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Linn Keilidh speakers

S

say it as it is

pfm Member
hey looking for some advice on these speakers

i know the name sure my dad had a set when i was a kid but he had LInn amps

i would be using them with 72/180/Sonic bliss eventually or a Nait5i

are they compatible with Naim or do they need serious power and active to work?

look nicely put together not heard them tho

any thoughts please?
 
They are really good speakers, I drove a pair with a Nap90 (30 watts). Excellent VFM in context of what they go for. The Ku-Stone stands make a difference.
 
what are they comparable to then? did you find them fussy for placement eg do they need lots of free space I am plagued with plasterboard walls and wooden floor so trying to find something less fussy with placement.
The build quality looks look tho and safe to say from an era when Linn was high quality but just about affordable ?
 
I've run a pair since 1997 and currently use a 82/Supercap/250 set up. They are still going strong. Not really fussy about placement, mine are only 9 inches or so from the back wall and the bass is fine - not boomy at all. Also, in that time I have upgraded in phases from a 62/90 and with every upgrade the Keilidhs have stepped up to the plate and showed an improvement. At today's prices they are a bargain imo.
 
One of the best I ever heard them was on a 72/hc/250.

Always was a big annoying that the tweeter was so low, but if you prioritize "staging" last (as I believe one should), it's not a big detriment.
 
thanks everyone they do seem rather interesting just wasn't sure if they would partner naim kit I know older stuff would but the 5i not sure off am i correct in assuming they are sealed boxes no ports to bounce off the plasterboard walls as close to the wall is a preference for domestic harmony.
what price should I pay for an ok set then? are they at the age where they may need work ie crossover recap or driver/tweeter replacement or like stuff of that era built to last?
 
I didn't like them, in the end they were a budget speaker so I guess it depends on what you pay. I found them a bit shut in and certainly with a 180 I'd want something a bit better. Traded them for a pair of Epos ES14 which were so much better in every way. (transparency, imaging, tighter more articulate bass)
 
ah ok very interesting at things tend to level out with age. I had epos es11 many years ago liked them but something about small floorstanders made me want them the Tannoy DC6T i have just now i enjoy but the room does not and cant afford to change house in fact downsizing everything due to job loss so bargain basement buys
 
I had a pair for years and really liked them, although I can see what MVV means about being a bit shut in. I used a 50W Arcam. Designed for use close to a back wall AIUI, certainly that's where I had them. Quite compact and nice-looking too. Last I checked you could get a pair for around £150 if you waited, which seems great value to me, given the sound and build quality.
 
couple of pair up my end of the country looking for £200 and £250 so will see if they will bargain as £150 makes them interesting am still taken by ruark as well tho as similar money but the linn does look a bit classier finish
 
say it as it is said:
couple of pair up my end of the country looking for £200 and £250 so will see if they will bargain as £150 makes them interesting am still taken by ruark as well tho as similar money but the linn does look a bit classier finish
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Keilidhs are nicely finished but you could get a pair of Talismans for that. Marketed at a very much higher price point.
 
I'm interested in the bit about the room. From what I understand your speakers are biggish floor standers, Keilidhs and Talismans are also biggish floor standers. With your plans re amps I'd look for a pair of Naim Credos, they won't muck so much with the room and are a much more modern and upmarket design. Unfashionable so you would get them for budget and that is what I moved to from the aforesaid ES14s.
 
Don't come up much tbh the tannoy are great just the walls and floors I dislike. I seen very rough ruark hence why tidy and modern looking keilidh was interesting
 
Credos are good speakers, very rarely come up for sale though.

People who like naim speakers tend to hang onto them, no choice really.
 
I had a pair of Keilidhs and used them with a Nait 3 and a Nait 5. They were fine, but sounded a lot better with an EAR V20 valve amp. I eventually replaced them with Shahinian Arcs, which were a big improvement.

In other words Keilidhs aren't bad for the money and you don't need a massive amp to drive them.

Jack
 
They work very nicely with vintage Naim so I've hung onto mine. I paid £300 including polymer stands and delivery but they're mint and a lovely veneer. A friend paid £150 for a decent enough pair without stands. He ran them with 5i and that sounded good too.

They will sound shut in compared to modern speakers but you'll need to spend a lot more to better them and even then I'd prefer Keilidh bass performance to most modern ported or transmission line speakers I've heard. Like you said, they are a nice size too and don't need to be too far into the room.

Linn K20 speaker cable works well and is relatively cheap.
 
You do need an amp with good grip, there are 2 mid/bass drivers to try to move and stop after all. Even a 250 wasn't good enough for me but I think that the Ekos on my LP12 was providing too much low bass, the system was out of balance. With an Ittok they'd be OK.

IIRC there is an upgrade you can do by removing a driver and sticking some battens in. I think I'm right in saying that that's the difference between them and Kabers, but I'm probably wrong.

Having said that, they are fun. A Keilidh is a Scottish knees up so they're very good with dance music like the Chemical Brothers, exciting. They'd get the party going :) Just don't expect to hear all the subtleties of pretty much anything else.
 
MVV said:
I didn't like them, in the end they were a budget speaker so I guess it depends on what you pay. I found them a bit shut in....
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I agree. That's the exact phrase I would use. I really wanted to like them as they looked good and promised more bass than my Kans could give. I demmed a pair at home for a week. Apart from bass depth, they were worse than Kans in every way. Less detail/clarity, slower sounding, muddled where the Kans were explicit and, as you say, box bound. They did open up but only at high volume.

Are they terrible speakers? No. Are they great speakers? Also no.
 
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