KEF Blade 2 Meta review by Erin's Audio Corner

[hmt]

I'm still waiting for more generic explanation of what is acceptable and what is not. I'm sure it's not just about Erin.

So, in your opinion, where should the line be drawn? If Erin's stuff should be excluded, then certainly there shouldn't be any links to any product release stuff from manufacturers anywhere. Links to all advertisement funded sites need to be forbidden immediately. Of course no reports from Hifi shows, those are just advertisement. DIY projects might be allowed, but they usually showcase components from commercial entities. Anyone involved in the hifi business in any category should of course be silenced, so many conflicts of interest.

To me it seems the critique is of the usual "I'm not clearly stating why this is wrong, because I don't have any real arguments, but I don't like it"-category which has zero value to anybody.

This phenomenon we see here with some users is called "purity spiral". After "cleaning" the forum with reviews like the ones from Erin the community would further turn against themselves. So the line would in the end be a circle - around yourself.

 

[FrantzM]

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 would throw 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 siblings 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.

 

[Haskil]

What is all this BS complaining about posting Erin's reviews here. Erin was a member here but there were some arguments between him and @amirm or whatever that resulted in him getting banned or leaving on his own accord. I can't remember what it was anymore, but I think we can all agree his reviews are generally very good and covered some points that were missing on ASR (like compression, but that seems to be part of the standard test set on ASR now also). Don't see an issue in others posting his reviews here for people to discuss. Yes, he has a Patreon. But so does Darko and people still post his videos here, even if its only to laugh at it. And what about links to Stereophile? Going to Stereophile brings in ad revenue for them. Are we also going to ban those posts? Lastly I doubt that Erin, just like Amir, is making any profit on what they are doing considering how much a Klippel NFS and Audio Precision hardware costs.

Erin's measurements participate like those of ASR which opened the way to making amateurs understand that measurements are capable in the qualitative evaluation of a product... while the press and 99% of influencers on Youtube and audiophile forums claim the opposite and permanently challenge the measurements.

And if Erin is criticized here, be sure that elsewhere... it is Amir-ASR who are sometimes violently vilified... by all those who are bothered by objectivity...

I got hooked several times on a French site very well known in our country about ASR and AMIR, whose defense I took when they were accused of various and varied crimes...
It's unbearable... And I'll tell you, the only thing that would make me pull out my gun would be if Erin's measurements were modified by him to erase defects in the speakers... I had a very loudly with a forum administrator who defended Totaldac by claiming that Amir did not know how to measure...

 

[quattro98]

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..

If one is interested in the KEF Blade, other choices with a lower cost include the Reference series and R series. Amir recently tested the R11 Meta and Erin has previously tested the Reference 1 Meta.

 

[prestigetone]

I don't get this criticism for him calling this his "best". It's his opinion, and he has the data he sees, to back up what his mind is telling him.

There are tons of speaker searches, one recent one was for a studio set, and the conclusions were all subjective. No data was even included. Anytime there is show report and someone says this was the "best" I heard they didn't take in-room measurements afterwards, put them in an anechoic chamber or run the Klippel.

Not trying to get into a debate about subjective vs objective, but there is a point everyone comes to after they do their research and assess the research where they name a best speaker. I can still recall some of the best cups of coffee I've ever had and the best speakers I've ever listened to. It doesn't mean I am ignoring what the data speaks to.

Every video has subjective impressions up top. He even labels it.

 

[bodhi]

I don't get this criticism for him calling this his "best". It's his opinion, and he has the data he sees, to back up what his mind is telling him.

I think people read "the best" as "vastly superior". In reality, the top echelon of speakers are all so good that at least in my opinion it's hard to rank them just by listening alone. I think that if KEF did 5% "better" than competition in most aspects then that would already be "holy f" moment for a seasoned reviewer.

I don't know if they are the same people, but some still have in their heads than there are these "night and day" differences between already very competent speakers. I haven't believed that for a long time, might be cloth ears of course.

 

[hmt]

I would like to see reviews of the Perlisten Towers in comparison. Similar price range but a different concept to reach a similar goal.

 

[FrankF]

I don't get this criticism for him calling this his "best". It's his opinion, and he has the data he sees, to back up what his mind is telling him.

There are tons of speaker searches, one recent one was for a studio set, and the conclusions were all subjective. No data was even included. Anytime there is show report and someone says this was the "best" I heard they didn't take in-room measurements afterwards, put them in an anechoic chamber or run the Klippel.

Not trying to get into a debate about subjective vs objective, but there is a point everyone comes to after they do their research and assess the research where they name a best speaker. I can still recall some of the best cups of coffee I've ever had and the best speakers I've ever listened to. It doesn't mean I am ignoring what the data speaks to.

Every video has subjective impressions up top. He even labels it.

A $28,000 pair of speakers that barely go down to 30 Hz are far from "the best" . If this is his opinion I'll stick with ASR's objectivity.

 

[Ron Texas]

Yes, for serious allegations you should have smoking gun, not circumstantial evidence.

Sorry, it's not that way in real life. People are convicted of felonies all the way up to capital murder on circumstantial evidence alone.

 

[RobL]

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.

 

[Sokel]

Did Erin say that? I doubt it, as he has not tested them.

What if he tested them and did say that?
Is he some short of gold standard that I'm unaware off?

His ears is his own,his taste is his own.
And as we are well into the gossip area,this seems to be the main rant.
Not,the measurements,not the site,not anything meaningful.

The anger is about his opinion about Blades.
Who in the right mind thinks that Erin's opinion,in his room,with it's own placement and ears will even remotely resemble what will face if he listen the speaker in his own conditions?
You should care as much as my opinion,or the person next to me : not at all.
Same goes with Amir,with all respect.Different place,ears,conditions,references,music,etc.

Their service is the amazing measurements.
If that is not enough for people to validate their choices and they also need to show similar listening taste,habits,etc (...or is it skills maybe? ) that's their own problem.

(... and even if Erin goes for a fee would it be the same as other people who do business but we... like in this forum? )

It's hypocritical.

 

[paradoxical3]

The people complaining about Erin's subjective opinions are being ridiculous. He provides extremely clear caveats about the limits and unreliability of subjectivity and provides a warning that if you don't care, you can skip ahead to the objective measurements. I thought it was a thoroughly professional review; if you don't care about his opinion he provided the measurements for you to make your own opinion.

 

[prestigetone]

The people complaining about Erin's subjective opinions are being ridiculous. He provides extremely clear caveats about the limits and unreliability of subjectivity and provides a warning that if you don't care, you can skip ahead to the objective measurements. I thought it was a thoroughly professional review; if you don't care about his opinion he provided the measurements for you to make your own opinion.

Yeah I don’t get it. Sure pure subjective vs objective is another argument for another day. He clearly shows what’s his opinion and what’s his measurement and how the two relate. People who call him out for this do the same thing. It’s amazing how people can’t see their own bias and hypocrisy. Fast forward to the data. That’s the great thing about these measurements. They’re scientific and reliable.

 

[Pearljam5000]

If they went down to 20Hz and didn't need subs and were active I would have agreed with his enthusiasm

 

[sifi36]

Did Erin say that? I doubt it, as he has not tested them.

Following a question from a viewer, he mentioned his friend has the aforementioned Genelec setup and he prefers the Blade Two.

 

[bodhi]

A $28,000 pair of speakers that barely go down to 30 Hz are far from "the best" . If this is his opinion I'll stick with ASR's objectivity.

Best he has heard, thus far. But anyways, the ASR "objectivity" sometimes has weird twists, for example providing hard limits on how loud or low a speaker (or subwoofer) should play with what kind of distortion. And the values usually are so high they are completely meaningless in 90% of listening rooms and listening situations.

 

[Ron Texas]

The people complaining about Erin's subjective opinions are being ridiculous. He provides extremely clear caveats about the limits and unreliability of subjectivity and provides a warning that if you don't care, you can skip ahead to the objective measurements. I thought it was a thoroughly professional review; if you don't care about his opinion he provided the measurements for you to make your own opinion.

It's not ridiculous. Anyone can give a subjective opinion and anyone may complain. You have managed to insult a whole bunch of members at once. How clever.

 

[Ron Texas]

If they went down to 20Hz and didn't need subs and were active I would have agreed with his enthusiasm

What?

 

[Jaxjax]

The people complaining about Erin's subjective opinions are being ridiculous. He provides extremely clear caveats about the limits and unreliability of subjectivity and provides a warning that if you don't care, you can skip ahead to the objective measurements. I thought it was a thoroughly professional review; if you don't care about his opinion he provided the measurements for you to make your own opinion.

Not many posts on ASR get thru without some type of wacky arguments & deep into negativity. One of my other hobbies is fairly high precision, were most things are .0003 +/- & you almost never see what goes on around here. The exact opposite actually. Everyone try's to help each other out for the most part & just a more positive vibe all around. It's been this way on ASR since day 1, to bad as it's a great resource.

 

[mglobe]

If they went down to 20Hz and didn't need subs and were active and were made by Genelec I would have agreed with his enthusiasm

Fixed it for you. Just having some fun with you.

I don't care for the looks of Genelecs so they are off the table for me. I actually only sort of like the Blades, and would go for something in the Reference line if I were to upgrade to a better KEF than what I currently have.