Revisión de KEF Q150B Q150
Alguien dijo una vez que antes de lograr la innovación, primero se necesita previsión. Para producir excelentes oradores, debe creer que puede hacerlo mejor. Pero también necesitas creer que sabes cómo puedes hacerlo.
Los mejores altavoces están hechos por las mejores empresas. Sabemos que KEF es un fabricante con una gran reputación. Pero, ¿los altavoces KEF Q150B coinciden con esa reputación? ¿Son estos altavoces los que se consideran de "gama alta"? ¿O son simplemente otro conjunto de altavoces con un sonido ligeramente superior al promedio?
Estás a punto de descubrir…
Pero, antes de sumergirnos en nuestra revisión de KEF Q150B Q150, aprendamos un poco más sobre KEF.
¿Quién es KEF?
KEF fue una creación de un ingeniero británico, Raymond Cooke. Comenzó en un terreno que era propiedad de Robert Pearch cerca de Chatham en Kent. Juntos formaron la compañía en 1961, llamada así por Kent Engineering Foundry. De ahí el KEF.
Si bien Parch era un miembro importante del equipo, Cooke era el genio. Fueron sus ideas las que estaban detrás de los altavoces y otros sistemas que diseñaron.
Cooke había sido ingeniero de diseño en la BBC. Y se dio cuenta de que se podía lograr mucho más en la producción de sonido. Después de establecer la empresa, gran parte de su trabajo inicial de diseño fue para la BBC. Y la calidad era buena, muy buena, y su reputación, al igual que los productos, se expandió a otras áreas.
La formación de un líder...
En los años 70, establecieron su reputación como fabricantes de altavoces y monitores de gama alta. En 1979, Cooke recibió un OBE de la reina Isabel II y recibieron el Queen's Award to Industry.
La recesión en el Reino Unido en los años 90 les golpeó duramente, como a tantos otros en otras partes del mundo. Causó dificultades financieras y los lujos de alta gama fueron los primeros en sufrir. Finalmente se vendieron a la empresa GP Acoustics de Hong Kong.
Diseño innovador…
Ahora son reconocidos por estar a la vanguardia de la innovación para altavoces para todas las disciplinas y aplicaciones. Ellos mismos producen una gama completa y también proporcionan los mini altavoces para el iPod de Apple.
Algunos de los sistemas de altavoces ahora se fabrican en el extranjero en China. Los sistemas de gama alta todavía se producen en su sitio en Maidstone en Kent. La gama es amplia y la serie 'Q' se encuentra en el medio.
Entonces, ¿qué tan buenos son?
Resumen
Hay una expresión. "Las cosas buenas vienen en paquetes pequeños." Este conjunto de altavoces de estantería de KEF bien puede probar el punto. Estos altavoces superan con creces su peso. Y créenos, estos pesan bastante, como veremos.
La serie de altavoces Q150 es uno de los últimos ejemplos de la serie 'Q' de KEF. Ha habido algunas mejoras. Un gabinete con mucho estilo y un aspecto moderno y 'chic' nos brinda las mejoras visuales. Pero KEF no lo ha dejado ahí. La matriz de controladores Uni-Q se ha vuelto aún más impresionante, como veremos más adelante.
Una pequeña potencia...
Como veremos, esta nueva matriz de controladores es compatible con un nuevo diseño de puerto de bajos. Esto crea una alta resolución y un sonido enorme. Este gran sonido se nota especialmente en habitaciones más pequeñas o donde el espacio es bastante limitado.
La serie 'Q' se ha renovado un poco, y el Q150B es el más pequeño y, además, podríamos agregar el más rentable de la gama.
¿Siempre ha querido tener un par de excelentes altavoces de estantería pero siempre los ha encontrado demasiado caros para su presupuesto? Piensa otra vez. Es posible que hayan llegado.
Entonces, echemos un vistazo más de cerca...
La construcción
Todo sobre el diseño y la construcción es discreto. A conscious design to let the sound do the talking rather than flashy graphics or colors. Even the KEF logo on the front is the same black as the rest of the cabinet. You have to look twice to see it.
We mentioned earlier about them punching above their weight. Indeed, they are quite heavy, weighing more than twelve pounds each. They measure 12 by 7 by 11 inches making them almost as deep as they are high.
The feel when you pick them up is of a speaker that is well-made and very robust. The ample vinyl covering on the exterior adds to the design pluses. These speakers are manufactured in China.
Design with a difference…
KEF normally create a talking point with their designs, and here’s the first, these speakers do not come with speaker grilles.
We are not sure you actually need them as the totally black finish creates a great look. But for those who prefer them, they are available at a small extra cost.
They have a two-way bass-reflex diseño. And a few interesting design features are going to make a big difference to the performance.
Better sound quality…
First, the rear of the tweeter dampens down any overspill or leakage. This is to avoid any sound spillage and give greater accuracy.
Second, the bass port has been moved to the rear of the cabinet. And it has been mounted centrally in the cabinet, which is also an interesting, although not wholly original, idea. The design of the internal structure has also helped to reduce unwanted resonance from the inside of the cabinet.
The removal of any leakage of sound from the tweeter and these internal design changes ensures sonic clarity. Below the bass port are gold-plated binding posts.
Quality throughout the construction…
All good with the design then. Quality construction with good materials and a stunning look. But more important to most will be the sound and how they perform. ¿Cómo harán? Read on…
El sonido
They certainly have enough power at 200 watts to make sure that the neighbors stay awake. But it is the quality of that sound that is the really important thing. So let’s take a look at the Uni-Q driver array.
This is a KEF innovation. They have designed it so that there is a one-inch, vented tweeter. Nothing surprising there. But this tweeter is at the center of the aluminum 5.25-inch mid-range driver.
So, what are the benefits?
First, it will smooth out any perceived rough edges to the higher frequencies. Working with the dampening effect on the tweeter design, it brings a cleaner top-end performance. The crossover between the tweeter and the driver is redesigned to operate at 2.5kHz.
This arrangement moves us closer to the optimum single point-source design for speaker arrays. This design gives a very detailed and accurate image to the sound. The sound is then dispersed on a much more even basis in the listening area.
The low frequencies, assisted by removing any tweeter overspill from inside the cabinet, are clear and accurate. Part of KEFs design architecture includes what they call CFD or Computational Fluid Dynamics .
What does that mean?
CFD is the study of airflow through and around objects. The application of these principles ensures that the flow of air through the cabinet delivers a better sound, rather than hindering it.
KEFs so-called ‘Tangerine ’ waveguide further enhances the centrally positioned driver and tweeter and rear-facing port. All adding to the wider dispersion of sound.
This is very noticeable with the bass frequencies. Considering their relatively small size, they certainly knock out an impressive and tight bass sound.
Balanced, bright, and clear…
The frequency range is 51Hz – 28kHz, giving a bright top end and a prominent mid-range with that extra warm bass. An altogether sonically attractive mix of the frequencies and with great detail in the sound.
Even across a range of different genres, the varying sonic colors of the music are drawn out. This is high-level audiophile performance where you can hear every detail.
Nit-picking?
Some critics have pointed to their perceived lack of presence in the higher mid-range frequencies. This might be true, and they produce graphs and mathematical models to back up their observations.
If you really train your ears, you can hear their point to an extent. And maybe the presence is slightly lacking. But for those who are going to buy these speakers, we doubt there will be too many performing such analysis.
The final question is, do they sound good? And the answer to that is they sound superb.
What do we think?
These are an exceptional pair of Bookshelf speakers. They have a strong design and a very visual attraction. They tick all the boxes as far as we are concerned with regards to the build and design.
The internal architecture of the cabinet is innovative and forward-looking. Important elements in the design of anything. This is a good example of a company thinking, ‘we can do it better.’
KEF Q150B Q150 Review Pros and Cons
Ventajas
- Higher frequencies are clear and sharp without ever becoming overwhelming.
- Bass is rich and warm and very present, again without swallowing the other frequencies.
- Mids are clear and not over-projected.
- The rear bass port and its design add the luxury of great depth to the sound.
- Impressive dispersion of sound courtesy of the centrally placed tweeter and driver.
- A wide soundstage with great width and dimension.
Contras
- Some might prefer a higher level of presence in the upper mids.
- Does not include speaker screens.
Looking for more excellent speaker choices?
If so, then check out our in-depth reviews of the Best Sonos Speaker, the Best Computer Speakers Under $100, the Best Wireless TV Speakers, the Best Solar Powered Bluetooth Speakers, and the Best Tailgate Speakers currently on the market.
Or how about our comprehensive reviews of the Best Budget Studio Monitors Under $200, the Best Powered Speakers, the Best Bookshelf Speakers Under $500, the Loudest Portable Bluetooth Speakers, and the Best Floor Standing Speakers you can buy in 2022.
KEF Q150B Q150 Review Final Thoughts
It appears that good things can come in small packages. Do you remember that pair of speakers that produced stunning sounds that were always out of reach?
Ya no. At this price point, these speakers have broken through the price barrier.
So, let us introduce you to the KEF Q150B. The time is for high-quality audio at an affordable price is now.
¡Feliz escucha!