Is KEF no longer relevant?


It seems to me that 20 years ago Kef was quite a respected speaker manufacturer. Granted I knew far less back then about audiophilia, but for someone just starting out, that was my impression at the time.

Although Kef still makes speakers in the $5,000 - $15,000 range, they never seem to be the subject of serious discussion here on the 'Gon. These discussions are dominated by a group of the usual 20 or so suspects that we hear about over and over again. And no disrespect meant against that group - they are mostly, if not all, great speakers to be sure. But Kef certainly at one time was a pioneering and extrememly respected brand. What happened? Is this because they lost their "sound" after Raymond Cooke died? (an accusation I remember reading somewhere) Or are they just perceived as a "yesterday's news" brand?

No doubt there are many happy Kef owners out there who may answer this thread telling me how great their speakers are, even by today's standards, and I have no argument with them - I am a former Kef owner and very fond of the brand - but they clearly are not "darlings" of this forum. What happened?
studioray
KEF is very relevant. Their entry level Q300 model is very easy to drive, making it an excellent choice for use with inexpensive receivers. Things get better as you move up the line. Check out their website. There is something there for everybody, including hard core audiphiles.
A tip for near field recording/monitoring speaker users: The older model (or even newer) "uni-Q" speakers which are VERY inexpensive and sound massively better than bullshit laden so called "pro" speakers. I have an old pair (bought new) of Q10s that are front ported 6 ohm treasures that haven't aged one bit.
"...sound massively better than bullshit laden so called 'pro' speakers."

I'm not real knowledgeable about pro speakers. Could you enlighten me as to what the "bullshit" is so I can avoid stepping in it? THANKS.
-Bob
I'm talking mostly about passive monitors...KEFs can generally sound vastly
better for nearfield playback than many "pro" audio or guitar store
brands like the nauseating Yamaha NS10s that I had to put up with here and
there over the years. Clearly I'm still traumatized by those...*shudder*...you're
welcome!