Review on Pair of Black KEF Q350 Bookshelf Speakers for Optimal Sound Quality by Ian Bates

A little background: I'm an amateur audio and mastering engineer with 20 years of studio experience. 50% home theater / 50% music system for my family room, starting out as a 2.0 system, and without actually having access to a local audio/video retailer that sells mid-range audiophile gear, I set out to find speakers. and AVR on Youtube, Reddit, CNET, Digital Trends, What Hi-Fi? etc. I spent about two weeks researching speaker manufacturers and their current offerings, using user and pro reviews, youtube audio demos, and other sources of information. I looked at Fluance, Elac, SVS, Wharfedale, Q Acoustics, Dali and many more. I've been toying with the idea of getting an Elac UB5 for a while, but they just didn't have the "that" factor I needed. Looking for. Around the same time I came across a YouTube channel showcasing the KEF LS50. While I really didn't want to spend money on an LS50, I went to the KEF website and found the Q Series. These Q350s seemed like exactly what I was looking for. After a shipping mix-up that Revain quickly corrected, I received the Q350s about a week ago and installed them on 32-inch stands (TransDeco speaker stands, 32) in my living room. -Customs service). These stands placed the driver above ear level, but placed the drivers vertically at the center of my 60-inch LG 4K monitor. I thought the centered dialogue would audibly appear in the middle of the screen. Once set up, I moved them to my listening position and connected them to my Marantz NR1607 (Marantz NR1607 Ultra HD 7.2-channel Network A/V Surround Receiver with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi) with 12-gauge copper cable. Then I ran the Marantz Audyssey MultEQ Room Correction Wizard using the calibration microphone provided by Marantz. After completing setup, I spent the past week playing some of my favorite reference songs and albums using a variety of playback methods including AirPlay, Bluetooth, Media Server, PS4, etc. in 96kHz/24- Bit-wave mastering up to 128kbps MP3s. I also watched the movie "Arrival" through the speakers, as well as several series of different TV shows. I was listening with Marantz Room Correction on, as well as in Direct mode, bypassing all processing. When the Q350s were moved towards the listening position, I initially found them to be quite bright, bordering on harshness on some materials. at higher volume (Dream Fiend "Higher ft. Heidi", Nine Inch Nails "Head Like a Hole"). That surprised me, as reviewers described them as "warm" compared to the American manufacturer's speakers. At the same time, other material (Zero7 and "Somersault" Sia) came absolutely alive: the 350s delivered a massive stereo image, revealing elements and details of the recording that had previously not been shown to me on more neutral monitors. From that moment I started experimenting with placement. Move the speakers farther from or closer to the wall, move them farther apart and closer together, and go straight-to-toe right at the listening position. Finally, I flipped them on their side, which brought the speakers right up to ear level, pointed them straight, and placed the rear port about 10 inches from the wall as shown in the attached image. That's where the Q350 should be. I listened to The Midnight's entire impeccably mixed album "Endless Summer" with the speakers in this position at 88dB measured at the listening position and the room was absolutely jazzed up. During a certain passage, a saxophone appeared about 5 feet to the left. and raised about 45 degrees above the left speaker driver. I'm not even sure how that's possible, but it was impressive. When listening to well-produced dance music like Big Data's "Dangerous (Oliver Remix)", these speakers deliver perhaps the most shocking performance, with tight, controlled bass that's much larger than the size of this speaker and cabinet combination, and consistent treble-frequency articulation that I just hadn't heard before. Watching the movie Arriving at a Similar Ume Volume, I was very impressed with the Q350's ability to dig very deep and hit well above its weight class. With only two speakers, I'm pretty sure I can convince my friends that I have something like a Dayton Audio SUB-1200 hidden somewhere in the room. While I still think they could benefit from a little extra sub-50Hz encouragement, they're perfectly capable of creating a comfortable home theater experience on their own. Rock and similar mid-level stuff, but absolutely amazing with modern dance, 80's, synthwave, jazz, acoustic and easy listening or atmospheric stuff. A most impressive choice for your home theater. You're a little picky about placement and alignment, but once you find the sweet spot, you'll be hooked. UPDATE 3/26/18: Shortly after this review was posted, my Marantz NR1607 died. Revain processed it as a refund even though my 30 days have already passed (thanks Revain). Then I bought a Denon AVR-X3300W avr-x3300w ) and decided to give D&M Holdings another chance. The Denon proved to be much more reliable and a little less warm sounding, although I do feel it's sharper and more responsive, likely due to the extra power. KEF are still cool and have proven themselves well.