Kef and THX no more?

[garylloyd]

I phoned my local Kef Thx dealer for a demo of the TDM package to be told that this line up is soon to be discontinued.Is this true?
I know that alot of you guys have owned this package,how do you rate it?It would be used for movies only.
Any thoughts?
Gary

 

[graham.myers]

I've got the TDM range plugged onto a denon AVC1-D and they're awesome.

If they are being discontinued then expect some bargains to get rid of the stock.

 

[garylloyd]

I would be using a A10se.
Gary

 

[garylloyd]

I finally got around to finding the above package and bought it this weekend.I would post what I thought but they are not wired up yet.
What speaker stands work well with the fronts?
The £200 asking price for the kef stands seems a bit steep to me.
Gary

 

[graham.myers]

I actually got the wooden Kef stands in black. They were an ex-demo set, a little dusty but otherwise perfect.

 

[DaveP]

Originally posted by graham.myers
I've got the TDM range plugged onto a denon AVC1-D and they're awesome.

Does your system include the Sub? I've got everything bar that and I'm wondering if it's worth my while getting a matching sub.

Can you do a mini review on it, if you have one???

Thanks

Dave

 

[graham.myers]

I have got the sub too.

Unfortunately I don't think I could do a decent review. I'm just not that good at being able to verbalise what I hear. Not to the extent most of the guys on these forums can go to.

All I can say is that I love 'em to bits and would recommend them.

To be honest I didn't even demo anything else. I decided on the amp and speaker combination purely on reviews and comments.

I hardly listen to CDs, the only audio coming out of them are from movies.

 

[DaveP]

My current sub seems "soft". Furniture vibrates and things fall off the shelves but you don't get hit in the stomach!

Does the Kef?

DaveP

 

[graham.myers]

You definately feel it in the pit of your stomach on discs with good LFE. Can't think of a disc off the top of my head - T2 is a good one if I remember correctly (sorry I have a memory like a sieve).

Once the wife was in the bath, and I was watching a film.

She stormed in my HC room with a towel wrapped round her. One of the jars of bubblebath had vibrated off the side of the bath and fallen in. oops

She wasn't a happy bunny

Damn these new paper thin houses

 

[DaveP]

Thanks for that. I think I need a demo!

DaveP

 

[Apocalypse]

In the current HCC mag classifieds a guy is selling the package for £1300.

 

[garylloyd]

That package is gone.
The Kef sub is quite big and not cheap.I went for a Servo 15 instead.
Gary

 

[Jase]

I´ve still got my Kef THX package (no sub) but it´s not being used anymore. It´s an excellent speaker package for movies and not too bad musically either. Fairly large speakers though considering their standmounters.

 

[DaveP]

Originally posted by Jase
Fairly large speakers though considering their standmounters.

Where do you put the centre!!! I'm lucky - it sits atop my Sony 36" but makes the room dark as it blocks the light from the window

DaveP

 

[Jase]

Originally posted by DaveP
Where do you put the centre!!! I'm lucky - it sits atop my Sony 36" but makes the room dark as it blocks the light from the window

You can get two versions of the centre speaker, one is a normal horizontally mounted job, sits on top of the TV, stand etc or you can specify an identical speaker the same as the left & right for standmounting or vertical wall mounting.

 

[garylloyd]

Hi Jase,
Am I right in thinking that you upgraded to the mighty M and K 150's?
How do the kefs stand up to the 150's?
Just curious.
Gary

 

[Jase]

Originally posted by garylloyd
Hi Jase,
Am I right in thinking that you upgraded to the mighty M and K 150's?
How do the kefs stand up to the 150's?

Yep, sure did. The M&K´s are far superior, in all counts, clarity, dynamics and very revealing. The Kef´s are still superb speakers though.

 

[Robbie Gnome]

Had MK 125 THX Sub, rate the KEF over it. Should imagine the MK 150 is a beast though. All that aside for the age of the KEF THX Reference Set they're damn fine. Running a DENON AVC-A1SR with them in a full 7.1 config. Recent house move means we have a living room that does the combo justice. Very wide front sound stage with a crisp but not obtrusive rear presence. I don't think I will be changing my KEF's in a hurry. The same can't be said for the DENON. AV electronics moves faster than Speaker Design. If you go for the KEF's place the rears and backs lower than the suggested height. Gives much better, if frowned upon by Uncle George and the boys at Lucas Films / THX, spatial definition from behind. The first scene in Gladiator is AMAZING!! All we need now is the Sony VPL-HS10, 7 foot screen then stick a fork in me I'm done!!

 

[garylloyd]

Hi Robbie and welcome to the forum.
Thanks for the comparsion Jase.
At what height do you have the rears Robbie?I am in the process of moving myself, so mine are still not set up.I may set up the front three and have a little play next week,but it is months away before they are set up for real and running.
Cheers
Gary

 

[codling]

hi jase

out of curiosity how much do these cost? and do hey come as a package?
do you have a link for more info on them.

cheers carl

 

[Jase]

Originally posted by codling
hi jase

out of curiosity how much do these cost? and do hey come as a package?
do you have a link for more info on them.

cheers carl

You can buy them in pairs (Front left and right) as they are mirror imaged speakers with angled front baffles, centre on its own. Rears come in pairs as well.

Here´s a link to the M&K main speakers page:

http://www.mksound.com/satellite_speakers.html

Pricewise they´re around 850-900 quid each for the S150 THX Ultra speakers.

There are Pro Versions available as well, send a PM to forum member uncle eric and I´m sure he´ll fill you in on the prices.

Cheers

 

[codling]

thanks jase

 

[Robbie Gnome]

KEF recommend about 12" ish above head height. This I found was way to high and lost all but the extreme sounds from the rears. Blade showed this up, when Wesley Snipes throws his Glaive to decapitate the Vampire, the sound should travel from left front in an anti clockwise direction with some real jaw dropping effects behind you. With a KEF config you almost don't notice this effect, with them set at about 5' of the deck it really works well. Try racking"Hope I spelt that right" the fronts in a bit as well, helps the front sound stage. With the rears also keep an eye out on the low level boundary setting. If you are mounting the back or side rears against the wall leave this alone but if your using stands for the sides or rears, as I am, then flip the low level caps in the speaker posts. Not 100% sure why but you will notice the differance. Hope that helped, thanks for the warm welcome to this group. If you need any more help shout.

 

[garylloyd]

Thanks for the tips.
I have some spare plasterboard so I will mount the rears on strips of this,that way I can have a play around with different heights before drilling the wall.
As for upsetting Uncle George,well he has upset a few people his last few films.
One more thing I was going to use Chord Carnival speaker cable,ala Jase.What are you using?
Gary

 

[Robbie Gnome]

Sounds like a good idea, no pun intended. I'm using QED Silver Anniversary. £5 a metre, you can't go wrong. I don't buy on the advice of What Hi-Fi Magazine but I did notice it won the Overall Award this year. As for Mr Lucas, I agree, Episode 2 had such potential but yet again he decided to sit on the wall. It should have been Dark, like Empire Strikes Back but more so. It all hangs on Episode 3 I guess. We should'nt whine to much though, just consider this. When the original Star Wars film came out it was for all intense and purpose a kids film, thats the formula George has used for the last 25 years. If you watch the Star Wars films with that in mind I guarantee you come out of the cinema smiling. You can watch these films and over analyze them to death which I suspect drives George insane. Just go and see them for a giggle and oh-ah at the CGI. Good luck with your install, May The Force Be With You .... Sorry could'nt resist