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[Cameron Gunn]

Hi all,

Does anyone know the differences between the KF300i and KF300e? Is one better than the other or are they about the same? I've seen both selling for around $1200/pr, are either of those worth getting?

[Luke Robinson]

As far as I could tell they are very similar, many times Eaw would change the Model number if they changed up the drivers that they were using in the box. The processor settings might be marginally different for the two but they should sound pretty similar.

I will say that they are heavy boxes, they kinda feel like a cement brick. But it you Bi-amp them they do sound quite nice.

I used to have some of the KF300i, but I felt like they were too heavy and the fact that they needed to be Bi-amped (they have a passive crossover but it sounded terrible), made them more trouble than they were worth.

[Jon Ross]

KF300i is usually an install version. It could have no handles and barrier strips and or EP or Speakon. They will usually have a suffix like Isr or isp. R meaning portable and P meaning install version If I remember correctly. FX I believe is full range only. I have some 300s and 650s that are E and I. They are the same box with same components. I've run traces in Smaart and they were all pretty darn close to each other. I assumed the differences in the traces were due to age.

[Cameron Gunn]

Thanks for the replies. They will more or less be install speakers, only moved once a year or so. The extra channels and processing required to Bi-Amp won't be a problem. How would these compare to something like the QSC KW153 sound and SPL wise?

[Luke Robinson]

Thanks for the replies. They will more or less be install speakers, only moved once a year or so. The extra channels and processing required to Bi-Amp won't be a problem. How would these compare to something like the QSC KW153 sound and SPL wise?

The KF300 should get louder than the KW153 if amplified properly, however the QSC will get lower in frequency. If you are combining these speakers with Subs then that should not matter much but it is something to consider if not.

[Cameron Gunn]

The KF300 should get louder than the KW153 if amplified properly, however the QSC will get lower in frequency. If you are combining these speakers with Subs then that should not matter much but it is something to consider if not.

I do have subs that they will be used with. It looks like the KF300's will fit my needs, I'll setup an audition with a set.

[brian maddox]

Hi all,

Does anyone know the differences between the KF300i and KF300e? Is one better than the other or are they about the same? I've seen both selling for around $1200/pr, are either of those worth getting?

KF300i is a box that MUST br biamped. The KF300e came later and provided a built in crossover so it could be used biamped OR full range. Interestingly, in full range mode the signal is taken from pin 2 on the NL4 and EP4. But I digress.

Both are three way boxes.

Both sound similar in biamped mode with the proper processing.

The KF300i is noticeably lighter as the internal crossover in the KF300e is Massive.

Both boxes were available in an install version with no Speakon connectors or handles, but these are pretty rare. Most of these went to the portable rental market.

Still a very viable box. They were popular for a reason...

[Tim McCulloch]

Interestingly, in full range mode the signal is taken from pin 2 on the NL4 and EP4. But I digress.

EAW did this to pass through the subwoofer signal on pin 1+/-.

[brian maddox]

EAW did this to pass through the subwoofer signal on pin 1+/-.

Yes, they did.  Kinda.  I say that because a very common companion sub to the KF300 was the SB250 which came from the factory with the two drivers individually wired to the Pin 1 set and Pin 2 set.

I actually think the reason was a technical one and had to do with the complexity of the wiring in the crossover.  At least that's what i was told.  In the early 90's i contacted EAW about rewiring all the KF300s at the company i was working for so that the full range input would appear on Pin 1 as this matched the convention of all the other amp panels and speakers in the inventory at the time.  I was told by someone in their engineering dept. [who seemed very knowledgeable] that what i was asking for simply wan't possible given the design of the the switchable crossover circuit.  Was that true?  i don't know.  But i believed him.

In the end i settled on what turned out to be a very flexible solution.  I removed the 2 EP4 connectors since we had no use for them and replaced those with an additional set of NL4 connectors.  These i paralleled to the existing NL4 connectors and simply reversed the Pin 1 and pin 2 set.  The original connectors i relabeled 'BiAmp' and the new ones i Labeled 'Full Range'.  Worked like a champ.

This also led to a nifty little shortcut whereby we would send the mains signal down pin 1 and the delay signal down pin 2 of the same cable.  We then went into the 'Full Range' input of the Mains KF300, but went out of the 'BiAmp' output [which effectively swapped the pins] and into the Full Range input of the second KF300 [or JF 100 or whatever].  Nifty, swifty.  We liked this trick enough we eventually built cables that did the shifting for us and breakout boxes that shifted along with NL8 breakouts and all sorts of other goodies.

Ah, the good ol' days...

[Jim Richards]

I actually think the reason was a technical one and had to do with the complexity of the wiring in the crossover.  At least that's what i was told.  In the early 90's i contacted EAW about rewiring all the KF300s at the company i was working for so that the full range input would appear on Pin 1 as this matched the convention of all the other amp panels and speakers in the inventory at the time.  I was told by someone in their engineering dept. [who seemed very knowledgeable] that what i was asking for simply wan't possible given the design of the the switchable crossover circuit.  Was that true?  i don't know.  But i believed him.

Brian;
I know this is waaaay out of date, but you are entirely correct about the wiring of the KF300e's.  I reverse engineered some we very recently got at auction and they are a nightmare of circuitry.  I am certainly sure that whomever at EAW came up with this design must have either a) been committed to an asylum afterwords, or b) been awarded the Nobel prize in audio design.  There are so many "quirks that works", but until I was able to analyze what was going on in there (by reverse engineering it), I would have never been able to figure out which components were damaged/out-of-spec and caused our sweeps to be out of sync with each other.

Just found your post and thought I would let you know my experience!

Jim Richards
RME Audio Video, Inc.

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