Has anyone heard these speakers? They are stunning, but i wonder if it's a bit of hoo-haa...

http://www.kef.com/products/muon 

 

I have always been a fan of Kef speakers, these just look as if they are trying to hard...

 

Just goes to show how far advanced B&O are in terms of speaker design as these look very 90s compared to the avantgarde 9s & 5s. 

Not my cup of tea! And are these real or a concept? I am sure they could well sound very good - there are a lot of excellent high end speakers - but will not be as easy to set up as 5s. Once you get to this level though, the whole thing becomes more about you and what you want to project about yourself.

I hope they sound much, much better than they look

They look as if they've been stood too close to a heat source.

I'm sure they sound very very good.

They do look as if they've lterally just fallen off the back of a lorry though Not to my tastes, but I can see other people loving them.

Having said that I'm sure they look totally different in the flesh as photo's don't normally do a product justice - remember the initial reactions to BL9's?

 

Chris.

They were launched at the latest Venice Biennale. Limited run of production, already almost filled with orders.

Reckon on USD 140.000 for a pair. Plus the rather formidable amplifier monoblocks required to run them well.

Haven't heard them. You'll need a large room, as the surface reflections first come to life with distance to the walls, in order to create an interesting interplay of light and shadow.

Just goes to show, yet again, that having fist fulls of money is no guarantee of having good taste!

Puncher:

Just goes to show, yet again, that having fist fulls of money is no guarantee of having good taste!

Yes, must confess I never liked these, from the first photos I saw from the launch. And I haven't read any reviews of the sound they produce - though KEF is a well renowned loudspeaker company, so that should be satisfactory. 

Actually, of late I haven't been overly impressed with Kef's speakers. My local kikinoko dealer told me a story about how their top of the range reference speakers aren't actually all they're cracked up to be, so Kef sent all the reviewers on a Skiing trip before the review! Of course, they got very very good reviews

I may be wrong, but wasn't the Archimedes project partly done with Kef? And isn't the bass unit in the BL5 a Kef unit?

I actually quite like them!  A brave attempt to be different in their styling, which has created something original.  This is what B&O do after all !!

They would look good in only a limited amount of surroundings though, which is where B&O always seem to win.  I've seen BL8000's, BL9's and the like in small front rooms and also in grand warehouse conversions and they looked good in both. I've even seen BeoLab1's in a Kitchen and they looked right too! (it was a big kitchen mind you)

However, at $140,000 a pair, these won't be in small front rooms i guess!

In all, a good advertisement for the designer in my opinion.  Only my opinion though!

Lee

9 LEE:

I actually quite like them!  A brave attempt to be different in their styling, which has created something original.  This is what B&O do after all !!

They would look good in only a limited amount of surroundings though, which is where B&O always seem to win.  I've seen BL8000's, BL9's and the like in small front rooms and also in grand warehouse conversions and they looked good in both. I've even seen BeoLab1's in a Kitchen and they looked right too! (it was a big kitchen mind you)

However, at $140,000 a pair, these won't be in small front rooms i guess!

In all, a good advertisement for the designer in my opinion.  Only my opinion though!

Lee

Actually I disagree, these are more likely to be seen in a small room, as I doubt the buyer could afford a decent sized house after buying these!

I think the buyer of these would be likely to have a HUGE house. Love or hate - and i love the design of these. The design philosophy isn't B&O, and it's much more daring and abstract.

If i had a massive old house made of marble, these would be the icing on the cake. I just feel skeptical about how they may sound! Finding a review of how they do sound could be impossible, as they are limited to 100 being produced. I like them because they are so very weird and different.

David:

I think the buyer of these would be likely to have a HUGE house. Love or hate - and i love the design of these. The design philosophy isn't B&O, and it's much more daring and abstract.

If i had a massive old house made of marble, these would be the icing on the cake. I just feel skeptical about how they may sound! Finding a review of how they do sound could be impossible, as they are limited to 100 being produced. I like them because they are so very weird and different.

I know, I was joking

IMO, the BeoLab 5s are far more distinctive visually...

I do like their design as well.
I think there is element of art in these speakers. This transforms speaker to a sculpture. In my opinion this is great idea.
I'm sure they do sound very good. Obviously huge place is needed for these speakers. I can't imagine monoblocks placed near them, in such gallery-type settings. They would have to be hidden. I don't understand why could not they be powered speakers. Perhaps KEF did not feel confident building amps for such expensive speakers since they are primarily "speaker" company?

Peter:

I may be wrong, but wasn't the Archimedes project partly done with Kef? And isn't the bass unit in the BL5 a Kef unit?

 

yes Peter the bass unit is made by Kef

David:

If i had a massive old house made of marble, these would be the icing on the cake. I just feel skeptical about how they may sound!

How they sound? In a marble house? Think resonance and echo!!!  

But you're right - with some interesting, expressive architecture, with strong areas of interchanging light and dark, you would get stunning reflections in these. Not just sound reflecting off marble. 

Here's a large room that I think would be much better served by BL5s or Muons than by the monstrosity placed in them - the world's most expensive speakers:

http://www.luxist.com/2007/05/24/1-million-grand-enigma-speakers-top-the-list-of-most-expensive/

 

soundproof:

Here's a large room that I think would be much better served by BL5s or Muons than by the monstrosity placed in them - the world's most expensive speakers:

http://www.luxist.com/2007/05/24/1-million-grand-enigma-speakers-top-the-list-of-most-expensive/

 

http://www.higherfi.com/spkrlist/speakerlist.htm

Some interesting speakers on this list.

The designer of the $108,000 Audio Note AN-E Sogon really excelled himself didn't he!

soundproof:

Here's a large room that I think would be much better served by BL5s or Muons than by the monstrosity placed in them - the world's most expensive speakers:

http://www.luxist.com/2007/05/24/1-million-grand-enigma-speakers-top-the-list-of-most-expensive/

 

    For the more money than sense brigade, IMO.

Craig

Craig:

soundproof:

Here's a large room that I think would be much better served by BL5s or Muons than by the monstrosity placed in them - the world's most expensive speakers:

http://www.luxist.com/2007/05/24/1-million-grand-enigma-speakers-top-the-list-of-most-expensive/

 

    For the more money than sense brigade, IMO.

Craig

I'm quite prepared to accept a commision to build a pair of speakers for $1 million for which I don't have to publish technical specifications.

Anyone care to order??????????

Puncher:

Craig:

soundproof:

Here's a large room that I think would be much better served by BL5s or Muons than by the monstrosity placed in them - the world's most expensive speakers:

http://www.luxist.com/2007/05/24/1-million-grand-enigma-speakers-top-the-list-of-most-expensive/

 

    For the more money than sense brigade, IMO.

Craig

I'm quite prepared to accept a commision to build a pair of speakers for $1 million for which I don't have to publish technical specifications.

Anyone care to order??????????

Don't think the designer saw mush to that Million$

I wonder if he's tried wearing them like headphones as Soundproof does