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KEF X300A Digital Hi-Fi Speaker System

KEF X300A Digital Hi-Fi Speaker System

KEF’s versatile coincident driver, the Uni-Q, has been cast in a new role—a part, in my humble opinion, it has always been destined to play. It’s the X300A Digital Hi-Fi Speaker System. I’ve admired this unique transducer for some time but most recently when I evaluated the KEF LS50 (awarded a Golden Ear in Issue 235). I continue to feel it’s one of the most satisfying compact two-way speakers I’ve encountered in the last couple years. The speaker is not only visually arresting; it also boasts superb midrange sonics, full-bodied presence, and potent midbass punch. I always thought it could be the basis for an outstanding nearfield or portable monitor. And whaddya know—with the X300A KEF engineers have taken that next logical step and reimagined the LS50/Uni-Q for desktop duty and the world of computer media.

The speaker may only be eleven inches tall, but pint-sized or not, the X300A is no toy. The cabinet has been reduced in volume and trimmed in a more utilitarian finish. Visually immaculate it’s as clean as a whistle—with a front baffle with no visible hex-head mounting bolts or other distractions, just the anodized, aluminum Uni-Q (5″ midbass and 1″ tweeter) with its “tangerine” waveguide and uniquely ribbed surround and stylish trim ring. However, now it’s powered by two built-in Class AB amps and toroidal transformers that generate 50W for the mid/bass driver and 20W for the tweeter. The whole shebang is $800, about half the price of the LS50. (A wireless version of the X300A is available for $999.)

So far so good. But what makes the X300A a “Digital Hi-Fi System” relevant for the new breed of desktop recording engineers, music downloaders, and computer-media enthusiasts is the inclusion of a full-time, 24-bit/96kHz USB DAC. The takeaway is that all incoming signals are digitized, effectively making the X300A a self-contained stand-alone system that only requires a computer source to be complete. Tweakers may quibble, but users who want to get up and running with a minimum of hassle will celebrate.

Koincident and Klever

Setup is easy thanks in part to the supplied cables, which include a pair of two-meter USB-to-mini-USBs and the twin power cords required to power the internal amplifiers. All connections are secured from the back panel of the X300As. The left and right speakers serve specific functions. The left channel acts as the “parent,” the right channel as the “child.” One USB cable connects the computer source to the left channel; the other connects left and right channels together. A rear-panel knob on the left speaker controls volume, while another knob on the right channel handles balance. Just why the connections are buried on the back panel beats me. I would have been happier if the volume/balance adjustments were on the front.

In addition to the USB connection there is a 3.5mm auxiliary input on the back of the left channel for a personal player like an iPod/iPad. All incoming signals are then digitized via the X300A’s internal ADC, and later reconverted to analog.

A slider switch on the back of the left channel allows the user to optimize the X300A for two listening environments. In the “desk” position the X300a is set for nearfield desktop listening by rolling off the bass to alleviate potential boominess. When in the “stand” position the X300a is optimized for open-field listening and bass response is flattened out. Foam port plugs or “bungs” are also supplied for smoothing bass response to accord with wall/shelf placement. An optional five-meter USB-to-mini-USB cable is manufactured by Wireworld, and offered for conventional in-room positioning. I evaluated the X300A in two configurations—as desktop monitors and on floorstands in a traditional in-room configuration.

 

The Power of One

In desktop mode, the X300A L/Rs were poised about thirty inches from my seat, angled inward a few degrees, and tilted up slightly. From the moment I cued up Stravinsky’s Pulcinella [Argo] with its vivid palette of short themes and quirky rhythms it was clear that nearfield listening is an ideal mission for the Uni-Q design. The immediate effect was a speaker system that was well balanced and dynamically adept, with a strong midband balance and a firm presence range. The X300A is nicely graduated across the macro/micro-dynamic landscape with an image stability and pinpoint focus that are only approached by true single-driver designs.

Timbrally, the X300A reproduces music with a slightly cooler, forward tilt. It’s not a laid-back, cool-your-heels kind of speaker. It’s pacey, with a jump factor that should get your trackball and paperweights dancing. A cut like Steely Dan’s “Hey Nineteen” is all about the groove it establishes, and the X300A sets it beautifully. The track is reproduced with terrific dynamic snap, crackling transient action off the snare, and a sensation of weight and impact unusual in a desktop speaker. The background vocals featuring the soulful Michael MacDonald are stunningly articulate.

As a result of the system’s proximity in a nearfield setup its sonic personality has a more upfront character—and a drier one. Because of its intimacy, I perceived more of the inner workings of a recording like Norah Jones’ Not Too Late [Blue Note] and less of the reverberant layering from the ambient environment of the listening space. The tiniest instrumental details take on greater immediacy, as transient attack and other low-level dynamic information tend to step forward. The presentation is not always strictly natural in my view, but it is addictive and allows music to attain a clarity and specificity that are more akin to headphone listening but without the bullet-to-the-brain oddities of most cans.

Much of this impression owes to the fact that bass response is punchier and better defined than truly extended; in a desktop setup, low-end response never descends appreciably below the upper midbass regions. As a result a cello, for example, sounds a bit more sinewy than warmly reverberant and reveals more bite off the bow than resonances from the instrument’s body. Similarly on vocals, choral groupings, and massed strings, a hint more of the tweeter is unmasked by the lighter tonal balance. More so, for example than it is with KEF’s own LS50.

In terms of scale, no one is going to be fooled into thinking that the London Symphony Orchestra is actually playing on the desktop. But even at this reduced size, the soundstage and image proportion are so complete, layered, and stable, that it’s like observing an impeccably detailed, highly resolved miniaturized performance. If you’re unaccustomed to high-end desktop listening, it’s actually an amazing experience to enter the world that the X300A creates.

When the X300As are lifted onto floor stands and set out into the room, their sonic character shifts dramatically. Bass response deepens. Ambience retrieval and reverberant cues from acoustic recordings are heightened. A greater degree of warmth is introduced and some of the desktop dryness is reduced. The key is wall/corner positioning. The farther the distance from those boundaries the greater the reduction in low-frequency reinforcement. On the other hand, close proximity can thicken bass output and create soupy incoherence. In my setup, “just right” happened to be about eighteen to twenty-four inches (measured at the front baffle) from the back wall. Here, the X300A created a more lifelike impression of orchestral scale and an immersive surrounding acoustic that was both riveting and realistic. In SPLs there’s little need to coddle the X300, but keep in mind that a five-inch transducer does have its limits. On a punishing track like the Copland Fanfare for the Common Man [Reference Recordings] I could get reliable output into the lower-to-mid-90dB range at roughly six feet or so (higher in the nearfield), but I backed off above that when a flurry of tympani concussions caused an occasional bbbuuurrrp from the Uni-Q.

I cannot avoid a quick comparison to its passive/analog cousin, the LS50. In tonal balance they are clearly cut from the same cloth. But in output and dynamic gradients the LS50 offers a larger, warmer canvas. It also creates a more convincing illusion of soundstage scale and dimension, as it should for roughly twice the price—DAC and amp not included.

How good is the internal DAC? Hard to say since the X300A allows “no substitutions.” But it is certainly more than up to the task and further grousing would be missing the point concerning the lengths KEF has gone to make listening to the X300A a seamless experience. The versatile X300A creates two distinct listening options and both are loads of fun. Whether you’re a computer enthusiast or an old guard high-ender, I can’t imagine you not falling in love with KEF’s perky little plug-in.

SPECS & PRICING

Type: Two-way, powered loudspeaker in bass-reflex enclosure
Drivers: Uni-Q array, 1″ tweeter, 5.25″ mid/bass
Frequency response: 79Hz–28kHz (47Hz–45kHz -6dB)
Internal amplification: 50W, mid/bass; 20W, tweeter
Dimensions: 11.1″ x 7.1″ x 9.6″
Weight: 16.5 lbs.
Price: $800

GP Acoustics Inc.
10 Timber Lane
Marlboro, New Jersey 07746
(732) 683-2356
kefamerica.com

Tags: KEF

By Neil Gader

My love of music largely predates my enthusiasm for audio. I grew up Los Angeles in a house where music was constantly playing on the stereo (Altecs, if you’re interested). It ranged from my mom listening to hit Broadway musicals to my sister’s early Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Beatles, and Stones LPs, and dad’s constant companions, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. With the British Invasion, I immediately picked up a guitar and took piano lessons and have been playing ever since. Following graduation from UCLA I became a writing member of the Lehman Engel’s BMI Musical Theater Workshops in New York–working in advertising to pay the bills. I’ve co-written bunches of songs, some published, some recorded. In 1995 I co-produced an award-winning short fiction movie that did well on the international film-festival circuit. I was introduced to Harry Pearson in the early 70s by a mutual friend. At that time Harry was still working full-time for Long Island’s Newsday even as he was writing Issue 1 of TAS during his off hours. We struck up a decades-long friendship that ultimately turned into a writing gig that has proved both stimulating and rewarding. In terms of music reproduction, I find myself listening more than ever for the “little” things. Low-level resolving power, dynamic gradients, shadings, timbral color and contrasts. Listening to a lot of vocals and solo piano has always helped me recalibrate and nail down what I’m hearing. Tonal neutrality and presence are important to me but small deviations are not disqualifying. But I am quite sensitive to treble over-reach, and find dry, hyper-detailed systems intriguing but inauthentic compared with the concert-going experience. For me, true musicality conveys the cozy warmth of a room with a fireplace not the icy cold of an igloo. Currently I split my time between Santa Fe, New Mexico and Studio City, California with my wife Judi Dickerson, an acting, voice, and dialect coach, along with border collies Ivy and Alfie.

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