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Bookshelf Speaker

KEF Q150 vs Emotiva Airmotiv T1+

Budget Pick

in Bookshelf Speaker

KEF Q150

119 reviews

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Emotiva Airmotiv T1+

Emotiva Airmotiv T1+

45 reviews

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Great sound quality with detail, full soundstage, and volume without distortion

Sharp and expensive-looking design

Recommended by many users, especially when purchased on sale

Compared favorably to other speakers, including the ELAC UB5 and Klipsch R51

Compatible with various amplifiers and streaming devices

Great sound quality and imaging

Excellent value for their price point

Wide sound stage and balanced sound

Folded ribbon tweeter provides sweet, natural sound

Easy to work with and move around to find optimal sound

Not enough bass for some users

Some users note disappointment with the build quality

Price may be too high for some users, but many recommend purchasing on sale

Not all reviewers have had positive experiences with the chemical odor emanating from the speakers

Some reviewers have experienced issues with the tweeters changing colors

Recommendation for a subwoofer to enhance low-end performance

Verdict

Overall, the KEF Q150 speakers receive positive reviews for their sound quality, with many users impressed by their detail, full soundstage, and volume without distortion. Some users note that the speakers lack bass, while others mention disappointment with the build quality. However, many users recommend the speakers, especially when purchased on sale. The KEF Q150 is compared favorably to other speakers, including the ELAC UB5 and Klipsch R51. Users also mention various amplifiers and streaming devices used to power the speakers.

Verdict

Overall, the Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ speakers receive high praise for their sound quality, imaging, and value for their price point. However, some reviewers have noted a chemical odor emanating from the speakers and some have experienced issues with the tweeters. Despite these minor issues, the majority of reviewers highly recommend these speakers and consider them a great addition to any home theater or music setup.

Reviews by Topic

Our analysis shows how reviewers feel about different topics. Please note these are not full reviews.

Sound Quality

Build quality not impressive - prefer Klipsch rp-500m

This are very smooth sounding speakers - they will never sound shrill or fatiguing. The flip side of this is the treble is not as detailed and exciting as other speakers. I own the Klipsch RP-500M and I prefer those speakers overall, and I think a lot of people would. If you can find the Klipsch for a similar price, they sound more clear, exciting, and dynamic

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Review! The Emotiva T1+ Floorstanding Loudspeaker

That's where I got in this locked in Center soundstage, and I also got this wide dispersion pattern. So no, it doesn't work that way a lot of times wh...

Positive

Connectivity

Nice value for $300

Bought these and the Elac Uni-Fi UB5 to compare them. Bought them both at discounts. Paid $300 during a sale for these. I think the overall the Elac sounds better but these aren't bad

Great speakers, worth twice the price.

I am planning on adding a TA-100 when they get back in stock, as well some sort of bluetooth audio streamer at some point.

Price

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KEF Q-150 Bookshelf Speaker Review. Best for lovers of wide imaging.

It does seem to look a little bit like a five year old took a paintbrush to it when you get up close - and i wouldn't be the first person to say that ...

Positive

Emotiva Airmotiv T1 review: Affordable tower speaker kicks ass, takes names

Yes, the Elac Uni-Fi UF5 is better still, but it is also $300 more expensive. If you want to wring the most value out of $700, then the rock'n'roll Emotiva T1s are a superlative choice.Design and features The Emotiva Airmotiv T1 floor-standing speakers feature a passive three-way design with a folded ribbon tweeter. Sarah Tew/CNETOne thing is for certain: the Emotivas look like they mean business

Positive

Design

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Better than the LS50!? KEF Q150 Review

I like fake wood, it's nice, it's got some grain in it. It's well appointed. I like the little kef badging. It looks good uh anyway, uh five and a qua...

Positive

Be certain to use either the rubber feet or the spikes supplied.

Move them around, mark the floor with little pieces of masking tape while you take notes, in order to find where you like their sound the best.

Bass

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KEF Q150 Bookshelf Speakers - Hands On Review

The key 150 are a smoother sound in the mid-range and bass, delivering detail a bit on the sly with more body a little bit more resonance too. That ma...

Positive

Awesome speakers

In fact, I thought I had the subwoofer on when I was playing music through these and I had to go over and see if it was off because these speakers put out some good bass. They were on closeout so I highly recommend them. It's great emotiva actually makes great stuff for more affordable prices than some of these brands that charge $1000s for speakers. The build quality and stealth look to them is great too

Treble

For the price expected more, but overall good speaker

The trebel were sparkling, the mid range more open and the bass though powerful had a rubbery(?) effect rather than sounding thunderous. The Klipsch disappointed, while the elacs did better in bass. Back to kef, they look amazing, smaller print, and would do good for movies and music alike. I really didn't want to send them back because they were really good but in my current plan I wanted some temporary speakers to fill a year without spending too much as I intend to go for floor fronts and surrounds pretty soon

These speakers provide really great sound. The treble is incredibly detailed and precise. I was concerned that maybe I wouldn't love the AMT tweeter because I have a strong dislike for harshness in my music--but these are completely smooth. The midrange is balanced and clear with nice separation between voices and instruments

Mids

Worth every penny

I have a small living room, it's about 20 L x 13 ft W and these fill the entire area plus the kitchen with amazing sound at normal listening levels. You really have to run these about 50 hours or more to open them up and give some space from the wall as advised by Kef. I won't mention brands but I did return two sets of speakers before deciding to keep these, the uni-q driver works it's special magic to broaden the soundstage and imaging. With the Powernode the mids are so clear and the highs are smooth never shrill or annoying

Good speaker horrible chemical smell

Coming for a British speaker they're is more detailed and a bit dry in the mid-range, the separation is very distinct. I find they're lacking in musicality but overall a very good product. Shopping for audio equipment online is very difficult you often have to depend on reviews and sometimes there reviews are inaccurate or bias. I wish I had ordered these speakers through Amazon or Crutchfield then I would have returned them but through Emotiva the shipping cost would be greater than $200 loss, I'm not willing to except

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