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KEF R3 Speaker Review
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
welcome to clarity...edit: i like the 530s but r3's are a nice step up, especially in transparency...
I can't get the R3, the veneer models cost a good bit more and the black or white are glossy. 
Am i the only one suffering under constant dust and fingerprint attacks?
Am i the only one suffering under constant dust and fingerprint attacks?
In reality, I too had asked myself the problem, then I simply thought that the speakers shouldn't be touched continuously, they are positioned, cleaned and then there is no reason to touch them continuouslyI can't get the R3, the veneer models cost a good bit more and the black or white are glossy.
Am i the only one suffering under constant dust and fingerprint attacks?
Just use a microfibre cloth, it's the same for furniture and other electronics. Use them dry to clean off dust and fingerprints and wet for sticky substances (kitchen counter tops etc.). They work so much better for cleaning anything than regular rags. The only problematic surfaces to clean are rubber (incl. soft touch coatings) and overly rough finishes, for those I'd recommend a brush.
We are more than 8 billion now, who would answer that question? Maybe you (let) dismantle them and get it re-finished at some auto body shop? "My pink Cadillac!" (BMW recommends the same when asking for body color yellow, btw)
I was on to build stands serving also as subwoofers for the R3s and stop now halfway. Despite investing two medium to high quality 8" bass drivers each (!) I couldn't improve the overall performance. The sub ruins the R3's low distortion and intermodulation figures up to quite elevated listening levels. Let alone the extra complications with added amplification and DSP. It's hilarious! I'm crushed, feeling like the "Catweazel" might have.
( the 'electric trick', KEF guys know what I mean)
Catweazle - Wikipedia
I can't get the R3, the veneer models cost a good bit more and the black or white are glossy.
Am i the only one suffering under constant dust and fingerprint attacks?
but you listen with the ears or with the hands?
I have the glossy black (perfect combination with my svs sub) and I only use a microfiber cloth from time to time to dust cleaning. 0 fingerprints.
So to be clear, did you build and measure them with the subwoofer stands?We are more than 8 billion now, who would answer that question? Maybe you (let) dismantle them and get it re-finished at some auto body shop? "My pink Cadillac!" (BMW recommends the same when asking for body color yellow, btw)
I was on to build stands serving also as subwoofers for the R3s and stop now halfway. Despite investing two medium to high quality 8" bass drivers each (!) I couldn't improve the overall performance. The sub ruins the R3's low distortion and intermodulation figures up to quite elevated listening levels. Let alone the extra complications with added amplification and DSP. It's hilarious! I'm crushed, feeling like the "Catweazel" might have.
( the 'electric trick', KEF guys know what I mean)
Catweazle - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Stop fingering your speakersI can't get the R3, the veneer models cost a good bit more and the black or white are glossy.
Am i the only one suffering under constant dust and fingerprint attacks?
Also, I'm sure there are audiophile grade sterile gloves available to use whilst polishing
edit: just wanted to say i wasn't suggesting you are/are not an audiophile, was just trying to make a lame joke.
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goldenears
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Interesting. I've been curious about JBL and horns, never heard them.
I love the R3s though, so probably no point.
Can you compare them a bit more, beyond just saying "improvement"? What's different?
Yes, I built subwoofers double serving as stands. These, despite using two 8" woofers each with some serious amplification and DSP showed in combination with the R3s three to 10 times the distortion of the R3s alone. While the R3s were, when playing alone, equalized to have the same frequenc response as when supplemented with the subs.
Only benefit was an extension down to 25Hz with the subs as opposed to 35Hz with the R3s alone.
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Are measurements available?
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Could you also please show the measurements of both setups, such is always interesting.
i do the homework with an umik-1 and REW, that gives me the background for the settings ... and the results are totally audible objectively and subjectively.
i think the key are the port plugs, i mean, less "mess" in the under 60hz region.
A decent sub works much better in that frequencies, is designed to do that with a dedicated powerful class D amplifier.
fieldcar
Addicted to Fun and Learning
Interesting, so your R3's had less distortion below ~80Hz than DIY subs? That sounds strange. It's been my understanding that once you are in the subwoofer frequency domain, it's purely mechanical, as in, you're displacing air volume, and that's really it. DSP's EQ/limiting and port chuffing/resonances can highly skew measurements too. What DSP, amplification, drivers, and enclosure are you using? EDIT: Did you put a HPF on your R3's? That could be the culprit.
Link to calculator. Of course this is an oversimplification compared to full on subwoofer design software.
Piston Excursion calculator
No, as I quite often posted measurements with not any result. It seems to be not at all interesting.Could you also please show the measurements of both setups, such is always interesting.
Please post your's first.
Two 8" (each) in a sub enclosure which double serves as a stand? Did you do the math assuming the same width and depth as the R3 has?
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?? I don't have any R3 (yet) but I have posted several measurements in the past, by coincidence even today distortion of my LS50M+sub combination, so I am eagerly waiting for yours.
Right, good valid input. I'll do my very best!?? I don't have any R3 (yet) but I have posted several measurements in the past, by coincidence even today distortion of my LS50M+sub combination, so I am eagerly waiting for yours.
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