High Efficiency Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Kochel K 200 Speakers by lektor

As a species, we are generally risk averse. But every now and then, we take the plunge and do something a bit wild and crazy. At those times, we are usually reminded why the "safe and not sorry" approach governs our behavior. Audiophiles are a somewhat different lot, driven by certain audio demons that demand experimentation and impulse. And every once in a while, we buy something sight-unseen, sound-unheard, and it turns out wonderfully...so begins my story of the Kochel K200s.

At the outset, I gratefully acknowledge and thank Johann E for being my muse in this adventure. His cogent and passionate reviews and posts about the Kochels strongly influenced me. I did read everything I could search and find on the net, but ultimately, I bought them without an audition from tmh in Ohio, who had them directly shipped to me from Korea. Some preliminaries are in order so you can put this review and my listening tastes and biases into context.

I have been an audio buff for over 30 years and owned and traded many pieces of equipment. I am definitely a tube kinda guy and electrostatics and 2-ways are my preference in more traditional designs, largely predicated on their coherency, soundstaging and imaging. For many years, the only speakers that have truly satisfied and remained in my home theater/living room have been a modified Levinson HQD system. The double-stacked Quads and Decca ribbons form the mids and top and a Signature Music sub takes care of the bottom. The pre is a Joule electra LA100 MkIII and the amps are a CJ 11a for the mids and a Nobis Cantabile drives the ribbons. An ARC EC3a provides the active x-over. I am not rich, but over the years, most disposable income has been channeled into audio gear. Other speakers I currently own include the Kharma Ceramiques 3.0, Meadowlark Shearwaters, Shahinian Obelisks, Avalon Eclipses and an old pair of B&W 801s. Amplification generally are Conrad Johnson or Counterpoint pieces or, occasionally, ARC. Source is mainly CD/SACD with sundry cassette decks and tuners. No vinyl for many years--too much hassle superimposed on the aggravation attendant to tubes...and anyone who thinks surface noise and pops sound life-life has certainly suspended disbelief and may be victims of alien abduction. I love vocals, especially female, enjoy new age, chamber music, some jazz and classical, soundtracks, pop, and anything soothing and melodic (rap and hip-hop have me reaching for the Prozac and Tums)...

[When the hell is he going to talk about the Kochels??!] Soon, I promise. Let me lay out the room and associated gear and we're off...My bedroom is where I do the majority of my listening. It is 16' along the wall where the Kochels are placed, 13' across and 16' high in a slanted cathedral configuration. Two doors, 30" wide and 3' equidistant from the side walls, frame the outside limits of the speaker placement leaving 5.5' in the center where the speakers and a TV must be accommodated. The Kochels are slightly more than a foot wide, eaving about 4.5' between the inner edges of the speakers. They are 10" off the back wall and toed in 10 degrees (yeah, I wish they could be further apart and into the room--no dice). The room is warm and absorbing, with a thick rug, two sets of drapes covering windows and every corner of the room is occupied by furniture that prevents sound energy from collecting in the corners. The bed is positioned between the speakers and a stereo bench is set off to a side wall. Amplification is via a Bel Canto SETi40 and the main source is a Sony 9000ES CD/SACD/DVD player. Speaker cable is Discovery Signature (17.5' runs) and one 2.5m AQ Opal IC connects the player to the integrated. Everything is plugged into a a Marigo Reference line conditioner.

[So dammit, how do they sound?] A few catch phrases will convey their essence. Stunning and immediate, effortless and airy, incredible fast and palpable are my best attempts at a quick snapshot. To steal from Johann, they have a certain touch of "magic", the kind of stuff that makes you stop, sit down and listen in a stereo salon cause you know something special is going on. The highs have shimmer and grace and copious detail. They can sound hard if the source material is recorded hot eg. Celine Dion's latest compilation, Jennifer Lopez, On the 6, and Sarah Brightman's Andrew Webber collection come quickly to mind. But lordy, listen to the triangles in Miriam's Mercy Street or the high frequency content on the FIM IV sampler on any cut, and you'll be smiling and swaying. The mids are unquestionably the most important part of the sound spectrum for most of us, and the Kochels will impress you there, each and every time you listen to them. Despite the other-worldy, ungodly placement, the soundstage is wide and very deep. Voices like Rebeccca Pidgeon on Spanish Harlem or Carla Lother on Roll Away from Ephemera are amazingly life-like and the equal (I'd never thought I'd say it) of the Quads though their perspective (the Kochels) is front of the auditorium/music studio as opposed to the mid-back presentation of the Quads. A week ago I was having the interior of my house painted. After a long day, the painter asked me to play the Kochels for him just before he left. He was immediately transfixed by the sound and asked that I call his wife--he'd be late for supper. He wanted to stay a while and just listen to the music.

Complex orchestral passages are rendered without congestion with precise pinpoint source information. They never sound larger than life like the Magneplanars. The Kochels replaced the Eclipses which I think are among the finest I have ever heard with respect to imaging and resolution. Don't believe those who tell you horns can't image and layer properly. In that regard, the Kochels are the equal or better than any of my other two-way speakers, all of which have something special to offer in their own right.

The bass was my biggest concern before I bought the K200s. There was some controversy in the threads I read. My speakers are only two months old, so they really aren't broken in yet, but they certainly have lots of satisfying and tight bass already. Being only 10" off the back wall I'm sure accounts for some of that, but on the other side, the Bel Canto has never been singled out for stellar bass performance. I have little concern that they will be plenty deep when the drivers loosen up a little and I'd be willing to bet they can and do go lower than 50Hz. They do cartwheels around the Eclipses' bass content already. I find no overhang and truly excellent tonal integration, top to bottom. I have no intentions of springing for a sub (though Kochel offers you one, if you want it).

This review has been shamelessly long, so I will mention only a few other things before closing. The crating was outstanding when I received them. wooden splints around styrofoam in all dimensions, they looked ready for interstellar jump-gating. Jim Ricketts, the representative for tmh was outstanding--very helpful and a true gentleman. He provided excellent service and info before and after the sale. He is a big suppporter of WAVAC for amplification and PSC for ICs and speaker cabling to complement the Kochels. I'll probably switch the PSC for the AQ Opal next (would probably tame that touch of hardness at high listening levels, though simple break-in time might be all that's needed). I'll also spike the speakers eventually (they come with spikes but I'm waiting until tmh experiments and finds the best combo before going that route). My Sony 9000 is a bit upfront is the mids so I'll be trying some other CD players and let you know what happens. You should also know that I had totally written off horns years ago because of certain sonic deficiences (eg nasality , hardness), but recent favorable reviews of the Avantgardes, Beauhorns and Lowthers made me reconsider (deo gratias). The Kochels do not sound at all like horns to me. I love their efficiency and their size is reasonable I bought them in piano black--muy bonita, very high WAF. As I re-read this review, it is pretty damn glowing. Rest assured I have nothing to do with Kochel or tmh and I am not an audio gadfly who gushes over his latest acquisition (this is my first review). But the Kochels are special and worth a listen especially if you're an SET man who needs high efficiency and space is of concern. They are not bargain basement in price, but they must be considered a real value for the $$, considering the price of the competition and their quality. I know I owe Johann and Jim dinner if they ever come to Milwaukee....

REVIEW: Kochel K 200 Speakers Review by lektor at Audio Asylum