Mitch Barnett reviews the Kii THREE

[Purité Audio]

Courtesy of ‘Computer Audiophile’.
https://www.computeraudiophile.com/ca/reviews/kii-three-loudspeaker-review-r735/
Keith

 

[RayDunzl]

"The Kii THREE’s are the first loudspeakers to come into my room where I did not feel the need to apply external Digital Signal Processing (DSP) to smooth the frequency response." - Mitch

That says something, considering his involvement with corrective measures.

---

On a personal note, I've been informed that an actual Audio Show will be coming to my area, and I will have to attend, since I never have (at least, I don't remember going to one), and it is as little as 24.9 miles away, within even my limit to attend a waste'o'time event.

Oops, didn't see the ticket prices yet, so, we'll see if that's within my waste'o'money limit.

Oooh. Free to the public. I can afford free.

Florida Audio Expo
FEBRUARY 8-10, 2019
Tampa, Florida

2019 Exhibitors

A La Carte Productions
Angel City Audio
Audio Research
AudioQuest
Aurender
Avantgarde Acoustic
Border Patrol
Critical Mass Systems
DSA
Elpispandora
Genelec Audio
Gryphon Audio
Ortofon
LampizatOr
Legacy Audio
Linear Tube Audio
Lumin Music
Luminous Audio Technology
Luxman
Magico Loudspeakers
MBL North America
MIT Cables
MSB Technology
Melody Audio
Pass Labs
Play It Again Audio
Raven Audio
Resolution Acoustics
Shunyata Research
Soundfield Audio - (AJ, an inactive member here)
Spendor Loudspeakers
Suncoast Audio
T+A
Tortuga Audio
Triode Wire Labs
Tweek Geek
VAC (Valve Amplification Company)
VPI Industries
Wolf Audio Systems

So, currently, four exhibitors I can feign interest in, others I can probably treat as "museum exhibits", some I've never heard of, and one somebody I know.

No Kii mentioned. Maybe somebody will sneak some in.

 

[Kees de Visser]

"The Kii THREE’s are the first loudspeakers to come into my room where I did not feel the need to apply external Digital Signal Processing (DSP) to smooth the frequency response." - Mitch

That says something, considering his involvement with corrective measures.

It says something about the loudspeakers and about his room

 

[Wombat]

It says something about the loudspeakers and about his room

A co-incidental match??

 

[Kal Rubinson]

It says something about the loudspeakers and about his room

A co-incidental match??

I don't think so. The sound of these speakers is less affected by room acoustics due to their controlled radiation. Perhaps some rooms are so bad that even the Kii's will not be tolerable but none of us have rooms like that.

 

[audiobill]

I don't think so. The sound of these speakers is less affected by room acoustics due to their controlled radiation. Perhaps some rooms are so bad that even the Kii's will not be tolerable but none of us have rooms like that.

I though the speaker already has DSP. Maybe no reason for DSP done twice. Perhaps he misspoke.

 

[andreasmaaan]

I though the speaker already has DSP. Maybe no reason for DSP done twice. Perhaps he misspoke.

I believe he was referring to room-corrective DSP.

 

[Soniclife]

It's a very interesting review, and the 8c tease at the end is also very interesting.

The one thing I don't follow is given that these are flat in an anechoic chamber, and the downward slope in room response is meant to be what you get when you put a flat speaker into a room, why do they need the treble attenuating? Should they not naturally slope down.

 

[Soniclife]

Oooh. Free to the public. I can afford free.

Hifi shows are weird things, probably best viewed as if they are some sort of bizarre art installation, go to be amused.

 

[andreasmaaan]

It's a very interesting review, and the 8c tease at the end is also very interesting.

The one thing I don't follow is given that these are flat in an anechoic chamber, and the downward slope in room response is meant to be what you get when you put a flat speaker into a room, why do they need the treble attenuating? Should they not naturally slope down.

The typical downward-sloping room response is a combination of room materials and furnishing tending to absorb more high frequencies and speakers tending to become more omni-directional as frequency decreases (ie downward-sloping power response). The Kii’s have very constant directivity almost the whole way down the frequency range, so their power response will not contribute to this effect, hence their tendency to sound brighter than what listeners are used to in-room.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I believe he was referring to room-corrective DSP.

That is what I assumed from his statement "....I did not feel the need to apply external Digital Signal Processing (DSP)...."

 

[Soniclife]

The typical downward-sloping room response is a combination of room materials and furnishing tending to absorb more high frequencies and speakers tending to become more omni-directional as frequency decreases (ie downward-sloping power response). The Kii’s have very constant directivity almost the whole way down the frequency range, so their power response will not contribute to this effect, hence their tendency to sound brighter than what listeners are used to in-room.

That makes sense, but, the 8c's also are flat on and off axis, but slope down in room in Mitch's measurements, so I'm back to confused.

P.S. I'm sure Mitch responded to my question above but I cannot find his response now, odd.

 

[andreasmaaan]

That makes sense, but, the 8c's also are flat on and off axis, but slope down in room in Mitch's measurements, so I'm back to confused.

P.S. I'm sure Mitch responded to my question above but I cannot find his response now, odd.

Yes, you're right.

HF absorption by room furnishings alone may be the reason for the downward sloping steady-state response.

It could also be partly due to the Kii 3s having a downward-sloping on-axis response (according to Stereophile's measurements anyway - note that the other independent measurement I've seen does not agree with Stereophile's, which is another minor mystery).

It could simply be that the power response of the speaker is less of a factor than I'd presumed it to be, in Mitch's room at least.

Or that there is some bipole-type behaviour by the Kii 3 in the low to mid frequencies that doesn't show up on their measurements (which only show the +90° to -90° polar response).

I wonder if @mitchco still has the Kii 3s to take some quasi-anechoic measurements in his listening room, particularly the rear 180° of the speaker?

Or if you have a theory on this yourself Mitch?

 

[Soniclife]

Yes, you're right.

HF absorption by room furnishings alone may be the reason for the downward sloping steady-state response.

It could also be partly due to the Kii 3s having a downward-sloping on-axis response (according to Stereophile's measurements anyway - note that the other independent measurement I've seen does not agree with Stereophile's, which is another minor mystery).

It could simply be that the power response of the speaker is less of a factor than I'd presumed it to be, in Mitch's room at least.

Or that there is some bipole-type behaviour by the Kii 3 in the low to mid frequencies that doesn't show up on their measurements (which only show the +90° to -90° polar response).

I wonder if @mitchco still has the Kii 3s to take some quasi-anechoic measurements in his listening room, particularly the rear 180° of the speaker?

Or if you have a theory on this yourself Mitch?

It occurs to me that we are shown horizontal polar responses, but not vertical, I wonder if they are very different.

 

[Thomas savage]

That makes sense, but, the 8c's also are flat on and off axis, but slope down in room in Mitch's measurements, so I'm back to confused.

P.S. I'm sure Mitch responded to my question above but I cannot find his response now, odd.

He chose to delete it, reason unknown.

 

[andreasmaaan]

It occurs to me that we are shown horizontal polar responses, but not vertical, I wonder if they are very different.

They are likely to be very different, definitely (not necessary bad, but definitely nowhere near as clean as the horizontals).

 

[mitchco]

Yes, sorry guys. I did write something and then deleted it, as I did not want to intrude. I did post a response here: https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/dutch-dutch-8cs.2299/page-33#post-100289

 

[Soniclife]

Yes, sorry guys. I did write something and then deleted it, as I did not want to intrude. I did post a response here: https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/dutch-dutch-8cs.2299/page-33#post-100289

FWIW I didn't see it as intrusion, I intend to respond properly to it but serious life stuff kept getting in the way.

 

[Purité Audio]

Kii THREE and with its new BXT module, which should arrive soon!


Keith