Need advise, KEF Blade One Meta, B&W 801D4 or Genelec 8361+731A?

[Purité Audio]

Loudspeakers are totally characterised by their measurements whether you like it or not.
Keith

 

[dfuller]

Loudspeakers are totally characterised by their measurements whether you like it or not.
Keith

Yes, but if the measurements are incomplete you can end up with hidden audible issues that don't appear on a cea-2034.

 

[ocinn]

No problem with a point source:

J8-94 | Danley Sound Labs

The J7-95 loudspeaker weighs in at 265 pounds and stands 3 feet tall – yet delivers the output you would expect from all Jericho products.

www.danleysoundlabs.com

J8 begins to "beat" point-source inverse square in the HF if you request the EASE/CLF file and sim it. It's the only Danley model to do so, besides the J5 which there is like maybe 1 of in the world, lol.

 

[Purité Audio]

Yes, but if the measurements are incomplete you can end up with hidden audible issues that don't appear on a cea-2034.

Quite all the more reasons why manufacturers should supply Klippel measurements.
As Toole states more information on a car tyre than the majority of loudspeaker manufacturers supply.
Keith

 

[totti1965]

Thanks for all the replies! It's a wonderful community.

The listening distance is planned at about 3.5-4m. Also will do some minimum room treatment. I have REW and mic ready.

The choices in my city is limited, also need consider WAF thing, KEF Blade, B&W 801, or Focal Meastro are approved by looking but budget is limited.

As far as SPL, I don't really need it at insane level, just reasonable loud, but at the level, I am after the transparency, low distortion and good sound stage.

My LS60 does come with a KF92, crossed at 90HZ. It's close but didn't tried it in bigger room, too old to move things around.

Maybe KEF Blade Meta Two + 2x KF92 will do the job and saves quite a bit?

So, what about your LS60 Wireless and just 2 x KF92 with Crossover Frequency at 150 Hz! So you can play increadibly loud because the KF92 woofers just have to do the job from 150 Hz to 400 Hz.
Perhaps with the Big room also some room Treatments for shorter echoe Times! That would definetely bring the clarity you are searching for / less distortions in your ear caused by long echoes / less fatique while listening!
You will get more return from some room Treatments than from fancy B&W or KEF Blade speakers!
Before you do your choice, take also a look at spinorama.org! It saves you so much money!

 

[MattHooper]

Loudspeakers are totally characterised by their measurements whether you like it or not.
Keith

True.

But a caveat would concern the interpretation of the measurements by a human being.

It's one thing to arrive at a target curve to aim for that will "generally sound good."

It's another to be able to look at the measurements of any and all speakers and know precisely how they will sound.

I haven't seen anyone who regularly measures speakers who hasn't voiced some level of surprise sometimes in how a speaker sounded vs how it measured - e.g. "might have expected X frequency dip or resonance (or whatever) to be more intrusive, but that didn't turn out to be the case. or "I didn't expect to enjoy these as much as I did, given the problems I saw in the measurements..."

 

[Purité Audio]

I would use measurements to discount speakers, rolled-off bass, rising treble, resonances etc are obvious.
In my experience I have found the better the measurements the more transparent the result.
Keith

 

[winsmyton]

Loudspeakers are totally characterised by their measurements whether you like it or not.
Keith

Very true, I do believe a good speaker usually have good measurement. However, there is always something that chart can't not tell, even many times, auditions due to different rooms and different equipment associated, will lie to our ears.

So, what about your LS60 Wireless and just 2 x KF92 with Crossover Frequency at 150 Hz! So you can play increadibly loud because the KF92 woofers just have to do the job from 150 Hz to 400 Hz.
Perhaps with the Big room also some room Treatments for shorter echoe Times! That would definetely bring the clarity you are searching for / less distortions in your ear caused by long echoes / less fatique while listening!
You will get more return from some room Treatments than from fancy B&W or KEF Blade speakers!
Before you do your choice, take also a look at spinorama.org! It saves you so much money!

I don't have 2 KF92s, only one. Currently at 90HZ but I will try 150HZ as you suggested. But from the chart, I suspect the woofer has more distortion than the mains. I made this measurement in untreated room, LEF 0db (3db higher than KEF suggested) so I can EQ out some room effects in DSP.

 

[winsmyton]

Now I will shortlist to 801D4 vs Blade One Meta + 2X KF92.

I took out Focal Maestro due to budget, unable to get a good deal, they raise price too much this year and Scala is just small, also Focal Sub is at ridiculous price..

I took out Generic 8361, maybe I don't need another active speaker, also I guess they will have some compression just as 8C does at high SPL (never auditioned the 8361, so simply guessing)

The biggest question now is , if both played at 100db, which one will have lower distortion, 801 or Blade?

 

[Ciobi69]

Now I will shortlist to 801D4 vs Blade One Meta + 2X KF92.

I took out Focal Maestro due to budget, unable to get a good deal, they raise price too much this year and Scala is just small, also Focal Sub is at ridiculous price..

I took out Generic 8361, maybe I don't need another active speaker, also I guess they will have some compression just as 8C does at high SPL (never auditioned the 8361, so simply guessing)

The biggest question now is , if both played at 100db, which one will have lower distortion, 801 or Blade?

blade are objective better.

 

[Descartes]

Now I will shortlist to 801D4 vs Blade One Meta + 2X KF92.

I took out Focal Maestro due to budget, unable to get a good deal, they raise price too much this year and Scala is just small, also Focal Sub is at ridiculous price..

I took out Generic 8361, maybe I don't need another active speaker, also I guess they will have some compression just as 8C does at high SPL (never auditioned the 8361, so simply guessing)

The biggest question now is , if both played at 100db, which one will have lower distortion, 801 or Blade?

Go listen

 

[Mtbf]

The biggest question now is , if both played at 100db, which one will have lower distortion, 801 or Blade?

You don’t seem to get much answers on your questions.

According to Hifi News & Record Review reviews:

B&W 801 D4:

THD 100Hz/1kHz/10kHz (for 90dB SPL/1m)

0.25% / 0.05% / 0.25%

LF/HF extension (–6dB ref 200Hz/10kHz)

19Hz / 34.7kHz/33.5kHz

KEF Blade 1 Meta:

THD 100Hz/1kHz/10kHz (for 90dB SPL/1m)

0.1% / 0.06% / 0.5%

LF/HF extension (–6dB ref 200Hz/10kHz)

34Hz / 27.5kHz/28.5Hz

The B&W can play impressively loud in large rooms and stay impressively clean nonetheless, as has been demonstrated at almost every audio show that I visited the last couple of years (they always hire large rooms). And the B&W (apparently) reaches much lower than the KEF.
As is common knowledge nowadays B&W voice their speakers in a particular way, you can look up the FR of both speakers in the above mentioned reviews. Despite or even maybe just because of that they are quite popular, it appears especially with serious classical music lovers. The KEF and the Genelec combo are/should be as linear as can be. Never heard the new KEF nor the Genelec combo, and I doubt a great number of people heard the Genelec combo of which they speak so often. Own among others a Genelec setup myself, but don’t listen that loud.

 

[chouca]

According to Hifi News & Record Review reviews:

B&W 801 D4:

THD 100Hz/1kHz/10kHz (for 90dB SPL/1m)

0.25% / 0.05% / 0.25%

LF/HF extension (–6dB ref 200Hz/10kHz)

19Hz / 34.7kHz/33.5kHz

KEF Blade 1 Meta:

THD 100Hz/1kHz/10kHz (for 90dB SPL/1m)

0.1% / 0.06% / 0.5%

LF/HF extension (–6dB ref 200Hz/10kHz)

34Hz / 27.5kHz/28.5Hz

Would the Blade's 0.5% at 10KHz be audible?

 

[Avp1]

Would the Blade's 0.5% at 10KHz be audible?

Probably not. But when you raise sound level to something like 100dB @3 meters - it will.

 

[winsmyton]

After couple of audition in shop, I have made my decision, Blade One it is.

 

[Pearljam5000]

If they made active blades that would have been perfect .

 

[kma100]

What would make it "perfect"?

 

[Pearljam5000]

What would make it "perfect"?

Less problems with matching DACs, amps,and cables
Built in DSP and active crossover
What's the downside here?

 

[kma100]

This leans into the "active is better than passive" theme, and glosses over the challenges of implementing what you recommend. Anyway, that's a separate discussion/thread. Glad the OP found the speakers of his choice!

 

[Pearljam5000]

What color did you choose ?