More details for KEF Audio

[seriously]

There aren't rear speakers in the car. The drivers that are behind you are midbass drivers for the front set. So there's nothing to "fade" F/R.

I understand it’s a physical limitation. I realized that when I was playing around with the bass. Even that I thought was a weird decision. I’m just used to be surrounded by sound and not behind or in front of the music. Even my s2000 doesn’t stage the image so clearly in front of you. Come to think of it the s2000 and it’s crappy setup (I do have an aftermarket head unit with a bit better amp) just sounds more normal than the lotus setup.

 

[Davebeats]

Did you happen to get this installed yet? Do you have any photo or video of the install? Thoughts; IF you did indeed get things installed yet?

For all: I debate doing something to the audio system and then having a wiring issue or anything go wrong and Lotus tells me that it's not covered... I also do NOT live close to a dealership, 2 - 2.5 hours.

Ryan G

A friend of mine gets a small discount on Rockford Fosgate, we ended up doing the 10" version, which provides a lot of bass, more than I was expecting, but the 10" box fit perfectly on the shelf and in between the seats. We ran power to the battery, and ground to a bolt on the side where the existing amp/sub is. If youre in Tampa Monday, we're going to plan on going to the Krate weather permitting.

 

[HethelYellow]

sorry but I couldn't live with that sub between the seats - spoils the interior IMHO

Something odd has happened. In the time since I posted before about my issues, the sound has got better and better and better, Like REALLY good. I've not touched it! I didn;t do a reset. I'm still using the same source, Spotify via Ifone. Baffled. Car is now on nearly 9,000 miles as a daily driver - could it be simply that it has taken all this time to run the speakers (especially the sub) in?

 

[Kimmax]

sorry but I couldn't live with that sub between the seats - spoils the interior IMHO

Something odd has happened. In the time since I posted before about my issues, the sound has got better and better and better, Like REALLY good. I've not touched it! I didn;t do a reset. I'm still using the same source, Spotify via Ifone. Baffled. Car is now on nearly 9,000 miles as a daily driver - could it be simply that it has taken all this time to run the speakers (especially the sub) in?

I get this from time to time. Suddenly extremely good, then a day later it’s back to.. not good. 14k miles in. It can vary on temperature, windows open/half/closed, etc.. I can’t get a stable performance out of the speakers

 

[Davebeats]

sorry but I couldn't live with that sub between the seats - spoils the interior IMHO

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess... Function over form

If needed, its only two plastic clips to remove the box, and it makes a world of difference frequency wise

 

[seriously]

sorry but I couldn't live with that sub between the seats - spoils the interior IMHO

Something odd has happened. In the time since I posted before about my issues, the sound has got better and better and better, Like REALLY good. I've not touched it! I didn;t do a reset. I'm still using the same source, Spotify via Ifone. Baffled. Car is now on nearly 9,000 miles as a daily driver - could it be simply that it has taken all this time to run the speakers (especially the sub) in?

I'm having a similar experience. The cabin noise is still definitely a problem, but after 1000 miles the audio sounds noticeably better. The bass is more capable than before when it would sound thin or at the limit at lower levels.

 

[Eagle7]

I'm having a similar experience. The cabin noise is still definitely a problem, but after 1000 miles the audio sounds noticeably better. The bass is more capable than before when it would sound thin or at the limit at lower levels.

Like I said somewhere on this forum, high-end speakers sound tight and wooden, almost flat when you first start listening to them. They typically need at least 25 hours of usage before they begin to loosen up and start sounding full. KEF are known for quality speakers, these should be good once they break in and warm up. Sounds like some of you are reaching that point.

 

[Hell4Leather]

Like I said somewhere on this forum, high-end speakers sound tight and wooden, almost flat when you first start listening to them. They typically need at least 25 hours of usage before they begin to loosen up and start sounding full. KEF are known for quality speakers, these should be good once they break in and warm up. Sounds like some of you are reaching that point.

What volume for the 25 hrs break in? 50%

 

[Eagle7]

What volume for the 25 hrs break in? 50%

Yes, up to but no more than 50%. A variety of different source material is good too.

 

[Hell4Leather]

Yes, up to but no more than 50%. A variety of different source material is good too.

Sure . AC/DC, Metallica, and Enya. The big three

 

[EspritGuy]

Sure . AC/DC, Metallica, and Enya. The big three

Sounds interesting.
Better solutions than Kenny G?

 

[Hell4Leather]

Sounds interesting.
Better solutions than Kenny G?

You could try Yanni.

 

[EspritGuy]

You could try Yanni.

Excellent!

 

[HethelYellow]

I've gone full circle and am now really chuffed with mine. I am now able to crank mine up to pretty much full volume with a lovely distortion free sound. I have progessively been reducing the bass on the equalizer and now it is almost all the way down, with treble 3/4 up and mid range 1/2 up. even with bass level set to almost nothing there is still plenty of bass although not at lower volumes, (when I do play music it tends to be loud!). Very bizarre how this system has improved so radically.

 

[TomAce]

I really like to listen to the KEF system, when my children are in bed I walk over to my garage and listen to music for maybe half an hour. It's astonishingly good. Of course the bass could go deeper, but overall there is such a good stereo stage with the mids to be the most noticable, most cohesive and pronounced.

It almost makes me want to listen to music songs again and find details and most noticeable what the singer is singing. Second voices become much more noticeable, it's the details in the music that get the attention. Hard to explain to be honest, but I think at standstill it's a great, cohesive sounding system.

 

[Nova]

All of y'all are crazy.

I know this is an often debated topic, but I'm generally of the opinion that it's the listener that gets more comfortable with a sound system versus the sound system getting better with time. I maintain that the KEF system is overall a pretty darned good system and definitely lives up to a "premium sound system" claim, with clarity (lack of non-linear distortion) and imaging being the top qualities.

 

[Lewquatious]

Exactly right Neve. There is no such phenomenon as speaker break in.

I worked for Harman (pro division) for 33 years and can assure anybody with a scientific frame of reference that the compliance and spider of a loudspeaker will change minimally if at all during the first years of use. Eventually it may break down due to environmental factors (all things age) but at that point, the performance of the driver will not be improved. Rather, it will be degraded.

Many improbable audiophile "facts" are functions of listener bias. What's breaking in is one's ears. KEF is indeed well known for taking a wholistic and scientific approach to speaker design. This suggests their goal would be flat power response which is a quality appreciated in the long term but does not always impress upon first listening.

I am a retired pro audio professional and generally shun discussions like this but what the hell! Fools rush in where angels fear to tread!

 

[netsinah]

Exactly right Neve. There is no such phenomenon as speaker break in.

I worked for Harman (pro division) for 33 years and can assure anybody with a scientific frame of reference that the compliance and spider of a loudspeaker will change minimally if at all during the first years of use. Eventually it may break down due to environmental factors (all things age) but at that point, the performance of the driver will not be improved. Rather, it will be degraded.

Many improbable audiophile "facts" are functions of listener bias. What's breaking in is one's ears. KEF is indeed well known for taking a wholistic and scientific approach to speaker design. This suggests their goal would be flat power response which is a quality appreciated in the long term but does not always impress upon first listening.

I am a retired pro audio professional and generally shun discussions like this but what the hell! Fools rush in where angels fear to tread!

Sorry Lewquatious but after reviewing not only the OP (first post) on the thread you referenced, but others which quote different "scientific studies" and quote from various audiophiles, I'm left with the impression that this question of "speaker break-in" remains controversial with proponents on either side of the debate. That OP discusses test results after 3-4 hours, whereas others claim you need hundreds of hours on speakers, before they exhibit any real change. So I think it's possible that others noticing changes with the sound of their Emira KEF Audio systems, over time, may be onto something. For now at least, I remain "on the fence" (lol).

PS to Lewquatious: as mentioned above but perhaps I wasn't clear enough, yes, I "followed your link" and actually read much of it. "Your link" starts with a posting (aka: the "first post" on the thread I mentioned above) that says there's no such thing as "speaker break-in" but if you "follow your link" and actually read the other postings and articles referenced in "your link", some say the opposite. So there's a bunch of people who think differently about this issue (people in both camps; some say "yay"; others say "nay" to the existence of speaker break-in), with both sides pointing to scientific studies, which supposedly "prove" their case. I rest my case and still remain on the fence (lol).

 

[scc.131.fe]

My system, up to 600-700ish miles, had absolutely zero bass regardless of input type. I tried the reset audio settings several times, never observing a difference. By 800-900 miles there was one afternoon (2nd drive of the day, when I turned some music on and went "hey, wait a minute, where is all of this extra sound coming from?" Suddenly very full and balanced. Like others I observe that this system doesn't fill in low end if the original song didn't have any (unlike my Audi B&W system), and the fullness drops off as you lower the volume. But for sure, the system went from 'tinny' one day to 'balanced' the next day and has remained that way for at least a month now.

Can't explain it, but that's my testimonial.

 

[seriously]

I am on the side of the KEF audio does break in. Another first for me in a car.