KEF Blade 2 Meta review by Erin's Audio Corner

[Ron Texas]

 

[Pearljam5000]

How can a studio monitor chock full of electronics be more reliable than passive speakers and a single amplifier which isn't stuffed inside of a box? Your statement might make sense when comparing KEF's active offerings to pro audio.

If they'll work fine for the next 15-20 years which is pretty acceptable for a really good studio monitor
Reliability is a non issue

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

Looks like a great speaker. I enjoyed Erin’s review but the only thing that gave me pause was the old “I heard things I never heard before” cliché. That’s a pretty old sensationalist audiophile trope and along the lines of “my wife even heard it from the kitchen” imo.

To me the uniq from blades is more over engineering than any coaxial from Genelec can do
No much surprise to me

 

[CleanSound]

… and not as wide dispersion as the Salons

I don't believe I've seen the measurements for the Salons. Do your have a link?

 

[Ron Texas]

If they'll work fine for the next 15-20 years which is pretty acceptable for a really good studio monitor
Reliability is a non issue

In all honesty, I wouldn't be afraid of good studio monitors. However, I think the whole active/passive argument is off in space somewhere.

 

[fredoamigo]

I don't believe I've seen the measurements for the Salons. Do your have a link?

https://blogger.googleusercontent.c...6ubPg-o/s1600/Spin+-+Revel+Ultima2+Salon2.png

https://www.spinorama.org/?sort=date&reverse=false&search=REVEL+SALON

 

[prestigetone]

If they'll work fine for the next 15-20 years which is pretty acceptable for a really good studio monitor
Reliability is a non issue

Did you read my comment? This is not true. Non issue is misinformed and even if they do 20 years is possible not guaranteed.

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

Not for me. 8351 + W371 combo is hissing.

That is im very worried

If put my ear in the tweeter and i hear hiss, thats some bad electronics imho inside.

 

[prestigetone]

That is im very worried

If put my ear in the tweeter and i hear hiss, thats some bad electronics imho inside.

That’s surprising. But imho all actives hiss to some degree

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

That’s surprising. But imho all actives hiss to some degree

Thats why i dont like actives, havent hear one equally as silent as my purifi power amp

 

[CleanSound]

https://blogger.googleusercontent.c...6ubPg-o/s1600/Spin+-+Revel+Ultima2+Salon2.png

https://www.spinorama.org/?sort=date&reverse=false&search=REVEL+SALON

I don't see the dispersion data for the Salon here.

In fact I have never seen detail measurements for the salon and salon2.

 

[fredoamigo]

I don't see the dispersion data for the Salon here.

In fact I have never seen detail measurements for the salon and salon2.

We do not measure details of the Icons

 

[CleanSound]

We do not measure details of the Icons

Then how can you confirm that it's an icon then?

And even if it is, it no longer is. It's been over a decade, other speakers are surpassing these Revel.

 

[fredoamigo]

Then how can you confirm that it's an icon then?

And even if it is, it no longer is. It's been over a decade, other speakers are surpassing these Revel.

Surpass I have a doubt, let's not forget that they are not BR. On the other hand, they appeared before the Klippel and given their weights it is not that simple (I think Amir does not want to measure his for this reason) and there would not be much interest in measuring them today because the model is no longer in production.

 

[MKR]

Hi

Leaving the complaining. This a very expensive speaker by my, current, standards. Pre-ASR I would have given some consideration to it in my HEA-leaning (subjective) past... It is by the measurements, an excellent speaker. We should be geared toward giving more credits to those as compared to subjective views...

How would it compare to some other speakers in the same price range, is an interesting question..
Passive
Revel F328 Be
Revel Salon 2
+ Electronics would get you to the same ballpark ( Some super-duper Hypex or Purifi Amplifiers + Preamp + Source) Total remaining under $35,000.
Active
Neumann KH 870 (subs) + KH420 ... $22,000
Kii3 + BXT ..... >$35,000.00
Genelec 8351B + W371A .... $28,000.00

do not require amplification, the Kii 3 + BXT combo is around $35,000 but the Genelec combo would be at $28,000 total + GLM that I am sure the dealer woudl thrown in for "free" ... And the Neumann combo would be the least expensive...

I find the Blade 2 Meta beautiful but the value proposition of the other speakers are compelling , especially the Genelec combo that is also coaxial and can control its directivity in very original ways for better room integration. it also will play louder and with perhaps even less distortion... The Neumann combo would also be up there in term of measurements, lest you all forget, the KH420 has to be one of the best measuring speakers in all ASR reviews perhaps top 2, even Numero Uno, and play loud enough to deafen their owners... At $22,000 for a flat anechoic from 20 to 20,000 Hz and with likely =120 dB in room with no compression...

Meanwhile the Revel sibling would provide that wide directivity but would not have the perfect vertical directivity of the Genelec or Kef...

Ok.. @MKR go out and listen to all these and report. We'll take your subjective views into consideration



Peace.

Ha! I have been called out … in fact I have auditioned already the Revels, Kiis, and Genelec (though with a caveat I have not heard the Kii or Genelec with their corresponding LF stacks). And I think most are aware of the conclusions at the time … For my ears/preferences, the Salon 2s came out on top consistently. Of course eventually I moved on to what I would say were “bigger and better” pastures, including fully changing my position on active vs passive. All of it has led me to where I am now, Soundfield vs D&D. By the way, I noticed the 8Cs were oddly missing from your short list. Any particular reason for that? Finally, a reminder the Blades were absolutely on my original short list, but is was practically impossible to find a place to audition, including the shows I attended. So eventually I gave up on the Blades. While I have no doubt they sound very good, I really have no interest at this point (for a few different reasons) and am not considering them. With that said, I do hope to be able to hear them someday as I always appreciate a well engineered design, regardless of whether or not they are something I would plunk down my hard earned dollars for. If I ever do, will be sure to share my subjective impressions.

By the way, on my post way back on Erin’s review (wow, that seems to have started quite the discussion) ... I should choose my words more carefully as what I was really trying to say (obviously not as well as I thought) is the “gushing” is what bothered me as this kind of review language I feel is beneath a more objective reviewer like Erin, and seems to be counter to the premise of his endeavors we have all come to greatly respect and appreciate. That is all. Is he allowed to be subjective to a point? Of course, he is human! Just seemed over the top, and a bit in my mind caused a perceived loss of credibility, that is all. I just have this fear of him sliding over to the dark side when I see reviews like this, it is a slippery slope that one. Hope that makes more sense, and again I truly appreciate the effort and commitment Erin puts into his reviews, truly admirable.

By the way, Erin just also reviewed the Neumann KH80. Keep it coming Erin, just please try to minimize the “gushing”, it doesn’t look good on you

 

[RobL]

I don't see the dispersion data for the Salon here.

In fact I have never seen detail measurements for the salon and salon2.

The NRC took measurements up to 75 deg off-axis. You can see dispersion is very wide up to about 8-10 kHz.

 

[RobL]

To me the uniq from blades is more over engineering than any coaxial from Genelec can do
No much surprise to me

Yes, well excepting the fact that I certainly don’t need my Genelecs to hear what he mentions. It’s plainly there just listening on my AirPods.

 

[prestigetone]

Why is Erin not allowed to/shouldnt use superlatives in the subjective sections of his reviews? @MKR I used your show report because it was the last one I read, but you use "superb" when referring to the D&D without any objective science behind that.

Btw this is not new to Erin. He has said others are the best he heard, or what he liked most in his listening. The 8C review at the beginning he tells people to just buy the speaker and not watch the video.

Why is he held to a different standard? It just feels like whataboutism and identity audio politics.

For anyone not watching the video this is what Erin says “The kef blade 2 meta speaker is the best speaker the I personally have ever heard. Doesnt mean that its the best speaker that you’ve ever heard…” This is at the beginning of his subjective section. Right after saying this he says it's also objectively one of the best based on data. How is this anything causing this much uproar, when many many many members here say the same things about speakers they have heard?

 

[Ron Texas]

Subjective comments about loudspeakers are of little value unless they are the result of blind testing. If the reviewer has seen the measurements another layer of bias is added. It's OK to make subjective evaluations but they should be read with care and skepticism in some cases.

Objective measurements are the gold standard. In a recent thread Dr. Toole discussed a little about how to interpret measurements. Hopefully, there will be some expansion of that topic with help from members who have expertise in the field.

The Klippel is a great development in speaker design. It's wonderful that our host and Erin own them because it's going to unearth tons of objective data about loudspeaker performance. Ascend has a Klippel and it appears to be bearing fruit.

Erin can gush or say whatever he feels like within reason. It's fair game to criticize him or defend him. It's wrong to attack any member of this forum because you do not agree with that member, but criticizing Erin seems to bring on those attacks. Erin is useful, but he isn't a deity.

 

[MKR]

Why is Erin not allowed to/shouldnt use superlatives in the subjective sections of his reviews? @MKR I used your show report because it was the last one I read, but you use "superb" when referring to the D&D without any objective science behind that.

Btw this is not new to Erin. He has said others are the best he heard, or what he liked most in his listening. The 8C review at the beginning he tells people to just buy the speaker and not watch the video.

Why is he held to a different standard? It just feels like whataboutism and identity audio politics.

For anyone not watching the video this is what Erin says “The kef blade 2 meta speaker is the best speaker the I personally have ever heard. Doesnt mean that its the best speaker that you’ve ever heard…” This is at the beginning of his subjective section. Right after saying this he says it's also objectively one of the best based on data. How is this anything causing this much uproar, when many many many members here say the same things about speakers they have heard?

Did you even read my post? And no objective science behind the 8Cs? Huh? You have seen the measurements of the 8Cs, yes?