I have recently acquired a pair of Krix KDX Ms for my 2 channel system.
The boring stuff....
The system is fed by a Pioneer PD 203 CDP (Very Old Skool Player now and high on the list of items to upgrade), this runs into a Harman Kardon HK970 integrated amp (which i have reviewed earlier) and from there out to the KDXs via JayCar 'Monitor' speaker cable (their 'premium' off the roll cable with pretty thick blue insulation).
I have the system set up in an open plan living room at the bottom of the stairs (we live in a split level house) and the listening environment lends itself to a nice stereo set-up. It has nice thick plush carpet, some furniture and high 12 foot ceilings. The speakers are set on 700mm stands (which are a little top-heavy/unstable with the solid and quite tall KDXs, they're next on the replacement list), just under 2 metres apart from each other and toed in slightly to the listening position, about 2.5 metres further back. It's a pretty typical 'Stereo Triangle' kind of arrangement.
The bit that matters...
OK so how do they sound?
In a word... WOW!!!
Where to start? The drivers integrate beautifully, sweet silky treble and tight natural mid-bass combine to give a lucid, natural performance.
Each instrument sounds just as it should; percussion is tight and lively, piano rich and detailed and strings are umm just as they should be (can't think of the right words!!!) All in all the sound is very open, airy and natural.
The KDXs have a strong bass presence, remarkably so for a speaker of their size although this is no doubt aided by the rear port enjoying a little loading from the adjacent wall.
I can honestly say I have never heard a pair of sub $1k speakers that image so strongly.
In my system these Krixs created an ambiance i have only ever felt at a live venue before and incredibly, repeatedly put the band beyond my wall and somewhere in the neigbours lounge room... about 15 feet in front of me.
The Music (well some of)
The first cab off the rank was Jazz at the Pawnshop one of my favourite reference discs of all time. I closed my eyes and if only I had a fat cuban (cigar OK!) hanging from my mouth i would have sworn i was sitting in that intimate little club. The presentation of this album is one of the most realistic live experiences i have ever had.
One of my other favourite albums at the moment is Ray Charles:Genius Loves Company. This blew my mind... Ray was dead centre in my room, his slightly aged and husky voice so faithfully reproduced it gave me goosebumps. His guests were equally impressive, the first track with Norah Jones setting the tone as together they crooned away in our lounge, the band behind.
How does it compare?...
I am very familiar with the B&W 602 S3s which retail at pretty much the same price point.
These are well made, exciting speakers with a bold, fast presentation that i quite enjoy, although they're not everyone's cup of tea.
From recollection (and not side by side comparison) i would have to say where these excel is their strong fast bass reproduction and lively sound.
The Krix KDXs are no match in terms of absolute output and for those on a steady diet of Rock and/or Electronica i would say the B&Ws would be a better pairing. However the 'feeling', nuance, detail and air that the KDXs impart wins my heart easily if i were to pick between these two.
Up until now my main home speakers have been Wharfedale Diamond 9.5s -a medium sized and attractive floor-stander with fantastic bass response (and decent control when the ports are slightly choked) and a very pleasing sound overall at a similar retail price. These are a WHOLE lot of speaker for the money. Quality curved MDF cabinets, Kevlar Mid/Bass drivers (that are very reminiscent of those found in Quads L series), Isolation Plinths, Biwire-able crossovers with quality bin ding posts etc, etc... the Wharfedales are certainly not short on features and definately benefited from being designed after the Quad Ls by the ame man.
It's probably unfair to directly compare a Chinese made floor-stander packed full of features with a much smaller, simpler Aussie MTM bookshelf. They are after all, very different beasts.
The Wharfedales are great at filling a large area with plenty of noise and do a fine job both as HT Mains and reproducing music. They image very well for a speaker of their size at their price and really drive home the big notes (The canon fire in the 1812 overture is always a joy for example). They do lots of things and do them well, i still don't think their is a better rounded floorstander at the price you can buy these.
The KDX's on the other hand seem quite unassuming. A simple set of terminals endows the rear, no biwiring here. The 5 inch midbass drivers look dainty above and below that little tweeter. The boxes are simple looking but well finished in lovely real timber veneer and sturdy... these are deceptively solid. A quality i always find endearing in any new toy (except a sports car!). They are as simple a design as one could imagine for an MTM monitor, no gimmicks, bells or whistles here... but they were simply built to sing. They impart a sense of emotion and open space that the Diamonds could only dream of.
I'm smitten. (and yes i just like saying smitten!)
Summing Up
I'll try to wrap it up now for those of you still reading
The KDXs are IMHO some of the best value commercially available loudspeakers on the market today. Considering that they can be had new for under $1000 i have to rate them as phenomenal performers. They are accurate, natural and rich sounding speakers with a great balance (neither overly bright and forward nor too laid back and warm) and generate an amazing soundstage. In a cosy listening space like mine i have found them not to be lacking in anything (yet?).
In the stereo sweet-spot the KDXs deliver a truly rousing performance and really place you in the best seat in the house. They are also able to fill a fairly large space with sweet music and even up load don't fatigue.
I am amazed that a pair of $1000 'bookshelves' coupled with a $900 amp and an old 'budget' model CDP can form such a beautiful music centre.
Factor in a new CDP - say Harman Kardons matching HD970 player at $600 and for $2500 retail (and available for a whole lot less in the real world), when set up correctly you can have a HiFi system that makes your hair stand on end every time you close your eyes!
If you don't need earthshaking bass from a pair of loudspeakers and enjoy fairly broad musical tastes these are well worth an audition in the budget category.
FWIW i will be replacing my 'upstairs' HT system speakers with a system based around the KDXs as soon as possible. I am confidently planning this as i have a great sub that will soon become two great subs and so handle the low down grunty bits!
So even in a larger room these will more than suffice. I can't wait to get into multi-channel music upstairs now, DTS concerts and hopefully even some SACDs (which I've not yet bothered with).
This current pair of Krix KDX speakers however will be retained downstairs, purely for stereo duties, my first true love and the format for which my passion is now rekindled and burning brightly as ever
(OK I AM gonna puke now after saying that)Thanks for reading
). I would investigate where you can buy polk audio in brisbane before looking at other centres as well.