Extremely Good Resolution & Imaging

Bass isn't extended to house-shaking levels (a non-issue in most cases).

I originally decided to purchase the more expensive Q70's but after comparing that model to the Q50's, using various CD's which were demanding in terms of imaging and transient response, I decided the Q50's were more accurate in the auditioning room so I bought them back in '95.

Every so often, I visit showrooms to see if any speakers can outperform the the Q50's. I found that no other speaker at or anywhere near the price can sound as good as the Q50's.
The Q50's Uni-Q design really work: the imaging is "pinpoint" accurate; you can pick out instruments anywhere in the soundstage. The depth is similarly impressive. The sense of space is awesome. Sounds seem to come from beyond the wall behind the speakers and the width extends slightly further to the sides. Really good speakers priced at close to $1000 & up can be close in this respect (a few might even rival it).

But the high-end detail is unsurpassed and lower bass punch is unsurpassed. The treble balance has just the right balance of high-treble air and low-treble attack. Since most other speakers don't reveal this much detail

While the bass is earth-moving it's low enough to still feel at the gut level in my room. A swept frequency test using my test CD shows that there's actually useable output at around 32Hz to 35Hz. This is perfectly fine for virtually all kinds of music & most movies in a home theatre setup. What really sets the bass apart from all speakers I've hear, though, is the tightness. While other speakers (even multi-thousand dollar models) tend to make bass sound a little "rounded", the KEF Q50's lets listeners clearly hear the "kick" or the onset of bass sounds. This makes for much greater realism. I'll take this anyday over a speaker with 25Hz or lower bass extension but with rounded bass transients.

The bass and treble blend very well to the midrange as well as each other. Vocals come out sounding like they're in the listening room on a well-recorded CD.

With so many complements for a speaker that I have, readers would probably suspect that I'm biased. I wouldn't blame them. But all I can say is if they've listened to them they would probably draw the same conclusions.

I listened to some huge studio monitors at a recording studio (Oceanway-where some Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson & other artists' platinum material were mixed) and I actually think the Q50's at $800 retail is a legitimate rival. The studio monitors outperform the KEF's in the bass region but the KEF's surpass those JBL's in midrange and treble realism. They're about equal in imaging.