• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Polk vs. KEF

L

lmorgan79

New Member
I recently "inherited" a pair of KEF C80s, which sound very nice. I have been using a pair of Polk Audio 7C monitors, which also sound very nice. Driving them, I am currently using a Marantz 2240B, which is in tip-top shape. I need to decide on which pair of speakers to use, because the other pair will be sold.

TIA.

Lee
 
Register to hide this ad
While I am more fond if the KEF sound, the Polk monitor 7 are a classic speaker while the c80 are not one if KEF's more iconic designs. I would keep the Polk.
 
Both of them sound different from my Vandersteens, that use in my main stereo. My original question was for stereo #2, of 3.
 
KEF is the sister of Celestion which seems to have a good reputation for making a good speaker/product. I own Celestion 23i's but find them a bit low on the rating scale as I am having a tough time trying to get them to sound good when I had a Citation 12 by Harman Kardon along with a 17S citation preamp, now that I tried my Citation 19 the sound is still not there and wonder if my Yamaha CX600U preamp may make the sound worse than the Citation 17S.

Which is why I found this post and would like to ask you guys what is a good set of Polks these days for around $500. I am forced to use two set of speakers to get a good full sound (high and low), which are Infinity SM 105's and Bose 301's Series V and I am running a Polk sub that has this phase switch that when you turn it to zero phase the base is played more on the sub, but 180 and wow the bass goes to the four speakers and a bit more bottom end comes alive (sorry very new to all this as this is my new hobby...just learning here)!

Thanks in advance....
 
kermit z said:
Which sound the best to you? That's what matters most
Click to expand...

darkblue94 said:
You would think that this would be obvious to just about anybody but apparently it is not.
Click to expand...

Yeah.... real easy to do if one --clearly-- sounds better than the other. But very often one speaker will excel in one manner, and the other speaker in a different manner.... and it becomes difficult to label one as "best".
 
Last edited:
Ghostberry, You asked about KEF in the $500 range. The Q100's are worth checking out or, if you can find them, a pair of Q300's on sale. They have been given very good reviews.
 
Johnda, no I meant Polk speakers. I was mentioning that KEF was the 'sister' speaker company to Celestion...I had contacted them a year ago about these seemingly crappy sounding 23i's that were my brothers...at least with the gear I have might be the missing link - thy Citation 17S preamp may make them sound better...

But, I will check out anything I am just not sure if towers are needed or bookshelves. I have a good sound going with what I have but I wanted to go with something that stands alone and is only 8 ohms on my system the two sets of 8 ohms (4 ohms total) I am not sure is tough on my amp...it says it can handle it (the manual) same with my Nikko Alpha II

Right now I need to figure out how the heck you take off those binding posts on the back of the NIkko amp, you can get them out to accommodate the speaker wire but I want to replace them as the material broke off one and half of one is missing...they are old and Parts Express has some for about $1.50 each, I cannot seem to twist if off?
 
Ohighway said:
Yeah.... real easy to do if one --clearly-- sounds better than the other. But very often one speaker will excel in one manner, and the other speaker in a different manner.... and it becomes difficult to label one as "best".
Click to expand...

True, But, Asking someone else what sounds best to you is not going to get you a better sounding speaker to YOU. Hence, listening and deciding for one self. How many folks on AK have read how great a certain speaker is, then finds the speaker and pays whatever they have to to get it, then find they hate the sound? In my main system, I run JBL L100T's and Boston Acoustics A-400. I swap them out. To your point, They have a different sound, but I enjoy them both, so they both stay.
 
I hear what you're saying, but nowhere in the OP do I see anyone asking someone else to tell them what sounds best to them. The OP already stated both sound nice. I can only assume he was asking the community at large to weigh in with other considerations they might be able to offer that would assist him in making a decision.

Mostly my comment was aimed at the statement apparently intended to embarrass the OP for supposedly not knowing what is "obvious".
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom