SpeakerTalk

terry · Posted: Thu May 08, 2003 1:45 pm Post subject: Naim with KEF

Once when visiting a highly respected audio dealer I was iinformed that KEF speakers tended not to work well with Naim electronics. Well I have owned my KEFKIT3 since 1976 and there was no way I was going to get rid of them when I moved from a Rotel amp to a Naim Nait 3 in 1999. It did however put an element of doubt into my mind. That doubt has however all gone now. As I upgraded to a Naim CD3.5/Nait3 then through various iterations to my current system (CDSII/XPS/82/Hicap/250) the old KEFs have responded at every stage. They have still a lot to offer. The only temptation would be the Linn Isobariks or another diy job based on KEF drive units.

To get back on topic however, don't believe anyone who tells you that KEF speakers don't work with Naim.

hans 67 · Posted: Sun May 11, 2003 4:52 pm Post subject: Naim with KEF

Hello all,

I totally agree with Terry.
I also have heard that rumor and do NOT believe it.

I have a Nait 5 myself and use KEF Chorale.
Other speakers I use with the Nait 5 are the LS3/5a's.
Actually, normally I use the LS3/5a's and when I want more bass or want to play louder then the Chorale's come in.
Both sound fabulous on the Nait 5.

Naim amplifiers "should" be used with for instance a Linn Kan or Isobarik.
A new "Kan" is the Linn Katan. A few weeks ago I have heard these Katan's with my Nait 5 and on a variety of Linn amplifiers. It was a lot of fun, but they do not have a straight line amplitude response and that can be heard very clearly. That is why I like the LS3/5a's and the Chorale's.

Greetings, Hans

terry · Posted: Sun May 11, 2003 9:40 pm Post subject: Re: Naim with KEF

hans 67 · Posted: Tue May 13, 2003 8:46 pm Post subject:

Terry,

I have some 11 Ohm Spendor's.
One of the last Spendor LS3/5a's.
Black and made for the German profesional market (someone told me), this means bad finish.
I have heard some 11 Ohm Harbeth's and they do sound roughly the same.
11 Ohm Stirling Broadcast with "reference" cabinets sound much better.

I do NOT need a sub. Or: I do NOT want a sub!
With a Naim the LS3/5a has very nice bass. The Naim controls the LS3/5a very well. This also means that in the bass the Naim demands the LS3/5a to deliver. And this results in more bass than with most other amps (in this price region). A Meridian is also very good in this area.

Greetings, Hans

b3rtie · Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 11:19 pm Post subject: naim + KEF

A friend of mine runs a CD5 and nait? (I think) with the Concertos. Good, but he complains that the concertos dont seem as 'fast' as other speakers he owns (Dynaudio). He did explain to me that another friend uses some home-brew mono-blocks (based on a naim design) and re-boxed concerto drivers with a Peerless tweeter which do seem more 'pacey' and 'right there' on live recordings

My set up uses mainly Cyrus, a III+PSX-R and Concertos. The KEFs work very well with this combination, very natural and smooth. I have only had them 1 week so I am still trialing them. I must admit I think the KEF is still as forward, but less harsh and going lower in the bass frequencies than my Wharfedale Dovedale 3s, which I like (with tweaks) but some so-called 'experts' do not.

terry · Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2003 7:17 pm Post subject:

terry · Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2003 7:29 pm Post subject: Re: naim + KEF

b3rtie · Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2003 10:01 pm Post subject: Dovedale SP and '3s

From your description these are not the same speaker.

The 'Dovedale 3 i own are similar in size and styling to the KEF Cadenza, I think, (possibly not as good) being shorter and narrower than the Concertos.
They are three way - drivers being 10" conventional paper woofer, 4" doped paper/fabric mid and a soft dome tweeter (a larger diameter mounting plate and a difuser on this one and a purple coloured dome). They were available as a kit, and the drivers appear to be hap-hazzardly arranged on the front baffle (!) and the units arent 'handed'.

terry · Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2003 10:41 pm Post subject:

Here is a photo of the Dovedale SP

You will see that there are two smaller bass units. The bass drive units (170mm) are both bextrene as is the mid range (100mm) Size of boxes 635mm by 392mm by 317mm.

terry · Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2003 10:45 pm Post subject:

I have two sets of Cadenza. Currently I am using one set as the rear speakers of a surround sound system. I am using a Naim Nait 3 to drive the Cadenzas whilst using Naim 82 and Naim 250 to drive my KEFKIT3 as the front speakers. I don't use a centre front or centre back speakers and I don't use a sub-woofer. Enough bass from speakers already there.

b3rtie · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2003 8:47 pm Post subject:

They look fab.

I cant figure out how to upload pictures yet, so cant show you the '3s'. They look like they are built to similar dimensions to your photo - diferent drivers of course!

terry · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2003 11:47 pm Post subject:

David · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2003 4:05 pm Post subject:

I have a Nait 1 and just took delivery of a set of 104abs. I have 30 days to decide to keep or send back. I know that the Nait is low powered but it seems to work quite well with the 104s. I don't listen at high volume levels. The volume control does not have to go past 9 or 9.30 on the high level CD source. The sound is not strained at moderate volume levels, but the sound is not as dynamic, ie soft to loud, as it was with my other speakers, Camber 2 way, 90db/1 watt efficiency. The high frequencies are clean and extended and the bass is clean and deep. I listen to mostly jazz and blues, and classical, some rock.

I don't have the money now to upgrade to a Nait 5, or Naim separates. I like the sound of the 104s and consider them a major improvement over my previous speakers. I have a 115 watt Technics integrated DC amp, SU-8099, that was given to me, but I really don't like the harsh sound that comes out of it. It is just sitting in its box. I like the Naim, but I know a lot of people don't like it. Its a love hate thing.

Any comments.

David

terry · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2003 5:40 pm Post subject:

Being 'fully Naimed' (CDSII/XPS/82/Hicap/250) I know what you mean. I love the sound but others cannot live with it.

Lots of people love the Nait 1. Do you ever frequent the Naim Forum? it is well worth doing so if you search for Nait 1 and look at all the posts. Nait 1s are actually increasing in value at the moment. The article you posted on another thread about 104abs suggested that they could be 'laid back'. The T27 is a 'warm' tweeter and so it will add to that impression. The B200s are however fairly dynamic in my opinion and with the BD139 ABRs you should get reasonable bass.

Might I ask if you have the 104abs on the original stands? If so I would suggest that you try the speakers with spikes under them on top of a solid surface. This I will be willing to bet will give you better dynamics and a tighter bass. If you have got the speakers on trial you cannot put spikes into them until you finally buy them but what you can do is to get a piece of MDF or chipboard (18mm or 22mm) the same size as the bottom of the 104abs to make a plinth and insert long screws into the corners of the chipboard/MDF so that they go right through and appear at the other side. Get two conctrete slabs which are used for paths and place the MDF/chipboard plinth with screws facing downwards onto the slabs. Put the 104ab minus their stands onto the plinths. Sit back and listen - a fog will have cleared to let you hear more and dynamics will have improved.

Terry

David · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2003 7:15 pm Post subject:

Terry I am a dinosaur about a lot of things, but can't take it to speaker stands on casters!!!. I think I will keep the KEFs and have a set of stands on approval as well. They are 12" Atlantis spiked, but no top spikes. I think I will upgrade to another model, which can be sand or shot filled and are spiked on the top as well.

I was really concerned about the power of the Nait 1.

I saw you were driving Cadenza's with a Nait 3, and your KEFkit3, which are like the 105s, yes? with your naim pre/power combination. I take it you are quite satisfied with the Nait3/Cadenza combination. I saw the Cadenzas are a little less efficient than the 104s but the Nait3 of course is more powerful than the Nait1.

David