The name Q series has been a part of the Kef range for more than 20 years now and through updates every 3-4 years it has always been one of the leading speakers in its price range.
Q sits between the cheap and cheerful C series and the high performance R range to give 5 performance levels between £430 and £ 1430 per pair, one of the most competitive areas of the loudspeaker market. Every model follows closely the sizes of the outgoing model so Q100, small bookshelf, becomes Q150 small bookshelf, Q300 larger bookshelf becomes Q350 larger bookshelf etc.
The 2 bookshelf models are Q150 and Q350 at £ 430 and £ 530 per pair. The previous version of the 350 won many awards including loudspeaker of the year so the Q350 has rather large shoes to fill. The cabinet is roughly the same size so it is the improved drive units which will tell the tale.
Putting them on they immediately have the sound signature of the UniQ drive unit with a smooth off-axis response hence giving a big out-of-the box sound. That's what UniQ does. However this latest UniQ is definitely better than the previous version with improved dynamics and detail. Tom Petty sounds excellent, as does another old favourite the Jacqueline du Pre Elgar Cello Concerto. The old Q300 had a bit of a 'bloom' to the bass end which was a pleasant fault to have as long as it's not too boomy and the Q350 retains some of this from the big bass unit in a small cabinet. That said these are really engaging and enjoyable, they will do very well.
Switching to the Q150 shows the same dynamics but with less volume of bass. They are still a great communicator when you play something with emotion, in this case some Nick Cave from The Boatman's Call shows how good they can be, as does some Emily Barker from Dear River.
One unusual part of the new Qs is that they all have single wire terminals instead of bi-wire. The amazing Kef LS50 is single wired so perhaps this shouldn't be a surprise. Instead of spending money on extra sockets and fancy veneers all your money is going into the engineering that provides the best performance.
Talking of the LS50 what will happen comparing them at £ 799 to the Q550 at £ 850? You might know that I am a big fan of the LS50, as is virtually every magazine and journalist around the world!
The Q550s are a slim floorstanding speaker only a mere 7" wide and 3' tall. To gain extra bass from such a narrow cabinet they have a small bass unit flanked by 2 bass radiators beneath their uniQ. They are a good sounding speaker too, more detailed on vocals than the Q350 as well as a deeper and tighter bass.
And the LS50 comparison? Well here's the thing, if you want your system to go louder with more bass, to be tall, slim, and elegant, or if you just like the look of the Q550s then buy them.
The LS50s in ever y other way are just better.
Perhaps this isn't so surprising, the UniQ's cone materials in the LS50 are more expensive and the rounded cabinet with it's massive internal bracing gives a seriously rigid enclosure.
There are still 2 more new floorstanders to listen to, the £ 1150 Q750 and the £ 1430 Q950, but that's for another day as I have work to do!
