Kii Three - my impressions and pro reviews

[firedog]

The page has been updated to say that the final (not beta) version will be released in January.

[ragwo]

[Bernstein]

2 minutes ago, ragwo said:

No picture!?

[ragwo]

12 hours ago, Bernstein said:

No picture!?

I can see it, maybe it's still cached. Trying again:

[tomjtx]

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.

[Cazzesman]

I recently purchased a 2nd hand Minidsp DRC 22D with Dirac Live Version 1.0.   

 

Got some peace and quiet at home this morning to set up the 22D properly.  The wife out shopping so silence was premium.

 

Below is the initial in-room response using the 'Chair' setting and the 9 points of assessment.

 

No to bad overall.   All DSP on the Kii 3's set to 0.    The main Dip at 51htz and the fluctuations below 300 were sorted out in the Optimization.    I tried some other curve designs and loaded them but in the end the recommended Harmon Curve sounded best to my ears.   

 

In the DL settings you can set the 'Attenuation in order to provide headroom for the EQ boost of the DL'    You can choose 0, -3, -6 or -10.   I selected -6.   Default was -10 but I must admit I wouldn't mid some advice from the worldly as to what the difference between -6 and -10 will do to the SQ or overall volume.

 

Swapping DL in and out in real time was fun.    Overall I think the DL gives a smoother and more open sound.   Height and Soundstage is excellent.   This is just a more liquid and effortless presentation.  

 

Frank Sinatra - 'In the wee small hours' was just beautiful.    

 

I used the DSP in the Kii'3s to lift the .9 db dip at 51 htz.   Boundary setting in the Kii 3 remained at 7.

 

Regards Cazzesman

 

 

[Cazzesman]

Ran some more detailed sweeps today.

 

Decided to change my audio listening position and bought my sweet spot in .6 metre.     Tweeters are 1760 apart.   Now sitting 2200 away so fairly near-field.

 

Changed the Attenuation setting on the 22d from -6 to -10.   Gave some more headroom and abit more vol.     Once again, after Optimisation the only real dip was 2.1 db at 48 htz.     I used the dsp in the Kii 3's to boost 48 by the 2.1. 

 

Pretty happy with what the 22d and DL does to the sound.  Instruments are clear and nicely defined.    In Roger Waters - 3 Wishes the ladies voice was basically talking into my left ear.

 

I then ran a 2nd round of tests at the TV watching position (about 3.5 metres back) using the Couch setting.      Once again the Optimisation found the 48 htz dip but not much else.    Certainly the DL dsp really cleans up the vocals on the TV  and a few Netflix shows I tested.

 

Overall I think the 22d with DL ver 1.0 is a pretty impressive bit of kit.    

 

If you are thinking of buying a new receiver I would make sure it has Dirac Live installed.   DL seems to uniting with plenty of Amp builders so it is the future.

 

The success of the 22D has now perked my interest about maybe using the Minidsp SHD model to incorporate a subwoofer with the Kii 3's to further improve the headroom.   Do I need a Sub?    Probably/possibly not, but I would like to hear the thoughts from you Kii 3 owner's.   I wondered how a top quality sealed sub would take some bottom end pressure from the Kii's and still integrate nicely using the SHD internal crossover.

 

Anyone using a sub with the Kii 3's and if so how are you going about it?

 

Regards Cazzesman

[Cazzesman]

After abit of research and following on from my above posts......................

 

Calling all Minidsp users.

 

Anyone using a 22D or similar and combining it with a 2 x 4 HD to run a sub or 2.

 

I was thinking of connecting the 2 x4 via digital toslink to the 22D and using the crossover on the 2 x 4 to run a sub.  The idea is to take some pressure off the Kii 3's, to provide more headroom, at higher spl.  The Kii 3's are good down to 20htz but then it just drops off the cliff.  

 

I presume once the 2 x 4 hd is connected to the 22D the Dirac live sweeps run though the Kii 3's and sub (once time alignment, vol and phase are sorted) and the crossover is set accordingly.   Is it as simple as that?

 

I could look at buying the SHD DL version but that would cost me $2,000 Aust so I'm thinking the 2x4HD at about $250 Aust 2nd hand might do the trick.   Any thoughts?

 

Regards Cazzesman

[Cazzesman]

Any news on the January 2020 firmware updates?   Not many days left.

 

Regards Cazzesman

[firedog]

5 hours ago, Cazzesman said:

Any news on the January 2020 firmware updates?   Not many days left.

 

Regards Cazzesman

Don't know anything, but Kii don't have a great track record on this kind of stuff. My money is on it not being there before Feb 1. Sort of funny as they claim their beta testing was finalized, etc. I assumed the reason for the delay is that their offices shut down for about 2 weeks at Chrismas/New Years, but obviously that wasn't the reason....

[Rubysea]

Since just before Christmas and now there have been 3 further beta updates (23-DEC, 15-JAN, 23-JAN).

Latest version of the firmware sets the system to: KC v2.3, Speaker PIC v3.8, Speaker DSP  v4.8

So I guess they are still fine-tunig before eventually going public with general firmware availability.

Soon we'll know (or not)

 

[firedog]

37 minutes ago, Rubysea said:

Since just before Christmas and now there have been 3 further beta updates (23-DEC, 15-JAN, 23-JAN).

Latest version of the firmware sets the system to: KC v2.3, Speaker PIC v3.8, Speaker DSP  v4.8

So I guess they are still fine-tunig before eventually going public with general firmware availability.

Soon we'll know (or not)

 

Good to know. But  after promising it, maybe they should just release it. They can always do an update a week later. 

[tomjtx]

I think the updater app released on 1/23 is the final. The KII page no longer references a beta version. 

 

[Cazzesman]

The new firmware has just been released on the Kii website.

 

Happy updating.

 

Regards Cazzesman

[Rubysea]

Great news. So it will be interesting to hear if updating generally goes well or if numerous attempts will show problems. I hope not.

Good luck for everyone!

[atletico]

2 hours ago, Rubysea said:

Great news. So it will be interesting to hear if updating generally goes well or if numerous attempts will show problems. I hope not.

Good luck for everyone!

Updated  Kii Control and the Kii Threes to latest/final final version KC v2.3, Speaker PIC v3.8, Speaker DSP  v4.8. This took me only 6-7 minutes from my MacBook Pro. No issues at all ...Playing one of my favourite track now and the Kii Three's sounds so good  .... maybe better than ever..?

[firedog]

2 hours ago, Rubysea said:

Great news. So it will be interesting to hear if updating generally goes well or if numerous attempts will show problems. I hope not.

Good luck for everyone!

Second time I've updated. Both went seamlessly.

[Yellowspider]

I´ve updated from Kii Control V2.0 to 2.3 also yesterday. Now Auto On/Off (Auto Stand By) does not work with the analog xlr Inputs anymore. Did work well with V2.0. Is this the same with yours after updating?

[input username here]

Updated without any problems.  But the Bluetooth isn't working 100% for me.  When I tested it with my iPhone, it connected, played, metadata-ed everything just fine.  But when I try and connect with the BT from my Windows 10 PC, it seems to work okay, the Control is discoverable, connected and then selected as the output device, but no sound comes through.  I've tried a number of apps and none of them actually make any sound.  Which is weird as hell, because the level-meter in the "Sound" utility is bouncing up and down, but no sound. Another oddity, the Kii COntrol shows up as a BT headset and mic., not speakers--and not as a Kii "device," as I believe that they are supposed to.  But I have verified that the headphones found in the "Sound" utility are, indeed, the Kii's--when I turn the Kii BT off, the  Headphones show that they are disconnected.  

 

Given that my phone works flawlessly, I assume that the problem's with my computer... but I cannot think what that problem might be.  Any ideas?  I've attached an image of my desktop and the BT utilities, FYI.  Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[fpalm69]

Performed the update today and all went well.  Very straight forward and I think the SQ improved a bit?  The gain was increased because I had to lower the dB level down a few to get the same SPL.  Really like the PEQ feature, lots of tuning ahead.

Good job Kii Audio!

[firedog]

10 hours ago, Yellowspider said:

I´ve updated from Kii Control V2.0 to 2.3 also yesterday. Now Auto On/Off (Auto Stand By) does not work with the analog xlr Inputs anymore. Did work well with V2.0. Is this the same with yours after updating?

I  will try it late and get back to you.

[Rubysea]

@Yellowspider regarding auto turn-off: it could be possible that for the XLR the auto turn-off does not work because the Kii's still might receive a signal. In case you have connected an phono preamp to them there might still be a signal "leakage" in case the preamp is not switched off.

However, there actually might be a problem with the current FW version.  his morning I found my Kii's still powered on from last night (and I was using the toslink input), but the previous times I used them, they auto powerd off (toslink and spdif).

[Yellowspider]

1 hour ago, Rubysea said:

In case you have connected an phono preamp to them there might still be a signal "leakage" in case the preamp is not switched off.

No, that seems not to be the reason. I´ve disconnected the connection between Kii and phono pre. No change. Can´t switch it off manually.

 

I´ve changed the setup from Auto to Manual. With this setting, I can´t switch off the Kii manually on any channel.

[Rubysea]

hmm, that seems to be very strange, that you even can't switch them off manually. For me that at least works.

Have you tried to unplug the KC and reset the speakers or even completely unpluged/restart everything?

[firedog]

15 hours ago, Yellowspider said:

I´ve updated from Kii Control V2.0 to 2.3 also yesterday. Now Auto On/Off (Auto Stand By) does not work with the analog xlr Inputs anymore. Did work well with V2.0. Is this the same with yours after updating?

 

59 minutes ago, Rubysea said:

hmm, that seems to be very strange, that you even can't switch them off manually. For me that at least works.

Have you tried to unplug the KC and reset the speakers or even completely unpluged/restart everything?

 

I also found that when connected to AES analog, the auto off function doesn't work. It definitely did work before the update. 

I will report it to Kii, I suggest others do the same. I'm pretty sure EU rules require the system to have the auto stand by function, so they will have to take care of it.