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Kii....the future??

Arkless Electronics said:
I simply don't believe these will be repairable no matter what assurances are given. The level of complication, miniaturisation, use of probably BGA IC's etc etc means that only the manufacturer will ever be able to fix them and then only by replacing whole boards.
IC's used in them will inevitably become obsolete and no longer manufactured after say 5 years. Unlike older equipment there is no generic replacement for many of the parts in something like this.
I often see ads in the electronics press for new wonder IC's which can save a fortune in parts and labour and result in a much smaller product, but I never use them as past experience says you won't be able to fix it in 10-15 years time.
In my last employed job as an R&D engineer we had huge issues due to IC's that had been specified by previous designers becoming unobtainable. The parts procurement people spent half their time tracing stashes of certain (analogue) chips we needed from obscure suppliers or even ebay and we had to completely redesign a major product to get around the non availability of a compander IC. I ended up designing it as a mixture of discrete and generic op amps so that the problem should never arise again.

Enthusiasts should be aware that the race towards miniaturisation, all digital, class D, SMPS and DSP mean that increasingly kit will become throwaway if it fails. I see it already and often in lots of Chinese made very cheap but complicated gear for pro audio and groups which is almost always more expensive to repair than to replace.... The days of quality kit like a Stereo 20 or a Quad 303 being easily repairable indefinitely are well over with this new gear. Once the 1 year guarantee is over and another 3 - 6 years have passed most of it will be land fill....
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You are spot on here Jez. People all to easily forget what happens when "stuff" goes wrong, especially when they are being sold it in the first place...
 
KWB1 said:
8c’s with their twin stereo subwoofer outs may be a better proposition for my particular needs, however well out of my price range..
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They were both the same price then the 8Cs were quite a lot cheaper and now... they ( 8Cs) are the same or much cheaper depending upon where you shop and whether you mind grey splatter paint.
Keith
 
G T Audio said:
You are spot on here Jez. People all to easily forget what happens when "stuff" goes wrong, especially when they are being sold it in the first place...
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Indeed, as a good example look at Event Opals, fantastic monitors, on a level with ATC 50 actives IMO. Despite Event spending a lot of money developing them ($3million) you can no longer get them repaired. Another startling example is Dynaudio actives, eventually Dynaudio had to replace my faulty monitors with new ones, but it took a lot of hassle to get that point, and try getting something as simple as a transformer (a known weak spot at Dynaudio) for one of their active 3 years old speakers, forget about it, the distributor won't reply to emails, so your left to source (or wind!) your own.
I can't help but feel if you are going to spend money on pricey actives, either make sure the amps and crossovers are outboard, or go ATC (exceptional service).
 
Arkless Electronics said:
The measurements in the Stereophile review are simply stunning. Close to perfect impulse response, virtually flat to 20Hz! It would be interesting to hear a set.
Imagine the risk in buying a 8 year old second-hand pair though... The technical complication is off the planet! I can't imagine such a thing ever getting old enough to become vintage/classic/retro as it would be nigh on impossible to maintain them in working order for that long. I see it as something for those who can laugh about having to right off a £10K pair of speakers after a few years...
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No worries, Ali Express will be your friend. Chinese will knock off the boards much before the warranty expires so you would be able to replace them for a fraction of what you pay now. Just look how fast they produced DSD DACs, I2S to DSD converters and stuff.
 
Purité Audio said:
No perhaps not the most important, but when you combine cardioid with excellent on and off axis response, wide dispersion , low distortion etc etc.
As I mentioned when you hear the 8Cs next to even a well regarded traditional active the improvement in sound quality is obvious.
Keith
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I make comment about any particular speaker, but isn't the point that it's pretty difficult (but not impossible) to achieve a decent response on or off axis in the room without a cardioid response. The anechoic response may academic. If course you don't need a cardioid response if you soffit mount. Equally a speaker with a bonkers response is still going to be bonkers even if it had a cardioid response. But for ordinary speakers in free space, it's likely to help.
 
Soffit mounting creates, I believe a monopole response, but if the mounting wall is massy enough the rear propagation will be absorbed.
The manufacturer can design a flat on axis and smooth and even off-axis ( which mirrors the on axis) response measured anechoically but as you say once you place the speaker into a room everything changes.
The strength of the 8Cs/Kii is that they produce less off axis even in room, the sound I just clearer, it is a good deal easier to hear the improvement than try to describe it.
SteveH described his thoughts after the Kiis next to his Shahinians,
Keith
 
I don't normally post on hi-fi forums/fora, but just wanted to re-in force a few of the comments here. I upgraded from a Devialet Expert/Linn system to a pair of Kiis, Kii stands and Kii Control, and don't regret my decision at all.

Yes, of course they could fail at some stage and of course Kii could cease trading / be acquired - but until either of these thing happen, I'm enjoying the best sound I've ever had in my room. The clarity and rock solid imaging is amazing, as is the massive sweet spot (i.e there is none) - and all this from a £150 source.

If you haven't heard them in your room, with your music, all comments are purely speculative.

ATB, Ken
 
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