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Kii Three - my impressions and pro reviews


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I sent them a mail last week regarding a preset issue I have (v.0.2). Support said they would officially release the software update and update tool between X-mas and New Year. They probably uploaded a beta version to the website and took it down again. Software update includes Bluetooth activation. 

 

I’m anxious to hear what sound improvements the upgrade will bring.

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Worst they could do is introduce sonic changes as most of us have bought these speakers for their sonic performance. I heard that Innuos updated their streamer firmware recently and not everyone was happy about the sonic “improvements”.

 

I really welcome the addition of notch filters to take care of a troublesome roommode the Kii’s weren’t able to alleviate before.

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It would be nice if Kii would elaborate a bit more on the advanced settings for the less initiated should they choose to try them out. The possibilities really allow you to fine tune the Kii’s and eliminate more of the room than they already do. In that regard you have to hand it to Linn with their sound optimization. Linn really goes into easy understandable detail on the application of  notch filters to tackle room modes so you can fine tune their calculated modes and corresponding filters even further.

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@Rubysea I couldn’t agree more that a UMIK-1 is a good investment. Highly recommended if you are serious about your room acoustics. My living/listening room has a few issues the Kii’s can’t fix. I’m having an acoustic ceiling placed to deal with the high reverb time. The Kii’s already do a great job of keeping the lows in check so you don’t need massive bass traps. This  played an important part in the WAF😉

 

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With the new filtering options in the Kii you don’t really need a miniDSP or dirac live. You just need to take measurements to determine the worst room modes. And manually create a notch filter with the Kii control for the most troublesome frequencies (usually around 20, 40 and 80hz depending on room size and acoustic treatment). The Kii frequency response curve should measure pretty straight from about 125Hz upwards because of the cardioid dispersion. But this is all icing on the cake. Squeezing the last bit of sonic performance out of the speakers.

 

Alternatively you could calculate your room modes(there are online tools for that) and experiment with those outcomes by ear. No measurement required but it’s the best way to see the effect of the changes.

 

For me the adjusting was easy because I could use the calculated room mode correction  I still had from my previous Linn system.. They also clearly showed up in the room measurement with REW. I just needed to convert octave bandwidth to Q value for the notch filters. I only had a big bump at 83Hz and a smaller one at 40 that stood out.

 

 

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7 hours ago, fpalm69 said:

Slightly change in topic but I am using a Roon Nucleus straight into the Kii Control via USB.  This is giving me very good sound.  I tried various devices - EtherRegen, Sonore optical signature Rendu, SoTM trio, Auralic Aries G2, and a few other USB clean up devices but in each case the plain old Nucleus to Kii gave me comparable results.  I think it has to do with the Roon software/protocol RAAT communication effectively (bit-perfect) with the Kii Control ALSA.

 

 Interesting, I’m in the market for another music server. My current one feeds with SPDIF and I can hear distinct differences using the coax connection. I dont use Roon yet but am tempted. Hence the need for another server. I’ve heard Antipodes on the Kii over USB and it sounded great. One would expect so for the price tag. But I havent heard any other comparison over usb other than a laptop. But based on your conclusions I could just settle for a Roon Nucleus(+) over say, an Innuos Zenith which the media raves about and save some cash.

 

Anyone else share the same experience?

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Thanks for the insights.

 

I know from own experience that interconnects on the coax connection can make a substantial difference in SQ.

 

To me it makes no sense opting for a “budget” server/streamer option if you invest 15k in a set of speakers that you know can reveal even subtlest differences. Unless of course the differences with more expensive players is negligeable. Judging from the reactions there’s no clear verdict on the subject. Guess I’ll have to plan a few demo’s.

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After an A/B demo I ended up taking a new streamer home. For me there was an audible difference between my old streamer (Linn Majik DSM) and the new one. Better transients,  better control in the low frequencies and a more engageing musical experience( for lack of a better expression). Is it a night and day difference? No, but see it as the icing on the cake. And whenever I get goosebumps I’m sold😁 And the fact that the new streamer can be used as a Roon server also spoke in its favor.

 

My old Linn is coax out only and the new one USB so that might not be a fair comparison. However I did hear another USB streamer and it sounded distinctly different. Whether better or not is more a matter of personal taste (and wallet)  but it was also better than the Linn in terms of musicality.

 

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2 hours ago, Yellowspider said:

Don´t post this on the Linn Forum. Which Streamer could be better than Linn? 🙂

 

But it would be nice to hear, which model you are now using.

 

 

I moved from a fully activ Linn system (Majik DSM, C6200, Miso’s) to Kii. It’s a good bit of kit but the move to Exakt would have cost me as much as my demo Kii’s. So I sold off all but the DSM. Linn is good as a total system. As individual components...mwah. Needs very careful matching imo.

 

I purchased an ex demo streamer from a small Dutch company, Audio Aan Zee. Custom built with mostly off the shelf components and a bit of tweaking here and there.

https://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/review/digital-reviews/music-server-reviews/audioaanzee-reference-flow-music-server-part1/

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  • 2 months later...

Had a chance to listen to the BXT at a local dealer recently. Wish I hadn’t;) Sonically it is unmistakably  a Kii but the differences aren’t subtle. Even better bass, more effortless presentation and a soundstage that is just as high as it is wide. If I had the cash it would be a no brainer.

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  • 4 months later...
On 7/5/2020 at 2:09 PM, Wazzup said:

Hi ,

 

I am currently using a KII audio three with an Kii control (both 2nd hand for a good price). Usually i am playing using a laptop connecting through the usb port....

 

 

 

 

Like you I also managed to get my hands on a second hand (ex demo) set:) Yes, there is a audible difference in sound between streamers.  I wouldn’t necessarily say in sound quality but that also depends on your situation. In a well treated listening foom you will be able to hear more differences than in a living/listening room situation. There is also a difference running through usb or  Spidf. I find that coax cables have more influence on the sound than usb cables.

I use both a Linn majik dsm and an Audio aan Zee Reference flow streamer.. Both deliver an excellent sound quality but the differences in presentation are audible. Linn is clean sounding and the AaZ sounds more analogue.

 

I have heard the Kii’s demo’d with an antipodes EX/CX combo...stunning. Also on an Aurender N10 which sounded great as well.

 

Best advice is to demo the streamer at home if possible. Or take your system to the store for an a-b comparison. Some internet shops offer a good return policy.

 

 

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  • 3 months later...
On 1/20/2021 at 9:57 AM, ntpaledo said:

Thank you Rubysea. Hmmm that makes me think, is it something I can do through the Cambridge Audio CXN V2? (connect a phono preamp to it and then feed that signal digitally to the Kii Control) This is what the back of the streamer looks like.

 

For sure a Linn Majik DSM (MM) or Akurate DSM (MM/MC) will work. They have a built in phono stage. Analogue phono signal gets converted to digital and can be connected to the Kii controller through SPDIF.

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  • 1 month later...
23 hours ago, Rubysea said:

New Kii Control Firmare 2.5 just seems to have been released.

I haven’t really noticed any HMI improvements. And the analogue clipping warning was there already i think. At least it kicked in when I was fiddling with the phono gain of my new amp.

 

Now wouldn’t it be great if you could change Kii settings using a software app where the settings are visualized and that you can upload into the control. Kind of like what Linn *cough,cough* uses for their Space optimisation. Makes for a much more user friendly experience imo.

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On 3/22/2021 at 8:49 AM, PCmusic said:

 

 

Good decision. This is exactly what I did for my 8c as well. I wrote the rationale in my subjective review in the speaker forum here. I totally understand why you did that. It isn't good for speakers with non-uniform directivity and many feel bad looking (read from forums). I agree I need time to accept, but now it's very ok to me.

Extreme toe in seems to work well with speakers that utilize wave guide units. But is does look rather unorthodox. I’ve noticed it creates a larger sweet spot. In the end it’s all up to what you prefer, not what someone else thinks. 

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  • 2 years later...

I went to Kii’s open house last year and their team mentioned that they had to redesign some electronics due to the shortage of certain chips at the time. Not sure if this was only limited to the DSP  or that it also included the amp modules. But considering it was not just a simple swap of components they might as well have added newer  amps. Might explain the price hike 😉

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  • 2 months later...
  • 4 months later...
On 1/24/2024 at 7:37 PM, Per A said:

Yes it works, I did just that after I got my Kiis but when I configured the Akurate DSM to output analog instead of digital to the Kii’s analog input the sound was much better. The Linn was first generation and its ADC obviously not very good. 

Majik doesn’t have the balanced analog outputs the Akurate has. I had a Majik DSM with Akurate MM/MC card. But I upgraded phono to a Goldnote PH10 which also has balanced outputs and indeed sounds better. At least with my TT.

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