KEF Q150 Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - White

Some information so you know where I'm coming from. I was first exposed to these by my partner who uses them for a 5.1 surround setup. And that is amazing! Being passive speakers they require an external amp. But they can take plenty of power and pump out the volume. Watching Dune with these is an auditory experience! However, this review will focus on my own use case as a pair of near field desktop monitors. I picked these up on sale, to replace a pair of failing mackie cr5s. And let me tell you, it was worth the money. Physically they look amazing. I love the walnut as it gives them a bit more of a classy look compared to the black or white. They are also light but solid. I wouldn't want drop them, but if I did I don't think I would be too worried. The connectors are clearly colored and can use banana plugs or a screw-on connector. (Or you can cheat and just shoved speaker wire into the port). the little cover can be a little tricky to remove. But if you have decent nails it should come out with a little finagling. Being passive you are going to NEED a separate amp to use these. These are known to like power so if you want volume pick an amp accordingly. I am using a Schiit Rekkr through a magni/modi combo. And while it's not the most powerful speaker amp it has been more than enough to run these. On the Magni's 0db gain setting (Middle on the switch) with my computer volume maxed these speakers sit comfortably in the middle of the volume dial and they are crisp and clear no matter what music, game or podcast I've put through them. With the rekkr you can crank the volume and while loud, it's certainly not deafening like you might expect so it's likely a little under powered for the purpose. But it has served me nicely so far. After upgrading I have started to use these more than my HD 6XXs the only things that beats these out for me is my Audeze LCDXs and those cost more than my entire audio setup, so take that as you will. If you're in the market for new speakers and want to take the dive into high quality passive monitors. Grab these on sale and you will not be disappointed. Just make sure the rest of your setup is up to the task to run these power hunger speakers.