Zetag Kinima KC-3 - Any opinions

[Anil Asher]

Found this on ebay, a brand new Zetag Kinima KC-3 center speaker and
bought it based on the website specs and review links from there.
After I bought them I checked the newsgroups and found nothing about
this brand or model. I did figure out that the company went out of
business and closed down, it's a good product but not at the MSRP -
maybe that's why.

I like the sound and it does a good job as a center running off an
Arcam A/V processor and coupled with an older pair of Linn Index's as
fronts.

The recommended 100 hour run in isn't up yet but the dialog is crisp
and clear, I'm hoping to hear better sound as time goes by.

Anyway the point of this post is to get some feedback from all you
home theatre guru's out there if you have heard of the Zetag Kinima?

Here's a ling to there website http://www.zetagcorp.com/

[dogcow57]

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[Alvaius]

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[vaughn2004]

Although you opionion is greatly appreciated remember that satisfaction to
ones ears are in the person listening to the music.
To most people I feel that the Kinima line of speakers generated
satisfaction in their listening pleasure.
I've read many reviews and none that I saw were negative. Or and least
very few were.
I believe that Graham was not 'blaming' Cardas for the sound. He held
great respect for George Cardas, that's why he used his wire.
Tweaking is something all of us DIY'ers love to do with thier speaker
systems. May I ask what your final choice of a crossover was?
I know that Graham did not like Zobel's. He felt it sucked to much of the
sound out of the music. Being English he like's his 'high's'. Maybe you
don't?
What are you running the G4's with? What kind of speaker wire are you
using?
Did you fill the lower cavity with some damping material.
A half and half mixture (about 25lbs) of 30grit steel sandblasting shot
and 30 mesh Nepheline Syenite? The two compounds mix together and create a
very compact form that stiffens up the baffle and stops any 'ringing' that
ABBA may have generated. Abba, really.............:-)
I preferr Pink Floyd, very loud, but then again I like Jazz or most
anything except country.

[vaughn2004]

Although you opionion is greatly appreciated remember that satisfaction to
ones ears are in the person listening to the music.
To most people I feel that the Kinima line of speakers generated
satisfaction in their listening pleasure.
I've read many reviews and none that I saw were negative. Or and least
very few were.
I believe that Graham was not 'blaming' Cardas for the sound. He held
great respect for George Cardas, that's why he used his wire.
Tweaking is something all of us DIY'ers love to do with thier speaker
systems. May I ask what your final choice of a crossover was?
I know that Graham did not like Zobel's. He felt it sucked to much of the
sound out of the music. Being English he like's his 'high's'. Maybe you
don't?
What are you running the G4's with? What kind of speaker wire are you
using?
Did you fill the lower cavity with some damping material.
A half and half mixture (about 25lbs) of 30grit steel sandblasting shot
and 30 mesh Nepheline Syenite? The two compounds mix together and create a
very compact form that stiffens up the baffle and stops any 'ringing' that
ABBA may have generated. Abba, really.............:-)
I preferr Pink Floyd, very loud, but then again I like Jazz or most
anything except country.

[Alvaius]

I am sorry for my late response. I have not had much time to be "on-line"
So to respond.....

- I am using a similar damping concoction to what you list. I can't
remember exactly what it was, but is it a combination of cracked steel and
Nepheline I believe. It was exactly as Graham specified and from exactly
where he specified I buy it.

- There are actually few professional published reviews of Kinima
speakers. I have found one or two. None are on the G4 which has the most
problematic woofer design. The problem on the speaker is two fold. One is
the cross-over. The other is the solid plastic convex dust cap. This is
known to create frequency peaks. That is why most modern speakers use
either a phase-plug or soft dust cap. If a hard dust cap is used, they are
concave.

- Even my wife knew there was something wrong with the sound. I personally
like British speakers as well and like my highs. As much of the lower
highs on this speaker were being created by a distorting metal cone in
break-up and by a concex plastic dust cap, the highs in certain frequency
bands were not great.

- In terms of sucking life, perhaps Graham has confused the Zobel in an
amplifier with the ones in speakers? Given that a woofers impedance
increases with frequency (simple physical fact, it is an inductor), it is
almost impossible to make a cross-over for a woofer work without a zobel.
Given this speakers response issues, there was no way around it.

- I did go with a zobel as stated which made a huge difference. I also
added a trap for the woofer breakup. It is pretty mild. I personally like
it as well as my "listening" audience.

- G4 is being run currently with a Classe SSP-60 Pre-Processor fed from a
Denon DVD-5900. The amplifier is a custom Class-A solid state. I also have
a modified SIM3050, but the other amp is much better. Speakers are
bi-wired using custom built wire consisting of strips of flat wire from
Alpha-Core inductors. I find this wire works as well as wires costing
hundreds of dollars (some think even better).

- However, the initial problems of this speaker were so bad that I think
the differences would have been noticable with a cheap AV receiver and 18
guage zip cord.

- I will restate, I think the drivers had excellent potential and as long
as the music did not task them, they sounded pretty good unmodified.
Surprisingly, jazz (no vocals) sounded quite good. However, more complex
sounds and a good vocalist with a lot of range sounded painful. In that
space, I will put Pink Floyd. The choir in Another Brick in the Wall Part.
2 is infinitely better since the modification.

- The G4 will have the worst problem. G3-KC3 will be next. G2 will have
even less issues. I understand the G1 does quite well but it does not have
a metal woofer. I believe it is a carbon fiber and likely has very
controlled drop off.

Alvaius

[b***@gmail.com]

Post by Anil Asher
Found this on ebay, a brand new Zetag Kinima KC-3 center speaker and
bought it based on the website specs and review links from there.
After I bought them I checked the newsgroups and found nothing about
this brand or model. I did figure out that the company went out of
business and closed down, it's a good product but not at the MSRP -
maybe that's why.
I like the sound and it does a good job as a center running off an
Arcam A/V processor and coupled with an older pair of Linn Index's as
fronts.
The recommended 100 hour run in isn't up yet but the dialog is crisp
and clear, I'm hoping to hear better sound as time goes by.
Anyway the point of this post is to get some feedback from all you
home theatre guru's out there if you have heard of the Zetag Kinima?
Here's a ling to there website http://www.zetagcorp.com/

I know this is so long after the original post, but I actually know a few people who worked within that company, and they now are in possession of the last inventory supply. the raw speakers, still in box brand new.

all available except the coppers now. http://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1061675110 at least 12 of ea. and 20+ tweeters.