KEF Q350 Speaker Review

[AlexanderM]

The Denon amp was AVR or Stereo amplifier?

I don't know, by the time I looked at the Denon the salesman was gone, I didn't have my glasses and I had to go. I'm thinking it was an AVR.

 

[radix]

Oh yeah, I figured the tenth of a point hardly mattered. Is there more I can read about preference score and nearfield use? I would imagine anything in this PS range would be "basically equivalent sound quality after EQ".

I'm actually thinking that because these would be so close to me that they'd be better with their coaxial design over the DBR-62s - am I off base in that thinking?

If you don't have an amp already you could look at an active monitor meant for near-field use, like the Kali LP6v2, which is in the same price range as the Q350s on sale. See the recommendations for active monitors.

 

[Sengin]

If you don't have an amp already you could look at an active monitor meant for near-field use, like the Kali LP6v2, which is in the same price range as the Q350s on sale. See the recommendations for active monitors.

Thanks for the rec! They are indeed on my shortlist of active monitors, should I decide to head down the active path. If they had auto standby I probably would already bought them, but right now I am waiting on Amir's upcoming Behringer B2031A review to decide between those two and the JBL 308p MKII as my top active choice.

Thanks for the extra info about PS and nearfield use - that was something I was unaware of. It seems odd to me that a coaxial would have a harder time with nearfield use considering all the sound coming from a single point, but I barely know anything in that category. It seems others use the DBR-62s nearfield and enjoy them, so perhaps I should wait on a sale for those (or choose active)...

 

[simple6]

I am now also considering these for use as surrounds (I'm a fan of coaxials for multichannel systems). Anyone experimented with more solid port plugs than those in the box? Amir mentioned that the provided plugs were not that effective.

Can we assume that if we plug the port and cross them to a sub at 80-100Hz will help considerably control those resonances around 1kHz that are probably related to the port/cabinet? I was also thinking of enabling Audyssey up to 1.5 kHz just in case...

 

[zoran-grbic]

Next I attacked the two resonances with two quick filters and results were positive:

View attachment 64448

Too bad the EQ settings aren't visible. @amirm, you remember what the were, by any chance?

 

[zoran-grbic]

Since I'm at it, I found this gem: Just applied it in Roon, and indeed, in my case the Q350s just morphed into something good:

Preamp: -0.6 dB

Hz	Gain	Q
180	-2.0	0.90
353	-1.9	1.00
958	-1.2	3.13
1646	-1.4	3.97
2479	1.0	2.30
4100	-1.2	1.90
10928	-2.3	1.33

 

[Sengin]

Since I'm at it, I found this gem: Just applied it in Roon, and indeed, in my case the Q350s just morphed into something good:

Preamp: -0.6 dB

Hz	Gain	Q
180	-2.0	0.90
353	-1.9	1.00
958	-1.2	3.13
1646	-1.4	3.97
2479	1.0	2.30
4100	-1.2	1.90
10928	-2.3	1.33

Just as FYI, EQs generated using the spinorama are here: https://pierreaubert.github.io/spinorama/eqs.html (including the Q350)

 

[Manlycookiebear]

Since I'm at it, I found this gem: Just applied it in Roon, and indeed, in my case the Q350s just morphed into something good:

Preamp: -0.6 dB

Hz	Gain	Q
180	-2.0	0.90
353	-1.9	1.00
958	-1.2	3.13
1646	-1.4	3.97
2479	1.0	2.30
4100	-1.2	1.90
10928	-2.3	1.33

Where did you find those, as they are different than the Spinorama ones?

 

[zoran-grbic]

Just as FYI, EQs generated using the spinorama are here: https://pierreaubert.github.io/spinorama/eqs.html (including the Q350)

That site went into my bookmark file faster than I could say "wow".

Thank you for the URL, adding it to Roon now to compare as we speak.

 

[zoran-grbic]

Where did you find those, as they are different than the Spinorama ones?

Those are from NoAudiophile.com and are initially a correction for the Q300s. That explains the difference.

I tried it as is and it did make them sound better then what I was getting before.

 

[Manlycookiebear]

Those are from NoAudiophile.com and are initially a correction for the Q300s. That explains the difference.

I tried it as is and it did make them sound better then what I was getting before.

Thanks for the info! Please keep me updated what your comparison results in.

 

[zoran-grbic]

Just as FYI, EQs generated using the spinorama are here: https://pierreaubert.github.io/spinorama/eqs.html (including the Q350)

Just saved the settings and compared to the once I posted. I think I can hear a slight difference. In any case, me like the Sprinorama better. Thank you again!

Personally, compared to the Spinorama, the EQ settings for the Q300 sound a bit too "metalic" in the mids and the highs. I feel like the mids sound "canned" and the highs to hissy.

The Spinorama settings put the maturity in the mids and the high's. It's controlled now. As is the bass. I can be mistaken, but for me the bass feels and sounds like a snowball rolling off the mountain with that noise and feel of Armageddon approaching. The type of rumbling and deepthroat grunting that gives you goosebumps. The amazing things is that I'm waiting for the bass to become overwhelming and spoil the fun. Almost like the moment you know the snowball is going to hit you and wreak havoc... But it never happens. Amazing.

And it's almost like there's a bit of echo compared to my initial settings that gives me a feeling of space.

Of course, I can be entirely mistaken and just speaking nonsense, but still, thank you for providing this flabbergasting experience with a mere link.

For the record, here is the Spinorama EQ setting for the Q350:

Set preamp gain to: -2.4dB.

EQ ID	Type	Freq	Q	Gain
1	PK	174	1	-1.31
2	PK	691	6	-1.54
3	PK	929	6	2.5
4	PK	3679	3.05	1.77
5	PK	453	6	-0.82
6	PK	1212	6	-0.7
7	PK	8688	6	-1.1
8	PK	2679	6	-0.5
9	PK	724	6	-0.5

Source: https://pierreaubert.github.io/spinorama/eqs.html

 

[georgeT]

The brightness is too much for me (nearfield use) so I also add a -12db High shelf @80hz together with a 2nd order high pass @53Hz.
This somewhat allows me to blend them with a 12" sub flat which is flat from 25Hz to 80Hz.

 

[zoran-grbic]

The brightness is too much for me (nearfield use) so I also add a -12db High shelf @80hz together with a 2nd order high pass @53Hz.
This somewhat allows me to blend them with a 12" sub flat which is flat from 25Hz to 80Hz.

Thank you for sharing. I'll try it tomorrow when I'm back in my studio.

 

[zoran-grbic]

The brightness is too much for me (nearfield use) so I also add a -12db High shelf @80hz together with a 2nd order high pass @53Hz.
This somewhat allows me to blend them with a 12" sub flat which is flat from 25Hz to 80Hz.

Definitely interesting. Funny thing is, I can hear the harshness now too. COmparing both as we speak.

 

[zoran-grbic]

The brightness is too much for me (nearfield use) so I also add a -12db High shelf @80hz together with a 2nd order high pass @53Hz.
This somewhat allows me to blend them with a 12" sub flat which is flat from 25Hz to 80Hz.

Thank you for your hint, I added your correction and it was the missing link. Thank you, those KEF's now really sound good.

 

[Ozymand1as]

I was trying a horizontal Q350 as a channel channel, and the directivity error at/below 1 kHz causes a really nasty blip in the frequency response. When turned on its side the horizontal plane becomes the vertical plane, so I get all that stuff bouncing off my floor.

Maybe that could be avoided by some super thick rug in front of the speakers, but that is not going to pass the wife's evaluation. That being said, the common recommendation to use one of these as a center seems problematic if floor/ceiling reflections are not well-controlled.

I tested them on stands in their normal LR configuration, and that issue disappears. How much do we think a resonance like that affects the overall impression of the speaker? Surely it shows up in the reflections even if the total frequency response looks clean.

I have a bunch of different pairs of bookshelf speakers in my living room right now that I wish I could blind compare, but it's simply not possible.

 

[Talisman]

So, reasonably good objective measurements but doesn't do it for me. I can't recommend the KEF Q350 despite its positive attributes.

The only thing I didn't understand about this review is the "no recommendation"
The speakers measure well and sound good, for some reason you don't like them but why not a recommendation?
They have nothing broken.
In many other reviews of products even with real problems I have seen recommendations despite perhaps not fssse "your cup of tea" or despite glaring defects in the measurements.

 

[Descartes]

The only thing I didn't understand about this review is the "no recommendation"
The speakers measure well and sound good, for some reason you don't like them but why not a recommendation?
They have nothing broken.
In many other reviews of products even with real problems I have seen recommendations despite perhaps not fssse "your cup of tea" or despite glaring defects in the measurements.

May be the Q Meta will be better!

 

[Tremore]

Just saved the settings and compared to the once I posted. I think I can hear a slight difference. In any case, me like the Sprinorama better. Thank you again!

Personally, compared to the Spinorama, the EQ settings for the Q300 sound a bit too "metalic" in the mids and the highs. I feel like the mids sound "canned" and the highs to hissy.

The Spinorama settings put the maturity in the mids and the high's. It's controlled now. As is the bass. I can be mistaken, but for me the bass feels and sounds like a snowball rolling off the mountain with that noise and feel of Armageddon approaching. The type of rumbling and deepthroat grunting that gives you goosebumps. The amazing things is that I'm waiting for the bass to become overwhelming and spoil the fun. Almost like the moment you know the snowball is going to hit you and wreak havoc... But it never happens. Amazing.

And it's almost like there's a bit of echo compared to my initial settings that gives me a feeling of space.

Of course, I can be entirely mistaken and just speaking nonsense, but still, thank you for providing this flabbergasting experience with a mere link.

For the record, here is the Spinorama EQ setting for the Q350:

Set preamp gain to: -2.4dB.

EQ ID	Type	Freq	Q	Gain
1	PK	174	1	-1.31
2	PK	691	6	-1.54
3	PK	929	6	2.5
4	PK	3679	3.05	1.77
5	PK	453	6	-0.82
6	PK	1212	6	-0.7
7	PK	8688	6	-1.1
8	PK	2679	6	-0.5
9	PK	724	6	-0.5

Source: https://pierreaubert.github.io/spinorama/eqs.html

The current settings for Q350 from here just completely destroy midrange for my setup, especially at -3.9db