Dear Tharbamar, my Idee...🤔preamp per xlr cable and per splitconector per Chanel (right&left). On the right from the splitconector one cable in 1 tubeamp(mono) and one cable in 1 big transistor - monoamp. for The left output the same . All over a xlr splitconector. I think it is biamping??? Is that right?? For the hights the tubeamps and for The bass the heavy duty monos. Conekted in the bj wirer Terminal on my speaker. What are you thinking about this..
You probably dont care but if you guys are stoned like me atm you can stream pretty much all of the new movies on instaflixxer. I've been watching with my brother for the last few days =)
Sound is incredible on these … I couldn’t imagine the twice as expensive LS50 Meta being all that much better. Driving my new q350s with a Cambridge CXA81 Amp … It’s a awesome pair, though I wish the amp had a highpass filter for subwoofer integration. It already sounds decent with my SVS Sb-1000 pro (sealed sub) but I wonder how much better a proper crossover would make.
The hi-pass capacitor is most likely the source tweeter hardness. Bypassing or replacing it with a high quality cap will yield a top end similar to the LS50.
Wow, I'm ashamed that I have just found out about your channel. Very much appreciate and thank you for your time on posting music demos on speakers I've been interested recently. Just subscribed! Now time to start watching more of your videos.
I have the KEF Q150's with a Naim Nait 5si and an Arcam Ir Dac! Great sound, great combo..KEF and Naim go very well together! Thank you for your review!
Your Denon amp really brings out the best in every speaker you demo. I'd never heard the little Klipsch R41M sound so good that you made me want a pair.
I appreciate all your videos; thank you. For the last 3 weeks I have been researching speakers and your channel has been VERY helpful. I have RP-600M, KEF 350, SVS Ultra sitting in my living room and been testing them out :)
@@suryachataut - I have both the RP600M as well as the KEF Q350. The Q350s are a keeper. The one speaker that everyone has loved including my better half. A rarity indeed!
Now am respect for Kef speakers 😉 on now on at last they're got it right since from ls50 to Kef 350 speakers. I remember Kef speakers way back in 1999 when I have a demo in the hifi store well Kef speakers the q serries was a sound a bit below par for me to bass performance just wasn't there. But how ever they got it right with the stereo image but lack of bass to me unless you get a floor standers but it still not as good as compared to B&W DM 601 S3 speakers they eat them alive at the time. But now Kef speakers has been a big turn around for the performance bravo for Kef. 😁😁😁😁
I'm glad you picked up on the hotness on piano notes, nobody seems to ever mention this, also you might notice some shrillness on certain types of vocals, in particular Opera and Gregorian, but it does smooth out over time, I've had a few sets of Kefs now with the Uni-Q driver and they all needed a very long run in, I'm talking months. A fantastic track to test tweeters is "Beata viscera (monophonic conductus) - Pérotin, Antony Pitts", you play that loud and you'll know if your tweeter is to hot or shrill, also listen carefully for the rain in the background, I've tested some speakers and you couldn't even hear the rain!, it really adds so much atmosphere to the track.
Thanks for this in depth review, Tharbamar. After months of research, I decided on the Q350s. Right out of the box, they sound great. Smooth, detailed, great soundstage, with deep bass. And even better, they are currently on sale at a $200 discount!
@@Tharbamar By the way, I am driving the KEF's with a $399 Denon PMA 600NE integrated amp, which is only $399, and it does a great job with these speakers. I can't imagine how good they would sound with the much more expensive Denon's.
@@Edcarpenter67 I bought the Denon PMA 1600 2 weeks before. My old Combination was the warm sounded Rega DAC (24/192 USB) and a nearly 20 year old Yamaha AV RX-V1400 RDS and with the "clear sounding" B&W DM310 Speakers the sound was rich, I could feel the Instruments ;-), but with the KEF Q350 I was so disappointed first, they sound so "behind a thick curtain", Highs and Middle disapeared behind the bass. And I was wondering why were they described as good and recommended from many people. Now I know better and experienced another Amplifier change the sound so much. Therefore the B&W sounded awful and thin. But in my Home Cinema Setting with Yamaha and Rega DAC they do a great Job and have clear and deep bass. I`m very happy now, the Denon match perfectly with the KEF, they sound clear, brilliant and this great stage is so fantastic! (sorry if something sounded "Awkward-English", I am not native English ;-))
Hi. Thanks for the review. I feel the same way about Q350, so for me you are spot on and was very useful for me. I recently bought these on an great deal, about 270$ and they are wonderful. And they are so flexible - like i can watch movies, play games or listen to high quality music. And, yes, for modern music it is perfect. Great day!
i really like your videos. thanks for the great upload and including things like rew measurements, sound sample and talking with the speakers clearly visible. also I love that you show the insides. everyone needs to do this in their reviews! you even talk about the placement of the speakers in your room. this really puts you above every other reviewer i know who never talks about their room or setup procedure. because as you well know, the room voices the speaker. not the other way around. but wow great job!
trust the bass on these ones. they leave my Quad S5 floorstanders (which are substantially bigger in size) biting the dust in the bass department (detail, definition, depth and scale). and the bass is not overpowering but integrates so well into the music that it lends it that musicality in almost every song you hear.
bass bass bass but I thought the mid range on these stunk.. they can barely hold the volume and power that they need without distorting in the mid range. But I have come to the conclusion that I am not a fan of the British sound. Having said that - when I moved these into my bedroom with Yamaha AS 501 driving them, they sounded much better. Big and wide, yes- but the bass is the one thing that has depth. The mid range gets lost and or distorted. Throw led zep at them and - nahhh- just don't handle it. More for jazz and classical. Peace!
Hi Tharbamar, really like your reviews which I feel are always straight from the heart. I also watched your wharfedale evo 4.2 review. Obviously, there is s price difference between kef 350 and evo 4.2 but for a couple of hundred dollars more will evo 4.2 be a better bet. I am more into overall warm, musical tone. I like listening to blues, jazz, soft rock, country and Indian classical. Listen more to vocals, male and female both, than instruments. Thanks.
I just tried or experienced these today at Best Buy. And I shut their doors and put all there speakers from 2900$ and down. And loved these. That’s why I’m here now. Not a compulsive buyer and wanted to see if my opinion was worth a grain of salt. This will be a great buy I believe. Anyway love this video man. Great review hard to find unbiased opinions so thank you so much.
Thanks for the review! The Q350 are on discount now for only $360/pair in my country NL so I cannot resist anymore! Please have a listen to this great song! Ella Vos - "In Your Corner" Enjoy!
@@Tharbamar I ordered 2x Q350 yesterday evening because I want a 2.2 system with 2 subwoofers. I will use a 2x24W KT120 tube amp (triode) for the Q350 and 2 subs for the lows. I wonder what that will sound like! I can really recommend using a subwoofer because it will make it easy for your main amp and speakers, and the sound will become even clearer! Here are a some more really nice songs! They are even better with subwoofer, or listen on some big speakers. Songs: Stan Seba - What could I do? Kat 010 - Keep Up Andain - After Enjoy! (turn up the volume!)
Been looking forward to this review - thank you! For those of us in Canada - these are the same $700 as the US price, which is very rare, so that makes them a bargain!
you wont regret these. they are fantastic for the money and all the speaker one ever needs if you're not into the audiophile hobby (in which case you'll constantly feel the need to change speakers)
The hardness you mentioned is from the cabinet indeed. Use the half-port plugs and it easily eliminates it as well as add more clarity. I used to have this speaker and I agree with your review, easily one of the best in this price range as long as you use the port plugs.
Back when I had them the thing on using plugs or not was such a struggle. It was my first Hifi speaker and didn't really had a lot of knowledge when placing them in my room. I ended up not using them and have them like 1 meter away from the wall. That opened them up pretty nicely from my memory
I use my 350'S with a stereo tube preamp, an Audio Source ( Ferris Bueller) EQ, and a QSC GX3 amplifier. I used the EQ's pink noise and microphone to set my room response "flat" above about 45 Hz. This system sounds incredible! Center imaging and vocal clarity during movies is better then most home theater systems i've heard. While listening to music (mostly records) the stereo width, imaging, and depth, is breathtaking- better then anything i had previously. These guys like a lot of power and absolutely shine around 88-90 dB in my listenibg position, 3 meters ( centered) from the speakers! Best $500 i've spent in awhile. These speakers are amazing
Well, it's complicated. If you listen a lot, and want to enjoy listening a lot -- to music, movies, etc -- then you'll find high treble isn't fatiguing, but the upper midrange/ low treble is quite fatiguing.
Your review Tharbamar is on point. This is a very musical speaker and it sounds very much like a British speaker. I just bought this speaker and I have been putting it through it’s paces. It is a very different speaker from both my Bowers and Wilkins CM5 and my original Elac B6. The original B6, heavy on the bass, but light on everything else, but they came at an unbelievable price point. I have also heard the Ls50s and they are far more articulate, but lighter in the bass than the Q350s. The B&W CM5 have that typical B&W house sound. I agree with you on the room size quote, a larger room reduces some of the bass, while a smaller room increases it, but the sound stage is still wide. I got lucky and found a pair in a beat up box with a hole in it, but the speakers were fine for 375.84 US at a Best Buy. At that price they are both unbeatable and unbelievable. What tools and software are you using for your measurements?
I could get them for around 399€ and Im really thinking about these. My first choice were the Dali Oberon 3, but i guess I have to compare them at home. Thanks for the review!
tharbamar, do you feel this kefs q350 are a better buy than for example the elacs debut reference, or the q acoustics 3030i? what are your thoughts on this?
I love your reviews.. i feel confident about making a choice based upon what you say.. You also seem to attract well informed people in the comments.. I'm wondering how these compare with the KEF R3's as that's what i'm contemplating.. If these are close then i would save some money.. I'll be pairing them with an SVS sub so looking for appropriate mids and tops to go with the subwoofer.. I want real clarity with vocals and higher notes.
@tharbamar - i stumbled upon your channel and got hooked! great and honest review! i have the KEF Q350s and i was contemplating getting the Buchardt S300. I was pleasantly surprised that you had reviewed both speakers and i could relate to what you had to say about the Q350s. that said, i think i should steer clear of the S300s. How about reviewing the S400s? I'm really inclined towards those and would love to hear your views on it.
Great review and sound sample. Great work Tharbamar 👍👍👍👍👍. The bass from this q350 is really good. Now that you have the PMA-SX11 in your system, I wonder how will the svs ultra tower sound with this aakash gandhi test tracks...
seeing the wire they use to go from the speaker connects to the actual speaker makes me wonder why people bother with expensive speaker cables. no matter how much you spend, you still end up with cheap radio shack wire on the inside.... taking away any benefits from good speaker wire
Interesting review. In my mind I had these as horrible sibilance machines, and your sound review shows the same. Am I just too sensible of a certain range this speaker produces? I want to love these but this sibilance (and their huge bass output) made them a nogo for me so far.
It is personal preference, to me they are no way sibilant as you perceived. Because I measured them as well, KEF is one of the brand that set the industry standards. Please remember real instruments are not all smooth sounding. Many people in my family who used Beat or Bose or Sonos sounds, they find it accurate sound sibilant.
Great review, especially helpful with comparisons to other well regarded speakers. The wood finish looks good on video but can you tell me how realistic it looks in person? Are you fooled into thinking it's real veneer, or is it obvious it's not? Thank-you,
How would you compare this KEF Q350 with an Wharfedale Diamond 240 you reviewed, in terms of Bass, mids and highs, and detail level? Thank's for these reviews.
I kept nodding with u as I hear your review. I have the Diamond 225, LS50 and the Elac Debut Reference. I fully agree that the Q350 is a speaker that many would love. Musical, fluid, solid bass. Not for small room though.
How does the Diamond 225 compare to the Elac Debut Reference? I have the 225 and the Debut References are like 3 times more expensive here. Not sure they worth that much. Thx.
@@sherwood5103 The Debut Reference is better than the 225. No doubt. Especially if you use them in a bigger room. The debut reference produces a bigger soundstage, bass weight is way ahead. Tone of the debut reference is also 👍👍👍. Had a brief comparison of the 225 to the 12.2. The 12.2 sounded cleaner. Improved vocal n instrument separation. Bass is better define and deeper. The 12.2 appears to mimic the character of the debut reference. But on a small scale.
@@lawchoongseng789 Thanks for the reply. So it seems the Elacs are a safe bet. I want something with better clarity and detail than the W225. But not superbright like the Klipsch or Monitor Audio.
@@sherwood5103 Give the debut reference some space to breathe. Take sometime to set them up optimally. You will be rewarded with beautiful tone. Try some tracks with nylon strings. Cheers.
Would you like to do an experiment with 225 dimond - glue the magnet "on repulsion" to the magnetic system of the mid speakers ... and take measurements and listen ???)
I don’t have a dedicated room for my system and that’s why I love the Kef Q300 cod they are front ported, but these are rear ported and will not work for me as the Kef ls50 did not work. I love Kef sound.
i have the opposite problem. the Kef q350s struggle to produce adequate bass in my primary listening position so i pair them to a sub when i listen to them.
Nice vid, please tell me how are they compared to the ls50 on the low end in say a small to mid sized room? Deeper, as clean, able to get more spl etc? As i own the ls50 and was curious about these also. Your one of my favorite reviewers by the way, keep up what your doing.
Hi Tharbamar! My kef q350 is playing in a 12m2 room with old Denon PMA-495R + CA DacMagic100 and it's not bad. I have a question: what amplifiers from last years are especially recommended for the KEF Q350?
Well, I like a warm sounding book shelf speaker, with good bass, I dont want subwhoofer. I have 100 watt per channel yamaha a801 int amp. my budget is not over 700 dollars. I have a small room 10 x 11. I had two jbl speaker stage 190 and have studio 530 which at times is harsh sounding. had 600m and they were good except midrange sounder muffled compared to studio 190. should I keep 530s or is there something else be better. ?
Hello. According to the specs Q350 goes down to 63 hz. while their younger brother Q150 down to 51 hz. How deep did the Q350 really measured in your room? I wonder how do they actually compare in this regard to Klipsch rp600m that according to specs. goes down to 45 hz.
Stereophile mag ( generally high end oriented - google) has the Q350 bass resonance (port open) at 45 hz, same as with the Klipsch 600 but with less steep roll off.
606 have tighter bass and more transparent sound, q350 is warmer and more engaging with right amount of details, 606 can get bright with some recording, thanks
I bought the RP600M and although the sound quality was really good it was right up on ya face kind of feeling, and I could not listen to music more than 5 minutes. KEF 350 I can listen for hours and still enjoy them (sounds really good).
I'm thinking about buying these Kef Q350 for a small room (170 sqft - 16 sqm2). They are currently at a reduced price here in France (380€). The only thing that has me doubting is that I've heard that they're not so great at low volumes. Can you confirm? I live in an apartment so I prefer having very loud volumes only occasionally so I don't become a nuisance for neighbors. Would you recommend other speakers that do well at low volumes and are at the same price range? Thanks in advance !
For those that don't believe him on the bass I uploaded a video showing off just how much air these can move. Hands down best bass in this category of speakers
Very good reviews as always. Can I get an honest opinion about Warfedale Diamond 11.2 if it can sound good on classical, and male,female,instrumental jazz music.Thanks and hope to hear you sommeday.Bye
the usual real good review.... I've had these Q350 for a year, Cambridge 80w receiver for 6 months, totally satisfied, from a few Opera blurays ( E.Garanca, A.Netrebko) to thundering rock ( Who's live @ Leeds, Mountain) and yes the visuals are kinda cheap lookin, Obvious KEF tried hard to keep price down. I got a 1 ft x 8 ft piece - $ 50.- of pre glued real Oak veneer, looks real real good, only question being how long will the veneer stick to the vinyl ?
PS that Denon amp - silver - Denon doesn't export silver finish to US and I think Japan has different electrical standards ( 100v, 50 hz maybe ?) how is that working with US electric standards or do You use a transformer - I was thinking of doing that but not seriously....
@Andik777, in this case Bass response is more to do with the speakers and amp because other speakers like Borea BR03 bass was not as good in my room, Q350 will produce deeper bass with high current amps.
Thanks for your extensive review. I like the look inside part. Don't like the 350's. I hear phase problems in midrange. They are not clear. Btw try to get a pair of Elac Vela BS 403's to compare them to your 706's. They may surprise you.
Hello Tharbamar!!! I have a Cambridge AX A35 in a 25m2 living room and want to get some speakers such as Q350, diamond 11.2, focal aria 906( they're cheaper in France), or Elac Debut Reference 6.2 for listening to Blues, acoustics, soul music reggae, and RnB music from the past and now. I would like to know what do you think about it. i like clean, warm, and easy listening sound (all day long sometimes) with some volume sometimes but not so much. i have Yamaha MSP5 active monitors at work and want something laid back at home. Thanks a lot for your reply and for making such a nice channel!!!
@@Tharbamar I am trying to decide between Diamond 225s, Q150, or Klipsch RP600M for my first home theater set up. Which do you recommend for HT use? I have listened to the KEFs at best buy but not the others.
@@Tharbamar Thanks for the quick response! How much does placement matter for the Klipsch? The speakers will be next to the TV about 10-12 inches from the wall. I have a large sectional sofa so some of the seats may be off axis? Kef's UniQ tech is appealing because of that but i'm not sure how much it matters since i haven't owned any HiFi speakers before.
Hi! Thanks for review - i have KEF Q300 and i still happy with . But a need new integrated amp - can you recommend some models with price range 1000-1500 euro ?
Swordfish, I just got a IOTAVXSA3 integrated AMP. Check it out on line at their web site and reviews here on RUclips. It is driving my Elac Debut Reference 6.2s easily. Those are 8 ohm speakers. At 299 Euros, it seems to be a bargain. Also Checkout the Emotiva TA - preamp . Like the Iota you can add a AMP for another 299 Euros (IOTA - PA3), or $399 for the Emotiva A-300 AMP. with the combo - plenty of Horsepower. I have the Emotiva A-300 connected to my IOTA SA3 now. They have Trigger connections so they power up and shut off in unison. Just ordered a IOTA PA3 to compare it to the A-300 (Emotiva unit). If you are not pleased , they are returnable at your Shipping expenase, but no restocking fees (read their return polices). Good Luck . Of course, there are many , many Integrated amps out there. But these appear to be solid values .....
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👍👊👍👌👍💪👍
Dear Tharbamar, my Idee...🤔preamp per xlr cable and per splitconector per Chanel (right&left). On the right from the splitconector one cable in 1 tubeamp(mono) and one cable in 1 big transistor - monoamp. for The left output the same . All over a xlr splitconector. I think it is biamping??? Is that right?? For the hights the tubeamps and for The bass the heavy duty monos. Conekted in the bj wirer Terminal on my speaker. What are you thinking about this..
You probably dont care but if you guys are stoned like me atm you can stream pretty much all of the new movies on instaflixxer. I've been watching with my brother for the last few days =)
@Kashton Noah yea, have been watching on InstaFlixxer for since december myself =)
I truely enjoyed your honest reviews. Please dont get corupted like most reviewers. Thank you for being awesome!
Sound is incredible on these … I couldn’t imagine the twice as expensive LS50 Meta being all that much better. Driving my new q350s with a Cambridge CXA81 Amp … It’s a awesome pair, though I wish the amp had a highpass filter for subwoofer integration. It already sounds decent with my SVS Sb-1000 pro (sealed sub) but I wonder how much better a proper crossover would make.
The hi-pass capacitor is most likely the source tweeter hardness. Bypassing or replacing it with a high quality cap will yield a top end similar to the LS50.
I honestly dont get any hardness/ harshness from mine. I am upgrading the crossover parts, though.
these speakers are a gamechanger
Wow, I'm ashamed that I have just found out about your channel. Very much appreciate and thank you for your time on posting music demos on speakers I've been interested recently. Just subscribed! Now time to start watching more of your videos.
I have a pair...love them...I concur...it's very musical as I listen to many types of different music genres
I have the KEF Q150's with a Naim Nait 5si and an Arcam Ir Dac! Great sound, great combo..KEF and Naim go very well together! Thank you for your review!
Your Denon amp really brings out the best in every speaker you demo. I'd never heard the little Klipsch R41M sound so good that you made me want a pair.
You’ve completely sold me on these. Thanks for the great review!
Received my Q350s, so happy with them. Cheers
Have only recently discovered your channel and just wanted to say I really enjoy your reviews. This one is suberb. 👍
Much appreciated!
Your analysis is definitely spot on, your breakdown shows me your knowledge. Thank you sir! I bought a pair of q550's ;)
Using this KEF Q350 with onkyo A9010 (AB class), the sounds is very smooth, detail, and hit very low. Loves it so much.
Do you use a subwoofer with it? Looking for a 2.0 setup and these are on my shortlist, if the lows are satisfying
@@Clear_Ski3s for music the low is bery good. I turn the sub off for music, to much. For movies sub is on.
I appreciate all your videos; thank you. For the last 3 weeks I have been researching speakers and your channel has been VERY helpful. I have RP-600M, KEF 350, SVS Ultra sitting in my living room and been testing them out :)
Have fun.
And the verdict is?
@@darpanbhuyan1909 I kept the KEF 350. I can listen to them for hours without ear fatigue.
@@suryachataut - I have both the RP600M as well as the KEF Q350. The Q350s are a keeper. The one speaker that everyone has loved including my better half. A rarity indeed!
Now am respect for Kef speakers 😉 on now on at last they're got it right since from ls50 to Kef 350 speakers. I remember Kef speakers way back in 1999 when I have a demo in the hifi store well Kef speakers the q serries was a sound a bit below par for me to bass performance just wasn't there. But how ever they got it right with the stereo image but lack of bass to me unless you get a floor standers but it still not as good as compared to B&W DM 601 S3 speakers they eat them alive at the time. But now Kef speakers has been a big turn around for the performance bravo for Kef. 😁😁😁😁
I'm glad you picked up on the hotness on piano notes, nobody seems to ever mention this, also you might notice some shrillness on certain types of vocals, in particular Opera and Gregorian, but it does smooth out over time, I've had a few sets of Kefs now with the Uni-Q driver and they all needed a very long run in, I'm talking months. A fantastic track to test tweeters is "Beata viscera (monophonic conductus) - Pérotin, Antony Pitts", you play that loud and you'll know if your tweeter is to hot or shrill, also listen carefully for the rain in the background, I've tested some speakers and you couldn't even hear the rain!, it really adds so much atmosphere to the track.
Could this "long run in" be your ears/brain adjusting to it?
No, in this particular case 100% not, in some cases I believe that it so, and you have to be mindful of that.
Thanks for this in depth review, Tharbamar. After months of research, I decided on the Q350s. Right out of the box, they sound great. Smooth, detailed, great soundstage, with deep bass. And even better, they are currently on sale at a $200 discount!
Very good choice, enjoy.
@@Tharbamar By the way, I am driving the KEF's with a $399 Denon PMA 600NE integrated amp, which is only $399, and it does a great job with these speakers. I can't imagine how good they would sound with the much more expensive Denon's.
@@Edcarpenter67 I bought the Denon PMA 1600 2 weeks before. My old Combination was the warm sounded Rega DAC (24/192 USB) and a nearly 20 year old Yamaha AV RX-V1400 RDS and with the "clear sounding" B&W DM310 Speakers the sound was rich, I could feel the Instruments ;-), but with the KEF Q350 I was so disappointed first, they sound so "behind a thick curtain", Highs and Middle disapeared behind the bass. And I was wondering why were they described as good and recommended from many people. Now I know better and experienced another Amplifier change the sound so much. Therefore the B&W sounded awful and thin. But in my Home Cinema Setting with Yamaha and Rega DAC they do a great Job and have clear and deep bass.
I`m very happy now, the Denon match perfectly with the KEF, they sound clear, brilliant and this great stage is so fantastic! (sorry if something sounded "Awkward-English", I am not native English ;-))
Hi. Thanks for the review. I feel the same way about Q350, so for me you are spot on and was very useful for me. I recently bought these on an great deal, about 270$ and they are wonderful. And they are so flexible - like i can watch movies, play games or listen to high quality music. And, yes, for modern music it is perfect. Great day!
That piano track sounds beautiful. The Best Of Eva Cassidy on vinyl, wonderful.
i really like your videos. thanks for the great upload and including things like rew measurements, sound sample and talking with the speakers clearly visible. also I love that you show the insides. everyone needs to do this in their reviews! you even talk about the placement of the speakers in your room. this really puts you above every other reviewer i know who never talks about their room or setup procedure. because as you well know, the room voices the speaker. not the other way around. but wow great job!
Is it my headphones or is there a tremendous amount of bass from these speakers.
That amp is just awesome. Congratulations again.
i have the same feeling
I have the Q300's and the bass is stunning from a speaker this size
I have these and compared to the 150s I had these put out a very good amount of bass
trust the bass on these ones. they leave my Quad S5 floorstanders (which are substantially bigger in size) biting the dust in the bass department (detail, definition, depth and scale). and the bass is not overpowering but integrates so well into the music that it lends it that musicality in almost every song you hear.
bass bass bass but I thought the mid range on these stunk.. they can barely hold the volume and power that they need without distorting in the mid range. But I have come to the conclusion that I am not a fan of the British sound. Having said that - when I moved these into my bedroom with Yamaha AS 501 driving them, they sounded much better. Big and wide, yes- but the bass is the one thing that has depth. The mid range gets lost and or distorted. Throw led zep at them and - nahhh- just don't handle it. More for jazz and classical. Peace!
Hi Tharbamar, really like your reviews which I feel are always straight from the heart. I also watched your wharfedale evo 4.2 review. Obviously, there is s price difference between kef 350 and evo 4.2 but for a couple of hundred dollars more will evo 4.2 be a better bet. I am more into overall warm, musical tone. I like listening to blues, jazz, soft rock, country and Indian classical. Listen more to vocals, male and female both, than instruments. Thanks.
Evo 4.2 will suits you better in my opinion base on your comment. Thanks
@@Tharbamar thanks for your reply. Take care. Stay safe. Best.
Nice! The way you do your reviews is excellent!
I just tried or experienced these today at Best Buy. And I shut their doors and put all there speakers from 2900$ and down. And loved these. That’s why I’m here now. Not a compulsive buyer and wanted to see if my opinion was worth a grain of salt. This will be a great buy I believe. Anyway love this video man. Great review hard to find unbiased opinions so thank you so much.
Thank you for sharing.
you have best set up for demo feels like listening in room
Thanks for the review! The Q350 are on discount now for only $360/pair in my country NL so I cannot resist anymore!
Please have a listen to this great song! Ella Vos - "In Your Corner" Enjoy!
Thank you for the song.
@@Tharbamar I ordered 2x Q350 yesterday evening because I want a 2.2 system with 2 subwoofers. I will use a 2x24W KT120 tube amp (triode) for the Q350 and 2 subs for the lows. I wonder what that will sound like!
I can really recommend using a subwoofer because it will make it easy for your main amp and speakers, and the sound will become even clearer!
Here are a some more really nice songs! They are even better with subwoofer, or listen on some big speakers.
Songs:
Stan Seba - What could I do?
Kat 010 - Keep Up
Andain - After
Enjoy! (turn up the volume!)
Been looking forward to this review - thank you! For those of us in Canada - these are the same $700 as the US price, which is very rare, so that makes them a bargain!
you wont regret these. they are fantastic for the money and all the speaker one ever needs if you're not into the audiophile hobby (in which case you'll constantly feel the need to change speakers)
The hardness you mentioned is from the cabinet indeed. Use the half-port plugs and it easily eliminates it as well as add more clarity. I used to have this speaker and I agree with your review, easily one of the best in this price range as long as you use the port plugs.
Back when I had them the thing on using plugs or not was such a struggle. It was my first Hifi speaker and didn't really had a lot of knowledge when placing them in my room. I ended up not using them and have them like 1 meter away from the wall. That opened them up pretty nicely from my memory
They sound amazing
I use my 350'S with a stereo tube preamp, an Audio Source ( Ferris Bueller) EQ, and a QSC GX3 amplifier. I used the EQ's pink noise and microphone to set my room response "flat" above about 45 Hz. This system sounds incredible! Center imaging and vocal clarity during movies is better then most home theater systems i've heard. While listening to music (mostly records) the stereo width, imaging, and depth, is breathtaking- better then anything i had previously. These guys like a lot of power and absolutely shine around 88-90 dB in my listenibg position, 3 meters ( centered) from the speakers! Best $500 i've spent in awhile. These speakers are amazing
I agree with what he says. Vety good bass, xlnt vocals, mids/high, slightly metallic, but not fatiguing at all.
Good combo w/ amp and Kefs. Thank you!
Love the way you provide in room measurement. Subbed.
Great video and review ! Would love to see RPM600 and Q350 side to side comparison ! Thanks.
Did go and demo these when the came out, left them in the shop where they belong. They would drive me nuts in a very short while.
Actually some audiophiles hates musically speaker, they save they've a roll off in highs. But their taste is different than others.
Well, it's complicated. If you listen a lot, and want to enjoy listening a lot -- to music, movies, etc -- then you'll find high treble isn't fatiguing, but the upper midrange/ low treble is quite fatiguing.
Some audiophiles have high frequency hearing loss. Most older people can't hear much over 10 kHz.
Would love to see a video comparing R200 and Q350, theirs strenghs and weaknesses, etc Tharbamar! ❤😊
No longer have them.
@@Tharbamar considering both speakers crossing with the sub @ 60hz. Is there anything you would miss (anything!) Going from the Q350 to the R200s?
Fabulous review.
I'm comparing these to rsl cg25's I wish you did a review on rsl speakers Audioholics seemed to love them
Your review Tharbamar is on point. This is a very musical speaker and it sounds very much like a British speaker. I just bought this speaker and I have been putting it through it’s paces. It is a very different speaker from both my Bowers and Wilkins CM5 and my original Elac B6. The original B6, heavy on the bass, but light on everything else, but they came at an unbelievable price point. I have also heard the Ls50s and they are far more articulate, but lighter in the bass than the Q350s.
The B&W CM5 have that typical B&W house sound. I agree with you on the room size quote, a larger room reduces some of the bass, while a smaller room increases it, but the sound stage is still wide. I got lucky and found a pair in a beat up box with a hole in it, but the speakers were fine for 375.84 US at a Best Buy. At that price they are both unbeatable and unbelievable. What tools and software are you using for your measurements?
Very good speakers Kef q350.Audiophile.
Super nice sound check!!!
I could get them for around 399€ and Im really thinking about these. My first choice were the Dali Oberon 3, but i guess I have to compare them at home. Thanks for the review!
What are your thoughts Dali Oberon 3s?
Love your channel and reviews…Subscribed!
Awesome, thank you!
tharbamar, do you feel this kefs q350 are a better buy than for example the elacs debut reference, or the q acoustics 3030i? what are your thoughts on this?
I love your reviews.. i feel confident about making a choice based upon what you say.. You also seem to attract well informed people in the comments.. I'm wondering how these compare with the KEF R3's as that's what i'm contemplating.. If these are close then i would save some money.. I'll be pairing them with an SVS sub so looking for appropriate mids and tops to go with the subwoofer.. I want real clarity with vocals and higher notes.
No contest R3 is much better speaker in everything. Thanks
@@Tharbamar that's clear.. Thanks
lol nothing the truth my audio friend from afar!!!
@tharbamar - i stumbled upon your channel and got hooked! great and honest review! i have the KEF Q350s and i was contemplating getting the Buchardt S300. I was pleasantly surprised that you had reviewed both speakers and i could relate to what you had to say about the Q350s. that said, i think i should steer clear of the S300s. How about reviewing the S400s? I'm really inclined towards those and would love to hear your views on it.
Thank you very good review 👍
Great review and sound sample. Great work Tharbamar 👍👍👍👍👍. The bass from this q350 is really good. Now that you have the PMA-SX11 in your system, I wonder how will the svs ultra tower sound with this aakash gandhi test tracks...
seeing the wire they use to go from the speaker connects to the actual speaker makes me wonder why people bother with expensive speaker cables. no matter how much you spend, you still end up with cheap radio shack wire on the inside.... taking away any benefits from good speaker wire
Interesting review. In my mind I had these as horrible sibilance machines, and your sound review shows the same. Am I just too sensible of a certain range this speaker produces? I want to love these but this sibilance (and their huge bass output) made them a nogo for me so far.
It is personal preference, to me they are no way sibilant as you perceived. Because I measured them as well, KEF is one of the brand that set the industry standards.
Please remember real instruments are not all smooth sounding.
Many people in my family who used Beat or Bose or Sonos sounds, they find it accurate sound sibilant.
i have this model,and this speakers is amazing
Great review, especially helpful with comparisons to other well regarded speakers. The wood finish looks good on video but can you tell me how realistic it looks in person? Are you fooled into thinking it's real veneer, or is it obvious it's not? Thank-you,
Wood vinyl wrapped is not the best one, not realistic. thanks
I am not a fan of uni Q speaker ,but your review looks very good , i think you still like your 706 s2 more :-). Thanks for the review
Qué sonido brutal !
How would you compare this KEF Q350 with an Wharfedale Diamond 240 you reviewed, in terms of Bass, mids and highs, and detail level? Thank's for these reviews.
I kept nodding with u as I hear your review.
I have the Diamond 225, LS50 and the Elac Debut Reference.
I fully agree that the Q350 is a speaker that many would love.
Musical, fluid, solid bass.
Not for small room though.
How does the Diamond 225 compare to the Elac Debut Reference? I have the 225 and the Debut References are like 3 times more expensive here. Not sure they worth that much. Thx.
@@sherwood5103
The Debut Reference is better than the 225. No doubt. Especially if you use them in a bigger room.
The debut reference produces a bigger soundstage, bass weight is way ahead. Tone of the debut reference is also 👍👍👍.
Had a brief comparison of the 225 to the 12.2.
The 12.2 sounded cleaner. Improved vocal n instrument separation. Bass is better define and deeper.
The 12.2 appears to mimic the character of the debut reference. But on a small scale.
@@lawchoongseng789 Thanks for the reply. So it seems the Elacs are a safe bet. I want something with better clarity and detail than the W225. But not superbright like the Klipsch or Monitor Audio.
@@sherwood5103
Give the debut reference some space to breathe.
Take sometime to set them up optimally.
You will be rewarded with beautiful tone. Try some tracks with nylon strings.
Cheers.
Good review
Would you like to do an experiment with 225 dimond - glue the magnet "on repulsion" to the magnetic system of the mid speakers ... and take measurements and listen ???)
I bought Kef q350 over LS50 as they are much easier to drive. The 5% diff in SQ is barely noticeable for a lot of people.
You would have paid £40 extra for the grille. Doesn't that bother you?
@@apusista u bother me sir
I don’t have a dedicated room for my system and that’s why I love the Kef Q300 cod they are front ported, but these are rear ported and will not work for me as the Kef ls50 did not work. I love Kef sound.
i have the opposite problem. the Kef q350s struggle to produce adequate bass in my primary listening position so i pair them to a sub when i listen to them.
Wonder if they would be able to outperform the Adam T8V.. Tbh doubt it 😊 Cheers for the review.
Completely different speakers!
Nice vid, please tell me how are they compared to the ls50 on the low end in say a small to mid sized room? Deeper, as clean, able to get more spl etc? As i own the ls50 and was curious about these also. Your one of my favorite reviewers by the way, keep up what your doing.
How would you compare this to the b&w 707 s2? I love my b&w but something better for movies with my 2.1 set up
Hi Tharbamar! My kef q350 is playing in a 12m2 room with old Denon PMA-495R + CA DacMagic100 and it's not bad. I have a question: what amplifiers from last years are especially recommended for the KEF Q350?
KEF & Denon is one of the best combination, try to get high current amplifiers, which will be future proof and good foundation for your system.
@@Tharbamar Thanks! I was already thinking about PMA-1510, 1520ae or the new 800ne. Another concept is the old PMA-QS10.
Well, I like a warm sounding book shelf speaker, with good bass, I dont want subwhoofer. I have 100 watt per channel yamaha a801 int amp. my budget is not over 700 dollars. I have a small room 10 x 11. I had two jbl speaker stage 190 and have studio 530 which at times is harsh sounding.
had 600m and they were good except midrange sounder muffled compared to studio 190. should I keep 530s or is there something else be better. ?
Which is a better speaker for rock music: Kef LS50 or Focal Aria 906? Need some feedback, since I can't demo them.
Bonjour,
Quel est la marque des supports (blanc) des câble haut-parleur ?
Merci
Hello. According to the specs Q350 goes down to 63 hz. while their younger brother Q150 down to 51 hz. How deep did the Q350 really measured in your room? I wonder how do they actually compare in this regard to Klipsch rp600m that according to specs. goes down to 45 hz.
Stereophile mag ( generally high end oriented - google) has the Q350 bass resonance (port open) at 45 hz, same as with the Klipsch 600 but with less steep roll off.
They reach 35hz easily
@@rickc661 thanks for the info!!
Really like your reviews! How would you compare them to the JBL Studio 530?
Both very good speakers, If you are using a sub I would go for 530 especially when they’re on sale, thanks
Thanks for the review! How do these compare to polk reserve r200? The price is almost same and I can't decide which to get 😁
R200 have more refinement and much better sound stage.
In the same price range u can get b&w 706, klipsch rp600m, quad s 2, elac etc, difficult choice.
Very nice presentation. How do you rate these against: Triangle BRO3s, Klipsch 600Ms, and Elac Debut Reference speakers?
Hi, please review Quad S-2 Bookshelf Speakers with the Ribbon Tweeters! They are one of the best sounding speakers for the price range! 🙂
Hello sir have you listened to kef q750
Nice! what about B&W 606 vs KEF Q350 ?
you didn't mention. Good bass response in your room by some tracks.
606 have tighter bass and more transparent sound, q350 is warmer and more engaging with right amount of details, 606 can get bright with some recording, thanks
Hi, can you tell us your opinion comparing them with klipsch rp 600m?
I bought the RP600M and although the sound quality was really good it was right up on ya face kind of feeling, and I could not listen to music more than 5 minutes. KEF 350 I can listen for hours and still enjoy them (sounds really good).
I'm thinking about buying these Kef Q350 for a small room (170 sqft - 16 sqm2). They are currently at a reduced price here in France (380€). The only thing that has me doubting is that I've heard that they're not so great at low volumes. Can you confirm? I live in an apartment so I prefer having very loud volumes only occasionally so I don't become a nuisance for neighbors. Would you recommend other speakers that do well at low volumes and are at the same price range? Thanks in advance !
It’s all depends on pairing amps, in my my system they sound great at 45-55db loudness, thanks
For those that don't believe him on the bass I uploaded a video showing off just how much air these can move. Hands down best bass in this category of speakers
Thank you - Think these work well for movies/dialog clarity ?
Hi, can I just ask you where did you get these Aakash Gandhi FLAC songs? I’d be interested. Thanks!
Very good reviews as always. Can I get an honest opinion about Warfedale Diamond 11.2 if it can sound good on classical, and male,female,instrumental jazz music.Thanks and hope to hear you sommeday.Bye
You have to get the EVO for your musical preferences.
Good day, nice sound! I have Polk Audio ES20 with Marantz SR5003. KEF Q350 is better?
Yes, most definitely.
Is it true that its hard to drive at 87db/meter so you need at least 150wpc up amp?
Not really, good quality 50w Class AB will deliver plenty of volume.
the usual real good review.... I've had these Q350 for a year, Cambridge 80w receiver for 6 months, totally satisfied, from a few Opera blurays ( E.Garanca, A.Netrebko) to thundering rock ( Who's live @ Leeds, Mountain) and yes the visuals are kinda cheap lookin, Obvious KEF tried hard to keep price down. I got a 1 ft x 8 ft piece - $ 50.- of pre glued real Oak veneer, looks real real good, only question being how long will the veneer stick to the vinyl ?
PS that Denon amp - silver - Denon doesn't export silver finish to US and I think Japan has different electrical standards ( 100v, 50 hz maybe ?) how is that working with US electric standards or do You use a transformer - I was thinking of doing that but not seriously....
@Rick C, PMA-SX11 amp is Japan only model, all Japanese electronics are compatible with 50/60hz, I'm using 100V step down transformer with it, thanks
These or the q150 for a small room?
I have a smsl ao300 could this push this speaker i here the jef Q series are hungry power?
It’ll be fine up to 80-85db range.
Would these perhaps go good with Nad c326bee? I have read the amp leans towards more bass. Doe anyone have this combo?
Want some review of aperion audio verusiii bookshelf speaker thank you
I did already.
Thanks for the video, beautiful music and good equipment, but I hear the bass a little inflated, can it be my headphones?
Recording or his room. I've got the same speakers and here their have a very balanced sound.
A note: I tested with the same songs used in this demo.
@@SrDelbioLima Thanks for your clarification
@Andik777, in this case Bass response is more to do with the speakers and amp because other speakers like Borea BR03 bass was not as good in my room, Q350 will produce deeper bass with high current amps.
I am torn between these speakers and the Audio Aperion GV III.. May I please ask which speaker you prefer or feel offer overall better sound?
Kef Q350 or B&W 606 S2 Anniversary Edition?
Thanks for your extensive review. I like the look inside part. Don't like the 350's. I hear phase problems in midrange. They are not clear.
Btw try to get a pair of Elac Vela BS 403's to compare them to your 706's. They may surprise you.
I will try them one day, thanks
How would you compare the SVS Ultra Towers to the KEF R11s? Thanks
Hello Tharbamar!!! I have a Cambridge AX A35 in a 25m2 living room and want to get some speakers such as Q350, diamond 11.2, focal aria 906( they're cheaper in France), or Elac Debut Reference 6.2 for listening to Blues, acoustics, soul music reggae, and RnB music from the past and now. I would like to know what do you think about it.
i like clean, warm, and easy listening sound (all day long sometimes) with some volume sometimes but not so much.
i have Yamaha MSP5 active monitors at work and want something laid back at home. Thanks a lot for your reply and for making such a nice channel!!!
I would suggest you to try Wharfedale Evo 4.1 or KEF Q350, Focal Aria 906 is very good choice as well or add a nice sealed sub for your system, thanks
@@Tharbamar thanks à lot!!!
Which one of the 3 would you recommend to avoid adding à subwoofer?
Oh il forget to ask you how can i add à sub with the Cambridge axa35? Have à Nice week-end.
Could you tell me what speaker stands you are using for the review?
It should be B&W STAV24 stands.
kef q350 or klipsch rp-600m? for music?
Kef is a little bit forward, Klipsch is VERY forward to a big V, which one you like?
@@harveylin3548 im more about sound quality than soundstage
@@carbonoxx They are both forward sounding speakers, with one way more so than the others.
Would you recommend the Kef Q150 for a small living room? They are on sale for $350
Yes definitely, they work well for smaller spaces.
@@Tharbamar I am trying to decide between Diamond 225s, Q150, or Klipsch RP600M for my first home theater set up. Which do you recommend for HT use?
I have listened to the KEFs at best buy but not the others.
@@Kale_Kale probably I would go with Klipsch in that case for all around dynamic sound but as always everyone is different.
@@Tharbamar Thanks for the quick response! How much does placement matter for the Klipsch? The speakers will be next to the TV about 10-12 inches from the wall.
I have a large sectional sofa so some of the seats may be off axis? Kef's UniQ tech is appealing because of that but i'm not sure how much it matters since i haven't owned any HiFi speakers before.
Hi! Thanks for review - i have KEF Q300 and i still happy with . But a need new integrated amp - can you recommend some models with price range 1000-1500 euro ?
Swordfish, I just got a IOTAVXSA3 integrated AMP. Check it out on line at their web site and reviews here on RUclips. It is driving my Elac Debut Reference 6.2s easily. Those are 8 ohm speakers. At 299 Euros, it seems to be a bargain. Also Checkout the Emotiva TA - preamp . Like the Iota you can add a AMP for another 299 Euros (IOTA - PA3), or $399 for the Emotiva A-300 AMP. with the combo - plenty of Horsepower. I have the Emotiva A-300 connected to my IOTA SA3 now. They have Trigger connections so they power up and shut off in unison. Just ordered a IOTA PA3 to compare it to the A-300 (Emotiva unit). If you are not pleased , they are returnable at your Shipping expenase, but no restocking fees (read their return polices). Good Luck . Of course, there are many , many Integrated amps out there. But these appear to be solid values .....
what are the cables to speakers and what is the cable mng?