Customer Ratings & Reviews

Clear disclosure, I am am audio engineer ny trade and hace been in audio engineering and then aalea for over 40 years. I have always owned 2 way bookshelf speakers as that is the type of speaker I was used to listening to professionally. I have always loved KEF speakers and despite alreasy owning 5 pairs of 2 way bookshelve speakers, i was moment away from ordering a pair of passive LS50s. Then I stopped when I realized I’d new new stands. I had always been intrigued by the 3-way R3. I auditioned them and decided that they sounded good enouth in the sound room to try them out on my rig at home. Thry were easy to place in my room. Right out if the box they imaged better than any of my other speakers and when they were broken in they sounded better and more balanced than speakers costing multiples of the R3. They sounded amazing on my solid state amp/pre and even better on my tube gear. To me perhaos the most important aspect of a speaker is its ability to throw a soundstage and these do better than most even compared to the Sonus Faber Electa Amator which 4X the price. Yeah, I’m spoiled now. Usually I’ll have a pair up for 4-6 montha then get bored and swap them with a different pair. I hade had the R3s up for over a year and I have no interest in moving them. Well, if i get a good price on all other speakers, i could be convinced to get the Reference 1s. Seriously, for my trained ears, these are the best speakers under $5K. (Want a treat? Listen to Roger Waters’ “Amused to Death” in Q-Sound on your speakers then ok the R3s. Do that and you will get rid of what you are listening to now. You’re Welcome)

I have owned these speakers for 3 months. I have them in the black finished (so sexy). These speakers fill my bedroom quite nicely. I took a star off because they are not as exciting to listen to as my B&W 705s2. They are fine for bedroom listening but if you really want to rock out, they kind of disappoint.

If you're thinking about buying some of these, don't think too much, just do it! You won't be disappointed. So long as the rest of your system is in order, you'll be happy. Heavy and extremely well made.