Kef q950 vs kef r5

[raindance]

That's rather contradictory. Closer to a wall will not boost upper or midbass very much.

Sure, whatever. I'm offering an opinion.

 

[richard12511]

I think that will be a theme with all or most current KEF offerings: they trade-off extension of loudness. A bit of EQ can mitigate that in seconds.

True. Even the KEF Blade 1 isn't truly full range. As an engineering focused company, sacrificing some "full range performance" to gain some "with sub performance" makes sense, as adding subwoofers is always better(higher potential at least), even for speakers with 20Hz extension. Revel seems to have gone a similar direction with their new reference line.

 

[Dobbyisfree]

The Q900 and Q950, for both, only two of the units in each are radiators. The two upper units in each are powered woofers.

 

[Music1969]

The Q900 and Q950, for both, only two of the units in each are radiators. The two upper units in each are powered woofers.

Hi, this is confusing me.

Q950 has 2 powered woofers or 2 passive radiators?

@thewas ?

If it has 2 passive radiators,

then we have tweeter + midrange (Uni-Q)

And one powered woofer?

Spec states only one crossover point at 2.2kHz

Can anyone clearly breakdown the crossover design of this please

 

[Dobbyisfree]

Hi, this is confusing me.

Q950 has 2 powered woofers or 2 passive radiators?

@thewas ?

If it has 2 passive radiators,

then we have tweeter + midrange (Uni-Q)

And one powered woofer?

Spec states only one crossover point at 2.2kHz

Can anyone clearly breakdown the crossover design of this please

Since writing this, I now have a pair of Q900 and Q950 (these as surrounds).

Both are 2.5 way crossovers. Full range sent to the top driver, a woofer with the Uni-q. Two sets of wires, one treble to Uni-q unit and one mid and bass to woofer.

Then just bass sent to one other woofer.

Hence the crossover has 3 outputs. One is just bass, one mid and bass and one treble.

Now you can see why it quotes two crossover points in the KEF manuals?

From memory the crossover points are slightly different between the models. Understandable as they have quite different separation of sections inside.

In addition, both models have two radiators. (So they appear to have 4 eight inch drivers from the front).

However, I was wrong before. The Q900 has the 2nd driver down as a bass woofer. The Q950 uses the 3rd driver down as a bass woofer.

Also, perhaps relevant. The Q950 has one connection at the rear. The Q900 has bi-wire.

It took a lot of listening to decide whether to use the Q950 as fronts or surrounds. I wouldn't call them an "upgrade" I would call them different.

If you want some wishy washy audiophile speak... the Q950 have better control and subtlety. But they lose some soundstage, impact and weight.

I'd choose the Q950 for Miles Davis, Supertramp or Joni Mitchell. I'd choose the Q900 for The Prodigy, Jean Michel Jarre or Kansas.

As most of our listening is TV and not music, we wanted more impact upfront.

Especially considering the growing trend in TV dramas and films to use surrounds for music in the soundtrack!

 

[Music1969]

Both are 2.5 way crossovers. Full range sent to the top driver, a woofer with the Uni-q.

Is it really full range to the 5" UniQ midrange ?

Isn't there 2kHz HPF with tweeter?

For the bass it is full range right? No filter at bass frequencies for the midrange driver

 

[Dobbyisfree]

Is it really full range to the 5" UniQ midrange ?

Isn't there 2kHz HPF with tweeter?

For the bass it is full range right? No filter at bass frequencies for the midrange driver

No as I said there are two separate cables to the top speaker unit. One (treble) connects to the Uniq and one (mid and bass) to the woofer.

The top woofer is 8" perhaps you're getting mixed up with some of the R range that have a smaller mid speaker?

The manual (available by googling) for both models tells you mid/bass frequency split and the treble frequency split.

So, yes, the top speaker unit is full range. Then one other driver is just bass. That's what a 2.5 way is (as far as I know).

At its full price new, it is a lot of money to pay for such a naff crossover but it does help it to achieve decent efficiency.

E.g. my Q200c centre speaker is 3 way and very inefficient. If the middle driver also did bass I would estimate another 2dB added to sensitivity figure.

 

[Music1969]

So, yes, the top speaker unit is full range. Then one other driver is just bass. That's what a 2.5 way is (as far as I know).

I'm not sure that is why it is a 2.5 way.

See JA's review of Q900 where he explains why it is called 2.5 way

The manual (available by googling) for both models tells you mid/bass frequency split and the treble frequency split.

Nope manual has one XO point only - this would be between mid and tweeter

 

[Dobbyisfree]

Apologies. My memory is not what it was!

If you look at the graph with blue, red, green and black in the test link below. There must be something that stops the low frequencies being sent to the connections direct to the Uniq driver.

KEF Q900 loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

www.stereophile.com

And on 2.5 way, I think I am in agreement. It's a commonly used setup now (e.g. Triangle and Acoustic Energy use it) but there surely has to be something that filters lower frequencies to the tweeter?

 

[Dobbyisfree]

Yeah so for example the Acoustic Energy AE109 are 2.5 way. Difference being tweeter doesn't sit inside the driver like UniQ.

 

[Dobbyisfree]

I'm going to guess here. I reckon if we saw a crossover...

Full signal in. Split in two.

(1) a two way crossover goes to top unit. That's the quoted crossover one connection to top woofer and one to UniQ.

(2) a simple in line filter goes to bass woofer.

If it is this then, in my opinion, what makes this interesting is that the Q900 could benefit more from biamping than a normal two way speaker.

 

[Music1969]

but there surely has to be something that filters lower frequencies to the tweeter?

Yes as I said earlier, the one XO point in the manual is probably for the tweeter.

JA hints that the midrange for Q900 plays unfiltered in the bass? Similar for Q950 maybe?

 

[Dobbyisfree]

My guess was wrong. Here is the arrangement for Q900:

So the Q950 doesn't have dual connections on the left.

 

[Dobbyisfree]

JA hints that the midrange for Q900 plays unfiltered in the bass? Similar for Q950 maybe?

The diagram shows that it's filtered. I didn't think it was.

Strange, this is different to how others (e.g. Acoustic Energy) do 2.5 way. And I guess this makes it closer to 3 way haha!