New Studio Monitor day: Kii Three porn.

octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
edited May 2018 in Studio & Recording
After 17 years of basically using the same pair of monitors every day (Dynaudio BM6a's) I have ordered something different for the studio.

Behold, the Kii Three's:


These things sound insanely great.
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Comments

  • equalsqlequalsql Frets: 6084
    See.. you could have spent all that dosh on a nice 59 Gil Yaron LP...  Just saying.. ;)
    (pronounced: equal-sequel)   "I suffered for my art.. now it's your turn"
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  • blobbblobb Frets: 2914
    WoW!
    Feelin' Reelin' & Squeelin'
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    equalsql said:
    See.. you could have spent all that dosh on a nice 59 Gil Yaron LP...  Just saying.. ;)
    I would struggle to mix records on the LP though. :)
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  • duotoneduotone Frets: 972
    https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/kii-audio-three

    Just reading through that, it sounds like you made the right choice.

    Are you selling your BM6a’s or keeping hold of them?
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    duotone said:
    https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/kii-audio-three

    Just reading through that, it sounds like you made the right choice.

    Are you selling your BM6a’s or keeping hold of them?
    I hadn’t decided yet.probably selling though.
    You interested?
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  • guitarfishbayguitarfishbay Frets: 7953
    I hadn't heard of these, but they look awesome.
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  • robinbowesrobinbowes Frets: 3021
    Am liking the look of those Kii Threes. Bit too pricy for my use-case though.

    Coincidentally, I've just tidied my desk and replaced my monitoring.

    I was using a set of AE Aego M, predominantly just for computer audio and casual listening, but I've got some more serious mixing/mastering to do so I've replaced them with a pair of JBL LSR305.

    Desk currently looks like this:



    I thought the Aegos were pretty good but frankly I'm amazed how much better the LSR305s are.

    R.
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  • Winny_PoohWinny_Pooh Frets: 7734
    Very slutty. Are these larger than the comparable Barefoots? Sound?
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  • goldtopgoldtop Frets: 6101
    robinbowes said
    Am liking the look of those Kii Threes. Bit too pricy for my use-case though.

    Coincidentally, I've just tidied my desk and replaced my monitoring.

    I was using a set of AE Aego M, predominantly just for computer audio and casual listening, but I've got some more serious mixing/mastering to do so I've replaced them with a pair of JBL LSR305.

    Desk currently looks like this:



    I thought the Aegos were pretty good but frankly I'm amazed how much better the LSR305s are.

    R.
    I also have the LSRs - after the Adam A7s, they are easier to listen to for longer periods of time. @robinbowes - an extra q: how useful is that Apple trackpad? I got one for free with my used Mac mini but wasn't sure if it would be very useful for Logic. No batteries in it yet, so I haven't even tried it.

    @octatonic - if this sort of expense on speakers makes sense, I can't imagine what you've spent on mics!
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  • duotoneduotone Frets: 972
    octatonic said:
    duotone said:
    https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/kii-audio-three

    Just reading through that, it sounds like you made the right choice.

    Are you selling your BM6a’s or keeping hold of them?
    I hadn’t decided yet.probably selling though.
    You interested?
    @octatonic ;

    No, I'm at the lower end of the spectrum with my first pair of studio monitors being around £300 for the pair (Yamaha HS7).  Maybe one day I could warrant it. 

    Would absolutely love to hear some Gregory Porter & Steely Dan through the Kii Three's...in fact just all the music that I love!

    What differences have you noticed?  Just general clarity?  I saw a Youtube video earlier where the guy kept on mentioning the bass being very, very impressive compared to the speaker size.
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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27590
    Those look very tasty.

    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • robinbowesrobinbowes Frets: 3021
    goldtop said:
    @robinbowes - an extra q: how useful is that Apple trackpad? I got one for free with my used Mac mini but wasn't sure if it would be very useful for Logic. No batteries in it yet, so I haven't even tried it. 
    TBH, this is my work setup (I'm a remote SRE) and I've not used it with Logic all that much.

    I suspect it's a matter of what you get used to. I've been using a Trackpad for years. I recently got a Magic Mouse and found myself going back to the Trackpad.

    If I find myself doing a lot of work with Logic, I'll probably get myself some sort of control surface.

    R.
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    goldtop said:

    @octatonic - if this sort of expense on speakers makes sense, I can't imagine what you've spent on mics!
    I do have a fair few mics. :)
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    duotone said:
    octatonic said:
    duotone said:
    https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/kii-audio-three

    Just reading through that, it sounds like you made the right choice.

    Are you selling your BM6a’s or keeping hold of them?
    I hadn’t decided yet.probably selling though.
    You interested?
    @octatonic ;

    No, I'm at the lower end of the spectrum with my first pair of studio monitors being around £300 for the pair (Yamaha HS7).  Maybe one day I could warrant it. 

    Would absolutely love to hear some Gregory Porter & Steely Dan through the Kii Three's...in fact just all the music that I love!

    What differences have you noticed?  Just general clarity?  I saw a Youtube video earlier where the guy kept on mentioning the bass being very, very impressive compared to the speaker size.
    Bass is incredible but it is everything really.
    They are just so well balanced and easy to listen to.
    I hear details I've never heard.

    The PMC's I was looking at were quite good too- and I came close to buying some ATC's recently but they didn't have the bottom end I was after.

    The Kii's just make me... happy.
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  • duotoneduotone Frets: 972
    octatonic said:
    duotone said:
    octatonic said:
    duotone said:
    https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/kii-audio-three

    Just reading through that, it sounds like you made the right choice.

    Are you selling your BM6a’s or keeping hold of them?
    I hadn’t decided yet.probably selling though.
    You interested?
    @octatonic ;

    No, I'm at the lower end of the spectrum with my first pair of studio monitors being around £300 for the pair (Yamaha HS7).  Maybe one day I could warrant it. 

    Would absolutely love to hear some Gregory Porter & Steely Dan through the Kii Three's...in fact just all the music that I love!

    What differences have you noticed?  Just general clarity?  I saw a Youtube video earlier where the guy kept on mentioning the bass being very, very impressive compared to the speaker size.
    Bass is incredible but it is everything really.
    They are just so well balanced and easy to listen to.
    I hear details I've never heard.

    The PMC's I was looking at were quite good too- and I came close to buying some ATC's recently but they didn't have the bottom end I was after.

    The Kii's just make me... happy.
    Out of interest what models?  I do love a bit of speaker/hi-fi porn!

     
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    edited June 2018
    duotone said:
    octatonic said:
    duotone said:
    octatonic said:
    duotone said:
    https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/kii-audio-three

    Just reading through that, it sounds like you made the right choice.

    Are you selling your BM6a’s or keeping hold of them?
    I hadn’t decided yet.probably selling though.
    You interested?
    @octatonic ;;

    No, I'm at the lower end of the spectrum with my first pair of studio monitors being around £300 for the pair (Yamaha HS7).  Maybe one day I could warrant it. 

    Would absolutely love to hear some Gregory Porter & Steely Dan through the Kii Three's...in fact just all the music that I love!

    What differences have you noticed?  Just general clarity?  I saw a Youtube video earlier where the guy kept on mentioning the bass being very, very impressive compared to the speaker size.
    Bass is incredible but it is everything really.
    They are just so well balanced and easy to listen to.
    I hear details I've never heard.

    The PMC's I was looking at were quite good too- and I came close to buying some ATC's recently but they didn't have the bottom end I was after.

    The Kii's just make me... happy.
    Out of interest what models?  I do love a bit of speaker/hi-fi porn!

    I was looking at PMC Two Two 8's and ATC SCM 25A.
    The PMC's were pretty broadband and had all the features I wanted but I didn't love using them.
    Also they are physically too big for a lot of the rooms I work in.
    I suspect I'm just geared towards using smaller (and therefore faster) drivers.
    I felt the PMC's were a tad slow to react.

    The ATC's I loved but I'd be concerned about dragging 2x 35+kg boxes all over the place.
    I work in a lot of different studios and take my monitors with me.
    The ATC's are really heavy but I also know they aren't as hardy as some other models.
    They were also a bit bass light so I'd need a sub which doesn't work.

    The Kii's were on a completely different level though- it is all there, all the time.
    It is a hard thing to put into words- they just sound incredible- wide, deep, accurate, fast.
    I heard details in tracks that I know incredibly well that I never had before.
    If you distill the difference between a near field (fast and translatable at the cost of scale and bandwidth) vs a mid/main monitor (scale and bandwidth but slower and not as translatable) with the Kii's I felt I was getting the best of both worlds.

    The only issue with the Kii's is you cannot switch to 120v without returning them to the factory, which I will need to do in a couple of years time, but Kii have said they will do the conversion for free when me move to the US.

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  • duotoneduotone Frets: 972
    Cheers!  I’ll have a YouTube look later on/tomorrow at those models mentioned.

    Just heading out to meet some friends to watch the FA Cup Final.
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  • duotoneduotone Frets: 972
    edited May 2018


    Was an interesting watch, to see what differences Warren heard between them.

    I know its completely different and probably something you didn't consider, but what models would have researched if it was for a permanent set-up. i.e. you not having to worry about transporting them around?

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  • andyozandyoz Frets: 718
    edited May 2018
    I had an option on buying an ex demo pair of the Kii's for a really good price but ended up going with the Genelec 8351 (also for a great price) mainly because of the form factor.  I wanted to mount mine laterally and co-axial is the only game in town for that.  The Gen's are very, very good the more I use them.

    I know the Kii's are alot 'smarter' though in the bottom end.
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    edited May 2018
    duotone said:

    Was an interesting watch, to see what differences Warren heard between them.

    I know its completely different and probably something you didn't consider, but what models would have researched if it was for a permanent set-up. i.e. you not having to worry about transporting them around?

    If I was looking for something less portable then I'd probably have gone for ATC SCM100ASL Pro's.
    I'd have to have spent the same again on my room acoustics though, which I won't doing until we return to the UK in 2021-2022.
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