Kii Three - my impressions and pro reviews

[firedog]

40 minutes ago, TheStupidOne said:

In my own home (without BXT) I've found that the science is pretty much spot-on with their recommended flat downward tilted line of -10 dB from 20-20 000hz, measures in steady-state.

I could not get this kind of response with Kii Control settings alone, so I use a Minidsp 4x10hd to help with that.

How difficult was this to setup?

I'm thinking of doing something similar with software such as Audiolense installed in my server.

[firedog]

5 hours ago, fas42 said:

 

Ummm, it's not good ... if they don't believe that cables improve, or alter, the sound for their gear, but customers are finding otherwise ... what motivation have they to improve the robustness of the engineering, so that in fact it is indeed the case that tweaking is unnecessary ... .

Or they've done proper testing and have seen that it doesn't help, whereas customers are probably doing sighted testing - which is fine for them, but means nothing as a general rule about the speakers and their performance. Kii shouldn't make engineering decisions based on anectdotal and non repeateable customer reports. And individual user is free to do whatever he/she thinks is best. 

[firedog]

I'd prefer this thread doesn't get turned into a cable argument thread. If someone wants to post their personal impressions of cable switching/sound (when using the Kiis), that's fine. But not the back and forth about what cables can and can't do.  It's not a thread about cables. That belongs somewhere else. 
It hasn't happened yet, but if I think the thread goes really off track I'll turn to Chris  as the OP and request removal of posts. 

[firedog]

7 hours ago, Emlin said:

 

Are you suggesting that people who make extraordinary claims without extraordinary proof should go unchallenged? I know it's not a cables thread, so why let them make it such, with those with scientific doubt silenced?

Saying, " I switched cables and I heard X" isn't an "extraordinary claim" as you are simply writing about what you perceived. Nothing more.  What I perceive can't be challenged. It doesn't matter, even it is totally the result of expectation bias. You still perceived it. It's no different than if I write about what I hear differently when listening to the Kiis as opposed to my previous system. 
 

So I have no problem with that.

 

I do have a problem with making a more broad statement about what cables can or can't do (in addition to a specific personal experience), especially in this thread, which isn't a cables thread or one for debating the merits of cables. 
 

Get the difference? Not every mention of personal perception has to get turned into a debate about extraordinary claims, science, etc. If someone makes a broader claim about cables here I'll also ask them to stop. We have enough threads on this site that have gotten hijacked into being cable debate threads or something similar. If you want' to debate that , go somewhere other than this thread. 

[firedog]

On 5/14/2019 at 4:35 PM, baconbrain said:

I have added a few highlights from the Munich High End Show (Tracks 18 - 28) to the Kii Three Community Tidal Playlist which you can access here:

 

 

https://tidal.com/playlist/768432eb-b8ba-4a1d-b90a-a4c9a9ba8d85

 

Enjoy

Try adding this one: Bruno Coulais, "Himalaya" soundtrack. Cut #2, "Norbu".

[firedog]

I plan to setup measurements and software DRC (to defeat a room node and to install target curves that match my personal preferences) in the fall on my Kii setup.

It will be interesting to see if I measure the same type of distortion. I certainly don’t hear it at the volumes I use, which are around 75-80db at the listening point. 
Is this distortion still there if the signal is altered in software before it is sent to the Kiis, or just when using the frequency adjustments built into the Kiis?

[firedog]

30 minutes ago, Blade1001 said:

 

Thanks, I have read that before, a nice summary.

 

I have tested the Kii's at home, and was massively impressed, and my thoughts much align with your descriptions. They bettered my resident Salon 2's in a number of area and matched them in several others.

 

What did you do to achieve the more "relaxed" sound which you mentioned as a preference in that post?

I can't answer for Bernstein, but on albums I think need to be "relaxed" (mostly non acoustic music), I boost the frequencies between 100-400 hz a bit, and reduce the high end a bit. 
I'm hoping in the fall to setup with Audiolense on my server and feed the Kiis with a target curve resembling the Harman down slope. I'm thinking that will probably solve the issue.  

[firedog]

1 hour ago, Blade1001 said:

They have told me that they have something else in the works for the Kii's so I would wager it'll be a more advanced future controller perhaps.

They've been hinting for about 2 years that a bigger better version of the control is in the works....but it is no more than a rumor. Nothing even resembling hard info has ever been seen.

[firedog]

19 minutes ago, Bernstein said:

Thanks a lot! 
And also thanks for your cool tracks you use for testing. If you have a list of them, it would be nice to share them. We have a joint KII Playlist curated by @firedog on Tidal, so we can add some songs to the collection

Not curated by me. I can’t take credit.

[firedog]

49 minutes ago, TheStupidOne said:

I'm sitting here fiddling with my new subs to see if I can reduce the distortion in the bass/lower mid in my room. Seems like it works. It's now at or below the noise level in my room. I apologize for the mess in the picture, it will look better soon enough😁

 

 

 

 

How does it sound? Explosive is a good word.

What are the subs? How are they connected/integrated physically with the Kiis?

[firedog]

47 minutes ago, TheStupidOne said:

The subs are DIY with 2x 10" Scan-Speak 26W/4558T00 driven by one Hypex Psc 2.400d for each sub.

Minidsp 4x10hd is in charge of integration/EQ and volume control.

 

I bought these unseen and they were a little bit bigger than I expected, so it looked stupid with Kii on top like I planned.. 

So with the Mini DSP, how are you doing the physical connections to the Kiis and the Subs?

[firedog]

8 minutes ago, fpalm69 said:

So, you are running the Kii full range and independent of the subs?

 

I'm pretty sure he's using the DRC of the miniDSP to do room correction, which includes acting as a digital crossover to each of the 4 outputs. That would be the reason to have such a unit, AFAIK.

 

Anyway, if was me I'd put the crossover to the subs at about 80hz, which is where the cardoid dispersion of the Kiis breaks down. The DRC can probably help you out below 80hz . I can't imagine it would do much above 80hz with the Kiis in the setup. 

[firedog]

1 hour ago, TheStupidOne said:

My girlfriend doesn't like the ugliness of the subs though, so I don't know if I will/can keep them. 

Sell them and get some nicer looking ones. There are lots of perfectly nice looking ones that are also good subs.

[firedog]

1 minute ago, TheStupidOne said:

But the BXT is too expensive😜

Yep.

[firedog]

1 minute ago, TheStupidOne said:

But the BXT is too expensive😜

Yep.

[firedog]

Just wanted to say that for various reasons, I'm now listening to the Kiis directly over USB from my server to the Kii contol - and they sound great. Always realized that the USB implementation on the Kiis was really good, but I'm really not missing my expensive streamer in the setup. 
I plan on going back to a streamer for software/convenience/multiroom reasons not directly connected to SQ, but am pretty sure it won't be an uber priced audiophile one. I'm just not hearing something that makes me think it's worth the bucks. 

[firedog]

8 minutes ago, Blade1001 said:

 

Which streamer did you have?

Bricasti M5, which was fine. No complaints other than the fact that they apparently have zero plans to improve, add features, etc. to the software. 

[firedog]

3 hours ago, Blade1001 said:

A quick question for Kii Three owners. I will have two options when setting up my Kii's:

 

1. Run an AES cable carrying a stereo signal from the pre-amp (Amethyst) to one of the Kii Three's as master, and then run the Kii Connect Cat 6 cable from that to the second Kii Three.

 

2. Run an AES to each speaker, each carrying a single channel signal from the pre-amp.

 

Any thoughts on which might be the better option?

 

 

 I can only tell you I've done both and both work. Although the single AES for me was digital.
I have the possibililty of analog in my setup with 2 analog AES cables from a preamp. It works fine. 
Have you asked Kii or your dealer? They might know something the rest of us don't.. 

[firedog]

6 hours ago, Blade1001 said:

Sorry, another inane usage questions from me:

 

I assume some parts of the external aluminium panelling effectively acts as a heat sink for some of the internal electronics. With this in mind, does the aluminium base of the speakers get warm during use?

 

For those folks using the stock stands, how do the speakers mate with the stands, are there some feet or foam separating the metal top of the stand from the metal base of the speaker?

It doesn't seem to be an issue. The speakers do get warm - you can feel it on top - but they don't get actually hot. There aren't feet, but as above, you can add them in if you want.The speaker is designed to fit the top plate of the stands, which slides into the ridge around the bottom of the speaker formed by the speaker walls and the bottom plate. 

 

The speaker is heavy and so are the stands. If you fill the stands with sand or some other material, the whole thing is VERY heavy and quite inert. 

[firedog]

10 hours ago, George Hincapie said:

 

I had them on home demo. Didn't like them and they went back, so they aren't the be all and end all.

Very useful comment. I don't think anyone thinks any component is the be all and end all.
Especially speakers, which certainly appeal to tastes - lots of speakers that magazines and many users love, but that I don't like.
So what? Doesn't mean they don't sound fantastic to lots of other people.

[firedog]

I have GIK aborbers directly behind my head in just such a close to the wall setup. They eliminated the echo from the back wall, at least to the level that it isn't noticeable. 

[firedog]

3 hours ago, Bernstein said:

but I already heavily invested in the shown canvas from maple wood and fine print

GIK and some of the other vendors will print your artwork on the acoustic panels. Basically you send them a high quality photo, and they print it on the panel. 

[firedog]

2 hours ago, Blade1001 said:

At the end of the day if the part of the bracket that mates with the speaker is the same as the above images, it shouldn't be overly difficult to drill additional holes to suit any of the bolt layouts.

I wouldn't do that without consulting Kii first. 

[firedog]

7 hours ago, Bernstein said:

Hi guys,

 

I have the KIIs at home since a week and hear sometimes a ping or click noise (once) during warmup or cooldown of the KIIs. I mean I also sometimes experienced this with amps and other devices and I think due to the construction of the KIIs (plastic combined with metal parts with different thermal expansion rate + Metal Parts which also act as heatsinks and get hot) this should be normal and shouldn’t worry me. It happens on both so...

But it does worry me (I am a emotional 😭 guy and sometimes irrational) and sometimes to hear from someone else that this is normal can help to have peace of mind  

If it's only during warmup or cooldown I wouldn't worry about it; if it starts happening when music is playing - that's something else and I'd contact Kii or my dealer. 

[firedog]

26 minutes ago, ragwo said:

Haven't heard about the issue before, but if it's an actual fault I have to talk to my dealer. The speakers have just been serviced, and I'm not looking forward to the possibility of another 4 months without them. 

Again, if it's only during boot up or cool down I don't think it is unusual or meaningful. If it isn't happening for you, why worry about a situation that doesn't exist?

And if your speakers have just been serviced and need to be again, then your dealer should get you some kind of loaner.