new KEF KC62 dual 6.5" subwoofer

[MarkS]

According to notes from NAD provided to reviewers: "This is one of the first products on the market (along with its siblings the NAD M10 and C 658) to support Dirac’s soon to be released Dirac Live Bass Control software upgrade.

 

[Dennis_FL]

Oh wow — would be a great match to the LS60s I’m eyeing in grey — is this finish available currently? Don’t see it on the KEF site.

They are offering it to existing customers first....but it will be available soon.

 

[joeliu2003]

I’ve had one in my office with a pair of R3s for a year now. Connected to a Cambridge EVO150. While it doesn’t add a ton more to the output I do enjoy it filling out the sound some. I think it heavily depends on room size, setup, and expectations.

 

[Lord Victor]

I’ve had one in my office with a pair of R3s for a year now. Connected to a Cambridge EVO150. While it doesn’t add a ton more to the output I do enjoy it filling out the sound some. I think it heavily depends on room size, setup, and expectations.

Interesting - I’ve been considering one for a while, just for the physical size. My current sub is the size of a mini-fridge or a coffee table, and it’s getting a bit ridiculous how much space it takes.
However finding something else that will go properly deep with a solid response and isn’t ridiculously big is proving an issue. Unsurprisingly some might say…

The trick being how deep the kef can go and thus how big a speaker it can support and still be any use.

 

[rynberg]

Interesting - I’ve been considering one for a while, just for the physical size. My current sub is the size of a mini-fridge or a coffee table, and it’s getting a bit ridiculous how much space it takes.
However finding something else that will go properly deep with a solid response and isn’t ridiculously big is proving an issue. Unsurprisingly some might say…

The trick being how deep the kef can go and thus how big a speaker it can support and still be any use.

There is literally 90% of the subwoofer market between mini-fridge and the tiny KEF box...a Rythmik F12 is quite compact and actually has real low frequency output.

 

[Dennis_FL]

Interesting - I’ve been considering one for a while, just for the physical size. My current sub is the size of a mini-fridge or a coffee table, and it’s getting a bit ridiculous how much space it takes.
However finding something else that will go properly deep with a solid response and isn’t ridiculously big is proving an issue. Unsurprisingly some might say…

The trick being how deep the kef can go and thus how big a speaker it can support and still be any use.

I had the same thing. My "refrigerator" was a 60 pound Monitor Audio and I sold it and bought the KEF. The monitor audio put out some good bass (down to 22Hz) but the big 12" woofer wasn't crisp like the KEF. And the KEF goes down to 17Hz. The KEF also blends in well with my left/right mains.

 

[Willem]

Subs with dual opposed drivers are probably your best bet for performance in a small form factor, but at relatively great expense. Kef in particular have invested in this technology, with results like this KC62. From the measurwments it looks like response is remarkably flat and reachrs quite low, but only at modest spl. Add a second one (which you should do anyway) and you have rather more spl.

 

[Lord Victor]

Subs with dual opposed drivers are probably your best bet for performance in a small form factor, but at relatively great expense. Kef in particular have invested in this technology, with results like this KC62. From the measurwments it looks like response is remarkably flat and reachrs quite low, but only at modest spl. Add a second one (which you should do anyway) and you have rather more spl.

Yea for whatever reason the big sub has never given me a sense of “precision” compared to smaller sealed subs - don’t know if that’s “real” or just perceptual due to it going much deeper linearly, and the sealed ones having more of an accentuated bump.
Either way my room isn’t huge and my listening volume generally doesn’t exceed mid 80’s dB. That doesn’t account for peaks ofc. Not sure how loud peaks be average volume the kef can handle and still retain lower extension than my speakers.

Loud listening for me is usually about 84db with peaks of 101db Roughly. And I do listen to bass heavy electronic music at times - as well as bass light metal that needs the reinforcement, so to speak.

Seems a lot of smaller/sealed subs I’ve tried sound nice, but when measured, basically just add a bump around where the speakers also roll off, but don’t add much actual extension.

 

[Evgeny Lebedev]

Hello everyone. I can’t find a proper info about “Sub polarity” in KEF connect. Can anybody explain?

 

[stren]

Hello everyone. I can’t find a proper info about “Sub polarity” in KEF connect. Can anybody explain?

You mean what it does? If so then it’s just inverting the phase 180.

 

[Evgeny Lebedev]

You mean what it does? If so then it’s just inverting the phase 180.

So it’s just the phase switcher. Thank you! How do you compare kc62 to Rel t7x? My last t5x was more a slow midbass machine, than a sub.

 

[Evgeny Lebedev]

And one more question. Which filter type Kef connect using? I guess lpf is BW -24 db. And what about high pass?

 

[Lord Victor]

So it’s just the phase switcher. Thank you! How do you compare kc62 to Rel t7x? My last t5x was more a slow midbass machine, than a sub.

Going by the specs on their website, that can be said for most of their subs - which has always confused me. Most of them are low power, ported, with poor extension. But plenty of people seem to love them for some reason.

 

[witwald]

And one more question. Which filter type Kef connect using? I guess lpf is BW -24 db. And what about high pass?

The KC62 user manual states: "The crossover frequency control changes the upper cut-off frequency of the subwoofer. Its
effective range is from 40Hz to 140Hz at a rate of 24dB per octave." It's possible that it is a Linkwitz–Riley design, with a slightly more rounded knee near the cutoff frequency.

The user manual doesn't specify the order or the type of high-pass filter that is implemented. It could be expected to be a 2nd-order (12dB per octave) Butterworth. That tends to follow the kind of high-pass filter that is used in AVRs.

 

[Evgeny Lebedev]

Going by the specs on their website, that can be said for most of their subs - which has always confused me. Most of them are low power, ported, with poor extension. But plenty of people seem to love them for some reason.

You’re talking about REL?

 

[Evgeny Lebedev]

The KC62 user manual states: "The crossover frequency control changes the upper cut-off frequency of the subwoofer. Its
effective range is from 40Hz to 140Hz at a rate of 24dB per octave." It's possible that it is a Linkwitz–Riley design, with a slightly more rounded knee near the cutoff frequency.

The user manual doesn't specify the order or the type of high-pass filter that is implemented. It could be expected to be a 2nd-order (12dB per octave) Butterworth. That tends to follow the kind of high-pass filter that is used in AVRs.

Thank you!

 

[Willem]

Yea for whatever reason the big sub has never given me a sense of “precision” compared to smaller sealed subs - don’t know if that’s “real” or just perceptual due to it going much deeper linearly, and the sealed ones having more of an accentuated bump.
Either way my room isn’t huge and my listening volume generally doesn’t exceed mid 80’s dB. That doesn’t account for peaks ofc. Not sure how loud peaks be average volume the kef can handle and still retain lower extension than my speakers.

Loud listening for me is usually about 84db with peaks of 101db Roughly. And I do listen to bass heavy electronic music at times - as well as bass light metal that needs the reinforcement, so to speak.

Seems a lot of smaller/sealed subs I’ve tried sound nice, but when measured, basically just add a bump around where the speakers also roll off, but don’t add much actual extension.

The measurements of the KC62 that I have seen show a relatively flat frequency response, with surprisingly good extension. The price you pay is relatively low power across the range. In short, it is remarkably good, but only in a quite small room. And that, of course, is precisely the habitat it was designed for. If you need/ want more power you could add a second one, which is never a bad idea anyway.

 

[VintageFlanker]

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

I think it was better than expected, but still too small. Also we should considered the inroom gain in small rooms.

I guess the KF92 should be a lot better, but I'm still waiting for the KC92

 

[VintageFlanker]

I guess the KF92 should be a lot better, but I'm still waiting for the KC92

He already shared the KF92 CEA-2010-A data on his Patreon. IMHO, it is clearly not impressive at that price point.