Kef q950 vs kef r5

[turon]

Hey. I got a good deal for both q950 and r5. they are 1000 dollars apart tho. This will be my first setup Which will be used for music and movies.
i have a denon x3700h and planning to get SVS pro 2000 pb for subs.

i wil also get the centers that go along with the same line with Q or R series. What do you guys think i should get? Ive listened to the q950 and i liked it. I cant audition the r5s tho but based on reviews it is better.
THanks

 

[sweetchaos]

Kef R5 spinorama:

Watch Erin’s video review to see his opinion.

We don’t have spinorama for Q950, but we do for Q350 bookshelf.

 

[voodooless]

The main problem with the Q series is basically the much simpler crossover design that lets resonances of the midrange bleed though much more than the R series, as can be seen above quite clearly. Also te Q900 seems to have the same issues:

So the question is: what upgrades did the Q950 get vs the Q900. I’m guessing it will not be crossover complexity.

I own the predecessor or the R5, the R500. They don’t go very deep, but with a sub and some (room) correction, they make a very nice setup.

 

[thewas]

If you can afford it, definitely the R series (especially with a sub) which are 3-ways with a better uni-q and lower distortions. The Q950 is a 2,5-way with a very big uni-q and has quite some compromises which of course are necessary in its low price range.

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

If you will add subs the R Every day of the week
What about the R3? erin have a video

 

[abdo123]

Tbh i always wanted to try the Q950 with its 8 inch mid-range and three 8-inch mid-bass woofers. it's on another level with regard to headroom compared to the KEF R5 which is just 'bookshelf' drives in the baffle of a floor-stander.

If the directivity will be similar to the Q350 in the midrange then i would just EQ the resonances out with room correction.

 

[Beave]

Tbh i always wanted to try the Q950 with its 8 inch mid-range and three 8-inch mid-bass woofers. it's on another level with regard to headroom compared to the KEF R5 which is just 'bookshelf' drives in the baffle of a floor-stander.

If the directivity will be similar to the Q350 in the midrange then i would just EQ the resonances out with room correction.

Aren't two of those three 8" devices actually just passive radiators? It has a single 8" woofer and an 8" uni-q, along with two 8" passive radiators, if I remember correctly.

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

Aren't two of those three 8" devices actually just passive radiators? It has a single 8" woofer and an 8" uni-q, along with two 8" passive radiators, if I remember correctly.

Yes they are

 

[abdo123]

Aren't two of those three 8" devices actually just passive radiators? It has a single 8" woofer and an 8" uni-q, along with two 8" passive radiators, if I remember correctly.

I just noticed thanks for bringing it up.

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

Tbh i always wanted to try the Q950 with its 8 inch mid-range and three 8-inch mid-bass woofers. it's on another level with regard to headroom compared to the KEF R5 which is just 'bookshelf' drives in the baffle of a floor-stander.

If the directivity will be similar to the Q350 in the midrange then i would just EQ the resonances out with room correction.

The R3 uses the drivers from R7, R11 and R5 the drivers fron the center channel the KEF R2C
So the R5 its a center channel speaker in the baffle of a floor stander (?)

 

[thewas]

Tbh i always wanted to try the Q950 with its 8 inch mid-range and three 8-inch mid-bass woofers. it's on another level with regard to headroom compared to the KEF R5 which is just 'bookshelf' drives in the baffle of a floor-stander.

Nope, its just one woofer and 2 passive radiators and the Uni-Q has not even an electrical high pass and thus much more prone to distortions, especially IMD:

Only in deep bass it can go a bit louder but the IMD will make it sound earlier not clean.

If the directivity will be similar to the Q350 in the midrange then i would just EQ the resonances out with room correction.

Nope, bigger driver.

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

Nope, its just one woofer and 2 passive radiators and the Uni-Q has not even an electrical high pass and thus much more prone to distortions, especially IMD:

View attachment 156523
View attachment 156524

Only in deep bass it can go a bit louder but the IMD will make it sound earlier not clean.


Nope, bigger driver.

Why these Kef have a cut in the measurements at 20hz? The r7 haven't that cut

 

[thewas]

Why these Kef have a cut in the measurements at 20hz? The r7 haven't that cut

They cut the measurements when a specific distortion limit is reached, probably not to damage the drivers. You can see that at the lower levels (for example green curve) they also go down to 20 Hz.

 

[abdo123]

Nope, its just one woofer and 2 passive radiators and the Uni-Q has not even an electrical high pass and thus much more prone to distortions, especially IMD:

View attachment 156523
View attachment 156524

Only in deep bass it can go a bit louder but the IMD will make it sound earlier not clean.


Nope, bigger driver.

Wouldn't the KEF R5 reach excursion limits way earlier than when Q950 will reach the point where IMD is audible?

I'm really surprised KEF just let that mid-range null there. What are they thinking?

 

[MarkWinston]

R series of any size and a sub. Even if I dont have a sub, I would still take the R over the Q. Even if they have very identical fr, they do not sound the same and have the same impact. FR is a guide, a freaking great guide, but its not end all be all.

 

[thewas]

Wouldn't the KEF R5 reach excursion limits way earlier than when Q950 will reach the point where IMD is audible?

No, as its Uni-Q is pure mid/tweeter with a steep crossover while the Uni-Q of the Q950 plays full range and thus is much more prone to IMD.

 

[raindance]

A neighbor had the Q900's and they sounded surprisingly thin (lacking in bass) for such a big box.

 

[voodooless]

A neighbor had the Q900's and they sounded surprisingly thin (lacking in bass) for such a big box.

I think that will be a theme with all or most current KEF offerings: they trade-off extension of loudness. A bit of EQ can mitigate that in seconds.

 

[raindance]

I think that will be a theme with all or most current KEF offerings: they trade-off extension of loudness. A bit of EQ can mitigate that in seconds.

You misunderstand. They didn't have good mid bass or upper bass which is what determines fullness or richness. In my opinion they need fairly close placement to a wall to improve this (in his system they were about 5' from the wall). Thin and jangly is the impression I came away with.

 

[voodooless]

You misunderstand. They didn't have good mid bass or upper bass which is what determines fullness or richness. In my opinion they need fairly close placement to a wall to improve this (in his system they were about 5' from the wall). Thin and jangly is the impression I came away with.

That's rather contradictory. Closer to a wall will not boost upper or midbass very much.