KEF Blade 2 Meta review by Erin's Audio Corner

[MKR]

That's a little controversial as it has to balanced to the intended customer pool.
High-end audio apart from some strange esoteric stuff is about room filling,wide dispersion,high output speakers with all details in check,rich mid-bass and shelved but also rich lows,not down to 20's though.

Blades being at an entry-level speaker in that area (in terms of price) have to use all traditional tricks to convince such clients as much as the nice performance that a lot of them are searching for medium rooms.

Can't blame them for that.

Entry level? I beg to differ at $30k … and not as wide dispersion as the Salons

 

[Sokel]

Entry level?

I said High-end audio,not Hi-Fi.
30k euros is the traditional entry level for speakers.

 

[restorer-john]

This review was definitely a bit over the top, more Stereophile-like than what I have come to expect from Erin, a bit disappointed. And indeed, what happened to the other “best ever” speakers Erin has reviewed? They must be feeling quite betrayed right now … not taking anything away from KEF though, they are clearly well engineered designs.

I also really do wonder if Erin had heard something like the 8C (that I believe he also gushed over) same time as the Blades, if he would have had same opinion? As I have come to experience in my end game journey, acoustic memory fades very quickly.

It's just typical YouTube hype, from a YouTube guy.

It'll all be forgotten when the next best thing comes along. Desperately trying to get a free (or heavily subsidised) pair of KEF Blade2 metas. Yawn.

 

[Rick Sykora]

This review was definitely a bit over the top, more Stereophile-like than what I have come to expect from Erin, a bit disappointed. And indeed, what happened to the other “best ever” speakers Erin has reviewed? They must be feeling quite betrayed right now … not taking anything away from KEF though, they are clearly well engineered designs.

I also really do wonder if Erin had heard something like the 8C (that I believe he also gushed over) same time as the Blades, if he would have had same opinion? As I have come to experience in my end game journey, acoustic memory fades very quickly.

Agree on the acoustic memory question, but I would have less issue with some conditions on a "best" recommendation (i.e., best passive speaker for over $20K). My concern is the "end game" or "best overall" from a reviewer is misguided. There are too many different conditions for one speaker to be the panacea for all. Even for one individual, there are likely to be several good speakers.

Naming a best of something is just another tactic to drive hits to influencer postings.

p.s. note there are many likable influencers, but because you like (or dislike) them, means you are biased by definition; objectivity demands deciding by the data.

 

[fredoamigo]

Yup, I can be just as subjective as anyone else, but you are missing the main point of my comment … acoustic memory

Yes, I know that our acoustic memory has great weaknesses, or rather is very short, especially when it comes to details, soundstage, etc. etc., but generally speaking, when it's good, it's good, and you remember it for a long time, just as you remember your worst listening sessions for a long time...

 

[restorer-john]

Naming a best of something is just another tactic to drive hits to influencer postings.

Just ask Andrew Robinson. At least he is straight-up and honest about cash for comment. The entire scene is so corrupt it's hilarious. Always has been, sadly.

 

[amper42]

It's pretty obvious that Erin was gushing over the Blade 2. He lost a bit of objectivity in the review and made the point that he would like to buy a used pair as he could not afford them. In the review business that's code for, "KEF if you give these to me I'll be your best friend forever".

I wouldn't be surprised if Erin magically found a way to own them after the review. We have seen this story many times before. There are so many other speakers that cost a fraction of the Blade 2 that I would be totally happy with. In the long run, you only have so many rooms for stereo systems and you begin to focus more on the quality of your music collection than the latest "fad" gear.

 

[Jaxjax]

I'll stick with Core 59's & a pair of core subs @ 15k. I'm sure the blade 2 are super nice sounding to be sure but to destroy the combo I just mentioned I highly doubt Same for KH420 + subs. or Genelec for that matter. Pro flat black isn't for everyone......glad my wife prefers my gear to be flat black.. Erin is great & follow, watch all his stuff, but since he is most likely to purchase these there is also most likely a large discount involved. Nothing wrong with that though as it's data driven for the most part.

 

[Pearljam5000]

At this price level I'd at least expect an aluminum cabinet and not fiberglass

 

[Ron Texas]

It's pretty obvious that Erin was gushing over the Blade 2. He lost a bit of objectivity in the review and made the point that he would like to buy a used pair as he could not afford them. In the review business that's code for, "KEF if you give these to me I'll be your best friend forever".

I wouldn't be surprised it Erin magically found a way to own them after the review. We have seen this story many times before. There are so many other speakers that cost a fraction of the Blade 2 that I would be totally happy with. In the long run, you only have so many rooms for stereo systems and you begin to focus more on the quality of your music collection than the latest "fad" gear.

Yeah, Erin might have jumped the couch. However, their futuristic design makes these objects of desire complete with Veblen pricing.

 

[Sokel]

their futuristic design makes these objects of desire complete with Veblen pricing.

That's not the Blades,that's their 180k euro KEF Muon,that's a Veblen item.
Blades are not something exclusive.

 

[Pearljam5000]

They're already expensive
So why not go for Blade One Meta instead of the the 2 Meta ?
The price difference is not that big.

 

[Ron Texas]

That's not the Blades,that's their 180k euro KEF Muon,that's a Veblen item.
Blades are not something exclusive.

For a pair of speakers, $28k is exclusive. What you are saying is a $300k Ferrari isn't exclusive because a Pagani costs over $2 million.

 

[mj30250]

At the risk of sounding like a swooning fanboy, looping Erin into the deep and endless morass that is typical YouTube "audiophile" community isn't warranted or useful.

Some important distinctions, all IMHO:

• He provides objective, high resolution measurements to an extent that (to my knowledge) only one other speaker reviewer on the planet does.
• He frequently if not always bookends his subjective commentary with clear and strong disclaimers that his impressions are provided based on his ears and his room.
• When describing subjective impressions, he makes great effort to correlate them to the objective data that he gathers and shares.
• As far as I am aware, none of his prior candidates for the "best speakers I've heard to-date" have "magically" made their way into a permanent place in his home.
• He's a human being after all, and clearly enthusiastic about the hobby, so the occassional gushing is largely forgivable.

But at the end of the day, his subjective video commentary is easily skipped and often timestamped (as it is here). I don't see the issue.

 

[Sokel]

For a pair of speakers, $28k is exclusive. What you are saying is a $300k Ferrari isn't exclusive because a Pagani costs over $2 million.

(I shouldn't reply to a car analogy,is like encouraging them but ok )

Yes,amongst high performing sports cars,that's exactly what it is.

 

[Ron Texas]

I'll stick with Core 59's & a pair of core subs @ 15k. I'm sure the blade 2 are super nice sounding to be sure but to destroy the combo I just mentioned I highly doubt Same for KH420 + subs. or Genelec for that matter. Pro flat black isn't for everyone......glad my wife prefers my gear to be flat black.. Erin is great & follow, watch all his stuff, but since he is most likely to purchase these there is also most likely a large discount involved. Nothing wrong with that though as it's data driven for the most part.

In this space Genelec and Neumann get a lot more love around here. Dynaudio is rarely mentioned. I'm not sure the subs are really needed either.

 

[ta240]

It's just typical YouTube hype, from a YouTube guy.

It'll all be forgotten when the next best thing comes along.

That is what largely burnt me out on youtube reviews. Every product can't be the best ever and the one that everyone was buying one month, nobody is talking about the next month.

If they were truly so good, wouldn't we still be talking about them? The companies sales numbers must look like a speaker impulse response graph when these videos come out.

Youtube created that monster though because there is a very short window once a video is posted for it to get enough views for Youtube to actually suggest it to people. So the content creators have to do whatever they can to get clicks fast. Once that time passes it is nearly impossible for the video to get any traction so a level headed "here is what is good, here is what is bad" review has no chance against "END GAME!!!!!!" or "GIANT KILLER!!!!" type reviews.
Why would I be interested in hearing about a product that is just good when someone else is talking about one that is the most amazing ever?

He got as many views in 2 days with his "mind blowing" video title as he did in 9 days with "detailed review and analysis" title for the PS Audio speakers

Desperately trying to get a free (or heavily subsidised) pair of KEF Blade2 metas. Yawn.

There is a youtube reviewer that claimed he questioned a friend about his video review because he didn't mention a flaw he noticed in the review; the friend, supposedly, told him he was hoping the company would let him keep the review sample if he raved about it enough.

 

[Keith_W]

At the risk of sounding like a swooning fanboy, looping Erin into the deep and endless morass that is typical YouTube "audiophile" community isn't warranted or useful.

Some important distinctions, all IMHO:

• He provides objective, high resolution measurements to an extent that (to my knowledge) only one other speaker reviewer on the planet does.
• He frequently if not always bookends his subjective commentary with clear and strong disclaimers that his impressions are provided based on his ears and his room.
• When describing subjective impressions, he makes great effort to correlate them to the objective data that he gathers and shares.
• As far as I am aware, none of his prior candidates for the "best speakers I've heard to-date" have "magically" made their way into a permanent place in his home.
• He's a human being after all, and clearly enthusiastic about the hobby, so the occassional gushing is largely forgivable.

But at the end of the day, his subjective video commentary is easily skipped and often timestamped (as it is here). I don't see the issue.

WELL SAID!!! There is a disturbing streak of nastiness that runs through ASR, and some of the comments in this thread are over the top. I think Erin's great.

 

[ahofer]

WELL SAID!!! There is a disturbing streak of nastiness that runs through ASR, and some of the comments in this thread are over the top. I think Erin's great.

Erin’s reviews have helped me correlate subjective impressions to measurements. In that sense, his subjective comments are interesting and useful. No beef here.

 

[sifi36]

WELL SAID!!! There is a disturbing streak of nastiness that runs through ASR, and some of the comments in this thread are over the top. I think Erin's great.

Erin seems to get a lot of hate from some quarters here, often for doing things that are either relatively innocuous or happen here anyway - see the Wilson Tune Tot review here versus the thread for Erin’s review of the PS Audio FR10. Two threads about positive subjective reviews for objectively poorly measuring speakers. The tone is entirely different.