Still THE $299 Speaker to buy?! KEF Q150 Bookshelf Loudspeaker Review!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- Some speakers stand the test of time. Do these? Lets talk...
Review Sample Provided by: KEF USA
This review is free of sponsorships, affiliate links, and financial compensation. Product offered as long term loan.
Patreon: / zerofidelityhifi
BDI Elements Cabinet (Black) as seen in the video: bit.ly/38ozr11
Welp. I should have checked the pricing for the Q-Acoustics 3020i and the PSB P5's before filming this video. It looks like their prices jumped up quite a bit since I reviewed them, making the Q150 an even BETTER value by direct comparison. If you're on the fence about the lil' KEF's and if you think they'd suit your fancy, I'd say go for it. Links are in the description box.
The JBL Studio 530 are on sale at The Harman Store for $240/pair with Free Shipping. Not the prettiest speakers, but they do a heck of a lot right for that price ✌️
@@MrChristopherMolloy Yep, if you like that "live / Forward" listening experience, they are fantastic speakers. ESPECIALLY for the price!
The reasons I've been informed the Q150's are on a big sale is to liquidate inventory - all revised KEF speakers are going to employ the "Meta" material being utilized on their flagship model.
Available on both Crutchfield and Amazon now for $300.00.
@@Audiomainia2310 - Yep. I'm not sure when the new line is coming out though. They've been very hush hush about it. Still, I'd say it's clear to ALL of us that something will be released soon.
@@ZeroFidelity Do you mind mentioning the "linear or flat (neutral?)" speakers that come to mind at or below $1000? BR-03? 3020i? Which Elac? Others? Thanks - really useful video!
KEF Q150 with a Subwoofer sounds amazing. You can use a very average/cheap amp and they sound great. They are the least fussy speakers I have ever used. You can put them anywhere in the room. Great mids and treble. Great separation and image. Phenomenal phantom center. And, they never get fatiguing on the ear. Just make sure your amp is not too bright.
How would you rate a Cambridge AXR100 on the average/cheap spectrum you're describing?
In a small room you don't need a subwoofer. The Q150 has amazingly good bass.
Thank you Sean, when I'm hesitating on buying something... I often come back to your review, simply because, you are not waffling or driveling on the descriptions of the product. It's "audible" in my head--I mean your descriptions is so clear and unambiguous and nonsuperfluous. The only person that can rival you is Thomas Stereo, he is very good too. But I like your straight to the point (gosh, it's so good for my brain), thank YOU. Many fans like me are waiting for your to come back--to make sense of the crowded hifi review space now. I can safely say, your reviews are ABOUT THE PRODUCT, not about your VAST EXPERIENCE, not your unique history with hi fi great men or companies, neither its about the music that you particularly loved and swooning away with great songs and bands (God! it's so boring, because I don't think the reviewer know that his favourite song means nothing to many viewer because they may not have heard them!). Many people miss you.
Q150's great for deskfield too. Had mine about 3.5-4' roughly equilateral on desk, 9 inch stands. Great imaging and stage. Solid disconnected center image as always woth KEF.
I bought a pair a couple of months ago, picked them up for $315 new, I think I agree on a lot of your points, great speaker, sounds good with inexpensive electronics, initially I was a little underwhelmed compared to some of the other stuff I have but it quickly earned my respect, Quite frankly I think they are a really good looking speaker, good stuff🍻
One of the best review for this speaker, hands down! Within the first 5 mins, you will know whether to buy this speaker or not! Clear and incisive.
Yup I paid this for it back in 2020. A truly impressive speaker for the price.. I compared back to back with the Meta’s, and my Gen 1 S400’s -Given the obvious price differential, I honestly didn’t feel that the Meta’s and S400’s significantly better as their price suggests….
At $300 this would be a good candidate for a GR Research crossover upgrade. Of course he overdoes the goodies and makes the package too expensive 🤷🏻
@@seanb3303 Or you could simply replace some of the stock xover parts with some better components of the same exact value for $50 or less. Granted, opening up and altering any hi-fi product will void the warranty, but hey - fun is fun. And you'll learn a bit more by doing this yourself in the process.
@@ZeroFidelity Good point Sean. That's what I always say about Danny. He could sell his plans for a crossover upgrade and let the buyer choose the level of parts that he/she can afford, but his business is in selling you his overpriced parts at a very hefty profit. It's not really about making your speakers better, but about selling his snake oil at very inflated prices IMO.
I have the q 350 and would have to agree, I've had the meta and older version of ls50 and I like the q350 better in pretty well every way, of course the 350 is bigger all around and has much more low end to boot. The only ones I've heard recently that would win over on these may be the xls encores and the revel performa m106, and it wouldn't be an easy shootout between the 3 models.
I LOVE mine. They scale up well too. I ended up doing extreme toe in to get the perfect image and depth.
May I have the dimensions of the room where these speakers are located?
"I'm going to start out by addressing the big question right up front".
Everyone: "Where's your hat!?"
I was wondering the same thing,maybe fresh out of the shower?🤔
Wondering if that also impacted in-room response…LoL
I picked up a set four years ago as a entry speaker. I enjoyed them over my old polks. using them with an old sansui. love it.
I enjoy the spit it out quickly review style.
The Q150 is IMO overpriced at its normal price of $599, but at the current sale price of $299 I don't think anything else can touch it. The same is true of the Q350 which is on sale for $499. As for the PSB P5, I find it too bright and I think the P3 is much more balanced and is also a great deal at $279.
I bought the Q350 for 250$ from my retailer. Best price for some decent speakers.
Yeah, that's what he said in video, smh.
JBL 530 can touch them
This is much more than a review, Sean. It's a complete and comprehensive description and tutorial on the Q150s, for average hifi consumers and enthusiasts alike. Superbly done.
I match this Kef q150 to denon N10 and this pair sound amazing! Almost equals my much expensive hifi !😊
I would recommend these for Surround back speakers and they are perfect. For music it comes down to taste and ears....
I got a pair a year ago for $300. Great sound & imaging.
Really considering these. All the character seems to be what I'd enjoy. I'll keep an eye for a sale.
.... Nice Hat =)
I'm thinking the Q350's are a great buy at $499 currently
They are, I have them and I like mine better than the ls50 and metas I had last year, just my opinion much more heft in the low end also where the ls50 doesn't do so well in a larger room.
Erin's measurements with his Klippel system don't show it to be V shaped at all, but does show a slightly elevated treble and a couple of minor resonances around 1khz. Other good sounding $300 speakers you didn't mention are the Polk XT20 and the Elac B6.2.
I was curious so I just looked at his results. Bro. He literally circles the HF response and remarks about it being boosted, which in his words, may cause the sound to come across as "brittle" / "bright" to some. What you also see is a distinct rise in the lower mids and upper bass. That's V curve. This is a common voicing strategy for most hi-fi speakers at and below 1 grand.
@@ZeroFidelityOk, Sean. I don't hear these to be V shaped at all. I hear speakers like most of the Klipsch R and RP series, the B&W 600 series, and the Jamo S series, which all have a big suckuout in the mids and super elevated treble as V shaped, which Is not what these sound like to me at all. His estimated in room response follows the ideal almost perfectly, with no elevated midbass, only elevated treble above 7khz.
Kef Q150 vs SVS Prime? Mostly Rock & Metal
Seems like KEF, like a lot of these speaker companies, have always had fake pricing and misleading “sales.” I almost copped the q150s awhile back, but on principle, I hate the idea of them making 600 a pop all this time for a $300 speaker. If it’s not a $600 speaker then it’s not a real sale. Also annoyed I didn’t bite on the sale q acoustics had before their price jump.
One of the best and simple review on these speakers. Got them for my 5 year old son, in order to start appreciating music. Paid 250 bucks only.
I bought the IOTAVX SA3 during their Black Friday sale Nov '21 based on your recommendation and then bought a pair of the KEF 150 speakers during Crutchfield's Christmas sale. It was a natural combination at that point.
Gees Shawn, about the perfect review. You laid down such a fantastic review. I think you nailed it.
Thanks!
@@ZeroFidelity, I really think it was an amazing review. Sean, it really was perfect.
For anyone looking for a decent stereo system consider the Kef Q 150-$300. The Cambridge Audio CXA 61-$599. The Audio Technica LP 120-usb-$299. All prices are today 2/14 and may change.So for for about $1200 you have a pretty decent system for relatively little money. PS. Upgrade the cartridge on the AT-120.
the best thing is that even the Q350's here in Western Europe are around €350, and that's NOT on sale!
These speakers are so pretty and minimal compared to other speakers in this price range.
Have these....they are awesome...zero regrets...brilliant top end.
If you could buy a single one for 150$ get em and flip it on its side and use it as a center channel. Probably the best center channel for the price. You can also DSP it (due to its coaxial design it wouldn't go crazy)
I picked up a pair for $300 last year at Christmas...no regrets...bought a Schiit equalizer with $300 savings with it
KEF make good speakers.
Are these a buy at $244?
Great analysis and review!!! Bet they would sound great in an analog system!
Hey, who's that guy? Usually here is some fella with a hat, what you have done to the original ZERO!?! 😃
You know Sean I got into Hi-Fi about 6 years ago and it was during that time I started watching your videos. You know when I first started out I didn't care for you, I didn't care for your review style and I also didn't care for the way that you seem to think about products.
For whatever reason I started watching your newer content and more and more I find that I go back and watch the older content and I find that I'm agreeing with it and I'm agreeing with sort of the things you have to say and your perspective. I guess I'm trying to say that the more I get into this and the longer I'm into it the more I realize that you're right.
Anyway keep up the good work and much love from One of your supporters.
Shawn, Like a quality speaker, you're always "True to the Source"..Thank you
is it better than adam T5V?
I wouldn't know.
I had the Adam t5 and they are pretty sweet for the money as an AIO solution. Probably best to fill in with a sub but they are quite good. For my I couldn’t deal with the AMT in the Adam over long periods of time. In a brief demo the tweets are impressive but they get tiresome during long listening sessions.
Another option is Yamaha HS8 as no sub is needed and I found the tweeter to be more natural than Adam. Bass shelf I put -2db and I pull 18 inches into the room or the bass is way overpowering. The hs7 is crap.
I just picked these up for $349 I'm going to use them as my front height speakers for Dolby Atmos they'll be 1 ft from the ceiling and 2 ft from the wall high on top of my entertainment center i will angle them down to my listening position
Hey what did you do with our Sean?! He’s the guy with the cap! That is an AWESOME price for a pair of KEF speakers.
Who is this person with no hat trying to pass as Sean?
Lol, i'm listening to a review of the KEF 150's on my PC w/ KEF 150's!
yes I love them...worth all of $300 maybe $350, that's it.
how does this compare to emotiva bookshelf which sounds very real with marantz cd6006 ??
Thanks for such an in depth review. I purchased thees on black friday for daily listenting with my Cambridge AXA35 amp. Great combination. Very pleased with the set up now and sounding better each day, They are breaking in very nicely. Not the loudest system I have had but but still more than enough for any medium sized lisening room as long as you arent into rock concert listening levels. A warmer presentation with good bass but still fairly clear.
Thanks again for providing such informative and entertaining content.
I've just ordered a set for the exact same amp. I've had q acoustic 3010i but find I have to constantly play around with the bass and treble. Would be great to hear how yours sounds now? Now it's all run inn.
Great review Sean
Thank you for this share;this Review was to the piont & honest.
Great video..Great Value Proposition
my friend has a pair of these and he loves them!
I’ve got a pair of these I’ve been using with an older denon amp, I love them, only thing I wish is that the soundstage was even bigger but to be honest I think that’s because my room is probably too big for them, and the build could be better, I originally had the q acoustics 3020i and these knocked those ones out the park, bass response everything just seemed a lot better, great speakers!
The KEF Q350 might suit you well. They are a similar sound but for a bigger room.
@@clinteastwood7198 funny thing is, I upgraded to an audiolab 6000a and now the soundstage is huge! However they now lack bass, but I think this is due to my room placements and furniture changing more than anything. I will be upgrading them soon I think, but to be honest I think I’ll try a taste of something different than kef.
@@Brett1334how big is your room?
Crutchfield is still selling em for $600 .. yikes. Recently got mine for $350 on Amazon. Plus Fosi ZA3 amp for $150, making it the best Stereo I've ever heard for $500 range. It matches or beats the $2000 CXA81 and q350 combo I picked up and returned last year. When I get a second SVS 3000 Micro, I'd wager it'll come pretty close to KEF R3s by themselves -- certainly exceeding their extension, though not as full midrange.
Hey sean, great review as usual!
I would really like to know how the song you used at the comparison intersection is called.
Have a great day :)
Looks amazing for the money. This or the speaker British Audiophile just reviewed?
i just pair it with smsl sa300 - so far its good enough for me, for my desktop, nearfield listening
The music during the transition seems is slightly loud, mildly startling when wearing headphones. Glad to finally see you without a hat!
Should go loud with SPL of 86db, unless they start sounding worse at higher volumes. Rated up to 100 Watts - RMS I am presuming. 👍 as usual
They will go loud, but they won't sound very good doing it. The watt ratings are something to all but disregard.
Other reviewers of the Q 150s said the treble was layed back. I bought some a couple of years ago (@ full price) and I needed 5 db treble boost on my amp before they sounded any good. So I traded them in for some more expensive B&W 706s and there was more treble and I could use them flat. My theory is that people didn't like the laid back treble and so KEF tizzed up the treble on the next model (like the KEF 50s are).
Side by side, the Q150's treble isn't (significantly) more laid back than what you get with the LS50 Metas. The only difference is that the LS50 Meta doesn't feature the same level of boost in the midrange and bass as the Q150. This alone will make the LS50 Meta sound a bit more aggressive in the treble by direct comparison. I suppose however, one could argue that if this is what you experience in the real world, then that's all that matters. Still, the point is that the Q150 is not an inherently laid back speaker. Especially once you give it some volume. But as always, treble is something that many people do not agree on. One mans bright is another mans smooth and visa versa.
@@ZeroFidelity Maybe the amp I used just didn't happen in the treble as much with those speakers. I had to wind the treble up a lot before I liked the sound (in that room). My B&W 706s have strong upper treble but not enough "chuff" in the voice sound for my liking. Strong cymbals but voice sound is a bit "muffly" on the 706s (in that room). My home designed and built speakers have a bit more "chuff" giving the voice a more 3D sound. That's just me. And My friends seem to agree. But the 706s are a God send cos overall they are the only thing I can go by as reference monitors for my made speakers. And then I make my own "artistic" slight tweaks to my made speakers after copying the 706 sound. The 706s made my speakers sing. Thanks for reading my comment and responding. Cheers Big Ears!
There's another unique YT channel I follow, which isn't reviews, but is instead a database of samples of many combinations of popular speakers and amps all playing the same group of tracks, to make those like me who have nowhere to go hear gear in person a way to compare the sound of different gear that we are interested in- @E Project
Great review. Was thinking about getting these as front replacements for huge Klipsch towers in a large room. I know it was mentioned that these would not be good for a large space. However, I have 3 subwoofers. So, would they be good tower replacements in this case?
Bro put the hat back on lol
Almost didn’t recognize you with the longer hair
You are an excellent reviewer.
You're by far the best reviewer I know on TH-cam. Especially being a subjectivist is really appealing for a new audiophile like me. I can't wait for your review on the B1+ and pit it against Jamos, Elacs, Sonys, JBLs or Q150s at this price point.
Love this format. SIck!
Just picked up a pair when one of my Vienna Acoustic bookshelf speakers gave up the ghost. Really surprised by how punchy these are. Lots of detail as well. Paid $250 for an open box set from Best Buy in perfect shape.
I preferred the Q100's over the Q150's, sold the 150's, kept the 100's. Funny how that works.
I could see that. While I haven't heard the Q100's, I frequently prefer the sound of smaller bookshelf speakers over larger ones.
nice production values no cables shown in video
I bought these open box from Crutchfield for $285 in 2019. They were like a gateway drug into this crazy speaker carousel I've been on ever since. I had the Pioneer BS22, Sony Core SSCS5, and the Infinity R162 right before it, and while those were pretty nice, the Q150 was the first time I heard a deep soundstage, which was intoxicating for me. I sold it because it would occasionally get too sibilant for my tastes, but it is very good for the money. But I do prefer the original ELAC UB5, Triangle BR02, and JBL Studio 530 overall more in the same price bracket.
Point source speakers will always have a better image cos the vowels&consonants of the voice sound are coming from the same place instead of 8" apart!
You need to hear open baffle
What song is played in the background at 9:53 th-cam.com/video/qn59B5CTyCQ/w-d-xo.html
Please have a look at the Mission QX2. I am sure that will be very very interesting. Only $400 a pair.
I'm curious about newer Mission speakers also. I have a couple vintage pairs and wonder if the new ones are as good in the bang for the buck department.
@@1980JPA the QX2 is mad bang for the buck. If only they gained more exposure. I really hope Sean checks them out.
@@indranilmitra6535 yeah, I think they've always been a bit under the radar and underestimated, but I absolutely love them. We have a small group of friends here in town and we're all blue collar audiophiles. Mission has a high place in our circle that it may have never reached amongst the public. They just make damn good speakers. Going to check out the QX2.
@@1980JPA I'm a blue collar audiophile as well. I love budget speakers that sound amazing. I can whole heartedly recommend the QX2. So musical and balanced.
I have the QX5 and it's absolutely mad!
If the QX2 does the same as the QX5, but with less bass, it gets a massive thumbs up from me!
Sounds like a good deal, but my room is a tad large for these…
Thanks Sean….
That Hair :) Thanks for the Video
Nice review and I like the longer hair man!
Great review.
The Wharfedale Diamond 12.2 (6.5") also goes on sale for 300$. Which one would you choose between these two?
Also curious.
I'm thinking about running these as an LCR in our roughly 1800cuft living room at 90w each the receiver. I know its a broad question, but these feel the room nicely shouldn't they. They'll be paired with about set of q150s for the surround.
Somebody I know runs that configuration in a similar room and loves em'. To be fair, I haven't heard their system myself so I can't tell you whether or not they are full of it. heh
Make sure you have a sub and crossover at 100 you'll be fine
@@idray986 That was my plan. Cross over between 80 and 100hz to let the subs handle the bass frequencies that aren't easily localized by our ears. Our normal listening volume in the living room is about 80 db on average anyway.
@@ProudPapaKY here is the objective data th-cam.com/video/SiGslBHnK9c/w-d-xo.html
I have these with Cambridge Audio AXR85 and subwoofer crossover set at 100, and the sound is amazing. Play “Wish You Were Here” by Seguridad Social, and these speakers come alive.
I'm wonder how this speakers may sound pairing with a vintage Rotel RC960+RB980 gear...
Man, quarantine has been rough, huh buddy?
Heheheh…I kid. I kid. Thanks, I’ve been looking for something to try on my desktop. I’m keep coming back to using audioengine p4’s with a six inch fostex sub.
Thanks, and enjoy an upthumb on me-ya’ neckbearded schlub!
Glad to see you back Sean! Nice job on the review!
11x14 room mostly listen to rock/metal. Recommend? Budget $300-$400 Don't play very loud d/t kiddos.
so the "famous" british sound is the v-shape sound, big deal. I heard a couple of british spkrs in the 80s and I don't recall them as bright sounding. I just pulled the trigger on a pair of Qs 3010 at $169 and they are v-shaped sounding but will do the job in my dorm room.
How do you feel about the 150s for home theater L/C/R setup? I'm concerned about off axis performance as some of my seating is off to the side. Main seats 13ft away, with off axis seat 10ft away. Thanks.
Great review buddy...
with the $80 class D aiyima a07 amplifier q150 or another speaker at $400 maximum price point for low volume, near field desktop use ? thanks
Does it make sense to buy Q150s and sit them on their sides underneath my TV in an LCR configuration? It is for a 5.1 setup in my bedroom. I play video games and watch movies on this TV. I have 7 inches of clearance under the TV for my speakers.
Great review thank you. Would you recommend the Q150's over the Bowers & Wilkins 607 S2 which you have also reviewed for a desktop/near field setting??
Hi Sean, have you had a chance to hear the Q350? Does the Q350 have the same slight metalic sound characteristic of the Q150s? P.S. I love my Parasound 275 new classic power amp I bought based on your positive review 4 years ago.
Is this still good for buying in 2024?
UK customers; Richer sounds £299($400) - that includes 20%tax btw. It's not listed as a sale item though...(?)
I own this and the mids are great, bass very good for the size… but really lacks soundstage… i powered with a Yamaha homecinema but not great sound… then i bought a CXA61 and woooow, but… small soundstage again :( . They need a good amplifier
I don't doubt what you're running into - but a small soundstage with THESE speakers? That's like saying an SVS sub doesn't have much bass. Check to see if the polarity of your interconnect and speaker cabling is correct (red to red, black to black). If everything looks good, replace the cables if you have a spare set. Point the speakers out into the room. Make sure you don't have them like, sat damn near side by side of each other. If none of that helps, I'm not sure what to tell ya. Perhaps somebody else could chime in. But a small soundstage is the exact opposite of what you should be running into.
I had a crushed soundstage once and I had accidentally wired one of my speakers backward (out of phase) 🤔😳
Cristopher, i have these with NAD C316 BEE V2 (ANALOG INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER) AND WHAT A BIG SOUNDSTAGE DID, AWESOME
How these compare to Alsyvox Boticelli? Bayz Audio Counterpoints?
in 2023, these are showing $599 on Crutchfield. I wish i could get them for $299
I want those diffusors 😄
What about a large room? Stick with floor standing Q Acoustics 3050 or these and a sub?
I listened to them briefly at Best Buy one day but they seemed to have had a softer tone from what I heard. No way to tell except if it was in my own home for evaluation. But it does make a person question why it originally retails for several hundred dollars and being sold for half off? Maybe some design flaws that the manufacturer is hiding? Again trust your ears. And arrange for a trial period in your home. And that’s with any speaker. Not just these.
best with a good Sub of course. small speakers 5 in. ' mid bass' just can't move the air without technical expensive tricks like Kefs LS type sub. I looked at Amazon, yep, $299. note, I have the larger Q 350 and Metas + Sub.
its never that price but ok
The KEF Q150's are $299 at this very moment on Amazon.
disregarding the new ls50 metas what is your opinion on people's claims that the q150 is as good as the original ls50, and I've even heard people say that they like it better than the ls50?
I'm just curious because even the designer Jack Brown talks about the speaker being about 90% of what the original ls50 was and I'd be curious to Garner your thoughts on that.
The Q150 is a warmer, more forgiving speaker. The original LS50 is lean, forward, and detail oriented. The two are not at all the same.
Pretty good rear surround speakers?
Great review, you're a good speaker!
yup got one for $200 USD on marketplace, great for the small home office and can be driven by a simple class d with tone controls, yes I recommend tone controls for this
I was going to upgrade my center, but the big ones people hype are too tall, so i decided to just use my old Q100s and add a 150 as a center or vice versa. They say the coaxial drivers are still better for off-axis listeners.
$800 and up in Canada. Are they worth that price?