KEF Q150 Review

[@generationbehindhifi]

Get the KEF Q150 or Q350 using the below links: KEF Q150: amzn.to/3CV8PTN KEF Q350 (My favorite speakers in this price point when on sale for $500): amzn.to/3ieNlYH My videos about KEF speakers can be found here: bit.ly/35igvDb My JBL Studio 530 Review: bit.ly/3K3ApAS

[@michael-4k4000]

I got the Q150.

[@generationbehindhifi]

@@michael-4k4000 Nice! Enjoy!

[@brydon10]

Thanks for showing us inside the speaker.

[@generationbehindhifi]

No problem! I have a more in depth video of the inside of these speakers coming out soon.

[@EA-58]

Those have nice full bass for a speaker this size. I'll even trade in my Q-350's for these because of the soundstage and imaging in a small appartment And i use them in a 2.0 setup.

[@generationbehindhifi]

The JBL Studio 530 has the same size driver and completely destroys the Q150 in the bass department. No doubt the Q150 is a nice speaker and images well, but I would never use it as main speakers. The Q150 is more suited for surrounds IMO. What color are your Q350? I might know someone who would trade you if you're serious!

[@AdamsOlympia]

I'll trade you :) lol.. I miss my 350s. My new q150 sound amazing but I got a little more out of q350s. Regret sending them back to Crutchfield.

[@gunthermangelschots30]

I think, though I understand what you're trying to get at when you are criticizing them for their lack of base, you have to look at the bigger picture here and take the whole Q series into consideration. By doing that it becomes way more obvious that the Q150's main function is not to be the main 2.0 speakers rather than taking on the role of the speaker that would be perfect to extend the Q350's or floor standing speakers in the surround department. Given their size they undeniably will catch the attention of those looking for a small footprint speaker for their computer desks or TV's but that is not what they are aiming at nor being positioned to be that by KEF. They are here to complement the full Q series mainly as a surround or atmos speaker solution in case you need small surrounds or if the Q50a does not appeal to you. And for that and only that purpose they are a massively good choice because of their detailed and open sound.

[@generationbehindhifi]

Hi Gunther! It sounds like you didn't watch the entire video because I agree with everything you said and even mention the same things you did above. I think the Q150s are a great choice for surround sound duty, but because of their lack of bass I would never try to run them as mains. Like I said in the video, when I tried running them as mains I had to crossover the subwoofer too high and it didn't sound natural at all. If you want to use a budget oriented bookshelf speaker from KEF as mains, then get the Q350s! Those speakers are leaps and bounds better on everything and can be found on sale quite regularly for $500. In fact, I would probably go as far as to say that the Q350 is probably one of the best sounding bookshelf speakers that you can buy for $500 (when on sale). I should know because I returned the Q150s and purchased the Q350s as I showed at the end of this video! The Q350s are fantastic speakers for the money and in some cases (small rooms) a sub isn't needed because the bass is adequate enough. Thanks for the comment!

[@gunthermangelschots30]

@GenerationBehindHIFI I did watch the whole video. Just felt that the criticism, though in a normal speaker review fully normal and necessary, isn't at its place here mainly because the Q150 never really positions itself as nor claims to be a main speaker. I felt there was quite the emphasis on that shortcoming even though you did mention later on it would be more suitable as a surround speaker. 😉

[@generationbehindhifi]

@@gunthermangelschots30 Thanks! I'm new to this whole youtube thing and next time I will try and convey my message a bit better. I guess I was just a bit surprised by the lack of bass in the Q150s because I had the JBL 530 in for review the week before. The JBL's had far superior bass than the Klipsch even though both speakers share the same size bass driver. Hopefully KEF makes some tweaks to the Q150 on the next version so it can compete.

[@Birmingham_racing]

I used to have the q950 loved them

[@generationbehindhifi]

The Q950 are great speakers for the money.

[@mob7586.]

You got a sealed sub with ported speakers in that video yet the 350s sounded ok this finding the right blend has drove me crazy over the years

[@generationbehindhifi]

Please don't take this the wrong way. I think some people can be a bit too audiophile at times and try and do what some magazine or influencer says is right. All of this is subjective and tastes vary from person to person. There is nothing wrong with having ported speakers with a sealed subwoofer. This all boils down to your particular tastes. Trust your ears and do what you think sounds best to you. Personally, I prefer sealed subwoofers over ported subwoofers for music, but that's just me. Remember, have fun with this hobby because there are no wrong answers. If you like sealed speakers with a ported subwoofer than so be it. :)

[@EA-58]

Bass is perfect in this price range, own them for 4 years now

[@generationbehindhifi]

As long as your happy with them that's all that matters. Just don't listen to the JBL Studio 530! ;)

[@heavyweather4893]

The Q150 are refined speakers for the price with a very balanced sound, of course if you like intrusive and overly powerful bass they are not good.@@generationbehindhifi

[@AdamsOlympia]

Could you possibly give me some tips on getting the Q150s to properly blend with SVS subs? I just got the Micro 3000 and while it sounds amazing, I haven't yet been able to get the bass to sound like it's coming from the L/R speakers like I did when I briefly had q350s / SVS SB-1000 and a Cambridge CXA81 amp. I've tried a lot of low pass and phase settings but none quite do it yet...but I don't yet have a crossover for my speakers. (edit: Just plugged the Q150 ports, which somehow made them blend with sub a lot better)

[@generationbehindhifi]

I talk about this exact problem you are having at the 7:25 mark. I don't think any amount of settings adjustments will help once you start crossing over the subwoofer above 80Hz. At least for me I couldn't find a solution. The bass is pretty weak on the Q150 so I had to cross mine over at 100Hz and because of this it sounded too unnatural and boomy. I ended up returning the Q150s and buying the Q350s and it blends much better with my subwoofer now.

[@AdamsOlympia]

@@generationbehindhifi Thanks! My mistake for now watching all the way through. I'm still within the 30 day return window on Amazon so I may end up doing the same. I'm quite tempted to try the original Klipch m600s since they're roughly the same price as q150s .. They'd probably blend much better but I'm not sure if I'd like em as much due to the brightness.

[@generationbehindhifi]

@@AdamsOlympia I just picked up a pair of JBL Studio 630 for $349.99 (50% off sale) from Crutchfield and they are about 95% of a Q350 in terms of sound quality. Phenomenal value for money! The fit finish on the cabinet is quite a bit better on the JBLs vs my KEF Q350s. The Klipsch M600 is also a great buy when found on sale. KEF always has the Q series on sale so if you really have your heart set on them I would wait until another $500 sale to pop up. I will have my look inside and review video out next month on the Studio 630. At $349.99 a pair right now, you won't find a better speaker IMO for the money.

[@BoRerunn]

The reason I bought R11s was because of the imaging that I heard from Q150

[@generationbehindhifi]

The R11s are very nice! Congrats!

[@tpop3723]

So these for rears paired to q950’s for surround or the q350’s?

[@generationbehindhifi]

Q150s are more than enough for surround sound duty. I talk about this in my review video on the Q150.

[@21mejia25]

thinking about getting a KEF system. I found a pair of used KEF Q750s for $750, is that a good deal?

[@generationbehindhifi]

Yeah. I would say that's an excellent deal.

[@bernacasa8677]

best alltime afrodable speakers

[@generationbehindhifi]

IMO that crown goes to the JBL Studio 530. I think the best all time affordable bookshelf speaker that can be used as a mains is the KEF Q350. :)

[@randomtube8226]

I like the concept of kef speakers. But their box design and driver sound signature is just not for me.

[@tomwechsler22]

I assume Damping material, not dampening material. Wet speakers would not sound good.

[@EA-58]

JBL / Klipsch they are great speakers, but here in Europe The Netherlands we call then Boom boom speakers. Lots of bass, very high trebble...no midrange. We buy them as car speakers. We like warm sounds, English speakers like Kef, or Scandinavian like Dynaudio and Dali.

[@generationbehindhifi]

That's a subjective argument. IMO the JBL Studio 530 sound better than the KEF Q150 for the reasons I outlined in this video. Sorry if my review offended you, but not everyone has the same tastes and this is coming from a guy with Bowers & Wilkins 802 Diamonds in his main listening room. PS: It sounds like you haven't heard the JBL Studio 530 if that is your description of them. A lot has changed.

[@EA-58]

@@generationbehindhifi I'm not offended at all 😊

[@generationbehindhifi]

@@EA-58 Cool! Variety is the spice of life. Happy listening!

[@silkhead44]

base is non existant?....put them closer to the wall

[@generationbehindhifi]

You can put them right next to the wall and it won't solve the problem. The Q350 is how I solved the bass problem. Not only is the Q350 only a few hundred more (on sale), but you get 2x more speaker for the money. The Q150 is perfect for surround sound duty, but I would never run them as mains. FYI: The JBL Studio 530 had a lot more bass than the Q150.

[@ricsim78]

@@generationbehindhifi You are wrong, these Kef Q150 have more and cleaner bass than my Polk S55 Signature towers! I do not know if you are paid by the other manufacturers, or just spoiled by having more expensive equipment? NHT SuperOne 2.1 are the only I have heard that compete with them. Q Acoustics 3020i and 3030i, Polk S55 towers and S15 bookshelf plus T50 and T15, Boston Acoustics CS 260 II towers, and the Klipsch RP-600m II are all blown away by them and heard those all in my room, I own all but the Klipsch. So far, these are less than $400 champs!

[@generationbehindhifi]

@@ricsim78 Wrong? This is a subjective hobby! What may sound good to you may sound like crap to someone else. Just because I have a difference of opinion doesn't make me "wrong". I stand by my review. I think the Q150 is a phenomenal surround sound speaker, but I would never use it as mains in my system. For a few hundred more, the Q350 is light years better in everyway! Next time lighten up, this hobby has many different opinions on speakers. If the Q150 sounds great to you, then that's all that matters! Happy listening!

[@ricsim78]

@@generationbehindhifi Nothing I said was "heavy", you are claiming these are bass shy and that is total BS! I own them, I know. I have powered them with expensive and cheap equipment, for my small room they are almost too much bass. They had to have less subwoofer mixed in than my S55 towers, that should tell you a lot because the Signatures are not bass shy. If anything, I wish they had a little more treble to be honest, but at least they are not treble-hot like a lot of others. I use them as mains in my system, they sound awesome. Be all, end all? Hardly, but you are making them sound like inferior speakers and for that, yes I am calling you out on that BS, subjective or not. You may prefer other speakers, that is fine, but you are making claims on them which are not based in reality. If you have a very large room, you would want multiple subs and towers anyhow, so in that usage maybe their bass is lacking. I have heard these in some fairly large rooms and they still filled out the lows. Would you prefer people to agree with you falsely? I won't do that, most will not and no one should.

[@generationbehindhifi]

@@ricsim78 IMO the Q150 do lack bass. The JBL Studio 530 had more bass then them by a significant margin! Anyways I'm not going to argue with you. Like I said, lighten up and enjoy your speakers.

[@carlodarrigo4331]

PERBACCO! Come parla bene questa cassa. Anzi, perbacchino.

[@racktech]

Lol he held back alot when doing the knock test on B & Ws

[@generationbehindhifi]

I did? If you say so...

[@racktech]

@@generationbehindhifi Great review of the Q150s by the way. I own a pair of them and do enjoy their performance towards a wide imaging BUDGET speaker. Specially for home theatre use. But calm down their Sir. I was only pointing out I too would hold back and would not want one single dent and or scratch on a $15k speaker.

[@generationbehindhifi]

@@racktech Thanks! But I didn't hold back even though you said I did. I applied the same knock to the B&W's as I did to the KEF's. The B&W's are just way better built, hence how quiet they were during the knock test. I'm not here to mislead anyone so I was a bit puzzled by your response.

[@paulk9534]

I care about the musical sound, I don’t really care how they make their magical soundstage for that great budget price

[@generationbehindhifi]

Hi Paul, then my videos aren't for you. I appreciate the feedback though.

[@paulk9534]

@@generationbehindhifi I think people do want to know about ‘build quality’ it’s of interest, but the results are what matters most…. Maybe it’s that build quality that creates the finished result 😳🤔

[@joelopez7459]

No 2nd Sub?

[@generationbehindhifi]

Nope. One SB-16 is more than enough.

[@carlodarrigo4331]

Ma parla inglese. Per l'Italiano ci vogliono casse italiane.

[@generationbehindhifi]

Check out my review on the Sonus Faber Venere S speakers if you want Italian speakers. :)