Great look, good mid-high and low-mid frequencies

Bass is not deep, Mids are "rounded" and loud, and very high frequencies aren't loud

I've used Kef Q55 speakers for 6 months with a Cambridge A500 and for 3 months with an old 6500-II Pioneer amplifier.

The speakers offer an very good overall sound, but lacks on some areas.

First, the bass (which was said to go as down as 40Hz) doesn't sound loud enough. I've planned to buy a subwoofer to compensate for the lack of deep bass. Oh, the 6" woofer does make 40Hz bass, but not as loud as I hoped.

Second, the white mid-range speaker seems to do all the frequencies between 100Hz and 5000hz. That means the mid-range frequencies are rounded up a lot and sounds less accurate than supposed.

Finally, the little tweeter almost hidden in the middle of the upper speaker should definitively take a broader and place in the sound. I often pump up the treble on my amp to get something acceptable. I've owned Mission Eletronics speakers in the past and was much more satisfied with the their very crisp sound.

If you've got a very good deal on those you should get them, but don't pay the full price. That's my recommandation!

Similar Products Used:

Genexxa, Mission Electronics, JMLabs Chorus speakers

Clearity and good overall sound-image. Looks good.

Lacks a little bass (just a little)

I like:
- Clearity (it makes the music come alive)
- Looks
- Spikes included

I dislike:
- Lacks a little bass. I use a 10" active sub (Energy Loudspeakers EXL-S10) to supplement for this. Works great.

I feel that I got more than I paid for (and then some). I use it for both stereo music and as frontspeakers in a sourround setup. I can truly recommend these speakers.

Timber, bass extension and sound quality

breakin period

I purchased the KEF Q55.2 for my rears on the home theater system. Currently they are breaking in.. some classical cd playing. I was told by the sales person that these speakers need a long break in period.

I am using KEF Q65.2 (I simply love these speakers and expect the same results from the Q55.2's) for fronts and am planning on getting the Q95.2 centre, although I think it is a small size for a full range speaker...

Similar Products Used:

Q65.2

great soundstage, detailed highs & mids, great looks

spikes come loose, rubber inserts for fronts pop out

After auditioning a fair amount of speakers at my local dealer I read an ad from someone who was selling his Q55's.

Because I already had heard the Q35.2 I knew what to expect and took a listen. The sound was even better than I expected and they were in perfect condition! The owner was obvious very careful with his equipment.

So I bought them for about 475 guilders which is about $200.
Have been listening to them the whole weekend and I'm very impressed. After two days of listening I biwired them with Cable Talk 3.1 biwire cable. I think there is an audible difference but I can't say for sure. Anyway, it's a better cable than the old cheap wire I was using before.

The previous owner had them for about 3/4 years and there wasn't a scratch on the speakers. I did notice that three of the "nuts" in which the spikes have to be screwed are getting a bit loose. Also, the rubbery thingies in which you click the black front (leave it off! looks way better) are getting a bit deformed. Minor details.....

They still sound good after 3 years of usage!!!
I think it's a great speaker!!!

Similar Products Used:

listened to: aucoustic energy aegis one, tannoy r1, mission m73, kef Q35.2

Clear mids and highs. Wide soundstaging.

Naff grills - still prefer them off.

After using these for almost a year, I've grown to love their open mids and clear highs. Soundstaging is wide so as to allow those not in the sweet spot to appreciate the accurate stereo. I initially thought these speakers to be a bit bright but the treble has smoothed off as time went by. Bass is still a bit loose but as most of my listening is done at low volume, it is more audible than tighter bass would be. Best suited to acoustic music to give that intimate live sound - just close your eyes and you're in the front row of the theatre.

Well recommended.

Similar Products Used:

Used with Cyrus 7 and Cyrus Dad1.5
Van Den Hul D102 and C122 cables

soundstage, clarity, great detail

not enough deep bass

great speakers! fantastic detail, enjoyable to listen to.

Similar Products Used:

b&w 603, kef q35.2, a.e aegis3

sound

none so far

This is a great loud speaker. The Uni-q Driver produces an incredibly lush sound for a speaker in this price range. Makes music so more listenable than other speakers that I've heard. Great defintion, clarity is amazing. mids and highs are fantastic. Good bass. Great seperation and defintion of instruments/sounds but manages to keep everything sounding so musical. do yourself a favour and check these speakers out....

Similar Products Used:

b&w

In april 1998, I bought a pair of Q55's from KEF. Trying to get a decent set without spending too much money is a sport, and a fun one when you find the right stuff. The Q55 impressed me immediately, because of their natural sound. They may not be "neutral", but sound very pleasantly and offer a really great soundstage! Compared to the smaller Q35's, the bass is somewhat more satisfying. I listened to the more expensive Linn Nexus and was surprised to notice, that I liked the Q55's better. Hooked up to a Rotel RA 945 (biwired), and in the right position (about 1 meters off the back wall and 2-3 meters apart) they offer a suprisingly realistic sound, in other words, real musicmakers! A friend of mine, owning Quad electrostats, was really surprised at the sound and could not believe the price of NLG 2000 per pair. Best buy of 1997?

I just listened to these speakers, and I tried to like them, but I felt that the sound quality was not great. The bass extension was not there, and the speakers seemed to bright for a few moments. I like the Dynaudio Audience 50 much more. They are smaller, but they seem to sound louder and have clear and impressive mids and highs.

I am a novice listener but spent weeks researching and listening to speakers that would best suit my needs. After reading such good things about the Q-55's I was very disappointed when I found that the woofer was torn right from the factory. It is obvious that there is something lacking in their quality control. Fortunately, the dealer exchanged them right away. However, I now wonder about what else is wrong that I might not have noticed or never will.The speakers do sound pretty good, but a company making that much money should ensure their workmanship!