Help me pair the KEF R11 Metas...?
I’ll start by admitting that I am a fan of @therecoveringaudiophile aka. Andrew Robinson.
Some may consider him a pseudo-audiophile. While that may be true on an absolute technical side, his eloquent delivery, production quality and rapport with his producer-wife Kristi, make him my favorite source of audiophile information.
In any case, he knows more than me, so I trusted his review of the "TOP 5" floor-standing KEF R11 Meta speakers.
I picked them up NEW at 45% OFF from an audio dealer in Miami I did a favor for. Stealing them for $3,800 a pair...in white.
The plan was to connect them to my existing Cambridge Audio Azur 840a Class XD, 4ohm, 200wpc integrated I’ve had and loved for over 10 years connected to a pair of Definitive Technology Mythos STS towers. This specific combination sounded amazing using Bluetooth or vinyl.
I assumed the KEFs would be a major upgrade.
The KEF R11 Metas and the CA Azur 840a simply did not pair well, for reasons I still cannot explain. The sound was flat and low and I would have to push the amp to 90% volume to get the KEFs to sing, but then the amp would either short out or show a clipping error.
I checked all the connections, settings, and even reached out to KEF for help, which they gladly offered, but nothing seemed to help or explain any of this.
Out of frustration, I pulled a Technics SU-G91 Class A, 8ohm, 125wpc integrated from 1992 out of my closet, just to try something different.
I replaced the cables as well, switching from custom audiophile speaker cables, to simple OF bare copper. I then connected a new Cambridge Audio MXN10 DAC/Streamer as a Tidal source, instead of using Bluetooth, and let it rip...
OMG....night and day better.
Finally the KEFs seemed to be living up to their reputation. Brilliant sound, clean, smooth, a real pleasure to listen to...at normal volumes.
But...that left me with a question.
As an amateur "audiophile", I’m struggling with all the endless reviews online vs what I’m hearing at home with this setup.
With a desire to maximize the $6,000 KEFs potential, should I be looking to replace the $300 "vintage" Technics SU-G91 Class A integrated amplifier with something else?
Can this strange pairing between the new KEFs and the old Technics really be this good?
@soix I admit changing the amp, cables and source was too many variables to compare, but you missed my final question:
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We’re it me, I think my Hypex powered Cambridge Evo 150 I use with ls50 metas and powered sub would do nicely with the r11 metas. Or I might look at a minidsp+Hypex separates combo from Deer Creek Audio as a possible step up to not just drive them well but to also be able to apply DSP for Room correction, which is a major game changer. I do that currently with the Evo using Roon’s DSP. |
@zlone Thanks for the recommendation. I agree, separates would be ideal and I have been considering McIntosh, PS Audio or Hegel for the setup, but auditioning these before buying is difficult, if not impossible...unless I buy and return, but I hate doing that. #guilt I'm struggling with where I am sonically now (1% to 100%) and where I could be by spending an additional $5,000. Is it 5%, 20%, 50% better? The audiophiles dilemma I suppose...
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From what I read, Hegel has a good rep for amps but not as much for digital/DACs, so something there to consider (what’s the weakest link?) when choosing. Personally, I would lean towards a separate highly regarded (by both professionals and the general public) DAC like say Benchmark with a Hegel amp. |
