Question R500 KEF thinking about them

bealehere

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currently I have some monitor Audio RS1 driven by a Cambridge Audio Sr20. With a m&k vs860(think that’s the model)

I’m looking to change the setup, mainly speakers and amp with a view to loose the sub as I find it doesn’t suit the room even trying to tune it in, I always seem to hear where the bass is coming from.

I was thinking about some Kef R500, I am unable to audition them, could audition some R5, but they are a new different speaker.

Essentially I want to keep the bass, or as much of it as possible and loose the sub.

Would the R500 do this for me. I’d love the r700, but am worried about their size. My room is 4x4m

What amp would people suggest, would a rotel sit nicely, I’m not necessarily getting amp and speakers all at once, but will audition some in the near future.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Rich
 
I use R500s with a Yamaha AS1100, my dealer Peter Tyson said they would go well together and I agree with him. I already had the AS1100 and was using Concept 20's with it, which were very good but much less bass. Given the R500 price now as they are sold off by PT I think they are a bargain, at the turn of the year he had them at £850 I think it was. I have never used a sub but the R500s have enough bass for me.
 
The KEF R500s and the R300s are very good with bass. Not much difference between the two although the 500s are rated as deeper. Obviously they are not going to go as deep as a sub but with the right amp the bass is very fast and detailed. I prefer to hear the individual bass notes rather than feel them and my R300s and Rega Elicit-R delivers it perfectly.

With the price of the R500s at PT it is a terrific buy. They are rear ported and like all KEFs come with foam to be able to fully close or half close the port. Sliding the foam in and out can also help fine tune the bass response.
 
I was thinking of the R700, but some R500's came up at a bargain price on an auction site. I'm pleased I did get the 500's, my room is slightly bigger than yours. The R500's are plenty big enough. It took me a while to get the bass the way I like it, I have the lower port partially plugged on both speakers. I use an Arcam FMJ A39 with them. The speakers are awesome, and well matched to that amp. When I bought them I realised that my current amp wasn't up to driving them, so I got the A39. I have no neighbours though. I would have been happy with these speakers at their RRP, they are worth it. A complete bargain now.
 
I have R500's with a Yamaha A-S2100.
In a nutshell , I cannot recommend them enough .
 
Ive ordered some myself and my brother some R700

Ill put up what I think when I get them, ill set them up Saturday hopefully.

Thanks for peoples responses. Decided to go with the R700 as I will hopefully be moving in the next 6 months or so, and should get a better sized room as well then!

Thanks

Rich
 
Assuming you got the R700s - enjoy! Were they heavy, the R500s were so imagine the 700s even more so!
 
Assuming you got the R700s -
enjoy! Were they heavy, the R500s were so imagine the 700s even more so!

Yes the R700, they are large, but my Living room is around 4m squared and they are not too bad at all, more just have to get used to not having bookshelf speakers. The bass is defiantly not too much, it is so controlled, especially coming from a set of Monitor Audio RS1 and a M&K sub they are simply such a good upgrade I can not recommend them enough.

Should I have gone for the R500, maybe, but id have always thought what would the R700 be like. For the price on Peter Tyson you cant go wrong.

They were easily manoeuvred into place by myself, id say they aren't heavy at all!

Ive swapped out my Cambridge Audio amp and put my old Nad C352 in place instead. I also decided to get myself a Streamer, I Got the Marantz 6006 Network Streamer at the same time.

I might play around with the bungs a little, but at the moment I have the top fully bunged and the bottom open and there is not too much bas at all, its very well controlled by my NAD.
 
Probably getting in a bit late, but I love the R500's to, plus
with the discount from PT. Hope your enjoying the R700's.
 
You can go wrong with these they are excellent speakers. The 700 are overkill in a normal size room as I have discovered but still have a superb detailed sound.
 
Is the kef r500 match well with totel amp?
 

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