Kudos Event at Signals

Thanks Mike. I rely on my friends for constructive criticism. No system or room is perfect and although we are all seeking a unique sound to suit the individual; an alternative 'take' can be useful and instructive.

John.

congratulations John. sounds like a very good upgrade. i was very impressed with your 88's when  i visited you a few years ago -- so if the 707's are better, then you must be in musical nirvana. Great stuff and...

enjoy...

ken

Still on home demo. Still sounding great/ amazing. Still big....But not as big as we get used to them.

You really do get used to larger speakers and cease to notice them after a while. Much. SWMBO's not convinced.

How well is your 300DR driving them, Elkman?  

Bloody brilliant.

They seem to improve with every hour put on them with a soundstage that is very wide and deep. Currently listening to Metallica, my friend of misery at about 10 o'clock on the dial. Breathtaking.

elkman70 posted:

 

Still on home demo. Still sounding great/ amazing. Still big....But not as big as we get used to them.

Looks good - i do like the styling of these. 

It's funny - I see that room layout and fireplace and I think it's my house! Those speakers would be too big for my room, but they do look good. So much better than pig ugly Sopras. Proper speakers with wood and corners. I bet they sound lovely. 

elkman70 posted:

They seem to improve with every hour put on them with a soundstage that is very wide and deep. Currently listening to Metallica, my friend of misery at about 10 o'clock on the dial. Breathtaking.

Thanks, Elkman. As James N and HH says, they certainly look great.

Hungryhalibut posted:

It's funny - I see that room layout and fireplace and I think it's my house! Those speakers would be too big for my room, but they do look good. So much better than pig ugly Sopras. Proper speakers with wood and corners. I bet they sound lovely. 

They do sound amazing, it has to be said. I don't think they are much bigger than the SL2s that you have but they are not up against the wall, which I think is the difference. They are still growing on me.

J.N. posted:

707 order placed today.

I am not in any way whatsoever jealous - have fun 

Thanks to  John for alowing me to come and listen to the 707s, not only do they look great but they are an outstanding speaker in sonic terms. I think the biggest suprise to me is the way they managed to out perform John's 88s in every area especially so on newer more compressed recordings. Their whole presentation is far more open without the congestion of the 88s. Another area the 707s improved upon is with their imaging, it's far superior both in depth and width. At times I found the 88s could get a bit relentless in the treble but the new tweeters are not only more revealing but sweeter too. For me the mids is where I really noticed a biggest improvement with a very natural uncluttered musical flow and greater clarity and detail. The bottom end is deep and extended with again more detail and its superbly controled. 

To sum up the 707s are a very revealing and musically engaging speaker that seem to do everything right.

So I think if you get the impression I was completely won over by the 707s I think you may be right, they are a speaker I could certainly live with for a very long time in musical bliss,........if only I could get that winning lottery ticket.

ATB.

Great photos Elkman. Glad you are enjoying the 707's. You've made them look more attractive than my pair in your lovely room. They must initially have seemed large after S20's, whereas the aesthetics are a real positive for me in comparison with the 88's.

Thanks for your report Rob. I value honest and frank constructive criticism from my audiophile friends. The 707's are doing a 'less is more' thing here compared to the 88's. Maybe not as 'impressive', but more musically cohesive, seamless and engaging. And as Rob commented, the soundstage is much improved over the 88's.

Good listening folks.

John.

Elkman - you are welcome to email me (address in my profile) if you want to compare notes privately.

John.

Greetings John

Congrats with new Kudos speakers. Never heard them, but they look lovely.

I read your comparison vs T88 and I wonder if Kudos have done some magic with the new Super 20a as well. I love them, but miss the lower end from Titans. There`s always compromises. I find them sweeter in the treble than the demopair I had on loan (older version), same with the demopair from 2-3 years back. Other things have changed also so it`s hard to say why of course.

Enjoy the 707`s, Steinar

Thanks Steinar,

Glad to hear that the S20's are working well for you. The 505's will be interesting. Isobaric bass loading in a smallish enclosure.

Best wishes and good listening.

Ian - sorry; I've only just spotted your question upon re-reading the thread.

"I might as well ask, as it will be of interest to others: what is the distance from the back of the speaker to the wall? They appear to be reassuringly close."

11" (whatever that is in new money). The side cheeks extend about an inch back beyond the cabinet proper, so that makes the distance to rear wall look less than it is.

John.

J.N. posted:

Elkman - you are welcome to email me (address in my profile) if you want to compare notes privately.

John.

Hi John, I have pinged you a note.

I had a chance to visit JN to hear his new Titan 707 speakers yesterday. I've heard John's system change and evolve through various upgrades over the years adn I'd count this to be the largest up-lift in performance yet.

The 707 brings a clarity and resolution, bass to treble, that is remarkable. I've liked his previous Titan 88 but these are obviously in a different league. The old 88 had more deep bass capability, but could be rather overpowering in John's room at times - although always enjoyable. But the 707 brings a musical clarity and resolution that throughout the session I had with them I kept on finding truly exceptional.

There is a darkness between the notes that renders the decay of strings and percussive hits cleanly without any intrusive murky colouration. They handle simultaneous complex synth, percussion and vocals without any muddle - which impressed me, as speakers of this size usually struggle a bit and you hear modulation or one thing with another - but here it was cleanly-handled.

I could say a lot more, but suffice it that they really impressed me and I think Kudos are onto a winner with this new range.

...and they are 'Active-ready' with removable links at the back - perhaps I don't want to hear what that would do!

My thanks again to John for a very enjoyable session!

DB.

During his visit, DB suggested a positional tweak on the l/h loudspeaker because he heard a cleaner sound from t'other side. This afternoon I moved the l/h 707 about 3" toward the centre (ergo further away from the corner). It was a positive move resulting in a general improvement in layered resolution, clarity and alacrity throughout the frequency range.

Run-in is of course opening up the sound too. Ultimately we each seek the sound signature we want as individuals, but it can be useful to receive feedback and suggestions from visiting audiophile friends, so thanks Gary.

John.

The 707 is a reference in it's class.
Enjoy your new speakers.

Was there any mention at the event when the T505 "baby" titan is due for launch?