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Kii Three - my impressions and pro reviews


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26 minutes ago, firedog said:
23 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:


Kii got back in touch. I originally understood them to say that one speaker was burned on the inside and they suspected a lightning strike or power surge. They now clarified that the speaker smelled burnt inside. They now think one of the amps burned out and passed DC to a woofer. That caused the burnt smell. They no longer think it was something external to the speaker, just an amp failure. 
That made me feel better, as it's unlikely I will encounter the same failure again in a different set of speakers.

Power protection: I've got a fair bit of power protection and isolation on my system. As far as pure sine wave UPS, do you find any downsides? Others think those type devices aren't suitable for high end audio systems.
 

I had something similar in my Kii's

They advised sending both speakers in . I think they replaced the amps in both and possibly the DACs.

No charge for either. They have great customer service!

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 3/3/2019 at 3:53 PM, bobfa said:

Interesting gadget for swithing inputs.  The Threes have an XLR balanced input at each speaker so I was thinking about going analog all the way there.

 

The other way is to set them up with AES and use an external A to D.  

 

I'm with you re analog to the Kii for vinyl. Why do a digital conversion prior when the Kii will just do that again

 

🙂

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1 hour ago, baconbrain said:

A humbling moment ...

 

occurred yesterday evening when I visited a good friend and listened to his newly updated system. (Speakers alone cost 40 k Euro ..) The experience was absolutely mind boggling and intense. Regardless of genre, his system tackled it all with a finesse and detail which sometimes left me speechless.

 

As much as I really like my Kii Three 2.1 setup, it is definitely in another class when comparing to such heavyweights. Unfortunately for me (and my budget) experience continues to show that truly top level electronics have their price .... Is there a end of the audiophile Rainbow?

 

Such is the power of expectation bias.

when wine lovers were told one wine was pricey and the other cheap they liked the pricey one more. They were hooked up to a machine that showed the pleasure centers in their brains kit up more with the “expensive@ wine. However, it was the same wine!

think about the other differences in your experience. Other than your state of mind, the most profound difference between your system and his is likely the room itself. Factor in the recordings and the dB levels and it is extremely difficult to to make a reliable comparison . 

I’ve heard the Kii next to more expensive speakers/gear and prefer the Kii. 

 

One thing I would not do is use a sub. That might be hurting the performance of your Kii’s. TheIR BXT system would be the way to go for me.

 

 

 

 

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5 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I wouldn't be so quick to judge that this is because of expectation bias. I've had similar experiences with both more and less expensive gear in good and bad rooms. 

 

Here is an irrefutable statement or, IOW, a statement that is de facto true:

One can't rule out expectation bias absent a proper blind test.

 

That doesn't invalidate my, yours or anyone else's subjective experience. But I think it's important to remember this simple fact when we listen to different systems. Even on a purely subjective level it is rather pointless to make value judgements on SQ listening to systems in different rooms at different times. Put the Kiis next to another speaker , in the same room, level matched and using the same recordings. That could be a subjective comparison that I could be of some limited interest to me.

 

YMMV, of course. In the end my opinion is worthless to anyone other than myself. I have no problem with that. 🙂

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6 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I certainly hear you, but most people aren't out for a scientific adventure. They want to listen and respond to the sound. 

 

If system A sounds good and system B sounds better, that's just what they experienced and one's experience is likely what will make one the happiest at home. Getting the flattest speaker available (likely the Revel Salon 2) may make some happy but not others. 

 

I'm not out for a scientific adventure either. I'm a musician, so, obviously I listen to both the sound and the music. And I agree with much of what you are saying.

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16 minutes ago, Kal Rubinson said:

Agreed.  Moreover, the scientific adventure is simply not practical.  Given the number of candidates within a particular price/size class of loudspeakers, it is virtually impossible to blind test/compare a significant number side-by-side.  It  is even difficult to get to hear+see,  the particular ones of personal interest, side-by-side at local dealers.   

Again, agreed but only if it is a fair test under suitable conditions.  

However I was in no way recommending a scientific adventure. Nor was I recommending a blind test as a requisite to decide on a purchase. However if one has an opportunity to listen to speakers side by side one should make sure they are at the same volume. Numerous research shows that even a one dB increase is perceived as a qualitative difference. Would anyone want to make the purchase decision w/o taking that out of the equation?

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6 minutes ago, baconbrain said:

Guys,

 

Have you ever driven a Ferrari? You know before you even start the engine that it just doesn‘t compare to the upper mid class sports sedan that you currently own. It is in a different league, and mostly likely in a price class you will never be able to afford, but if you are a car buff, the experience will more than likely be unforgettable.

 

Does expectation bias play a role? Most definately, but the experience is undeniable when you press the throttle to the floor. Are you humbled when you drive off in your sports sedan at the end of day? Probably, but reality tells you that it still is the best sports sedan that you can afford. 

 

I really enjoy my Kii‘s, but I still find it incredibly fascinating what is possible when listening to the Ferrari‘s of the audio industry.

Test drive a dual motor Tesla. No car can match it’s zero to 60 time. 

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  • 1 month later...
6 hours ago, atletico said:

The placement according to the back wall and side walls  will influence the overall presentation from the Kii Three's. This is my experience after listening to these superb speakers in my living room for two years now. 

Yes,  the DSP settings can do much especially for the lower frequency beneath 50-60 Hz but I find the overall sound performance are even better with more air around the speakers. 

@bobfa I will recommend testing this beautiful Kii There/BXT setup with some different placement, especially from the back wall and also the toe-in towards your listening position.

Congratulation with a superb setup! 

This is my experience with my Kii speakers I've had for more than a year. They sound great anywhere but they really shine a bit more out from walls

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I currently use a Ray Samuells battery phono preamp. It replaced my tube Sonic Frontiers. I run it through my old Jeff Rowland preamp to the Kii 3s.

 

Digital is an UltraRendu with an Uptone 1.2 as power. 

 

 

 

I tend to keep good equipment a long time. My Watt/Puppys are now my home theatre speakers.

 

The wallmount TT stand is a vinyl and stylus saver. I have an old Tudor home with pier and beam and there is some give to the floor. No needle skipping with the wallmount.

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  • 2 months later...
13 minutes ago, coot said:

To Kii Three owners:

Are there any of you that listen primarily to classical? Would you directly address the "big" sound of this product for classical music that is fully large scale ie, full symphony orchestras and + chorus + organ, etc as opposed to string quartets, chamber groups, etc. Name specific works if possible.

 

I am considering purchase and the above description applies to most of my listening. Thanks.

 

The Kii does a great job with large scale orchestral works. As a classical musician I attend quite a few concerts. The Kii come closer to reproducing the live experience than than most systems I’ve heard. They replaced my Watt/Puppies.

 

 

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3 hours ago, baconbrain said:

What makes me a bit skeptical of the Kii Stands is that with the recessed bottom plate of the speaker, the cabinets fits over and around the mounting / resting plate of the stand. It looks great but would seem to create all kinds of possibilities for vibration ...

 

Please note: This is only speculation on my part, as I do not use the Kii furnished stands.

The Kii s sit on a damping membrane on the stand to reduce or eliminate vibration

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  • 5 months later...

I guess I caught the window where the updater was available so I'm at V 2.0

 

I wonder if they didn't take it down for the holidays because they didn't want to deal with questions over the holiday 🙂

 

I don't blame them.

 

For those of us with a Mac you might need to go through an extra step because the Updater isn't "approved" by Apple. Maybe Kii can fix that before they re release the app.

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  • 1 month later...

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