KEF Q500 Floorstanding Speakers Black (Pair)

Product Information

The tweeter used in the KEF Q550 utilizes a Tangerine waveguide to minimize interference between the tweeter and the midrange driver. The unique technology from KEF, the “Tangerine” waveguide system, helps the treble integrate more smoothly with the mid-range frequencies. It has also an additional damped tweeter loading tube which helps improve low treble performance and a new low-distortion inductor on the crossover which provides cleaner bass.

Hopefully I can help out a bit, decided to sign up because as I noticed most on here tend to be recommending to step up to the 700's, where as I actually prefer the sound of the 500/100's and budget was not a concern. The KEFs are equipped with high-quality five-way binding posts, allowing for the use of almost any home-audio connector available. In addition, the Q500s are designed to be bi-wireable with an additional pair of binding posts to facilitate independent connection to the tweeters. When not bi-wired, rather than being fitted with external shorting straps or bars, the Q series speakers utilize the KEF link—a clever, internal shorting mechanism. Per the manufacturer’s description: “The link is done internally with an impedance-neutral short-run copper circuit. The electrical connection is made to the link run via a threaded connector that opens or closes the connection based on the position of the external knob. By using the circuit-board-based shorting link, no skin effect or capacitance difference between the planes of the connectors is introduced .” The KEF Q550’s Uni-Q driver is really impressive as no matter where you position yourself in the room, the width, the depth, and the frequency response stays the same, proof of the small Q’s excellent omnidirectionality.The critically acclaimed Q Series from KEF has won a vast number of awards and exists to showcase KEF's design philosophy of reproducing a quality of sound that's indistinguishable from the actual live event. KEF achieve this phenomenal result by combining intelligent engineering constructs with imaginative design concepts. The Q Series provides a truly immersive sound response, complete with three dimensional imagery of a richness and clarity normally found in flagship loudspeaker models from lesser brands. The chassis of the speakers is made of die-cast aluminium which rigidly locates the high efficiency vented magnet assembly to prevent unwanted resonance while the enclosure features internal bracing to eliminate resonance and according to KEF provide 30% more volume in comparison to their predecessors. In addition to the 50mm voice coil that provides better power handling and the dedicated front-firing auxiliary bass radiators (ABRs) the Q500 manages to provide deeper and more accurate bass than ever before. In terms of dimensions, the speaker measures 180 x 272 x 870 millimeters (WxDxH). It is crafted with precision, providing an optimal listening experience. The KEF Q500 is designed to bring out the best in your audio, delivering high-quality sound with accuracy and clarity. The KEF Q550 does not also come with a protective cloth grille. It is sold separately, which is pretty disappointing. If you really wish to have additional protection for your woofers, purchasing the Q550 magnetic clothe grille is really a must.

I collected the Q700´s yesterday and immediately set about setting them up. I went straight in for a Bi-Amp on them. After selecting the correct settings on my Onkyo 508 for Bi-amping I tried them out. In the R500 – and indeed its larger siblings – this Uni-Q driver sits between the two conventional drivers, This gives the KEF a decidedly unusual driver arrangement. Superficially, the R500 looks like a speaker that makes use of the d’appolito configuration – the classic woofer/tweeter/woofer arrangement so often seen in floorstanders. As the KEF combines two drivers into that central unit and has a three way rather than a two way configuration, this is not technically the case.The KEF Q550 floorstanding speaker has limited connectivity options because of its passive design. This means that there is no built-in amplifier, and it is impossible for you to have a Bluetooth or wi-fi connectivity setup with this speaker. The speakers have to have front reflex ports as far as I'm concerned and I want floor standing speakers. I'm a bit out of the hifi game these days, but what new speakers that I have looked at so far seem to have rear ports which is a big no no for me. I've been looking at used Kef Q4's and used Mission 752 Freedom speakers, as my brother has some and they are great speakers. x 5.25-inch Uni-Q Driver Array1 x 5.25-inch Woofer2 x 5.25-inch ABR1-inch vented aluminium dome tweeter

The KEF Q500 is a speaker that features a center speaker impedance of 8 Ω. It is equipped with a 130 mm woofer and a 25 mm tweeter, providing audio output for 2.0 channels. The speaker has a RMS rated power of 130 W and an impedance of 8 Ω. With a sensitivity level of 87 dB, it delivers clear and detailed sound reproduction. Drivers: Aluminum Uni-Q with 5.25″ midrange and 1″ teeter, one 5.25″ aluminum woofer, and two 5.23″ passive radiators The heart and soul of the loudspeaker series is the Uni-Q array, which provides the mid and high frequencies. The current version of the array resulted from engineering development during the company’s recent Concept Blade program. In brief, the Uni-Q array places both the midrange and tweeter drivers concentrically within the same mechanical structure to form a single acoustic source that’s coherent in position, directivity, and time. This is in contrast to the old “whizzer cone” drivers, which placed the tweeter in front of the lower-frequency driver, and not at the same acoustic point. Moreover, the manufacturer states that this alignment of the midrange (which provides many of the spatial clues in stereo listening) and the tweeter improves the tonal balance characteristics and broadens the listening area rather than limiting it to a sweet spot.But even with these possible deal-breakers, the Uni-Q technology, the Tangerine Waveguide technology and other unique technologies employed to create the KEF Q550 floorstanding speaker make it worth the trouble.

I tried the speaker in different position ,it is currently placed in top of a shelf . I have also tried some isolation at the bottom with some rubber and it acually had an effect on the bass as it became nuch more tighter. An also tried to bung the front port, though the sound was less bass but the clarity of the SQ enhanced a bit. As of now I am listening without the bungs after a month or so with the bungs. As I am writing this, the Q100 are playing 'The call of the Valley' a must listen Indian classic music the ambience it creates is excellent. The bottom is fitted with ‘feet’ (plinths) using height-adjustable spikes at the ends enabling you to adjust the level (with the included Allen key) on uneven floors. The high quality speaker terminals accept anything from bare wire to spades or banana connectors. P.S. - Watch out for lazy salesmen that don't want to swap speakers to a different receiver in the showroom etc., give your money to one that actually cares about you finding your perfect sound, not just an easy sale. Then again, this is all based on a smaller/mid type rooms size, I can see how if you have a larger room, that you may want the larger mid size for fill, and that type of sound I described from the 500's may not be what your after when you yourself are listening, and so the 700's may just be what your looking for.. Best thing to do is to A/B test them side by side on the same A/V receiver, and definitely cover all different genres of music while listening. Also want to mention that I made sure they were all auditioned on Yamaha AV's, as this is what I knew I would be running, and I would recommend doing the same. Queue the KEF Q500 vs Bowers and Wilkins 684 S2. These were connected to a Marantz SR5010 AV receiver in stereo mode.Within its elegant floorstanding cabinet the Q550 house no fewer than three additional bass woofers. One of these is powered and is dedicated entirely to bass below the mid-range unit. Working rather like a subwoofer, this enables the Q550 to offer consistent and reliable bass that's both deep and sustained. Improving this further, twin ABRs (Auxcillary Bass Radiators) utilise energy within the cabinet to further enhance and sustain the bass response. Just wanted to share my experience with this unnoticed beauties. Hoping to add some good quality source to enrich the experience. The major difference between the floorstanding models within the Q Series is the overall size of the drivers and the subsequent amount of air and sonic detail that they can push and reproduce. The drivers within the Q500 are 135mm (5.25"), which allows the speaker to move vast amounts of air, while retaining an exceptional level of precision. If the wood-fibre finish doesn’t feel too luxurious, don’t forget these speakers cost less than some obvious rivals. And, where robust floor-spike arrangements and elegant biwiring speaker terminals are concerned, the KEFs are supremely capable.