Sound on Sound review Kii THREE

[fas42]

In fact, that's what good playback does. The "envelopment" in the sound, which the headphone thing should nominally do, occurs from the speaker reproduction - it completely takes over the acoustic environment in which you're located - extraneous noises completely cease to exist; if the phone rings, right next to you, you most likely won't hear it ...

This is why "testing" this, for people who experience it, seems ridiculously pointless.

 

[amirm]

I didn't get any sensation of headphone listening with the Kii. The sound like more powerful professional monitors to me.

 

[fas42]

Which sounds like they weren't performing at a sufficiently high level, when you were listening to them. If they sound like "powerful professional monitors" then they've failed to "disappear" ...

 

[amirm]

Which sounds like they weren't performing at a sufficiently high level, when you were listening to them.

No stereo system disappears that way for me. See http://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/axpona-kii-speakers-gtt-audio.328/ for my actual notes.

 

[fas42]

And I note that I responded to you hearing a "small bookshelf speaker" setup - meaning, that the quality level was not high enough.

 

[fas42]

Just noting, the "big", powerful sound - but still stuck in the boxes when you listen for this - is one of the steps on the way to convincing sound - to pull a number out of the air, it's at 95% of the quality needed; that extra 5%, which may be very difficult to get happening, is essential.

 

[Cosmik]

Can we have the in room measurments that support this please..

I'm curious as to what the in-room frequency response is meant to prove. A single measurement can't tell you how effective the bass dispersion control is; only a 'Spin-o-rama' measurement can do that directly.

 

[Purité Audio]

I mentioned in another forum that the Kiis measured better 'in room' than any other speaker we had placed in that room. One particularly dogged critic demanded to see the measurements so I measured the ATC 50's and the Kiis from the same position ,microphone in the same positions.
I am not sure how useful it is, you can see the Kiis have extended bass ,and overall a much tighter response, subjectively the improvement is immediately apparent .
The image that the Kiis produces is very stable and somehow extends wider and projects more towards you, individual components are extremely sharply defined, more so than other speaker I have here.
Keith

 

[Liberal Democracy]

I'm curious as to what the in-room frequency response is meant to prove. A single measurement can't tell you how effective the bass dispersion control is; only a 'Spin-o-rama' measurement can do that directly.

Why does anybody do them then?

 

[Purité Audio]

They are going to be measured at the Klipple labs , a full spherical dispersion plot not sure exactly when that is booked for though.
Keith

 

[Cosmik]

Why does anybody do them then?

I think they are more proof that a speaker reviewer had the speakers set up reasonably well in a reasonable room than a measure of the speakers themselves.

 

[Liberal Democracy]

I think they are more proof that a speaker reviewer had the speakers set up reasonably well in a reasonable room than a measure of the speakers themselves.

Unless they have inherent technology that can be engaged to mitigate room influences. Technology that's been heralded has revolutionary and totally effective ...

Then some room measurments might be good.. Oh maybe to test how they perform at high SPL , see if their 6" drivers really are flat +- .5 db down to 20hz..

I'm sure the members would be enlightened and suggest other relevant measurments that can be taken. Or we can just indulge in a thought excise and not actually worry about whether anything functions as some claim in the real world.

I don't think the designer claims the kii three is the ultimate speaker.. Though some fan boys might

Have you listened to a pair yet Cosmik, or are you totally relying on your intellectual thought excise to realise their performance?

 

[Purité Audio]

If you look at the plot I posted at 20Hz the output is at '0' ,for full and independent measurements you will have towait for the Klipple results.
Keith

 

[Cosmik]

Unless they have inherent technology that can be engaged to mitigate room influences. Technology that's been heralded has revolutionary and totally effective ...

Then some room measurments might be good.. Oh maybe to test how they perform at high SPL , see if their 6" drivers really are flat +- .5 db down to 20hz..

I'm sure the members would be enlightened and suggest other relevant measurments that can be taken. Or we can just indulge in a thought excise and not actually worry about whether anything functions as some claim in the real world.

I don't think the designer claims the kii three is the ultimate speaker.. Though some fan boys might

Have you listened to a pair yet Cosmik, or are you totally relying on your intellectual thought excise to realise their performance?

You're right, I haven't heard them yet. I'm not a fanboy for the brand as such, but I am a fan of the ideas behind the speakers. In my experience of playing with this stuff, DSP-correction of drivers takes audio to the next level.

Kii, however, seem to have not only built a DSP speaker, but thrown in this bass dispersion thing and, most amazingly of all, built it in a small box - with distortion compensation for the drivers. As the new review says, they don't go down to 20 Hz at the highest volume levels, but have a limiter system that reduces bass levels "subtly".

 

[Purité Audio]

More Kii coming,

http://www.audioxpress.com/article/get-ready-for-what-s-coming-with-audioxpress-january-2017

Keith

 

[c1ferrari]

I had a brief audition of the Kii THREE loudspeakers...intriguing reproduction of sound! I'm uncertain of the latency, contour, and boundary settings during my informal audit; however, I was somewhat uncomfortable with the bass (same observation with many of the ATC's I've experienced in show conditions).

The favorable review describes the THREE as near-field monitors...I'm curious about them as midfield loudspeakers/monitors.
Keith, would you have a preference listening to the Kii's nearfield or midfield?

 

[fas42]

The main thing about the Kiis is that they have been engineered to keep the levels of critical types of distortion to a very low level. Of course it's not fashionable to talk about that side of things - Putzeys knows what the crowds want, so emphasises all the playing with FR and echos stuff ...

 

[Purité Audio]

I had a brief audition of the Kii THREE loudspeakers...intriguing reproduction of sound! I'm uncertain of the latency, contour, and boundary settings during my informal audit; however, I was somewhat uncomfortable with the bass (same observation with many of the ATC's I've experienced in show conditions).

The favorable review describes the THREE as near-field monitors...I'm curious about them as midfield loudspeakers/monitors.
Keith, would you have a preference listening to the Kii's nearfield or midfield?

I just tuck them tight into the corners and then adjust the boundary filters .
Keith