Kii Audio Owners and Discussion Thread

[Snoopy8]

Accidentally found a bonus today.  My Arcam AVR 550 remote works on the Kii Three, controls volume, mute and can change inputs. 

[BugPowderDust]

What kind of SPL do you guys get out of your Kii’s in room? As a near field monitor, I’d usually find something like them a bit light on to fill a bigger space.

While I don’t usually blast the tunes, it’s often nice to have something that can shoot the cat into the next door neighbours place.

 

Also, I think it’s very interesting how much of the style and the speaker layout Kii seem to have appropriated from Barefoot sound.
 

Before Barefoot put out the Micromains, I can’t think of anyone with that kind of Sideway woofer loading on an active speaker. Even down to the Master Stack vs BXT options / configuration, it’s a little too coincidental.

 

I run a set of Barefoot Micromains in my home studio (have for nearly 10 years). If the Kii are half way as good, I can see why the interest is there in people from this forum.

[Snoopy8]

23 minutes ago, recur said:

As a near field monitor, I’d usually find something like them a bit light on to fill a bigger space.

Mine are in an open plan family room, 6 m wide and a lot more longer, and with high ceilings.  I do get complaints from my sons upstairs when I go 2/3 of the dial up.   

Edited October 17, 2020 by Snoopy8
Typo

[gibbo9000]

7 hours ago, recur said:

If the Kii are half way as good

Same experience as Snoop - 6m x 10m room and no SPL issues in sight.  No where near full volume for loud, Loud listening.

Kii is significantly different underlying philosophy and execution to Barefoots - well beyond side facing driver similarity.  Agree Master Stack similar approach to BXT - but BXT pushed to full line source. 

[BugPowderDust]

The Kii seem interesting. It’s not something that had hit my radar but we’ll worth a look see.

 

I had someone on here today reach out to do a side by side test of the kii with my barefoot.
 

Could be an interesting face off  if this lockdown ever settles down.

[Satanica]

[sir sanders zingmore]

On 17/10/2020 at 9:29 PM, recur said:

I had someone on here today reach out to do a side by side test of the kii with my barefoot.
 

I have to say, I'm scratching my head at this 

[Satanica]

8 minutes ago, sir sanders zingmore said:

I have to say, I'm scratching my head at this 

Me too so then I used G O O G L E

https://barefootsound.com/

[sir sanders zingmore]

37 minutes ago, Satanica said:

Me too so then I used G O O G L E

https://barefootsound.com/

wow!

 

https://awave.com.au/shop/monitoring/active-monitors/barefoot-masterstack12-each/

 

[BugPowderDust]

The Barefoot gear is primo equipment. Good enough for Butch Vig, Tony Visconti, Chris Lord Alge, Spike Stent and even Skrillex.

 

I love my existing Barefoot monitors hence my I've been seriously considering the MasterStack12 since it came out.  The Kii BXT solution looks very similar in execution to the Masterstack and seems cheaper, so could be a contender for consideration.

 

The problem is I can't find any local MasterStack's to listen to for comparison's sake; Awave (and their distribution arm Audio Chocolate) don't hold stock and won't any time soon.

[frednork]

On 17/10/2020 at 1:05 PM, recur said:

Before Barefoot put out the Micromains, I can’t think of anyone with that kind of Sideway woofer loading on an active speaker. Even down to the Master Stack vs BXT options / configuration, it’s a little too coincidental.

 

The special thing about the Kii's and the Dutch and Dutch( even moreso) is the constant directivity performance. Cant find measurements on the Barefoots but would be interesting to see.

[davewantsmoore]

On 17/10/2020 at 1:05 PM, recur said:

What kind of SPL do you guys get out of your Kii’s in room? As a near field monitor, I’d usually find something like them a bit light on to fill a bigger space.

While I don’t usually blast the tunes, it’s often nice to have something that can shoot the cat into the next door neighbours place.

 

Also, I think it’s very interesting how much of the style and the speaker layout Kii seem to have appropriated from Barefoot sound.
 

Before Barefoot put out the Micromains, I can’t think of anyone with that kind of Sideway woofer loading on an active speaker.

The Kii side/rear woofer is different in setup/results to what Barefoot are doing.

 

Kii are using the side/rear woofers to interfere with each other (and the front driver) to use the cancellations to create a specifc shape to the coverage pattern in the 300 to 1000Hz range.

 

[davewantsmoore]

5 hours ago, recur said:

MasterStack12

100K   

[wikeeboy]

Advice required!

 

I have several digital inputs piped in to the Kii's via the Kii Control, which i'm perfectly happy with.

 

I'm currently sending my (dedicated audio) turntable in to a PS Audio Nuwave Converter which doubles as my Phono and ADC. I feed the converted analogue signal via coax in to the Kii Control.

 

I use the AES/XLR input on the back of the speakers to feed an analogue signal from the (DJ) mixer attached to a couple of turntables.

 

I've purchased a pretty decent phono which will replace the PS Audio Nuwave. My problem is that i will now have two different analogue sources...

 

My question therefore is what's the best way to deal with these two separate analogue sources so that i don't have to swap cables each time i change between my dedicated turntable and Dj setup?

 

I could send the phono signal in to the nuwave converter so that my dedicated turntable feeds the Kii Control but i'd prefer not to do this...

 

Appreciate any advice and help

 

[gibbo9000]

Kii's are great until we run into these annoying little Analog connection issues! 

Is part of the issue also connectors - is the DJ mixer balanced XLR out or unbalanced RCA (just wired to XLR connector at Kii end)?  If it is all unbalanced something dead simple like Schiit SYS may be an option.  Should the dedicated audio turntable and new phone stage get 'quality' priority and go to Kii AES/XLR?
On the other side, what is the hesitation on using nuwave converter as ADC for one of the signals - just it is an expensive piece of kit that lots of people would like one in the second hand market, or just too many boxes?  Before I moved to Parks Puffin as phono / ADC I explored a few of the dedicated ADC's available and concluded that, apart from the $100 cheapies, they are pretty much transparent and I was more than happy to put them between phono stage outputs and Kii's digital inputs.  Have a Behringer Ultramatch (24/96 - very flexible I/O options) and Uwe Beis ADC (24/192) if you are intersted in trying a dedicated ADC.
Gibbo

[wikeeboy]

Hey @gibbo9000 appreciate the response.

 

My mixer has both XLR and RCA outputs. I always use the XLR outputs, and it's via those i connect directly to the rear of the kii's.

 

Hadn't seen the SYS before.. nice simple device. Wonder if you can disable the volume (or i guess you'd just leave it fully on?).

 

I'm looking to purchase a really good quality ADC to start archiving some of my records so it sounds like the ADC in front of the phono is the way to go (then into the kii control), and keep the DJ mixer plugged directly in to the kii's. Until i purchase the ADC however, using the PS Audio ADC to convert my DJ mixer into digital and then in to the Kii control, leaving the phono direct to the kii's will be a good solution. Hadn't thought of that so appreciate the input.

 

[gibbo9000]

12 hours ago, wikeeboy said:

I'm looking to purchase a really good quality ADC

Interested to see what you decide on.  I had a good look at the RME ADI and Mytek Brooklyn ADC, but over the top in my analog set up.  I was interested in Coax/Toslink (for day-to-day connection to Kii's) and USB connection for PC connection - and the cheaper ones don't offer both. 

[TerryO]

I had an opportunity to listen to the Kii’s with the BXT’s last week, all I can say is Wow! Totally impressed.

[Hydrology]

@TerryO Great to hear Terry - they really are a game changer! Hopefully have our burnt orange colour ones soon!

[wikeeboy]

Has anyone tried the Isoacoustic Gaia's under the Kii stands? Experience and opinion?

 

I'm interested to know if using the isoacoustic orea's as an interface between speaker cabinet and stands, or the Gaia's under the bottom of the stands would yield better results...

[Ray H]

18 minutes ago, wikeeboy said:

Has anyone tried the Isoacoustic Gaia's under the Kii stands? Experience and opinion?

 

I'm interested to know if using the isoacoustic orea's as an interface between speaker cabinet and stands, or the Gaia's under the bottom of the stands would yield better results...

I had the Gaia’s ready to go, but the Kii’s (if the stands are the same as BXT’s) require a thread adaptor that is really hard to get. I waited nearly a year for the adaptors and they couldn’t get them, so I ended up selling the Gaia’s unfortunately.

 

If you decide to get them, I hope you have better luck getting the thread adaptors.

 

Edit - the Oreas would be a good option to start at lower cost.

Edited February 1, 2021 by Ray H

[Snoopy8]

Am using Iso Pucks under the speakers and they do make a difference by removing smearing, thus enhancing detail.

 

Isoacoustics recommend using Gaias only when the speakers are directly coupled to the stands. Otherwise, Oreas or Iso Pucks. This advice came via email from them, had SGR CX3Bs then, which could be bolted to the stands.

 

Have not compared Oreas & Iso Pucks side by side but my tests with stands suggest there is no discernible difference between the pro audio and consumer range.

[wikeeboy]

11 minutes ago, Ray H said:

I had the Gaia’s ready to go, but the Kii’s (if the stands are the same as BXT’s) require a thread adaptor that is really hard to get. I waited nearly a year for the adaptors and they couldn’t get them, so I ended up selling the Gaia’s unfortunately.

 

If you decide to get them, I hope you have better luck getting the thread adaptors.

 

Edit - the Oreas would be a good option to start at lower cost.

 

Oh ok, thanks for the feedback. I made the simple assumption the stands would accept any of the normal spike threads. That's a shame if it is still an issue as so many comment on their great results with other speakers.

7 minutes ago, Snoopy8 said:

Am using Iso Pucks under the speakers and they do make a difference by removing smearing, thus enhancing detail.

 

Isoacoustics recommend using Gaias only when the speakers are directly coupled to the stands. Otherwise, Oreas or Iso Pucks. This advice came via email from them, had SGR CX3Bs then, which could be bolted to the stands.

 

Have not compared Oreas & Iso Pucks side by side but my tests with stands suggest there is no discernible difference between the pro audio and consumer range.

 

Thanks Snoop, you've saved me the email to Iso

 

[Ray H]

11 minutes ago, wikeeboy said:

 

Oh ok, thanks for the feedback. I made the simple assumption the stands would accept any of the normal spike threads. That's a shame if it is still an issue as so many comment on their great results with other speakers.

 

Thanks Snoop, you've saved me the email to Iso

 

Hey wikee,

 

Disregard my previous, the stands have a standard M8 thread, which comes with the Gaia’s, so the Gaia’s come with an M8 thread adaptor.

 

if you buy the Gaia, I would be really interested in the results.

 

Ray

[Snoopy8]

Orea or Gaia for Kii Three?

 

Maybe can argue that the Kii Three is coupled with the BXT module and thus should use the Gaia (note weight is sum of both).

 

But the Kii Three sits on a standard stand and thus should use the Orea. Unless someone can say the Gaia is better, there should be no reason to go the Gaia. Even then, would need to somehow couple the Kii Three to the stand (anyone dare drill to add bolts???)