The Kef iQ7, harsh?

[Arion]

Has anyone here got Kef iQ7 speakers?

I'd be curious to hear your views on these beasts.

I have just acquired a set from a well-know auction site and before I use them to stoke my bonfire I was kind of hoping there might be a magic "turn of the harshness" button on them?

For now I'm utilising a pair of 15 year old Kef K120s on two very unstable coffee tables and I'm enjoying them far more than my new aquisitions, they're much smoother, a lot less harsh, and although they've not got the bass extension of the iQ7 I feel what bass there is is comparitively faithful compared to the floorstanders.

Unless there is a magical resolution I'm either going to take up a friends offer of his Kef C40 (twin 8" + tweeter in a sealed enclosure) or buy a set of Atacama's on which to place my K120s which is what I had 15 years ago!

I feel I've been an idiot to go against all I have believed in. I've always hated metal dome tweeters and ported enclosures, but I thought I would drag myself screaming into the 21st Century and I think I regret it now.

Or am I too buried in the "sound of the 70s"?

HELP!!!

[Dave Cawley]

Or am I too buried in the "sound of the 70s"?

Not at all, the iQ7's are in my opinion, mass produced budget speakers, I had a pair part exchanged, listened to them and put them straight onto eBay. I'm not into used speakers, but others here will advise you.

Regards

Dave

[DSJR]

An easy and cheapo mod is to get a 2W 1.5 Ohm resistor in each tweeter + line, easy if you're not bi-wiring - replace the + link with the resistor, taking care not to short out the other terminals. At this price level, this is how tweeter levels are set internally...

Just to justify the above -

I don't know the exact model, but I can tell you from personal experience that the C40 (if these are the first gen of Uni-Q drivers) had integration problems at the crossover point, the cone having trouble integrating with the tweeter and giving an audible response notch if setup wasn't "just-so."

The Q mk1 series which replaced it were much better, although the mk1's were soft and cuddly, rather than dynamic and "direct."

The Q series mk2 were my favourites, getting most of it right in the bass and mid, but, IIRC, the tweeter was, if anything, set a little high in level with a 2db approx shelf up in level where it took over - if a response is given as + or - 2db, that's still 4db of relative level to play with in terms of tonal balance...

The Reference range which came along around the time of the IQ series were so over-sharp, they could either strip paint at ten paces, or take one's fillings out (you choose :)). It wouldn't surprise me if the IQ series do this too, just like later B&W 600 models (before the current range, which sound like boomy boxes by comparison).

Sorry if I'm sarcastic in saying this, but I think that making loads of money while maintaining market share is the thing at this price point, better fidelity being reserved for the models further up the range, which both KEF and B&W have.

Seriously, try the resistor mod on the tweeters. 1.5 Ohms, plus or minus half an ohm should do it. if correct use was made of the sponge bungs, the bass could actually sound well IMO and modern cone materials, together with the box shape, kept mid colouration at bay to a high degree..

[Arion]

I must admit to being a little perturbed to read "Made in China" on the back of the iQ7. My K120s proudly read "Made in England". Oh dear, very sad.

I read (with some hope) the thread someone had started about taming his harsh system and employed some tactice from there. I have one serious problem insofar as my listening room is made of glass (I hear each of you shuddering at the thought) as it's my conservatory and the only room in an awkwardly shaped house that I can get a decent sound system in. But I have pulled the speakers out of the corners, they are now within 1.5 metres of each other and firing straight ahead instead of angled to my favourite chair. They have been tamed admirably from those few changes, but I can't help but wonder how much better things would be with a pair of British made C40s, or if I can find them, a pair of C75s which were I believe the first incarnation of the Uni-Q. Heard and loved, there's good money waiting if anyone has a set they want to lose.

[Arion]

DSJR

Thanks for the advice, I may very well try this mod out before resorting to a huge change and full-on buy/sell to replace these beasts. There is sense in your findings, I am bi-wiring currently but as I have banana plugs of the type that I can at least for now piggy bag the cables to try what you suggest.
Can I just ask, if you know about such things; will this affect in any way my new amplifier? It's a valve amp (50 watt class A) and I'd hate to break it!

thanks :)

[DSJR]

Adding a little resistance to the tweeters should actually improve the loading for an average valve amp I think. Modern KEF's are nominally 4 to 6 Ohm as I recall.

KEF were bought by a far-eastern concern many years ago now, and the popular ranges have come from there ever since. Only the Reference series (I think) come from the UK, although it could be that as with sister company Celestion's domestic issue, production may well be all in the far east and the UK offices just warehousing and admin. I understand Harbeth bought the tooling that KEF used for the B110 and relative drivers from the "bextrene" era.

A few years ago, the pound was so strong that, as I've been told, the landed cost of imported speakers made in China was very low indeed, "last year's" models flogged out through Richer Sounds or Superfi at half price (at the time) probably being still highly profitable for the importers/manufacturers.

[Arion]

Isn't it a pity that a company with such potential should auction themselves off like this, I'm saddened by it all. I must reming myself that when recommending Kef's to my friends that I caveat that statement with "only the old ones on eBay"!

For the cost involved (negligable), I shall invest in said resistors. I have made inroads with the moving of the speakers and have for the first ever time played with the EQ settings on my iPod Classic to invoke a "what it would be like" scenario and the effects stand the experiment in good stead. However, I still can't but help thinking I will eventually find and purchase my ideal speakers, the C75.

BTW, my iQ7 says 8 ohm on the back. But as you say (and now I've calmed down a bit) it does make sense that it should in fact help out the loading on my amp.

Thanks for everything Dave, I will let you know the outcome of the experiment.

[DSJR]

Get some old Concerto's instead, or 104ab's if the former look too "dumpy."

Either of the above will annihilate C "anthing" - IMO of course, but I was there at the time...:D

[Themis]

I don't find the new Kef iQ series "harch"... I'm probably an exception.

[hifi_dave]

I didn't find them particularly 'harsh' just bl**dy boring and uninvolving.

It is a shame that so many of our British companies are now just names hiding a Chinese manufacturer. Once upon a time these were innovative and quality companies now they just ship out run of the mill boxes for the What Hi-Fi reader....:steam:

[Themis]

I didn't find them particularly 'harsh' just bl**dy boring and uninvolving.
Ah that... probably too "hifi", that's for sure.


It is a shame that so many of our British companies are now just names hiding a Chinese manufacturer. Once upon a time these were innovative and quality companies now they just ship out run of the mill boxes for the What Hi-Fi reader....:steam:
Yep, sad. But ! Fortunately new companies come up, they are still small, but growing. I guess we have to switch, that's all. And it's surely the most "educated" who can advise the others. ;)

[Arion]

The iQ7 have gone to a new home. I couldn't bear their immense harshness any longer. The nail in their coffin was when I replaced them with my old K120 bookshelf Kefs on wobbly coffee tables for stands and sat back with my iPod remote in hand. what a difference, beautifully smooth, like the silk the tweeters are made out of. Next time I think I should steer clear of titanium or metal coated anything, I'll listen to myself.

As for what's replacing them, I've found a pair of K160 Kefs. With luck, they'll give me the small amount of missing LF I have with my K120s, however, compared with the iQ7 these have cost me nothing and if they don't work I'll use them for my Yule Log and buy some atacama's for my K120s ;-)

That's my update.......so far.

[hifinutt]

heard the iq9 once and was very impressed for the money

[Spectral Morn]

No I don't think they are harsh either. The IQ4 and IQ9 are better. The IQ7s just failed to be very inspiring. We sold most 4 & 7s for AV use with Yamaha or Denon amplifiers.

The IQ9 is a very good mass produced speaker.

Kef are a Chinese company now, still designed in the UK but thats all.

Are you using the original links ? If so bin them they are crap...either BI-Wire or make links out of the cable you are using. The 7's like to be a wee bit closer to a back wall than you might think. Make sure they are fully stable. level and only slightly toed in...only a smidge. Do not use QED Silver Anniversary speaker cable :eek::(. Way to bright and thin. QED XT300 or 400 is a better match with these speakers or anything just the warmer side of neutral or neutral.

What amp etc are you using ?


Regards D S D L