Kii Three - my impressions and pro reviews

[bobfa]

2 hours ago, Gastronaut said:

I am thinking to purchase this one: http://www.homehifi.co.uk/S/tc-7240.htm 

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.  

[fpalm69]

You can run the NUC straight into the Kii Three Control but a good streamer will sound better.

Love my Kiis and yes you can tweak them with power cables, Ethernet cables, various front end configurations, different power supply options and they will all sound different since the Kii Three is so revealing of the source.

[bobfa]

5 hours ago, fpalm69 said:

You can run the NUC straight into the Kii Three Control but a good streamer will sound better.

Love my Kiis and yes you can tweak them with power cables, Ethernet cables, various front end configurations, different power supply options and they will all sound different since the Kii Three is so revealing of the source.

I have a streaming system that i will move over to the Threes if this happens.  What I do not have is a way to play LPs.

 

 

[baconbrain]

Not sure how this topic will resonate, but I thought it might be interesting to gather some feedback from the Kii Owner Community as to songs one likes to play when showcasing (or showing off) their systems. If enough interest is given, we could put together a public playlist in Tidal/Qobuz? Realize that our tastes will certainly vary but perhaps it is worth giving a try. Here my first few recommendations with no order of preference (format Title - Artist - Album - Comments):

 

1. Paradis Perdus - Christine and the Queens - Christine and the Queens - Female vocals 

2. Tin Pan Alley - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble -  Can't Stand the Weather

3. Electrified - Boris Blank - Electrified - Electronic

4. When the Funk Drops - Far East Movement, Deorro, Uberjak'd - Single - Party Music

 

[tomjtx]

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

 

🙂

[fpalm69]

Has anyone successfully integrated a subwoofer(s) with the Kii Threes?   

[firedog]

2 hours ago, baconbrain said:

Not sure how this topic will resonate, but I thought it might be interesting to gather some feedback from the Kii Owner Community as to songs one likes to play when showcasing (or showing off) their systems. If enough interest is given, we could put together a public playlist in Tidal/Qobuz? Realize that our tastes will certainly vary but perhaps it is worth giving a try. Here my first few recommendations with no order of preference (format Title - Artist - Album - Comments):

 

1. Paradis Perdus - Christine and the Queens - Christine and the Queens - Female vocals 

2. Tin Pan Alley - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble -  Can't Stand the Weather

3. Electrified - Boris Blank - Electrified - Electronic

4. When the Funk Drops - Far East Movement, Deorro, Uberjak'd - Single - Party Music

 

Two totally different answers:

Beyoncé, “Partition” Single-very deep big bass.

Mahler 6th Symphony, Bernstein with Vienna Philharmonic. Especially final movement crescendos, incredible dynamics

[tomjtx]

1 minute ago, fpalm69 said:

Has anyone successfully integrated a subwoofer(s) with the Kii Threes?   

 

Likely no need for that. But Kii does have their own BXT bass modules.

 

I don't know anyone using a sub.

[2marco]

Great advise, baconbrain

My  recommendations ... song, album, author, source

- crucificado, a jazz hour with Archie Shepp , qobuz

- not your bottle, Dandys rule ok, The Dandy Warhols , qobuz

- I’m finding it harder to be a gentleman, White Blood Cells, The White Stripes, qobuz

- How now my love, A midsummer night’s dream, Britten ( Alfred Deller conductor), qobuz

- I’ll remember April, Mingus at Antibes ( remast. Edition), qobuz

 

[TheStupidOne]

59 minutes ago, fpalm69 said:

Has anyone successfully integrated a subwoofer(s) with the Kii Threes?   

Yes, I use two 15" subwoofers with the Kiis. Even cheap and ported big subwoofers like the ones I use will provide a significant upgrade in punch and foundation, if properly integrated.

 

For this purpose I use Minidsp 4x10hd which has the capability to go digital in and digital out to the Kiis while going analog out for up to 8 subwoofers.

This device can also be used as a pre-amplifier so that you don't have to worry about having to adjust the volume of the speakers and subs separately.

 

Minidsp 4x10hd is cheap, effective, simple to use and is fairly ok to use as a pre-amp. It isn't perfect because there's limited amounts of resolution to its dsp-capability and isn't perfectly transparent, but in most cases a minidsp 4x10hd and a couple of subwoofers (plus a few days of time to fiddle) will substantially increase the performance of your system. Even if your system is the Kii Three.

 

Questions? Shoot!

[fpalm69]

Thanks for the quick response.

What about the 90ms delay that the Kii Three has in exact mode?  Can the Minidsp compensate for that delay?

[baconbrain]

5 minutes ago, fpalm69 said:

Thanks for the quick response.

What about the 90ms delay that the Kii Three has in exact mode?  Can the Minidsp compensate for that delay?

 

Hi fpalm69,

 

So your attempt with the 205 didn‘t work?

[fpalm69]

No, the OPPO 205 does not have enough delay (distant setting) to compensate for 90ms.

[TheStupidOne]

Not possible to adjust for the 90 ms delay, max delay in 4x10hd is 15 ms. Absolute phase coherency isn't possible when you have separated sound sources in a room anyways, so it's not really a concern in other areas than around the crossover region to the subs.

 

Do you hear any difference in SQ when you go from minimum latency to exact mode? 

[Kal Rubinson]

7 hours ago, fpalm69 said:

Thanks for the quick response.

What about the 90ms delay that the Kii Three has in exact mode?  Can the Minidsp compensate for that delay?

JRiver can do that.

[fpalm69]

Greetings Kal,

 

I have not looked at JRiver is awhile since using Roon with Tidal and Quboz integrated.  I kinda left JRiver collecting dust.  Guess I'm due for for an update and re-acquaintance.

 

Thanks for the tip.....Frank

[Kal Rubinson]

4 minutes ago, fpalm69 said:

Greetings Kal,

I have not looked at JRiver is awhile since using Roon with Tidal and Quboz integrated.  I kinda left JRiver collecting dust.  Guess I'm due for for an update and re-acquaintance.

When I had the Kii speakers, checked JRiver and they had a maximum distance delay of 33feet but when I changed the readout to metric, it said 33meters.  So, I asked about it although, of course, I could use the metric setting.  JRiver responded that it there was no real limitation and all it took was for them to change the range to 100 for both of them.  So, you can get 100feet or, if you want to go metric, 100meters.  😊 

[fpalm69]

Kal,

 

OK,  that will get me in the ballpark of 90ms delay.  I will revisit my JRiver and see what I can manage with subwoofer delays to match the Kii Three.

 

Thanks again for the suggestion.....Frank

[STC]

7 hours ago, fpalm69 said:

No, the OPPO 205 does not have enough delay (distant setting) to compensate for 90ms.

 

I couldnt find your earlier reference to 90ms and distance. That is a very long delay. Is any of your speakers is about 90 feet further than the rest?

[fpalm69]

The Kii Three has DSP that results in a 90ms delay.  It can be turned off but it will not be phase and time aligned.

[STC]

Oh I see. Either Jriver or DAW such as Reaper is what you need. You can even compensate for the inherent delay between the channels in their SPDIF output. 

[baconbrain]

18 hours ago, firedog said:

Two totally different answers:

Beyoncé, “Partition” Single-very deep big bass.

Mahler 6th Symphony, Bernstein with Vienna Philharmonic. Especially final movement crescendos, incredible dynamics

 

17 hours ago, 2marco said:

Great advise, baconbrain

My  recommendations ... song, album, author, source

- crucificado, a jazz hour with Archie Shepp , qobuz

- not your bottle, Dandys rule ok, The Dandy Warhols , qobuz

- I’m finding it harder to be a gentleman, White Blood Cells, The White Stripes, qobuz

- How now my love, A midsummer night’s dream, Britten ( Alfred Deller conductor), qobuz

- I’ll remember April, Mingus at Antibes ( remast. Edition), qobuz

 

Guys,

 

Thanks for contributing. Really good stuff and very diverse. Reflects well on the Kii's capabilities with various genres. I am putting together a playlist in Tidal but struggling a bit when searching for the classical stuff. Could you check and let me know if you can find your classical selections in Tidal? Will publish the playlist once I have them all in. Don't currently have a Qobuz account, so I am limited in that regard for the moment.

 

Please feel free if anyone else in the community would like to contribute. The more the better, regardless of preference.

[firedog]

2 hours ago, baconbrain said:

 

Guys,

 

Thanks for contributing. Really good stuff and very diverse. Reflects well on the Kii's capabilities with various genres. I am putting together a playlist in Tidal but struggling a bit when searching for the classical stuff. Could you check and let me know if you can find your classical selections in Tidal? Will publish the playlist once I have them all in. Don't currently have a Qobuz account, so I am limited in that regard for the moment.

 

Please feel free if anyone else in the community would like to contribute. The more the better, regardless of preference.

https://listen.tidal.com/album/4321025

 

[baconbrain]

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?

[The Computer Audiophile]

20 minutes 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?

What’s in your friend’s system?