More details for KEF Audio

[Leonard]

Reading all this, I am getting the feeling there may be quality issues in some of the wiring looms, like reversed polarity... Might be good to have your dealership take a look.

I think one of the issues may also be dealer demos still not being 100% production. But who really knows! Only Lotus

 

[hml_xy]

There aren't any tweeters on the A pillar bases?! Why would they have tweeters for the base spec audio but not the fancy expensive KEF system? That just seems silly.

No, there aren't.

The thing with Uni-Q is that to my understanding it is meant to be placed on ear level. Not on knee level.

I have KEF Uni-Q speakers at home and they provide an excellent audio image. Very detailed, wide stereo stage. Similar to nearfield monitors used in studios.

If any of you have a chance to listen to KEF LS50 speakers on a good amp, you'll see what I mean. They are Uni-Q speakers and do an excellent job! But you don't want to place them away from your ears. The speaker in the dash does help adding some higher frequencies for the details, but not as much as I'd like to have.

What we face is a technical partnership with a speaker manufacturer which has "single location / multi channel" speaker construction as their trademark. And this probably does not pair very well with the way how car audio requires making use of very limited room in the cabin. If they would have mounted these door speakers higher or somehow on the dashboard, it might have been better.

 

[Nova]

Radio 1 point of 10, streaming 3 points of 10

I would generally regard those numbers are indicative that something is broken. I recommend taking it back to get checked out.

 

[NicolasB]

I bought the KEF Uni-Q LS50 wireless speakers this year when they were on sale to compare against my Devialet Phantom 1 speakers. I had read so many reviews about how amazing they sounded and watched videos on people reviewing them. I set them up and got them all adjusted with a lossless audio source. I was blown away at how flat and boring they sounded compared to my pair of Phantoms. I realize they cost around half the price, but I was expecting more after everything I had read.

My B&O system that was a $5,500 option over the Bose in my '17 RS7 was an amazing system for factory. Looking forward to the 17 speaker B&O setup in the R8 when it gets delivered

 

[Mctaff]

I bought the KEF Uni-Q LS50 wireless speakers this year when they were on sale to compare against my Devialet Phantom 1 speakers. I had read so many reviews about how amazing they sounded and watched videos on people reviewing them. I set them up and got them all adjusted with a lossless audio source. I was blown away at how flat and boring they sounded compared to my pair of Phantoms. I realize they cost around half the price, but I was expecting more after everything I had read.

My B&O system that was a $5,500 option over the Bose in my '17 RS7 was an amazing system for factory. Looking forward to the 17 speaker B&O setup in the R8 when it gets delivered

Funny things, ears!

I’ve got the LS50 wireless in our bedroom and think they aren’t that far behind my focal and naim setup downstairs, which is about 5 times the price…

I love music whilst driving, the emira Kef setup has me worried! My review may focus on the Kef as much as the driving

 

[1stczechemira]

Looking forward to your follow up, and thank you for taking the time to find out.

I spent over 2 hours testing the KEF system this afternoon. Long story short:
- my Emira has a production number in the 150 - 200 range, so it is one of the first production cars delivered
- it is fitted with an alcantara interior (which I like in sports cars, it can be a sound killer I know)
- the FM reception is not the first class (Tom wrote it is an usual Lotus problem) - I live 25 kms from both German and Polish borders and there is none German or Polish radio station - have now only maybe 15 presets of Czech stations
- the DAB doesn't work in my car at all (have to ask my Lotus dealer if it is country dependent)
- tried to adjust the "equalizer" - the system sounds much better with the unusual combination of Bass = +7, Mid = +5, Treble = +7
- after setting of the "equalizer" the streaming is fine (not a quality of high end systems in another cars but acceptable)
- the system lacks power/volume - has to be set at about 60/70 percent of volume (whispering ) to 90/100 percent (loud music but volume acceptable for a long journey)
- I've learned on other systems (in other cars) that it's better to set the volume around 30 to 50 percent and the sound is much better than at full volume - this system doesn't allow that at all (have to ask my dealer if my car has the new amplifier fitted)
- regardless if my amplifier should be 340 or 560 watt - I guess it is 50 watt or less

Conclusion: If the KEF system was the basic audio in the Emira, it would be acceptable after some playing with the "equalizer". Given that Base Edition customers will pay extra for it, I don't recommend it as it stands.

I will keep you updated after I get more info from my Lotus dealer.

 

[Leonard]

I spent over 2 hours testing the KEF system this afternoon. Long story short:
- my Emira has a production number in the 150 - 200 range, so it is one of the first production cars delivered
- it is fitted with an alcantara interior (which I like in sports cars, it can be a sound killer I know)
- the FM reception is not the first class (Tom wrote it is an usual Lotus problem) - I live 25 kms from both German and Polish borders and there is none German or Polish radio station - have now only maybe 15 presets of Czech stations
- the DAB doesn't work in my car at all (have to ask my Lotus dealer if it is country dependent)
- tried to adjust the "equalizer" - the system sounds much better with the unusual combination of Bass = +7, Mid = +5, Treble = +7
- after setting of the "equalizer" the streaming is fine (not a quality of high end systems in another cars but acceptable)
- the system lacks power/volume - has to be set at about 60/70 percent of volume (whispering ) to 90/100 percent (loud music but volume acceptable for a long journey)
- I've learned on other systems (in other cars) that it's better to set the volume around 30 to 50 percent and the sound is much better than at full volume - this system doesn't allow that at all (have to ask my dealer if my car has the new amplifier fitted)
- regardless if my amplifier should be 340 or 560 watt - I guess it is 50 watt or less

Conclusion: If the KEF system was the basic audio in the Emira, it would be acceptable after some playing with the "equalizer". Given that Base Edition customers will pay extra for it, I don't recommend it as it stands.

I will keep you updated after I get more info from my Lotus dealer.

I know I've been known to be a miserable fecker. But this is exactly how I felt after playing with it for 5 mins.
There really isn't much to play with!
But it was surprising how poor it was. Again in a demo though which was top 150 cars

 

[Tonyshepp]

My old M3 only has 420 watts but i could tell the Emira at its loudest felt like 150 watts, it felt no louder than our standard Skoda yeti stereo. The amp in the Emira doesn’t have the power to drive the KEF speakers.

 

[1stczechemira]

The amp in the Emira doesn’t have the power to drive the KEF speakers.

Exactly ... the speakers are not bad as such.

 

[Mctaff]

.I’m assuming these bonkers power figures are the total across all the channels… so the Kef 340w across 10 channels is actually a 34w per channel amp…. Not very powerful

 

[Lotustoronto]

I do wonder if the US cars touring around and perhaps our Czech friend (very early builds) does not have the upgraded AMP. Would explain a lot - as I was unimpressed with KEF as well. This is getting interesting.

 

[Nova]

No, there aren't.

The thing with Uni-Q is that to my understanding it is meant to be placed on ear level. Not on knee level.

I have KEF Uni-Q speakers at home and they provide an excellent audio image. Very detailed, wide stereo stage. Similar to nearfield monitors used in studios.

If any of you have a chance to listen to KEF LS50 speakers on a good amp, you'll see what I mean. They are Uni-Q speakers and do an excellent job! But you don't want to place them away from your ears. The speaker in the dash does help adding some higher frequencies for the details, but not as much as I'd like to have.

What we face is a technical partnership with a speaker manufacturer which has "single location / multi channel" speaker construction as their trademark. And this probably does not pair very well with the way how car audio requires making use of very limited room in the cabin. If they would have mounted these door speakers higher or somehow on the dashboard, it might have been better.

There is no real technical requirement that a speaker be at ear level. The ear level recommendation is because home speakers are designed for optimal tonal balance when listened on-axis. However, there is no requirement that only the on-axis response be optimal. Speakers can be designed to sound the near at some off axis location. Roughly three things regulate how we perceive the direction of a sound - the phase timing, tonal balance, and conduction though our head. Only the last one cannot be corrected for via DSP, but it also has the least effect. I would argue that having a tweeter very far apart from the midbass brings more issues than solutions. A coaxial arrangement avoids a lot of lobbing issues. Even in the 90s, people already realized having the drivers closer together was more important, with the popularity of kickpanel installations, with no detriment to perceived soundstage height.

If you look at most modern high end in-car systems, if they have a high mounted tweeter, the mid bass is usually also close by.

 

[hml_xy]

Thanks for the detailed write up @Nova

I can't really argue with your statements and I fully trust you know what you are saying.

Have you listened to the KEF setup in the Emira? I'd be surprised if you wouldn't agree that pointing the drivers responsible for the high frequencies more on ear level wouldn't have made a difference.

The biggest criticism I have besides the power of the system is that it sounds "indirect", as if you've turned your head away from a pair of stereo speakers.

 

[VL3X]

Again in a demo though which was top 150 cars

I've been away for a couple days. Did I miss something about the first 150 cars? Were they shipped without features or with the less powerful amp?

 

[TomE]

They’re all production cars built to the same spec, nothing different about the first 50, 100 or 150 cars.

There’s been a recall affecting a small VIN range, but nothing to do with the audio system.

 

[Nova]

Thanks for the detailed write up @Nova

I can't really argue with your statements and I fully trust you know what you are saying.

Have you listened to the KEF setup in the Emira? I'd be surprised if you wouldn't agree that pointing the drivers responsible for the high frequencies more on ear level wouldn't have made a difference.

The biggest criticism I have besides the power of the system is that it sounds "indirect", as if you've turned your head away from a pair of stereo speakers.

The stereo may have issues but none of the fixes would require the tweeter being mounted at ear level or pointed directly at the listener. I am not sure what "indirect" references, perhaps a general smearing of sound stage? I don't know. I have not had a chance to listen to an Emira. I could not make it to the test drive event…

 

[benjh1028]

.I’m assuming these bonkers power figures are the total across all the channels… so the Kef 340w across 10 channels is actually a 34w per channel amp…. Not very powerful

Depends on the power to channel allocation. Also, what is the total harmonic distortion at 340w with all channels driven and at 4-ohm, 6-ohm, 8-ohm? I haven’t seen any specs yet but curious about these factors.

 

[dgrace]

High frequency drivers require _vastly_ less power than low frequency drivers for equivalent output. In my current car I have an aftermarket setup with 2 outboard amps, a 700w dedicated to the 10in sub, and a 500w split between 4 channels for the door and rear speakers.

My opinion of the Emira KEF system after playing with it for 5min is that it’s short on power, the “sub” only goes down to 50Hz or so, and hiding the tweeters down in the door panels sacrifices clarity. The overall result is underwhelming. Would definitely not pay extra for it.

 

[FederGigant]

Power is certainly not the issue. 5-10 watts per channel should be enough power to go well above 90 db at your ears. Floor standing Hi-Fi speakers require around 1 watt of power to produce 87-90 db at a measuring distance of 1 meter. Some people still use tube amplifiers at home in high end setups that produce less than 10 watts per channel at max volume. You don’t need power for good sound.

 

[Jonhklee]

.I’m assuming these bonkers power figures are the total across all the channels… so the Kef 340w across 10 channels is actually a 34w per channel amp…. Not very powerful

And that’s peak power not RMS!!