Kingsound King II vs King


Kings Audio in Hong Kong have informed me that the Kingsound King II is now for sale in place of the King, with the main difference being "the signal circuitry & power supplier of King II is separated from the sounding body". I've heard the King but not the King II, and have the option of buying either (I can get the King cheaper). Has anyone seen/heard both and able to comment on the differences?

Many thanks
Mark
mark_b
Mark, a very nice summary of your experiences. The Magneplanar 20.1 also has good low end, but one must determine if they like the magnetic planar sound or the ESL sound - they are distinct. I find that in general I am sensitive to the larger driver panels, whether magnetic planar or ESL, whether Maggie or Martin Logan. I prefer what's happening in the King, an array of smaller panels. That produces what to my ears is a tighter, more precise sound. Quad also uses this concept of segmented panels, however they have what I consider a serious weakness in the lack of low end, which the King has addressed.

The differences between the King and King II, if the King II prototype I saw at CES is close to the final product, are fundamental. The panel of the King II is like the Prince II. This would likely yield an absolute improvement in detail, however also as I said likely more diffuse sound. That is, the treble, mid, bass seemed to radiate across the face of the speaker versus from a localized source. This is a nuance, but if one had not heard both then it likely would not occur to the listener.

The power amp makes a huge difference in the performance of the speaker, as does the power supply of the speaker. If the King II is as tough to drive as the Prince II, then it could be quite challenging for your amps. You will want to ask questions of King's Audio about that particular aspect prior to purchase, or else you may find yourself looking at a power amp mismatch. If you like the King in a demo with the stock wall wart power supplies, you'll like them even more with upgraded P.S. You can tweak the sound of the power supplies with aftermarket cables. You'll get different sound with silver ofc vs. copper power cords.
Doug, thank you very much for the additional info.

It's interesting that the key difference you found was a different panel construction, whereas Kings Audio emphasised to me that the crossover electronics are now separated off from the speaker in a separate box (each speaker has its own box that has two sets of speaker binding posts, the dc supply input and a switch).

I wonder also if there is any improvement in construction durability, although the feedback I've had from a UK distributor is of no serious problems with the King in the last 5 years but 1 in 10 needing their screws tightening.

You mention that the King II may be harder to drive now it is more similar to the Prince II, but perhaps the Prince II is harder just because it is smaller? We also found the Prince II didn't go as loud as the King.
I started that first thread you read about the Kings as I to was very, very close to buying them. I went to hear them and liked them. My only issue was the speaker could sound a little thin with OK recordings. It seemed the foundation of the music was missing on rock and when the music would get busy or complex on an average to poor recording.

Again they sounded great on good recordings. I ended up buying a used pair of Soundlab A3 speakers for $5000 and upgraded a couple of the crossover parts for $800. The Soundlab is a better speaker to my ear. More body and weight and more natural sounding without giving up an inch in transparency or bass response.

Now, I like a more laid back and rich sound as compared to forward or aggressive. Seems the King was lighning fast and dynamic with nice imaging and can play very loud indeed. The bass was deep and powerful. The Soundlabs are not quite as dynamic as the Kings. The sweet spot seems wider on my Soundlabs and they tend to float the tunes out with greater ease and sweetness. The King is more impressive sounding in terms of initial reaction and do seem to be more dymanic.
Mark, yes, the outboard power supply and the panel construction are the two main differences - at least in the prototype seen at CES.

Yes, the nature of the frame being held together with metal bolts is such that when shipped, upon reception the owner should check the bolts to make sure they're tight. No biggie. I did the same with the Eminent Technology LFT-VI I have. I think I found two not quite snug bolts on my pair of King speakers. 1/8 turn and done. There was certainly nothing loose on my pair.

Can't know if the King II is harder to drive than the King unless specs compared or trial is conducted. King's Audio should know.

Grannyring, when I first got the King I also thought it a bit forward or aggressive, but not after adding the VAC Royal Power Supply and trying tube amp(s). I have to laugh; at one point due to the output switch on the Ayon CD-5 player I was able to try the budget phenom Peachtree Audio Nova with the King! It sounded better than it had a right to! :)
Doug,

The Kings I heard did not have your upgraded power supply and glad to hear it helped. Would be nice to hear the King with that upgraded power supply from VAC.