Revue KEF Q150B Q150
Quelqu'un a dit un jour qu'avant d'innover, il faut d'abord prévoir. Pour produire de bons haut-parleurs, vous devez croire que vous pouvez faire mieux. Mais vous devez aussi croire que vous savez comment vous pouvez.
Les meilleurs haut-parleurs sont fabriqués par les meilleures entreprises. Nous savons que KEF est un fabricant avec une grande réputation. Mais les enceintes KEF Q150B correspondent-elles à cette réputation ? Ces enceintes sont-elles considérées comme "haut de gamme" ? Ou s'agit-il simplement d'un autre ensemble d'enceintes avec un son légèrement supérieur à la moyenne ?
Vous êtes sur le point de le découvrir…
Mais avant de plonger dans notre examen du KEF Q150B Q150, apprenons-en un peu plus sur KEF ?
Qui est KEF ?
KEF est le fruit d'un ingénieur britannique, Raymond Cooke. Tout a commencé sur un terrain que Robert Pearch possédait près de Chatham dans le Kent. Ensemble, ils ont formé la société en 1961, du nom de Kent Engineering Foundry. D'où le KEF.
Alors que Pearch était un membre important de l'équipe, c'était Cooke qui était le génie. Ce sont ses idées qui sont à l'origine des haut-parleurs et des autres systèmes qu'ils ont conçus.
Cooke avait été ingénieur de conception à la BBC. Et il s'est rendu compte que beaucoup plus pourrait être réalisé dans la production sonore. Après la création de l'entreprise, une grande partie de leurs premiers travaux de conception était pour la BBC. Et la qualité était bonne, très bonne, et leur réputation, comme les produits, s'est étendue à d'autres domaines.
La formation d'un leader…
Dans les années 70, ils ont établi leur réputation de fabricants d'enceintes et de moniteurs haut de gamme. En 1979, Cooke a reçu un OBE de la reine Elizabeth II, et ils ont reçu le Queen's Award to Industry.
La récession au Royaume-Uni dans les années 90 les a durement touchés, comme pour tant d'autres dans d'autres parties du monde. Cela a causé des difficultés financières et les produits de luxe haut de gamme ont été les premiers à en souffrir. Ils ont finalement été vendus à la société hongkongaise GP Acoustics.
Conception innovante…
Aujourd'hui, ils sont reconnus comme étant à la pointe de l'innovation pour les conférenciers pour toutes les disciplines et applications. Ils produisent eux-mêmes une gamme complète et fournissent les mini haut-parleurs pour l'iPod d'Apple.
Certains des systèmes de haut-parleurs sont maintenant fabriqués à l'étranger en Chine. Les systèmes haut de gamme sont toujours produits sur leur site de Maidstone dans le Kent. La gamme est vaste et la série "Q" se situe au milieu.
Alors, qu'est-ce qu'ils sont ?
Aperçu
Il y a une expression. "Les bonnes choses viennent en petits paquets." Cet ensemble d'enceintes d'étagère de KEF pourrait bien prouver le point. Ces haut-parleurs frappent bien au-dessus de leur poids. Et croyez-nous, ceux-ci pèsent un peu, comme nous le verrons.
La série d'enceintes Q150 est l'un des derniers exemples de la série "Q" de KEF. Il y a eu quelques améliorations. Une armoire avec beaucoup de style et un look «chic» moderne nous donne les améliorations visuelles. Mais KEF n'en est pas resté là. La gamme de pilotes Uni-Q est devenue encore plus impressionnante, comme nous le verrons plus tard.
Une petite centrale…
Comme nous le verrons, ce nouveau réseau de pilotes est pris en charge par une nouvelle conception de port de basse. Cela crée une haute résolution et un son énorme. Ce gros son est particulièrement perceptible dans les petites pièces ou lorsque votre espace est plutôt limité.
La série "Q" a été un peu remaniée, et le Q150B est le plus petit, et aussi, nous pourrions ajouter le plus rentable de la gamme.
Have you always wanted to own a pair of excellent bookshelf speakers but have always found them too expensive for your budget? Détrompez-vous. They might just have arrived.
So, let’s have a closer look…
The Build
Everything about the design and the build is understated. 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 motif. 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. How will they do? Read on…
The Sound
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
Avantages
- 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.
Inconvénients
- 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?
Not anymore. 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.
Happy listening!