and smooth highs.  Not the best resolution, but cast a fairly good sound stage.

I moved to Electrocompaniet Nemo monoblocks and the Reference 5s really opened up.  The Nemos are on the warm side, so didn't miss any of the wonderful mids and highs that I loved about the MC275.  The first thing I noticed was the much faster and very articulate bass.  The sound stage became much wider and deeper, with excellent separation.

As I mentioned above, the Reference 5s really like clean, high current power.  It will be interesting to get the results of your experiment and see if you can find a great matching amp in your setup.


stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,405 posts
 
@trknomo...………………………

I feel bad for you but I went through it as well with 2 different pairs of speakers.  One  pair I sold within 10 months for a 55% loss and another pair I had doe 18 months.  I hardly listened to that system during that entire time.  I took a big financial hit on those too.  

It's like I said at the beginning of this thread, if I am not liking the sound fresh out of the box, no amount of break in or fairy dust is going to make me like them more.  My advise would be to cut your losses now, life is way too short to agonize over something that is supposed to be fun, relaxing and enjoyable.
fast OP
92 posts
 
Thanks for all the input.  Stereo5, while I get your advice, I’m inclined to wait.  The speakers are several months old and aren’t going to depreciate much more than they have already over the months to come.  I’m listening to them every day.  
As I’ve said, I’m not ready to give up and there are good reasons to go slowly and be sure.  That includes time to try different electronics.  Not at all sure what I would like better and I hate the thought of going through the auditioning process again (the Monitor Audio P300ii was a close contender previously). TRknomo, sounds like we’ve had similar experiences.  I spent lots time listening to the Reference 3s at dealers and bought the 5s as a result because they are very similar except the 5s have two additional bass speakers  .  No dealer anywhere near me stocked the 5s so the first time I heard them was the day they were delivered.  What do you dislike about the 3 and do you have any idea what you’ll get to replace them?
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