Quote:
Originally Posted by mulveling
I owned and loved the Kensington SE for 3 years, finally upgrading to the Canterbury SE a couple years ago. They should be obtainable for GREAT deals now that the GR has been out for a while!! The main concern I had was to avoid pairing it with gear with any hint of treble "sear" -- it can get too hot up top in that region where our ears are sensitive. In my case, it paired wonderfully with Koetsu, Ortofon Kontrapunkt c (now Cadenza Bronze), and Benz cartridges (e.g. M2, Ref 3 Copper), but had a bit of a "sear" issue with the Ortofon Windfeld.
The Kensington SE midrange was absolutely wonderful; basically near perfect in my mind. Even a hair better than my Canterbury SE here -- but it's close; I chose the Canterbury over Yorkminster SE specifically for its more Kensington-like midrange. It sounds very "alive" and perfectly coherent, with just a touch of honey. The Turnberry SE, though it sounds great, was missing this "alive" factor; it's a bit flat & dry in comparison. You'll also get more detail from the pepperpot & alnico systems. The Kensington also has good bass response; very clean and has some power, with reasonably enough extension -- but don't stretch it out by situating it in a very large room and/or pairing it with lean gear. More powerful bass and dynamics is why I eventually upgraded -- but the Kensingtons do what you can ask for their size!
I love the look of the long slender-ish Kensington with its deep, rich mahogany finish. If you end up loving the sound, maybe play that angle with the wife  |
Agree 100%- I listened to the Kensington SE and loved them, but they are far more fussy than my Canterburys when it comes to amplification. The demo used a Line Magnetic 845 amp & it was an experiance- but a 10 inch driver is no match for a 15 inch- Canterburys energise the room, the Kensigtons dont, which is why I stayed with the Canterburys. Im told the GR's are more dynamic than the SE so the differential between them & the Cantys may have narrowed.
If you pick the Tannoys- go for the Supertweeter as well- strongly recommended(make sure you buy the correct version)!!!