KEF Cresta 3 Floorstanding Speakers

KEF Cresta 3 Floorstanding Speakers 

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 11  
[Jun 15, 2023]
harry829


Strength:

It has a large viewing area and auto-darkening technology that adjusts to the brightness of the welding arc. The helmet also has a grind mode, allowing the welder to use the same helmet for welding and grinding. welding machine dolly

Weakness:

hey good one

OVERALL
RATING
4
[Jun 12, 2023]
Bonzz


Strength:

I bought the Cresta 3 as part of a surround set supposedly from Portugal it included Kef Cresta 2 Cresta 3 Cresta center and Kef sub which weren’t sold as a set in the US I separated them and tested individually driven by an Onkyo M501 power amp 150w per channel and P301 preamp plenty of power to make them sing. The SP 3321 drivers are fantastic combined with the Cresta 2 SP 3303 in a 10x15 room can really make the music come alive and filled the room with Joy. I played some Synthesizer Sound Lab Music and some Phil Moog tunes to get an idea of what they can achieve. Musical reproduction and sound stage blew me away. Of course there are more expensive systems and higher ended audiophile set ups. But this combination of Kef equipment is astounding for 25 year old equipment.

Weakness:

I haven’t found any yet

Price Paid:
500
Purchased:
Used  
OVERALL
RATING
5
[Apr 11, 2019]
OldMateJosh


Strength:

First off amp them, amp them with a good power amp. I had them on a pioneer reciever and i noticed very good clarity imaging and decent soundstage although low in the bass department. Till I amped them with my 1978 pioneer, they woke the f up big time just instant clarity, imaging turned out amazing again, best of all the bass came back giving these bad boys some serious go, the bass isn't sloppy it isn't rolled off it progressivly rolls off when amped properly, I seriously need a new reciever now haha as my modern solid state is crap and I was originally going to keep these for a little while till I save up for a good set but that idea died once I set these up properly. Got them for 150 AUD second hand in a market that anything that isn't lg Samsung or Panasonic is super expensive so what a steal,

Weakness:

Overall look is a tad harsh on the eyes unless you take the grills off Bass is seriously lacking till you amp them properly nothing compared to my kef iq5 towers but they are in a different league Can't really fault these aye

Price Paid:
150
Purchased:
Used  
Model Year:
1999
OVERALL
RATING
5
[Nov 28, 2018]
forcefield


Strength:

I found a set of Cherry K.E.F CRESTA 3 by chance. Left + Right + Centre speakers. Somebody literally dump the speakers at a void deck. I discovered the woofer rubber surround edge had peeled. I resealed them with E-6000 Craft Glue. I proceed to purchase the BELDEN 814 Studios cables. Remove the CRESTA bridge plate. Bi-wire to the Amplifier. My first Amplifier for the CRESTA was the DENON AVR-1910. The sound was not too bad but there wasn't much charisma to talk about. The Bass was mild. The Mids was loose. Treble was good. All in all there was no punch in music listening. I kept wanting to turn up the volume hoping for more dynamism which was silly. 9 months later I had enough of the DENON AVR protection mode kept coming on for no reason. Threw it away. The magic happens on 26 November 2018 when I had the CRESTA paired with a vintage PIONEER SX 300 amplifier. To keep things short. If you have the K.E.F CRESTAs don't underestimate their capabilities. Pair them with a quality amplifier. The bass can react with multiple buoyancy. Music listening becomes tight and precise. No more muddy crappy sound from new-age integrated amps. One last advice: Remember to TOE-IN the speakers. They sound remarkable when you do that.

Weakness:

No weakness. I only believe in what you pay is what you get. Each has their own preference in the speakers they love.

Price Paid:
0
Purchased:
Used  
Model Year:
1999
OVERALL
RATING
5
[Jul 14, 2011]
Agust Kurniawan
AudioPhile

Very nice sound, for any kind of music.
Bass, midrange & trable are balance.
Smooth, compatible with any brand of power up to 400watt
Nice speaker

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Aug 05, 2010]
nightcleaner
AudioPhile

Bought in a sale in richer sounds £79

JVC ax 372 Amp fed buy a Cambridge Dacmagic behind that a CDP-X370 CD player with Atlas Equator cable
The kef cresta are 10 feet apart towed in, I have pure silver speaker wire Fed from the speakers to the Amp

What a fantastic sound i have. The Beatles greatest hits day tripper and we can work it out The tambourines feel like you have them in your hand Hello Goodbye sounds fantastic

The amp settings I'm using Treble flat out and the bass control on five to the hour

Very pleased

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 16, 2005]
Speedwagon
Casual Listener

Strength:

Clear, beautiful sound on well-balanced recordings

Weakness:

The sound could be "bigger".

I bought these a couple of years ago for a bargain price of £110. It was meant to be a temporary solution and I was going to replace them with a pair of 'proper' hi-fi speakers in due course. However, I've been fairly happy with them so I'm going to keep these and skip the £500 price category upgrade. The sound is quite neutral which means that Crestas are at their best when playing acoustic music such as small combo jazz or the likes of James Taylor and Joni Mitchell in their acoustic mode. The bass is not the mightiest I've heard but modern dance / r'n'b / hip hop sounds fairly convincing and there is no trace of 'boominess' you might expect. That said, the bass can be a tad weak when playing indie/alternative type guitar-based music or metal - these are neutral-sounding speakers. I have these in a large room and I feel they'd be more at home in a more confined space. For best results, use a powerful amp and 'toe-in'. Lastly, I must say that I wasn't particularly happy with the sound quality when I first brought them home but I think that was more down to the quality of my cd player and amp at the time. After upgrading these component and in time I've grown to like them a lot.

Similar Products Used:

B&W DM 601 B&W DM 602

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
4
[Oct 30, 2004]
richrand
Casual Listener

Strength:

So cheap.

Weakness:

sloppy bass until you get it under control.

Move them away from the wall. Go to the hardware store and for $2.36ea get 2" rubber test plugs and stick them in the bass ports and screw them down tight. At First, I thought these speakers kind of sucked. There was uncontrolled bass everywhere. Once I sealed the bass ports they completely changed and so did my opinion of them. Very nice sound. Good depth and imaging. They can now show the weaknesses in my amp.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Apr 28, 2002]
Hannu Heikkinen
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

*Incredible clear voise *perfect for all Sound Categories *Not humming

Weakness:

*Little weak bass, but not mutch *Could need a bass booster

This Speaker is the best speaker if ever have.Speaker sound is clear and it have very strong voise.I use it on surround system and WOW what a sound.Five Star speaker *****

Similar Products Used:

None

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Apr 21, 2002]
otisredding
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Precise - good definition & imaging

Weakness:

Appearance - the veneer is hideous!!! Lack of Bass - these roll off big time well before 45Hertz in my opinion - keep em near a wall.

I purchased these after my lovely old Celestion bookshelf speakers shat themselves....... They served me well but they were sounding REALLY ''loose'' after twenty years of solid service. I find the KEF''s a little harsh compared to my old beauties but I''m learnign to love them. They sound pretty good with Jazz, old school blues and R&B but classical is where they really shine. (Do NOT expect these to play loud rock n'' roll or dance!)A bit boxy in the cello department but that''s a given in this price range...... Overall I think these are pretty good value for money.

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
4
Showing 1-10 of 11  

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