Kans

Richard Dane posted:

... if you love Kans but want more of the same then there were active Kans. Quite rare though - one of the few pairs I heard lived in the Naim factory.

I have an active Kans system and I love it. 

I was using Mk1 Kans and was looking to upgrade without loosing that boogie factor and going active was the obvious answer.  If you have a DIY nature, then converting a pair of MkII's is really easy. The mid/bass drivers are easy to remove on MkII's, because they're on a gasket rather than glued in.  Just remove all of the passive components from the crossover and reorient the cables on the pcb to connect directly to the outputs; the MkII's even have 2 pairs of 'speaker sockets.

What of my pair of Mk1's? They are doing Stirling service in the office system upstairs!

Innocent Bystander posted:

Christopher_M posted:

rjc52 posted:

Speakers are a very thorny and individual taste subject.

Given the lengths of your dislikes list, what I don't get here is why the alleged shoutiness of the Kans is perceived to be a problem of the speakers themselves and not the acilliaries they are fed with. So I'm asking, why is it a speaker problem?

 

Because its the nature of the Kans, fundamental to the design - some people love them (I don't understand why), some hate them, and others, maybe the OP, have a love-hate relationship with them.

 Do you not understand why some people love the Kans because you have heard their limitations yourself or only because you have read about them?

Electronics can't change the fundamental character, though to some extent they might moderate it.

 As I have argued elsewhere on this forum, one person's moderation is another person's fundamental change in character.

Read: from virtually all I have ever read about them I don't understand why people like them because apart from being fast they seem to be the antithesis of what I like in speakers. But I accept that people do like them, and everyone is entitled to their own taste (fortunately!), just as people like different cars (some of which I just don't get) or taste in music itself.

But as i said, it seems to me that the OP has a bit of a love-hate relationship with the Kans. i prefer a love-love relationship! 

Innocent Bystander posted:

Read: from virtually all I have ever read about them I don't understand why people like them because apart from being fast they seem to be the antithesis of what I like in speakers. But I accept that people do like them, and everyone is entitled to their own taste (fortunately!), just as people like different cars (some of which I just don't get) or taste in music itself.

But as i said, it seems to me that the OP has a bit of a love-hate relationship with the Kans. i prefer a love-love relationship! 

Me Too, I miss them! 

Hi I don't know if this helps but I ran Kans for a few years and went active with them.

I did the mods myself and I can only tell you that's they are absolutely fantastic a whole different speaker

no longer slightly hard and shouty but huge, rich and totally evolving.

If you are interested I would be more than happy to help. take a look at my profile my e mail is there.

Really curious to know how this one is going to end....

C.

With a pair of Royd Minstrels?

This is not the time for comedy.

C.

Foot tapper posted:

With a pair of Royd Minstrels?

For half a moment before I focussed  I thought that said Westminster Royals. Maybe...

I had an LP12 feeding Kans for over 20 years - in my case Kan 2s bought as part of a new system from Hamish at the Sound Organisation in York way back in 1991.  The original amp I bought went south 6 years ago, so I introduced a Naim pre/power, all fine, but then some PMC speakers which led to the Kans being put into retirement (although not sold).  I really liked much of what the Kans could do, but there were limits to the bass and some pressings sounded horrid.  The PMC GB1Is I bought offered the boogie of the Kans but with more bass and less shout on bad recordings.  Although they are no longer made, for the money you're prepared to spend the 20.24s look a good option.  Naim and PMCs are supposed to be a good mix, the speakers are reasonably room tolerant and they work well with the Linn.  I also listen to plenty of jazz, so this might be food for thought.  

Thanks for the recommendation. I have listened to various PMC models and they always leave me cold. A friend of mine finds the same thing. Speakers are such a personal thing.  

I don't think another pair of speakers is going to solve the issue. The OP preferred the speed of the 42.5/140 to olive 82/250. The excitement from the lower end olive electronics comes at the expense of refinement. I'd take any slight perceived loss of excitement in moving to a 52/SC/250 in a heartbeat personally, but the amount of other fast sounding speakers the OP has discounted would suggest there is something about his current system he can't live without. One side-effect of a hard right, flat earth system that offers all that fabulous speed, is that less well recorded music can sound shouty/glassy. 

Hi interesting thread .... my experience started with an experiment I did when I bought a Kef kit many moons ago .... when building a large speaker I was using a B110 as a mid driver in a 3.5 ltr sub cabinet that was to be fitted within a large cabinet. As an experiment I remember hooking up the 110's direct to the amp .... wow they sounded great ... punchy fast etc. When my main speakers were finished  ... they never sounded shouty. Then years later my brother bought a set Mk1Kans. .. again here was the boogie factor.....but they were a bit aggressive at the mid to top. Now I am building a set .... and have researched the x overs ... they were very cheap ... on cheapo circuit boards all crammed together ..... I am hoping my better cabinet and hard wired x over with better components will retain the best bits and iron out the the original foibles. ... time will tell!!!

rjc52 posted:

Thanks for the recommendation. I have listened to various PMC models and they always leave me cold. A friend of mine finds the same thing. Speakers are such a personal thing.  

And after that, then what?

Chris

I am in the throws of finishing these blighters... I will post when finished could be a while.... I want to finish them to a high standard..... can't wait. I would have finished much earlier but I started a new job....which is taking allot of my time.

I am sorry that I have never experienced the Linn Kan speakers that you are referring to.  I have heard the Dali Menuet on a couple of systems and they had really good boogie factor with Naim.

Several years ago when I decided to move on from Kans I bought Kabers, fantastic, and when I went active, bloody hell! Finally I bought Keltiks which is where I sit now. Today I really am not sure how I would go but am very interested to know how it pans out for you.