Kef q500s

[diviy]

Been offered a set six years old mint condition currently got a set of ditton 15xr speakers but fancy floor standers again any opinions on them .
They are going to be driven buy a pair of valve mono blocks
and what would be a fair price to pay ?

Cheers Gerry

[Macca]

I wouldn't pay more than £150.

[Haselsh1]

Sue and I owned KEF Q500's from 2013 until early this year and we got on really well with them. They were used with Prima Luna valve gear for the last twelve months or so playing mainly vinyl. The treble can be a bit ragged at times but the bass goes very low and the stereo imaging is fantastic. Yeah OK, made in China along with an awful lot of mainstream stuff these days but so are my pre/power and they are stunning. Would I have them back over and above our current B&W CM8 S2's...? No, they are good though.

[hifinutt]

kef q500 were being sold at very cheap prices until recently . fanthorpes still have them new at 549

https://www.fanthorpes.co.uk/brands/kef-speakers/kef-q500-speakers/

personally i i wanted a budget pair of floorstanders i would buy a s/h pair of proac studio 125 which are very good or perhaps these

the proac are about 400 s/h and have a lovely midrange and nice finish and are extremely natural sounding

http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/edwards-audio-sp2-speakers-for-sale.210139/

[Haselsh1]

Yep, a friend of ours has a pair of Proac floorstanders and they are massively different to the KEFs in sound quality. The KEFs are lively, sparky and dynamic, three things that our friends Proacs are not. Also, the Uni-Q driver on the KEF Q500's images way better than the Proacs in question. This is another example of why it is essential to go and have a demo especially of things such as loudspeakers.

The Proac's in question are Studio 125's.

[agk]

I've not heard the 500 but the Q series I've heard were muffled and flappy.

[hifinutt]

Yep, a friend of ours has a pair of Proac floorstanders and they are massively different to the KEFs in sound quality. The KEFs are lively, sparky and dynamic, three things that our friends Proacs are not. Also, the Uni-Q driver on the KEF Q500's images way better than the Proacs in question. This is another example of why it is essential to go and have a demo especially of things such as loudspeakers.

The Proac's in question are Studio 125's.

fascinating , these 125 image brilliantly , they are not fatiguing and has a great sound . however they are on the end of amps that retail at silly money !!! you can really turn the wick up without your ears bleeding .

[Haselsh1]

I've not heard the 500 but the Q series I've heard were muffled and flappy.

Yep, the 700's and 900's are exactly as you have described the sound, the 500's are nowhere near.

[Haselsh1]

The treble on our current CM8 S2's is super smooth making the Q500's a little coarse at times. There is absolutely no way I have ever heard any KEF's sound muffled.

[mac72]

The treble on our current CM8 S2's is super smooth making the Q500's a little coarse at times. There is absolutely no way I have ever heard any KEF's sound muffled.
And I'll second that, I owned few Kef speakers over the years, some Q series as well , using Reference series now and would never describe them that way.

[Macca]

They might sound 'muffled' if using an amp that can't supply enough current. I've had that before with speakers that are not an easy load.