KEF LS60 Wireless Just Announced

[MattHooper]

Nice Blade measurements and review of course,

KEF Blade Two Meta loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

www.stereophile.com

Keith

Wow! Those measurements!

KEF is really firing on all cylinders these days!

 

[thewas]

Nice Blade measurements and review of course,

KEF Blade Two Meta loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

www.stereophile.com

Keith

Also interesting is the comparison of Kal Rubinson to his Revel Studio 2 and his conclusion:

In sum, as of today, the Blade Two Metas are the best speakers I've heard in this room (or perhaps anywhere), and I urge an audition to anyone interested in music reproduction of the highest quality. The Blades were picked up about 24 hours ago, and I miss them already.

Source: https://www.stereophile.com/content/kef-blade-two-meta-loudspeaker-page-2

So, @Kal Rubinson will these replace the Revels you just sold recently?

 

[MattHooper]

I'd love to hear those Blade Metas.

I only had one brief encounter with the original Blades at an audio show and remember hearing the most realistic reproduction of a piano that I had encountered.

 

[Vacceo]

I'd love to hear those Blade Metas.

I only had one brief encounter with the original Blades at an audio show and remember hearing the most realistic reproduction of a piano that I had encountered.

They are incredible speakers. The kind of stuff that simply is as good as your source and nothing else.

 

[MattHooper]

Also interesting is the comparison of Kal Rubinson to his Revel Studio 2 and his conclusion:

In sum, as of today, the Blade Two Metas are the best speakers I've heard in this room (or perhaps anywhere), and I urge an audition to anyone interested in music reproduction of the highest quality. The Blades were picked up about 24 hours ago, and I miss them already.

Source: https://www.stereophile.com/content/kef-blade-two-meta-loudspeaker-page-2

So, @Kal Rubinson will these replace the Revels you just sold recently?

It's a teeny bit confusing to me. In the review portion comparing the Blades to the Salons I got the impression there were minor differences in sound, but not one that favored one over the other. And that when not specifically comparing them, it was hard to tell them apart.

So I'm left unsure why Kal ultimately seemed to prefer the Blades over the Revels, in calling them the best speaker he's heard in his room.

I think the Blades are really cool looking. I like speakers that distinguish themselves somehow from the rest of the drivers-stuffed-in-boxes.

The KEF 105.2 speakers from the 80's were actually my big introduction to "high end audio" when my audiophile father brought home those "robot speakers" along with Carver amps.

 

[thewas]

It's a teeny bit confusing to me. In the review portion comparing the Blades to the Salons I got the impression there were minor differences in sound, but not one that favored one over the other. And that when not specifically comparing them, it was hard to tell them apart.

So I'm left unsure why Kal ultimately seemed to prefer the Blades over the Revels, in calling them the best speaker he's heard in his room.

(I think the Blades are really cool looking. I like speakers that distinguish themselves somehow from the rest of the drivers-stuffed-in-boxes)

Yes, I was also confused but am sure he will enlighten us soon.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

So, @Kal Rubinson will these replace the Revels you just sold recently?

I am working on it.

 

[MattHooper]

I am working on it.

It is the audiophile way.

Hope it works out.

 

[Zvu]

 

[Tangband]

Yes. But it could take some time. Meanwhile, I do have measurement of 5, 20cm.

About dropping high frequency maybe BT problem? don't know.

View attachment 225411

View attachment 225412
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View attachment 225415

Back to ls60 .

Thanks for the measurements .
About the dropping high frequency - are your microphone calibrated ?, can you do measurement on the other speaker to, to see if its the same drop in both speakers?


I didnt hear any such high frequency shelving when I listened to ls60 .

The older ls50 passive measured in kind of similar way - we see the same drop from 6 KHz and above in Amirms measurements :

KEF LS50 Bookshelf Speaker Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the famous KEF LS50 speaker. It was kindly loaned to me by a local member. The LS50 costs US $1,500 but seems to be on sale for US $1,300 on Amazon and elsewhere. The LS50 nails the look of the speaker with the bright color and shape of the...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Edit : those measurements by SDC are the first on this speakers and there are to many unknown parameters to draw any conclusions at all .

 

[SDC]

Back to ls60 .

Thanks for the measurements .
About the dropping high frequency - are your microphone calibrated ?, can you do measurement on the other speaker to, to see if its the same drop in both speakers?


I didnt hear any such high frequency shelving when I listened to ls60 .
View attachment 225506

The older ls50 passive measured in kind of similar way - we see the same drop from 6 KHz and above in Amirms measurements :

View attachment 225507

Yes I have two calibration file.

One factory cal from Minidsp, other custom made with Earthwork M30.

They differ +-1dB from each other, the dip is larger than both.

So it is mic too close or 4" Uni-Q having problem in the frequency range.


And that is the reason I posted Group Delay, to check for mic reflection caused by nearfield measurement.

 

[Tangband]

Yes I have two calibration file.

One factory cal from Minidsp, other custom made with Earthwork M30.

They differ +-1dB from each other, the dip is larger than both.

So it is mic too close or 4" Uni-Q having problem in the frequency range.


And that is the reason I posted Group Delay, to check for mic reflection caused by nearfield measurement.

Fine .
Then the microphone is reliable.

A suggestion : If you put the speaker in the middle of the room ( the other speaker completely off ) and measure with a microphone stand , exactly on axis to the uni -Q driver about 50-70 cm away from it , and also measure 15 degrees off axis with 50 dB scale and 12 dB/oct smoothing from 200-20000 Hz , then we are able to see if this is a real trend .

Thanks anyway for the measurements already done .

 

[SDC]

Fine .

A suggestion : If you put the speaker in the middle of the room ( the other speaker completely off ) and measure with a microphone stand , exactly on axis to the uni -Q driver about 50-70 cm away from it , and also measure 15 degrees off axis with 50 dB scale and 12 dB/oct smoothing from 200-20000 Hz , then we are able to see if this is a real trend .

I can't move it right now. My families are using it and occupied till monday.

But I have 8351b for reference so I'll post it for now.

LS60 is great speaker I have no means to harm it's value.

 

[Tangband]

View attachment 225518

I can't move it right now. My families are using it and occupied till monday.

But I have 8351b for reference so I'll post it for now.

LS60 is great speaker I have no means to harm it's value.

View attachment 225520

Those measurement looks much better , I understand , and thanks for measuring .
Yes, the ls60 sounded really good .

(Those measurements with the treble dip you showed, is thypical response when measuring on one loudspeaker and forget to turn off the other , - been there done that )

 

[witwald]

In sum, as of today, the Blade Two Metas are the best speakers I've heard in this room (or perhaps anywhere), and I urge an audition to anyone interested in music reproduction of the highest quality. The Blades were picked up about 24 hours ago, and I miss them already.

Source: https://www.stereophile.com/content/kef-blade-two-meta-loudspeaker-page-2

And, isn't it surprising that they have an "astonishingly even on-axis response—even flatter than that of the original Blade Two—[which] is maintained over this wide measurement window." What are other loudspeaker manufacturers doing to compete with products such as this one?

 

[SDC]

Those measurement looks much better , I understand , and thanks for measuring .

(Those measurements with the treble dip you showed, is thypical response when measuring on one loudspeaker and forget to turn off the other , - been there done that )

Sorry, but I don't understand.

I didn't measure L+R. It was just R which is the Primary in my setting. Genelecs are measured with both channel on too.

Is something different with wireless connection?



Edit:

20-24kHz added. I think it is bluetooth delay not capturing the high frequency but honestly I don't know.

 

[Tangband]

Sorry, but I don't understand.

I didn't measure L+R. It was just R which is the Primary in my setting. Genelecs are measured with both channel on too.

Is something different with wireless connection?

No it probably doesnt matter - the important thing is that its not coming any sound at all from the other speaker in the room when measuring .

 

[Tangband]

And, isn't it surprising that they have an "astonishingly even on-axis response—even flatter than that of the original Blade Two—[which] is maintained over this wide measurement window." What are other loudspeaker manufacturers doing to compete with products such as this one?

Theres a thread about Blade here :

Kef Blade one Meta - How is the sound ?

Kef Blade one Meta seems to be a loudspeaker where they have thought of everything . The crossover frequency for the uni - Q driver seems to be set at 350 Hz . The baffle is about 36 cm wide . Using the formula by Troelsgravesen for baffle stepcorrection 11600/36 = 322 Hz , this means they...

www.audiosciencereview.com

This is a thread about ls60 , just saying.

 

[Vacceo]

It's a teeny bit confusing to me. In the review portion comparing the Blades to the Salons I got the impression there were minor differences in sound, but not one that favored one over the other. And that when not specifically comparing them, it was hard to tell them apart.

So I'm left unsure why Kal ultimately seemed to prefer the Blades over the Revels, in calling them the best speaker he's heard in his room.

I think the Blades are really cool looking. I like speakers that distinguish themselves somehow from the rest of the drivers-stuffed-in-boxes.

The KEF 105.2 speakers from the 80's were actually my big introduction to "high end audio" when my audiophile father brought home those "robot speakers" along with Carver amps.

For the design, I'm partial because I like Brâncusi, but the inspiration of the bird in space is quite fitting for a speaker.

 

[Absolute]

Sorry, but I don't understand.

I didn't measure L+R. It was just R which is the Primary in my setting. Genelecs are measured with both channel on too.

Is something different with wireless connection?



Edit:
View attachment 225522

20-24kHz added. I think it is bluetooth delay not capturing the high frequency but honestly I don't know.

Looks like a deliberate tuning to me, a very sensible one imo. Some attenuation of the frequency ranges that cause that annoying sssssibilants is not necessarily a bad thing. But some older folks will probably feel it's too dull due to less sensitive hearing in that range.