Speaker purchase advice - KEF vs. Genelec vs. ?

[q3cpma]

Their virtually edgeless construction from tweeter center to half way around the cabinet is innovative I think. (The MDC melding into the edge to edge DCW if we're using their jargon.)

Also their use of aluminum and the shape limiting internal reflections, and increasing the interior volume and making them adjustable with their isopods.

Not their innovation, but I also like that they bend and flare their ports. So many don't, so the ports aren't tuned deep enough because they are limited be the depth of the speaker rather than the engineer getting to decide how long it is, or using an off the shelf part like on the Navis which I think would be improved with a larger, longer port.

Well, I meant novelties exclusive to the Ones, otherwise Genelec has made many technological breakthroughs.

 

[stevenswall]

Well, I meant novelties exclusive to the Ones, otherwise Genelec has made many technological breakthroughs.

That makes sense, the subwoofer would be about the only thing then since everything else was introduced with the 8000 series in general and the 8260.

 

[stevenswall]

How so?

Doppler distortion is caused by the ever changing and massively changing waveguide on other coaxials: they are only two way speakers and are trying to use what should be the mid-range cone as a subwoofer.

Other issues are companies building in air gaps and not having a continuous surface to avoid diffraction.

Genelec has minimized these issues that they not longer are audible looking at their measurements and listening to their speakers. They are transparent. To human ears at normal volumes there are no diffraction, doppler, chuffing, and distortion issues.

Basically there are zero audible, inherent drawbacks to the design.

Would be cool to see you do a video on this white paper if you were interested... If there's something I'm missing I'd love to hear it, or see a deeper dive into the history they mention and your experiences.

 

[outfaced]

....

These are speakers I’m considering at the moment, along with their local pricing:

• KEF LS50 Meta - 1500 USD
• KEF R3 - 1800 USD

The value propositions. I'm hoping that their relatively smooth directivity means that using Dirac and my SHD's EQ, I will be able to correct most of their imperfections. The LS50 Meta are on this list because I’m planning on offloading a lot of the low-end workload to the subs, and I don’t listen to my speakers at excessively high SPL. Their measurements make it seem to me like they would be quite competitive with the R3 above 100hz - maybe even better, since they have newer tech?

• KEF Reference 1 - 8400 USD
• Genelec 8351B - 8300 USD

These are the moonshot options. I’m willing to consider them if they perform significantly better than the “budget” options.


So, dear hive mind:

1. What do you make of my upgrade candidates? Are there any other worthwhile candidates I’ve missed? Budget-wise, $9k USD is the hard limit, and ideally I’d like to spend significantly less than that.
2. Are there any other suggestions for improving my listening experience? (Adding more acoustic treatment, different speaker placement, changing listening positions, etc.)

Thank you for you time and for your help!

I also use SHD Studio and listen in smaller, but also pretty irregular shaped room ... and had R3 and bevor that also LS50 (not meta).

Now i have the 8351B and also have to say, that they are the easiest speakers that i had regarding dirac tuning.

What is also important ... SF olympica and KEF or genelecs have very different signature. KEFs and genelecs are more similar, but SF are softer and smoother and some kind slower or more relaxed.

 

[alont]

Since the thread has been revived I might as well post an update for those interested.

About a year ago I ended up selling the Olympica I and getting the KEF LS50 Meta. Very happy with the results!

Since then, we've moved to the US (Seattle, to be precise) and took the LS50 Meta with us. We have a small dedicated home theater room with acoustic treatment and the system has never sounded so good

Next project for me will be to move the subs around a bit and try using MSO to get rid of a few annoying room modes that still remain slightly audible.