Monitor Audio Pl 300ii vs. KEF Reference 5

I am about ready to return the Monitor Audio Pl300ii speakers to the dealer who lent them.  While they have many virtues, such as the mellow, deep sound I described earlier, overall I prefer the KEF Reference 5s.  The KEFs do produce the holographic images and identifiable instruments described by yyz in referring to the Blades, but in a more conventional looking cabinet. The Monitor Audio speakers are a little laid back and dull in comparison (sorry MA owners—just my personal opinion). My wife and an audiophile friend, both of whom have better hearing than me, independently had the same observations. To provide one example, we listened to an excellent vinyl recording first on the MAs and my friend  said he was very impressed.  We switched to the KEFs and his eyes lit up, describing it as a night and day difference, the music sounding much more alive with the KEFs. By  the way, yyz, you also may want to hear the KEF Reference 3, which has many of the same attributes as the Blades and the Reference 5 in a shorter cabinet at a lower price. You are lucky to have so many nearby options. 

The Pl-300 II is a difficult loudspeaker in most normal houses due to trial and error systems. You all do audio at 1980 inside and knowledge. And this without roomcorrection.

In a Tru-Fi world we can even place PL-300 II in a small room. But we have Statement Audio Pro-measurement what creates a world most people don’t even know.

Each loudspeaker own properties and they have a certain level in how good they can fill in the properties they own. When you do audio by trial and error you cannot read a loudspeaker as we can read it.

With this I mean to understand the full DNA of the loudspeaker. Before you can make any decisions about which amps, sources and cables you will use, you need to understand the DNA of that loudspeaker.

For me it is always very funny to see which brands and products they choose. It proofs that they are making all their decisons by gambling and hoping for the best. Products and money will not help you to create the best balance and choose the right products for your loudspeakers.

Audio does not work like this. You all believe that you create the best endresult by trial and error. But the truth proofs that trial and error is extreme ineffective. And this will never change. You have no idea what the properties are of each individual part in your system. This proofs on facts that you cannot guide and controle your system.

In A Tru-Fi world the Platinum loudspeakers will always be superior to all the different Kef loudspeakers. Due to the fact that it can reveal more details and properties of each recording. And this will create a much more emotional feeling for each person.

But........in the trial and error world the Platinum is not that much better than the Kef and it can even be less. You all think that this is the truth in quality of any audio product.

But Tru-Fi creates a different world and a totally different outcome with the same loudspeaker. We will let our new clients tell their own stories. So you can read how they experience their incomplete loudspeaker in the past. And how Tru-Fi changed their perspective and ideas about audio. And what their Tru-Fi system changed in how often they use their system. And what it does with their emotion.

You all keep on focusing on brands and products. In the Tru-Fi world we are only interested in the properties/DNA of each single part of an audiosystem. Because this is the only access you will get to understand why the sound and stage of your system is what you can hear.

There is no other option to even have a chance to understand it. All the other options are all founded on trial and error. I talked with many people about trial and error. These people are all persons who work in audio for a long time. No one could explain to me that he uses any kind of foundation.

They all agreed that is is based on gambling and hoping for the best. So when people can tell us how they found their decisions, please write it down. And let us know.

bo1972

I talked with many people about trial and error. These people are all persons who work in audio for a long time. No one could explain to me that he uses any kind of foundation.
They all agreed that is is based on gambling and hoping for the best. So when people can tell us how they found their decisions, please write it down. And let us know

We're hoping you do the same.

@fast Thanks for the advice. I love the KEF sound and I am trying my best to not buy the KEF;s for my office floorstander. The reason being I already have the LS50 in the bedroom and will have the Blade in the living room. Funny thing is I have not been able to located te KEF REF 3 anywhere locally to audition. Though I have heard the 1 and 5. I am looking forward to my Autumn speaker auditions. The office speaker(s) will be the one I listen to the most since I work from home.

@bo1972 Tru-FI?  I am not sure what that means.   Two individuals tasting beer, wine or food may agree several products are very good, in fact top tier products.  However, each may have their opinion which is best.  Is there Tru-Food, Tru-WINE, Tru-beer?

I suspect persons who have spent hours/days listening to different components may arrive at a similar outcome.  In this case the KEF,  or Monitor Audio are both recognized as great products, but which is better is personal preference.