To Hans Wetzel,
I’m not sure if you respond to readers’ questions, but thank you for your detailed reviews on Def Tech’s [Demand] D9 loudspeaker and for the KEF Q750 floorstanding loudspeaker on SoundStage! Access. I hope you have the time to answer some questions as I am in the market for surround sound and I am building from scratch with the aim for [a] 5.1.4 [surround-sound system] for music and movies.
You reviewed the Def Tech D9s later in the year and mentioned at the end of the review (paraphrasing) that you emphatically recommend them, that they are nearly as good as the LS50 for less money. At the end of the KEF review you mentioned that you would buy the Q750s for $1500 and couldn’t pay them a higher compliment. You compared both speakers to your KEF R700 and said that you never considered swapping the R900 for the Def Tech. For the KEF Q750, you mentioned that they were nearly as good as the R900. Could you please compare the Q750 to the Def Tech D9? I am uncertain which you rate higher.
Should I consider having the Def Tech D9s as the [rear speakers] with KEF Q750s as the [front speakers]? Which speaker, for the cost, do you prefer more? Which speaker without regards to cost do you prefer more? I am also going to be living in a small 13’ x 15’ living room, but want to be able for the speakers to accommodate a larger 20’ x 20’ living room in the future.
Furthermore, I recently listened to the new KEF R11 at a Magnolia, but I do not have any reference for the sound as I never heard the KEF Q series or Def Tech [D9], but I do very much like the R11s’ sound, except that [their] $5000/pair [retail price] is not within my budget. The Magnolia representative completely ignored my budget and desired to up-sell me. I’ll be honest: I am tempted by the new R series. Ideally, my budget is under $3000 for a 5.1 system, and $5000 for a 5.1.4 system, but I am flexible and can wait on adding Dolby Atmos. Def Tech’s D9 is much cheaper and currently on sale for $600/pair at Crutchfield. I do not see a sale for KEF’s Q series yet. KEF’s old R series is on sale.
Eric Cushing
United States
There is a lot to cover here, but broadly speaking, you should try and stick with one brand of speakers for a home-theater system. That gives you a decent shot at the speakers -- even if they’re from different lines or product generations -- producing a consistent and coherent 360-degree soundstage. Buying from the same product line is obviously ideal, as everything is, or at least should be, voiced in the same manner.
With that in mind, and the fact that you listened to the new R11s and liked what you heard, I think that KEF’s Q series is the right choice for you, as KEF’s voicing is pretty consistent from product to product and from line to line. While the Demand D9s were seriously impressive on a variety of levels, I didn’t love their performance below 100Hz. The Q750s, meanwhile, were pretty much flawless from top to bottom, albeit with limits on bass extension and overall output. Given that you’ll have a surround-sound system, with a sub, in a fairly small room, I don’t think those considerations will be an issue for you.
I want to recommend the discounted, outgoing R series to you, as I owned both the R900 and the R700 over the years and really loved each model, but I worry that puts you well beyond your price targets for the system. If I were in your shoes, I’d opt for a pair of Q750s up front, a Q650c center-channel, a pair of Q150s in the rear, and two sets of Q50a Atmos modules. This means you can enjoy 5.1.4 Atmos immediately and have around $1000-1500 to drop on a monster sub of your choice. Perhaps the outgoing KEF R400b sub, which KEF looks to be discounting for Black Friday, would be a good choice. Or maybe something from SVS, JL Audio, or GoldenEar Technology? Whatever sub you’d go with, you’d be one and done, and have a killer home-theater setup that won a 2018-2019 EISA Best Product Award in the Home Theater Speaker System category. EISA stands for Expert Imaging and Sound Association, of which sister-site SoundStage! Hi-Fi is a member. . . . Hans Wetzel
