Legend Acoustics Kurre 9 - Review

[magical]

On 05/12/2017 at 2:14 PM, AudioGeek said:

Selling direct is much better than through trafitional retailers. Keeps the prices down, with no middle men.

 

Let me ask, do you drive an Oz made car?

Yeah,  but you loose the ability to compare different speakers. If you go to try a particular speak and try it at his house(this does happen) you compare his speakers to his speakers. The whole reason for retailers is the ability to try different equipment. On many occasions I've played 5 or more different brands to people. And I've had customers spend days listening to equipment to then try and buy them direct. Is that fair.? I heatd one retailet say we should charge for demo time which of course is laughable, then I had a couole listen to some speakers and right in front of me they went online on their smartphones to find a cheaper price. What price 3 hours of my time & tying up the demo space? Didn't even thank me on their way out! Sorry I'm so passionate about this,  but I've even worse stories about customer abuse. 

 

[AudioGeek]

Lol, i cant remember the context of my words you have quoted.

 

Sorry to hear of your issues in audio retail - everyone seems to have that problem, particularly with imported products. Definitely an information age phenomenon. I understand your frustration.

 

I love and support Australian made speakers, my last 4 sets being local. Which shop can I compare Legend/VAF/Osborne/Hulgich etc.? 

Will it sound the same in my space with my own gear?

 

If there is so much of an advantage selling through retailers how come our local manufacturers dont do it? 

 

How much would it add to their prices,  and would they lose their value advantage?

 

New models of sales are needed....

 

[Upgrayed]

29 minutes ago, AudioGeek said:

Lol, i cant remember the context of my words you have quoted.

 

Sorry to hear of your issues in audio retail - everyone seems to have that problem, particularly with imported products. Definitely an information age phenomenon. I understand your frustration.

 

I love and support Australian made speakers, my last 4 sets being local. Which shop can I compare Legend/VAF/Osborne/Hulgich etc.? 

Will it sound the same in my space with my own gear?

 

If there is so much of an advantage selling through retailers how come our local manufacturers dont do it? 

 

How much would it add to their prices,  and would they lose their value advantage?

 

New models of sales are needed....

 

Actually if you choose one of the brands you mention and spend your budget, you will have the best speaker available in OZ for you. 

[magical]

To shine a sportlight on how honest & direct Dr Rod of Legend is, I played him the Dynaudio C4's and his comment was, he said if he could make a speaker like that he'd be a happy man, but they're 3 times the cost of his most expensive. 

Greg Osbourne on the other hand without hearing the same speakers response was -not bad fot a surround. No wonder the retailer I was associated with dumped Osbourne as a brand,  but still support Legend. 

[AudioGeek]

Dr Ron is definitely a Legend.

Greg has his own style, but is a local audio icon as well.

[magical]

Indeed he is. I'm proud to have the prototype big reds. When my house was burgled a few years back, the big Legends had been move towards the door, but l think they gave up because of sheer weight. These a one peice, not like the current ones which are two boxes each side. 

[AudioGeek]

You got me thinking - in the audio game I dont think I have met a more humble, genuine or honest man than Dr Ron.

 

Iam sure if it was an armed robbery: "take everything! Just leave the speakers.. ." 

 

 

[magical]

14 minutes ago, AudioGeek said:

You got me thinking - in the audio game I dont think I have met a more humble, genuine or honest man than Dr Ron.

 

Iam sure if it was an armed robbery: "take everything! Just leave the speakers.. ." 

 

 

As I've said in these forums before, he the only designer/distributor I've invited to my house. When he came in to do an upgrade or play somthing new or in progress, he'd always ask if I can somthing special to listen to. 

[muzzagruzz]

1 hour ago, Magicdog said:

To shine a sportlight on how honest & direct Dr Rod of Legend is, I played him the Dynaudio C4's and his comment was, he said if he could make a speaker like that he'd be a happy man, but they're 3 times the cost of his most expensive. 

Greg Osbourne on the other hand without hearing the same speakers response was -not bad fot a surround. No wonder the retailer I was associated with dumped Osbourne as a brand,  but still support Legend. 

Dr Crawford certainly succeeded in making a speaker as good as Dynaudio.  In fact, I’ll argue that he’s made a better one.  I recently listened to the Dynaudio Special 40’s powered by a Moon integrated with a Yamaha CD-S1000 and hated the sound they produced.  The imaging of the 40’s was excellent but the high frequencies were so pushed forward it was like being slapped in the face by the vocalist.  The music was so bad I thought either this was a bad sample or the design was seriously flawed.  They were that bad!!  For a 4.5K speaker you have to wonder how they got it so wrong? 

 

The redeeming feature of the 40’s is the absolutely gorgeous finish and stunning build quality.  However, this means nothing if the sound isn’t right. 

 

Kurre 9’s @ less than half the 40’s price is astonishing.  I was lucky to pick them up for the special Sydney HiFi price of 20% off.  Would love to play them to a Dynaudio 40’s owner.  I’ll probably see them weeping before too long. 

 

 

NB: I didn’t go into the retailer’s store just to listen to the Dyns and waste their time, I did actually go there to buy some headphones.  

Edited January 5, 2018 by muzzagruzz

[magical]

15 minutes ago, muzzagruzz said:

Dr Crawford certainly succeeded in making a speaker as good as Dynaudio.  In fact, I’ll argue that he’s made a better one.  I recently listened to the Dynaudio Special 40’s powered by a Moon integrated with a Yamaha CD-S1000 and hated the sound they produced.  The imaging of the 40’s was excellent but the high frequencies were so pushed forward it was like being slapped in the face by the vocalist.  The music was so bad I thought either this was a bad sample or the design was seriously flawed.  They were that bad!!  For a 4.5K speaker you have to wonder how they got it so wrong? 

 

The redeeming feature of the 40’s is the absolutely gorgeous finish and stunning build quality.  However, this means nothing if the sound isn’t right. 

 

Kurre 9’s @ less than half the 40’s price is astonishing.  I was lucky to pick them up for the special Sydney HiFi price of 20% off.  Would love to play them to a Dynaudio 40’s owner.  I’ll probably see them weeping before too long. 

 

 

NB: I didn’t go into the retailer’s store just to listen to the Dyns and waste their time, I did actually go there to buy some headphones.  

Firstly, the C4 and special 40's are in a different league their over $40k now. Likewise dyns are notoriously needing a crazy long run in time. I sold more contour 1.3se than anyone (still a much higher end spk) and I always offered to give the at least a couple of hundred hours prior to delivery. I also worry about the newer dyns since they are now primarily a chinese co. 

[muzzagruzz]

The 40’s I listened to had been run in rather well, or so I’d been told.  It was actually the second time I’d listened to this pair with some weeks between sessions. 

 

With respect to price, high price doesn’t always guarantee high SQ.  I’d be happy to compare the Tikandi Grande Be next to Dynaudio C4’s.  I think it has been well established that Australian speakers punch well above their weight. 

[andyr]

1 hour ago, muzzagruzz said:

Dr Crawford certainly succeeded in making a speaker as good as Dynaudio.  In fact, I’ll argue that he’s made a better one.  I recently listened to the Dynaudio Special 40’s powered by a Moon integrated with a Yamaha CD-S1000 and hated the sound they produced.  The imaging of the 40’s was excellent but the high frequencies were so pushed forward it was like being slapped in the face by the vocalist.  The music was so bad I thought either this was a bad sample or the design was seriously flawed.  They were that bad!!  For a 4.5K speaker you have to wonder how they got it so wrong? 

 

The redeeming feature of the 40’s is the absolutely gorgeous finish and stunning build quality.  However, this means nothing if the sound isn’t right. 

 

Kurre 9’s @ less than half the 40’s price is astonishing.  I was lucky to pick them up for the special Sydney HiFi price of 20% off.  Would love to play them to a Dynaudio 40’s owner.  I’ll probably see them weeping before too long.

 

NB: I didn’t go into the retailer’s store just to listen to the Dyns and waste their time, I did actually go there to buy some headphones.  

 

But, muzz - I read that you're an ME fanboi ... so you're hearing must be suspect! 

 

Andy

 

[magical]

32 minutes ago, muzzagruzz said:

The 40’s I listened to had been run in rather well, or so I’d been told.  It was actually the second time I’d listened to this pair with some weeks between sessions. 

 

With respect to price, high price doesn’t always guarantee high SQ.  I’d be happy to compare the Tikandi Grande Be next to Dynaudio C4’s.  I think it has been well established that Australian speakers punch well above their weight. 

I actually own the prototype big reds, the precurser to the tikandi and if you see my ealier post,  I played the C4 to Legends dr Rod, a good friend, and his comment was that if he could design a speaker that good he'd die a happy man. So don't be too quick to judge,  the C4 needs really careful matching & setup, and I've been a supporter of Rod's for 18 years. If the designer conceeds that they are an amazing speaker, id take that on board. Love my Legends though. Some of my close friends have bought Legends from me and one musy be very cautious selling to friends. 

[muzzagruzz]

19 minutes ago, andyr said:

 

But, muzz - I read that you're an ME fanboi ... so you're hearing must be suspect! 

 

Andy

 

So true Andy, never listen to the opinion of an ME fanboi!  They are clearly delusional.  

 

[muzzagruzz]

I’m not judging the C4 as I haven’t heard it as yet and probably won’t get the chance to. Merely suggesting that the Tikandi’s would probably compete quite well with the C4, in terms of SQ. 

[magical]

2 minutes ago, muzzagruzz said:

I’m not judging the C4 as I haven’t heard it as yet and probably won’t get the chance to. Merely suggesting that the Tikandi’s would probably compete quite well with the C4, in terms of SQ. 

I don't think I've heard a speaker by Rod that wasn't pretty damned good, in terms of value for money the Kamas and Kantus are exceptional. If was looking for a spk less than say $3k the Kamas at $2 would be on the short list. However the C4 are in a different league even with my $10k big reds, but they maybe arnt as dynamic, but so sweet & seemless,  but dont listen to them untill they havr 600 hours on them. Difficult to run in for a shop unless you have a seperate area to let them go 24/7 for weeks. Fortunatly i had that luxury and often has 2 set of speakers constantly running, unfortunately in was the service area where I spent a lot of time. 

[magical]

On 17/10/2017 at 8:40 PM, muzzagruzz said:

Intro

 

As a lover of good bookshelf speakers, I wanted my final speaker purchase to be rather special.  My bias for Legend Acoustics’ speakers is well known, so it was obvious and inevitable that a bookshelf from Dr Crawford’s stable would be chosen.  The dream was to go for the speaker I had always coveted, the Isobaric Small Red, however, the financial part of the brain said no!  Hmmm, I really knew all along it would be the new version of the Kurre, number 8.  So, remembering an excellent review of the Kurre in Australian HiFi last year, I thought I’d give them a listen at the HiFi show in Sydney.  At the show, I met with the good Dr and I was a little surprised to learn that version 9 was being displayed and demonstrated.  Surprised, because it wasn’t long ago that version 8 was released.  The difference is the inclusion of a wave-guide for the tweeter but I won’t even attempt to explain what it does.  That information is provided on the Legend website. 

 

Amplification:

 

It’s a given that if your HiFi system has well designed loudspeakers then they should be partnered with amplification and source equipment that can extract the best performance they are capable of delivering.  This explains why I chose my ME25 and ME550 Mk II high cap power amplifier for this review.  Normally, the Luxman L-507uX drives the Kurre’s, however, this amplifier doesn’t have enough current to do the speakers justice.  It would be unfair on the Kurre’s to write a review based on amplification that can’t extract what they are capable of.  Of course, this is based on my own opinion and experience and I welcome differences in opinions and would encourage anyone to voice them.

 

Source:

 

Only one source was used, a Luxman D-05u SACD player, connected with Nordost Blue Heaven interconnects.

 

Build:

 

My Italian cabinetmaker Dad, who worked for Parker furniture for about 30 years, had a close look at the cabinetry and was suitably impressed by the quality of the veneer and how the edges were beautifully joined.  High praise from a cabinetmaker who learnt his craft in Italy! Watching him, when I was a child, construct all of our household furniture from material he obtained from Parker, I never asked how he got a hold of it, I marveled at how he fashioned pieces of wood into tables, chairs and cupboards with such meticulous skill.  I particularly remember Dad using an old household clothes iron to press veneer onto sheets of MDF using Bostik glue and trimming the edges with a sharp chisel so perfectly.  Unfortunately, his skills didn’t transfer to the first generation because all I ever did was watch in amazement as piece after piece became part of our house.  Much of it still remains today.

 

Legend cabinets are no doubt fashioned in a far more elaborate and sophisticated manner and the precision is just as fine as my dad’s furniture.  Finished in glorious Jarrah veneer, my favourite, with a lovely lush coating of lacquer that still enables the grain to be felt when gliding your hand over it.  Weighing in at a hefty fourteen kilograms, they require a good stable, rigid speaker stand so I chose the Dynaudio Stand 6 which is beautifully constructed and provides precisely what it is needed. Believe it or not, I have mine stuffed with old towels which deadens the sound quite nicely.  The speaker terminals allow for bi-wiring, which Dr Crawford advocates, and mine are coupled with Nordost Red Dawn bi-wire cables.  They will soon be upgraded to the latest LS version of Red Dawn single wire coupled with Norse 2 speaker jumper cables.  For the purpose of this review, the older version will be used.

 

Listening Impressions:

 

For the first few hours of listening to the Kurre 9’s I thought perhaps the bass was too prominent and could need a bit of attenuating as it overwhelmed my listening room. However, I recently purchased another largish canvas print and rearranged all three prints in the room and this has made a positive difference to the acoustics of the room.  This change in the room’s acoustics altered my perception of the bass produced by the speaker, it would appear it was only the room that required ‘attenuating’.  Now, the volume can be increased without the concomitant smattering of notes bouncing and reflecting all over the place. Much better J

 

I’m drawn to music with strong bass lines so I’ve chosen songs from Beth Orton’s album ‘Kidsticks’ along with Suzanne Vega’s ‘Nine Objects of Desire’ and ’99.9F^o’ to test bass.  Am I wrong, or do female artists just write killer bass lines?  For any speaker to become part of my system, it has to pass a stringent bass test.  In my estimate, correctly or incorrectly, bass must be taught, punchy, fast and most importantly, be put in its place when needed, not let run wild and uncontrolled. 

 

‘Snow’, the opening track to Beth Orton’s ‘Kidsticks’ smacks you in the face with bass and will test any speaker that claims to deliver that unrelenting beat.  I can count the beats from the Kurre as they are clearly delineated, they don’t run on and on into one another.  The bass/mid driver is fast enough to keep up with the stop/start timing of the bass notes.

 

‘Petals’, the third track has a delicious decaying bass line that runs for about three seconds each time and sucks you into the song at the very beginning.  Beth’s slightly falsetto voice, quite different to her earlier records, augments the bass line beautifully.  So here, we have the falsetto voice and bass notes integrated in a lovely symbiosis with the latter that runs like butter.

 

Suzanne Vega’s ‘Nine Objects of Desire’ is a cornucopia of delicious, mouth watering bass lines.  Track three, ‘Caramel’, swamps the listener with a rhythmic line and transports your mind to a dimly lit, intimate venue with your loved one drinking a mellow pinot noir.  Then ‘Stockings’ kicks in and the pinot noir has filled your veins and the bass emanating from the Kurre’s bass/mid driver takes over the pumping of blood from your heart – such is the sustaining rhythm of the speaker.

 

99.9F⁰ is the next silver disc in the tray and it was this 1992 album that made me fall for Vega’s music.  The accompanying tour was magnificent, sitting near the front of the State Theatre I was mesmerized by Vega’s beautiful and delicate acoustic guitar work.  She truly is a master of that instrument.  ‘Blood Makes Noise’ is brilliantly conceived as the pulsing of the bass represents the blood pulsing through the body and it also reflects the lyrics.  The driver has the pulse well timed, controlled, and importantly, doesn’t let the notes run away.  In this song, the bass has a very specific purpose and that is to reflect the constant pulse of blood so it requires control and timing.

 

Not a one trick pony

 

If you are as obsessed with the female voice as I am, you will love how this speaker renders voice. 

 

A case in point would be Katie Noonan’s divine singing on her latest release, ‘Songs of the Latin Skies’.  If a purer voice exists in this universe, please tell me to whom it belongs.  Karin Schaup’s acoustic guitar beautifully compliments Noonan’s voice, and here, the Kurre’s mid/bass and tweeter combine to meld voice and instrument so perfectly.

 

This is especially evident on track eight, ‘Canta Mais’, where the Kurre’s have the voice front and centre delivering delicacy and depth while the guitar provides the emotional backing.  On track ten, ‘Manha De Carnaval’, the voice and guitar are enmeshed and couldn’t survive without each other but they would fail to unite on a lesser speaker that couldn’t handle delicacy, poise or imaging.  

 

One other ingredient is required to make this recording sound its best – accuracy. This recording would, I dare say, sound like crap on any speaker that couldn’t portray realism or accuracy.  This is the Kurre 9’s trump card and this recording, song after song, proves just how accurate these speakers are.  The Kurre’s portray Noonan’s extraordinary vocal range in its entirety with no limitations placed upon it, exposed accurately as it should be heard. 

 

As a final speaker purchase, I couldn’t be more satisfied.  Now, what to do with that Luxman?  Oh, I know, another ME pre and power combination.

 

Keen to read other user’s experiences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stuffing the stands with old towels? Brilliant bit of lateral thinking. I know the stands & i reckon that'd work well. How you enjoy the spekers, I've got the Legend big Reds, $10k semi active that are the prototypes from Dr Rod designer of the speakers and they do very well.

[magical]

On 22/10/2017 at 9:17 PM, muzzagruzz said:

Hey Spider, 

 

Yep, they are the bigger brother to the Kurre in the reference passive range - the  Kantu 8i. While they have a similar sound signature to the Kurre’s, it’s difficult to compare a two way with a three way design. 

 

Commonalities would be an astonishing ability to image, fast and controlled bass and accuracy. I don’t know if I’ve ever  heard a floor standing speaker that images like this.  

The kantu's arn't a three way but a 2 and a half way. The tweeter & mid drivers are in am enclosed box (angled divider inside the box) And the lower driver is in a larger space allowing it a lower responce. The two lf drivers share the same crossover. 

[muzzagruzz]

The Kantu’s are listed as a 3.5 way speaker on his website. Although, it does also say it’s a bookshelf. ( he may wish to fix that bit). 

 

The Kamas are a 2.5 way design as listed on his website. 

[magical]

8 minutes ago, muzzagruzz said:

The Kantu’s are listed as a 3.5 way speaker on his website. Although, it does also say it’s a bookshelf. ( he may wish to fix that bit). 

 

The Kamas are a 2.5 way design as listed on his website. 

It'd have to be a damned big bookshelf! 

[Cafad]

On 1/5/2018 at 8:11 PM, muzzagruzz said:

 The imaging of the 40’s was excellent but the high frequencies were so pushed forward it was like being slapped in the face by the vocalist.  The music was so bad I thought either this was a bad sample or the design was seriously flawed.  They were that bad!!  For a 4.5K speaker you have to wonder how they got it so wrong? 

 

I've never heard the Dyns but I would suggest that at least part of that effect was due to the Moon, forward is certainly a word I would use to describe the sound of the Moon I1.

[magical]

Maybe it's just a crappy recording & the Dyn's were telling you that? Don't know, but having had more speskers than most will ever had to compare (where I worked I had over 100 speakers to try) dyns are a very "civilised" speaker, never harsh in the top end after 200-300 hours of run in. 

[muzzagruzz]

9 hours ago, Cafad said:

I've never heard the Dyns but I would suggest that at least part of that effect was due to the Moon, forward is certainly a word I would use to describe the sound of the Moon I1.

I don’t know Moon equipment well enough to comment on its sound signature.  It would be an interesting test to pair the Special 40’s with my ME240 high cap. I wonder if that amp would pull back the vocals a bit? 

[Cafad]

I've only heard the one Moon amp but if it was typical of their sound signature then IMHO using an ME240 would definitely be a step in the right, forwardness-correcting, direction.

[was_a]

Dyns+Moon = very 'concentrated' sound...Forward I'd say and a little on the thin side harmonically...

I'm very familiar with Densen-Dynaudio combos and that works better, although still a little too 'lively' in my opinion. I can understand Dr Rod liking the Dyn C4s, as they're very 'accurate' and revealing - positive attributes in the eyes (or ears) of audio engineers. Yet I like his Legend speakers - across the entire range - much better! They're very accurate (low distortion) yet there's a natural, effortless quality to the sound that to me is preferable.