Kef blade 2 meta frequency response

[sigbergaudio]

I had the opportunity to listen to the Kef blade 2 meta this week. The listening room was a good one and the speakers had very good electronics and source to drive them. It was a total setup for maybe 80000 dollars.

Very good sound, clean, three dimensional, lots of details, no integration problem at the 400 Hz crossover and they could play loud . One con was obvious in this setup - they didnt go down to 20 Hz and there is maybe a bit to little bass energy and to little ”slam” below 40 Hz . This can probably change with another placement of the speaker or/and using PEQ which is mandatory anyway. As it was, it needed a bass boost of maybe 3-5 dB below 40 Hz.

This subjective fault in the deep bass is only relevant if I compare with the best bass I have heard.

It would be interesting what other listener might think of this ? Kal Rubinson ?

I listened to them in a fairly large room at a hifi show last fall, my impression mirrors yours. One of the best speakers / listening experiences at the show. Well balanced, natural sound and plenty of energy despite a quite a big room.

 

[thewas]

Their ports are tuned quite low (a tad above 30 Hz)

so they go quite deep, also we shouldn't forget that most rooms add a room gain at and below such frequency

Fig.8 KEF Blade Two, 1/6-octave response in JA's room at listening position (left speaker blue, right red).

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

 

[Tangband]

Their ports are tuned quite low (a tad above 30 Hz)

so they go quite deep, also we shouldn't forget that most rooms add a room gain at and below such frequency

Fig.8 KEF Blade Two, 1/6-octave response in JA's room at listening position (left speaker blue, right red).

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

This is true, If ones definition of ”tuned low” is above 30 Hz. In my world this is not particularly low.

Using ordinary sheets of paper ( A4 ) one can cut it, roll it and fit it in the bass tube as an experiment. The tubes are bent so one can only do this trick about maybe 15 cm inside the outer area of the tubes. The sheet-tube of paper is easy to take out if there is no gain in bass quality. Making the bass tubes area 2-5 mm smaller will lower the tuning of the bass reflex system a couple of Hz. This will be audible, and the price for this lower bass tuning is less output -easily compensated with dsp shelving at about 25-30 Hz , + 3 dB as a first try.

 

[sigbergaudio]

This is true, If ones definition of ”tuned low” is above 30 Hz. In my world this is not particularly low.

Using an ordinary sheet of paper ( A4 ) one can cut it, roll it and fit it in the bass tube as an experiment. The tubes are bent so one can only do this trick about maybe 15 cm inside the outer area of the tubes. The sheet-tube of paper is easy to take out if there is no gain in bass quality. Making the bass tubes area 2-5 mm smaller will lower the tuning of the bass reflex system a couple of Hz. This will be audible, and the price for this lower bass tuning is less output -easily compensated with dsp shelving at about 25-30 Hz , + 3 dB as a first try.

+3dB does not only require dsp shelving, it requires double the amount of power (and enough driver capacity and xmax to be able to take it). I think we can be pretty confident that Kef has made a pretty well considered design decision here.

And 30hz may be "high" port tuning for a modern subwoofer, but it is relatively low for a speaker. A tuning like this combined with room gain in a typical room will typically be perceived as full range in practice.

 

[EdW]

I had the opportunity to listen to the Kef blade 2 meta this week. The listening room was a good one and the speakers had very good electronics and source to drive them. It was a total setup for maybe 80000 dollars.

Very good sound, clean, three dimensional, lots of details, no integration problem at the 400 Hz crossover and they could play loud . One con was obvious in this setup - they didnt go down to 20 Hz and there is maybe a bit to little bass energy and to little ”slam” below 40 Hz . This can probably change with another placement of the speaker or/and using PEQ which is mandatory anyway. As it was, it needed a bass boost of maybe 3-5 dB below 40 Hz.

This subjective fault in the deep bass is only relevant if I compare with the best bass I have heard.

It would be interesting what other listener might think of this ? Kal Rubinson ?

Last summer I embarked on a search for new loudspeakers. I arranged a demo at a local dealer KEF blade 2 meta vs B&W 802 D4. Both sounded hugely distorted and muddled. Particularly on detailed Choral music (that’s the golden ear moment over!). The amplifier looked exceedingly expensive but I didn’t recognise it. Tactfully I asked the dealer to replace it with an amplifier more within my price range - a Rotel Michi - problem solved! The KEF was clearly better than the the B&W though. Later, back home, I researched the expensive amp - a low feedback design with 0.5% IMD and 0.1% THD. The IMD was probably the issue. But no deals were to be done here so I tried another dealer who demo’d Blade 1 meta vs Blade 2 meta In a large room (10X7m). The Blade 1 had better bass but was the mid (300-500Hz) better on the Blade 2 due to the higher crossover? Then the Blade 2 in a smaller room. The dealer’s view was that the Blade 1 only really showed its merits in a larger room. He was able to give me a substantial discount on a flawless set of ex demo Blade 2 metas with full warranty etc. and of course he delivered and helped with setup as part of the service. In my home the speakers are on the short wall approx 2.4m apart and 95cm from the sidewall with the Uni-Q mid/HF unit being some 85cm from the front wall.
On the electronics side I noticed from @John Atkinson review in stereophile

KEF Blade Two Meta loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

www.stereophile.com

that the impedance was falling to 2.8 Ohms - slightly lower than the old blade 2 non meta. I discussed with Alan at March audio the best amp to drive this, and the conservative choice was two P501 mono blocks with 1ET7040 Purifi module and the +/-70V stabilized supply.
Direct drive from the DAC, a Topping D90 in preamp mode gives ~220W at the speaker at 0dB fully modulated. Only disadvantage here is that some live broadcasts are set well below 0dB so as to avoid an inadvertent overload. But that lack of volume has never concerned me.

Some fully modulated rock music can approach 110dB SPL peak with 10dB DAC attenuation (so just 22W). A bit of room gain here perhaps or spl app inaccuracies but impressively loud and a very clean sound.
Living in Cambridge I have a choice of classical music concerts most days during university term so I attend several a week sometimes attending performances of the music which the same performers in the same venue have recorded. The rather smaller venues in the Cambridge University colleges deliver a more near field experience than the regular concert hall and highlight any deficiencies. The Blade 2 meta acquits itself very well listening to these recordings and it is just possible to imagine sometimes that you are perhaps 3m from the performers at the live concert -huge clarity but also sometimes there are faults in the recording and ever so occasionally by the musicians themselves. To take advantage of the blade loudspeakers stick with great performances well recorded!

 

[Matias]

Blade 2 Meta is being reviewed by Erin, coming out soon. Curious to see his impressions.

 

[EdW]

Blade 2 Meta is being reviewed by Erin, coming out soon. Curious to see his impressions.

Erin’s reviews are always worth visiting.
@Kal Rubinson enjoyed reviewing the Blade 2 meta for stereophile

KEF Blade Two Meta loudspeaker

www.stereophile.com

He is a very discerning and unbiassed reviewer and there are not very many of them around!

 

[Ciobi69]

Blade 2 Meta is being reviewed by Erin, coming out soon. Curious to see his impressions.

didn't know that! i just bought them 1 month ago

 

[Tangband]

+3dB does not only require dsp shelving, it requires double the amount of power (and enough driver capacity and xmax to be able to take it). I think we can be pretty confident that Kef has made a pretty well considered design decision here.

And 30hz may be "high" port tuning for a modern subwoofer, but it is relatively low for a speaker. A tuning like this combined with room gain in a typical room will typically be perceived as full range in practice.

What you say is all true, I only showed that its possible to make this Kef speakers go slightly lower in frequency, - ofcourse at the expence of higher amplifier power demand and xmas. Its all compromises.

Edit: I can see on the impedance curve in stereophile that the speaker is slightly under tuned - might suit some rooms but not all, maybe the factory tuning is done right but might need some dsp boost between 35-25 Hz in some rooms.

 

[EdW]

didn't know that! i just bought them 1 month ago

I hope you are getting as much pleasure from them as I do from my Blade 2 metas

 

[dogmamann]

I had a chance to listen it against Dali core and the new canton reference 3. To me, the new canton sounded the most neutral, Kef and Dali sounded rolled on top. Also the cantons were way more 3 dimensional than the other two. I don’t know how they all of these measure though.

 

[Ciobi69]

I hope you are getting as much pleasure from them as I do from my Blade 2 metas

They are truly amazing in my room the go Till 28hz, i have 2 subs but not fully integrated, i use them for music and movies

 

[Descartes]

Blade 2 Meta is being reviewed by Erin, coming out soon. Curious to see his impressions.

Seriously, how was he able to get them?

 

[Matias]

Seriously, how was he able to get them?

KEF lent him a pair. They must have felt really bad after he had to buy and sell with a loss a pair of LS60 for review... And we all know a good review is coming for the Blades, so it was the right thing to do.

 

[Digital_Thor]

I had a chance to listen it against Dali core and the new canton reference 3. To me, the new canton sounded the most neutral, Kef and Dali sounded rolled on top. Also the cantons were way more 3 dimensional than the other two. I don’t know how they all of these measure though.

You found the Dali rolled on the top?
I found them very open and very clear... listening too close to the Core 11 made me twitch my head because I felt the upper frequencies were "attacking" me a bit. I definitely feel that the Dali's need a much bigger space than the KEF. Maybe because bigger speakers tend to "sum" better when you move further away.
Dali also use 3 different driver types above around 400Hz... and because of this I believe they have a less smooth power response - compared to the KEF coax.

I have a pair of 2018 models (just before the Meta version) of KEF coax in my DIY speakers, measuring very flat and tilted like the Blades. To me, they sound very natural, detailed and clear, with that great illusion of stereo image and sound stage balance.

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

I had a chance to listen it against Dali core and the new canton reference 3. To me, the new canton sounded the most neutral, Kef and Dali sounded rolled on top. Also the cantons were way more 3 dimensional than the other two. I don’t know how they all of these measure though.

i mean, if you find the blades '' rolled off '' the canton must sounds bright

 

[dogmamann]

i mean, if you find the blades '' rolled off '' the canton must sounds bright

I think they both are similar. This is a measurement of the older 7K, but the newer ones are very much relatable.
The KEF is more flat but again has some bass boost like the Canton. But considering the price difference the Canton looks like a steal. The reference 3 k heard has way more extension than the one measured here. Probably it would be better than the blade meta

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

I think they both are similar. This is a measurement of the older 7K, but the newer ones are very much relatable.
The KEF is more flat but again has some bass boost like the Canton. But considering the price difference the Canton looks like a steal. The reference 3 k heard has way more extension than the one measured here. Probably it would be better than the blade meta

But dont add to the thread olds measurements speaker... that dont help that much
Also that boss boss that are you seeying in that measurement technnic are a consequence of the measurement technic
---------
In that post i asked why too much mid bass, then i knew the measurement technic thing

 

[thewas]

Erin seems to enjoy them a lot, looking forward to his review.

 

[bodhi]

Let's hope somebody sends some Cantons to him soon so he can really understand what good sound actually is.