Kerr Acoustic K200 speakers
Kerr Acoustics may not be the largest speaker manufacturer in the UK, but they have quickly gained a high profile in all the right places. If you are a regular visitor to any of the UK hi-fi shows, you will likely have heard a pair of Kerr speakers, which are used by the likes of Chord Electronics, Townshend Audio, and The Chord Company, among other brands.
Jes Kerr may still be in his early thirties, but he has amassed a wealth of experience and knowledge in a comparatively short time, notably as a session and touring drummer and producer. Kerr Acoustic came about through Jes’s passion for restoring and modifying existing speaker designs. Founded in 2017, Kerr Acoustic offers two model lines: one for studio applications and the other for the domestic market.
The £19,995 Kerr K200 we are looking at here is one model down from, and closely related to, the top-of-the-range £27,995 Kerr K100, which is now in its Mk 2 iteration. I would usually have considered the K200’s dimensions too large for my listening room. However, having heard the K100 Mk2 sounding fabulous in the home of the brand’s PR agent—which is smaller than mine—I had no such concerns, despite my room lacking the extensive treatments used in the aforementioned space.
Room friendly
Whilst you would not want to place either of these speakers close to the sidewalls of your room without the assistance of acoustic treatment, their front-ported, transmission-line design allows them to be placed much closer to the rear wall than is usual for speakers of this size. I recall reading that the Editor got the best results with the smaller Kerr K320 Mk3 by bringing them further into the room. However, Jes tells me that the inherent design of the K200 often results in fewer in-room issues than that model, which, incidentally, did work well in my room near the wall when I hosted them 18 months ago.
As many speaker designers will tell you, creating great-sounding transmission-line speakers can prove challenging. PMC is one of the few companies to get this right, and I feel Kerr is another. Many people I have shared photos of the Kerr speakers with have commented on their visual similarities with PMC designs. To an extent, I get this, especially since some older PMC models also used Volt drivers, in common with the top two models from Kerr Acoustics. Equally, the men behind both brands hail from a studio-monitor background. There, I feel the similarities end, as all current Kerr Acoustics speakers are based on modified Fountek ribbon tweeters and therefore have quite different sonic characteristics.
Build and design
Whilst the Kerr K200 is a stand-mount speaker, make no bones about it: it is a large design that, physically at least, will dominate small to medium-sized dwellings. My review pair was supplied with a pair of 30cm matching stands, which retail for an additional £1,995. Midway through the review period, I was sent the first full-production sample of the custom Seismic Podium-equipped stand bases from Townshend Audio. These bases will add a further £2,500 to the cost of the package, which, let’s be honest, represents a significant additional investment, and I will revisit this later.
The cabinets, like the rest of the range, are built from sustainably sourced 24mm Baltic birch plywood. They feel as solid as the best designs and, helped by effective internal bracing, certainly pass the ‘knuckle test’. My samples are in natural oak, with walnut and rosewood being the other standard-priced options. However, for a premium, buyers can choose from a virtually unlimited range of RAL colour options. I have seen some stunning versions of Kerr speakers finished in satin and high-gloss lacquer—both of which the K200 is available in for a premium.
Aside from the Fountek 60mm ribbon tweeter, the bass unit is Volt’s RV2501, a 10-inch radial driver. I was somewhat surprised to see Jes hoisting each 43kg speaker onto its stand by holding onto one of the bass driver’s eight spokes. Further inspection revealed that the die-cast aluminium spider is absolutely rigid, which was reassuring. Each bass driver weighs 5.2kg, which sounded substantial enough until I discovered the Volt VM753 midrange driver fitted above it weighs 6kg. This 3-inch unit has a doped horn-loaded surround to aid dispersion.
Those who resent splashing out on extra cables will love the single-wired input terminals; bi-amping fans, less so. As you can see from the photo, the crossover itself is a work of art, featuring custom-designed Claritycaps. Sensitivity is quoted at 91dB (2.83V/1m), and impedance is 8 ohms. Although Jes tells me he’s had great success driving these speakers with a 30W Class A amplifier, those heavy drivers respond best to amplification capable of delivering strong current.
Revealing performance
The K200 followed on from the Coppice Audio BG3, which has taller, narrower cabinets and smaller woofers than the K200. The contrast in sonic balance could not be starker, with the former seducing with its laid-back, velvety delivery, and the K200 delivering an upfront, dynamic and incisive balance. The system remained the same, based around Simaudio Moon electronics, Townshend Audio analogue cables, and a mix of Network Acoustics and CAD digital cabling.
Having spent time with the K320s last year and hearing the K200s a few times at shows, I had a reasonable idea of what to expect. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how well they integrated into my room; despite the prodigious bass these speakers are capable of delivering, the degree of control the system had over them was impressive.
As I have already mentioned, the K200s were delivered without the Townshend Seismic bases. For transparency, I purchased a pair of bases for my resident Totem Forest Signature speakers last year, which I have also used in various reviews of other speakers since then. Even with the dedicated Kerr stands unspiked and unsuspended, the K200 threw an enormous soundstage with impressive low-frequency performance.
The K200 is as neutral as one would expect, given the brand’s studio connections. They starkly reveal any deficiencies earlier in the chain. Compared to the majority of speakers which use conventional dome tweeters, the high frequencies are cleaner and more extended, yet this additional high-frequency output never dominates; it simply adds detail and definition to the rest of the frequency spectrum. This results in an extremely open presentation, with a degree of instrumental layering rarely experienced elsewhere.
Thrills but no spills
The integration between the drive units is superb, and believe me, those Volt drivers have no trouble keeping up with the speed of that ribbon tweeter. Play fast-paced music through the K200 and the results are thrilling, yet the speaker displays subtlety and conveys emotion when the music demands it.
The K200 told me more about the differences between various masters of well-known recordings in my collection than any speaker I have previously lived with. Over the years, I have purchased more than a few hi-res versions of favourite albums. The Kerrs had little trouble revealing some of the mastering compromises, which often outweigh the supposed benefits of increased resolution. However, the K200’s stellar timing and separation mean it can still produce enjoyable renditions of poor recordings. Even the 2017 24/96 version of David Bowie’s Heroes, which is notoriously compressed and edgy-sounding, proved enjoyable as long as I kept the in-room level below 80dB or so. Here, the K200 acted as a window into the mastering choices, clearly revealing the decision to add weight to the low frequencies and extra reverb to the vocals, which did bring out more emotion, albeit at the expense of the openness, space, and dynamics of older CD releases.
Flipping the coin, Frank Zappa’s Overnite Sensation in 24/192 sounded particularly sublime. Here, the speaker’s speed, timing, dynamics, and sheer sense of life came to the fore. Listening to this album again with the Townshend Seismic Podiums fitted took things to another level, enhancing the dynamic separation and adding texture to the bass. The soundstage of this half-century-old recording expanded in all dimensions, making the experience utterly mesmerizing.
Well-recorded live music, such as Nick Cave’s Idiot Prayer (24/96 download)—which is just Cave and his piano, recorded during lockdown at Alexandra Palace—placed me in the front row of the venue. The speaker’s resolution, speed, and dynamic freedom made this simple recording a thrilling listen.
Fans of electronica will also find much to enjoy here. Massive Attack’s Mezzanine (CD rip), which I have heard live on more than one occasion, sounded as metronomic and weighty as is possible in a home environment. The track Teardrop contains some seriously strong, deep bass, but those growling low frequencies remained under control, even at high volume levels—fear of hearing damage meant I gave in long before the K200 did. Elizabeth Fraser’s vocals were as sweet, silky, and luscious as I have ever heard them, contrasting with the aggressive-sounding electronic hi-hats which punctuated the track with startling temporal accuracy.
Conclusions
The Kerr K200 is far from a budget proposition, but it delivers a true high-end performance. Like all Kerr loudspeakers, this is a speaker that adds very little of its own character to the music. I am fortunate enough to have heard the entire Kerr Acoustic range and feel the K200 represents the sweet spot for most UK homes. Yes, the K100 Mk2 gives you more scale, bass depth, and power, but the average UK living space would require judicious use of room treatment to get the best from it. The K200 adds body, dynamics, and bass weight to the already impressive K320 Mk3 without requiring a massive amplifier. My 125W Moon 600i proved more than capable of delivering a large, accurate soundstage and impressive low-frequency performance from the K200.
In my room and setup, the Townshend Podiums proved a desirable, if not essential, option. Your experiences in your room may, of course, differ. Still, for me, I feel that their contribution justifies the investment, given the improvements wrought in openness, dynamics, and focus across the entire frequency range. I also felt they removed the slight ‘chestiness’ to male vocals that was present before I fitted them, likely caused by their proximity to the rear wall.
The purchase of speakers of this size and expense will not be possible for everyone, but if your system, room, and budget tempt you to book a demo, you will likely be ordering a pair. The Kerr K200 is that rare beast that combines accuracy with sheer entertainment. Bravo, Jes Kerr.
Pros
Studio-grade neutrality: Delivers an incredibly transparent, “window-into-the-music” performance with very little added character.
Superb integration: Despite using a large 10-inch Volt radial driver, it seamlessly matches the lightning-fast speed of the Fountek ribbon tweeter.
Transmission line advantage: The front-ported design allows for much closer placement to the rear wall than most speakers of this size.
Exquisite imaging: Offers an enormous soundstage with rare levels of instrumental layering and high-frequency definition.
Heirloom build quality: Constructed from 24mm Baltic birch plywood with high-end internal components like Claritycaps.
Driveability: High sensitivity (91dB) means it doesn’t require a monster amplifier to produce scale and authority.
Cons
Dominating physicality: Even as a ‘stand-mount,’ its substantial bulk will dominate small to medium-sized rooms.
Brutal honesty: Its revealing nature will starkly expose poor recordings or weaknesses in your upstream electronics.
The ‘hidden’ costs: To get the absolute best performance, you will need to spend £1,995 extra on dedicated stands.
Physical weight: At 43kg per cabinet, positioning and setup is a two-person job that requires care.