Kef Blade 1 meta disappointed

[quattro98]

I still prefer actives

Because of the quality of the internal DACs and amps or because those DACs and amps have been shown to be good enough for the application despite their limitations?

 

[quattro98]

In my experience, the surface of the membrane simply can not be replaced by anything.

I prefer my subwoofers to be substantially larger than my tweeters. Midrange gets interesting. You will find people advocate for everything from a 15" paper cone to a 2-3" soft dome. I think a 4-5" cone seems to be fine too.

 

[Pearljam5000]

Because of the quality of the internal DACs and amps or because those DACs and amps have been shown to be good enough for the application despite their limitations?

Because they're good enough + room correction like GLM plus very good reliability
Everything about pro audio is just better than the home HiFi stuff

 

[thewas]

Which coaxial driver is the best in the world
KEF, Genelec or TAD?

Jeez PJ, how many more years will it take for you to understand that there will never be something absolutely best, everything is compromise of advantages and disadvantages and thus such oversimplyfying questions cannot be answered adequately, but only by saying similar as A has slightly better directivity, B can play a bit louder, C can be crossed a bit lower etc.

There will be never be the absolute best speaker so please don't waste your life on such a pursue!

 

[thewas]

Because they're good enough + room correction like GLM plus very good reliability
Everything about pro audio is just better than the home HiFi stuff

Decent passive loudspeakers still have even better reliability and serviceability, especially digital boards like GLM have components which might be not easy to purchase and program in the future.
I agree that pro audio has many advantages but far from everything.

 

[quattro98]

Because they're good enough + room correction like GLM plus very good reliability
Everything about pro audio is just better than the home HiFi stuff

I agree on the excellence of the Genelec system. Personally, I don't want to make a blanket statement about the superiority of pro audio vs hi-fi. We have two main systems at home, one multichannel hi-fi (KEF) and one near field pro audio (Neumann). Both are good.

If we had bought any number of alternative hi-fi or pro speakers, it would be much easier to have worse performance than what we enjoy now. That's why I just want to know whether something is good or not.

For me, there's a list of stuff that's good enough that I don't have to worry about it, even though there are tradeoffs and differences: KEF, Revel, Perlisten, Ascend (post-Klippel), Philharmonic, Genelec, Neumann, Sigberg, Dutch & Dutch, Kii. There are more, but if you end up with a well-thought out system for your space and preferences, you can use almost any of these and have a nice result.

 

[thewas]

For me, there's a list of stuff that's good enough that I don't have to worry about it, even though there are tradeoffs and differences: KEF, Revel, Perlisten, Ascend (post-Klippel), Philharmonic, Genelec, Neumann, Sigberg, Dutch & Dutch, Kii. There are more, but if you end up with a well-thought out system for your space and preferences, you can use almost any of these and have a nice result.

This should be framed!

 

[terryforsythe]

Which coaxial driver is the best in the world
KEF, Genelec or TAD?

Looking at Erin's data, I would give the slight edge to the KEF Reference, then TAD, then Genelec, but you are splitting hairs. They all are state of the art and really, really good.

(I wish someone made concentric drivers that good for the DIY market!!!)

 

[terryforsythe]

Because of the quality of the internal DACs and amps or because those DACs and amps have been shown to be good enough for the application despite their limitations?

Mostly good enough. If I put my ear next to the concentric drivers of my LS60s, I can hear low level noise (static sound). I don't hear it at my listening position, though, and not while playing music. Still, KEF probably should use amplifiers with a lower noise floor in the next round of revisions.

As noted, I removed the passive crossovers from my Elac speakers and went all active, with external amplifiers. With those, I can't hear any noise, even when putting my ear inside the concentric driver. They are utterly quiet when the music is stopped.

 

[LSPhil]

(I wish someone made concentric drivers that good for the DIY market!!!)

Seas E0060-08/06 C18EN002/A​

 

[thewas]

Seas E0060-08/06 C18EN002/A​

The SEAS coaxials are long outrun by the above mentioned companies, as @terryforsythe correctly wrote above unfortunately there are no real officially available alternatives at that level for us DIY hobbyists currently. Hope that a company like Purifi will change that in the future though.

 

[kharan]

The SEAS coaxials are long outrun by the above mentioned companies, as @terryforsythe correctly wrote above unfortunately there are no real officially available alternatives at that level for us DIY hobbyists currently. Hope that a company like Purifi will change that in the future though.

You can get coaxial like vertical directivity with a Purifi tweeter and a 4" Purifi mid.

The problem is that at 4", it's not a real midrange.

 

[Pearljam5000]

Geithain is another option for excellent active coaxial instead of the Blades

 

[terryforsythe]

Geithain is another option for excellent active coaxial instead of the Blades

I would want to see measurements. To me, it looks like diffraction may be an issue.

 

[dedobot]

Geithain is another option for excellent active coaxial instead of the Blades View attachment 431263View attachment 431264

This is better Geithain :

 

[uwotm8]

Geithain is another option for excellent active coaxial instead of the Blades

Actually one of those options a true audiophile would consider

 

[terryforsythe]

Just buy top of the range Purifi 9040 based amps from March Audio or Buckeye ($1250/channel with top of the range power supply).

Those are very good amplifiers.

There aren’t any better amps.

I don't know about that. After much time comparing Amir's measurement data for the Purifi and Hypex amplfiers, I chose the Hypex Nilai500DIY.

Still, I don't think there is an audible difference, and the Nilai is a DIY kit requiring assembly, albeit a very simple assembly that took about an hour.

 

[AdamG]

Erin's measurements are correct as you say, but not good enough for me.

This is enough to prove that you are here just to troll. You were given plenty of space and time to substantiate your claims of poor performance and rising distortion. Yet you provide none. Just more subjective verbal vomiting of your unsubstantiated opinions. You have a track record of doing exactly this in multiple different threads and occasions. Therefore we believe that it’s best to say our goodbyes and wish you well as you search for your next Troll feeding grounds.

 

[HalSF]

This should be framed!

One of the things I’ve gratefully absorbed on this site is the uplifting and mind-quieting idea is that if your audio gear measures and performs well and delivers god balance, fidelity, and transparency, you can let all of the restless neurotic comparative obsessing about price and brands and the anxious competitive narcissism of small differences fade away, and experience the music with a clear undistracted focus.

 

[EdW]

Those are very good amplifiers.


I don't know about that. After much time comparing Amir's measurement data for the Purifi and Hypex amplfiers, I chose the Hypex Nilai500DIY.

Still, I don't think there is an audible difference, and the Nilai is a DIY kit requiring assembly, albeit a very simple assembly that took about an hour.

You’re right - we haven’t seen any independent measurements of Purifi 9040 series amp builds - it should be class leading. I hope @amirm will soon have one on his workbench. My only concern about some class D amps is that they will enter current limit (rather than voltage clip) when driving very many loudspeakers which increasingly often have impedances below 3 Ohms at the all important bass end where all the music power is concentrated.
I have of course a shockingly poor Purifi 7040 based amp - but it doesn’t run out of current drive. At the time of purchase the 9040 was being talked about but I suspected that retail samples wouldn’t be available for at least a year . . . I wasn’t wrong! As for the 7040 amps the ratio between the output power and the distortion products still exceeds the total dynamic range of my hearing and wildly exceeds any effective spurious free dynamic range of any human hearing.