2. speakers
  3. 149919-23122

Kef R3s with Tube Amp?

I'm thinking about going back to stand mount speakers. Currently I have Tekton Lore II and PrimaLuna Integrate. Currently running KT150s which did help compared to EL34s but not too much over KT88s. The Tektons seem to like the extra horse power, however, despite the 98db sensitivity. Brimar 12AU7s.I'm looking at KEF R3s but as they are 86.1DB not sure they will match too well with tubes. Also considering B&W 705 S2s or B&W 706S2.My listening room is 15x25x7.5, carpeted with a good bit of furniture. The only other speaker I've considered is the Klipsch Heritage Heresy III. Not a stand moun, obviously, but smaller than the Lores. They (Lores) need space to thrive and I don't think they are well suited for this room.So if anyone has direct listening experience with the KEF R3s & Tube amp I'd appreciate any input. Open to other suggestions too. Unfortunately, where I live I have to travel at least an hour to get near any Audio outlet, and I'm done buying via on-line reviews by so-called "professional" reviewers!
wcc10

Showing 3 responses by mapman

mapman's avatar
mapman
21,822 posts
 
Worth a try. Carpet covered solid concrete foundation is the most rigid and vibration resistant kind of floor. Most others are subject to some degree, especially if not at foundation level. Suspended plywood in upper levels is generally the worst. Carpets over hardwood in front of speakers usually also helps by reducing high frequency floor reflections that may reach your listening position.
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,822 posts
 
Tekton speakers are currently on carpet, floors are hardwood over plywood.

Yes that sounds like typical suspended plywood floor used in most homes these days. If the bass sound too big and muddy, with detail lacking top to bottom, I’d strongly recommend trying isolation pads, like Auralex sub-dudes or something similar under the floor-standers. The floor interactions not only muddy the bass, but that muddied bass also obscures detail in the mid-range. It’s a fairly inexpensive tweak that usually pays big dividends.

mapman's avatar
mapman
21,822 posts
 
KEF R3 is a speaker I would own. WIll likely not go as loud as Tektons off the same amp. They are not designed to operate best with tube amps but the results could still be very good (they are fantastic speakers). I’d want to audition before committing on a tube amp with KEF R3s.

If your floors are suspended plywood, isolating the floorstanders from those better would probably help tighten up bass and clean up the sound.
More to discover