KEF Speakers Deliver Five Channel Performance from Only Two Enclosures

I am a KEF fan. I was out of law school when I finally saved up enough money to buy some really good stereo loudspeakers; and they were KEFs. Back then, you only needed two speakers for stereo. Fast forward to today, and you have surround sound (which is a must to really enjoy a good movie at home) and blending a multi-channel home theater speaker system into your media room can be a daunting undertaking. Often you must compromise performance to obtain installation flexibility and stay within your budget. KEF’s unique five two series speakers provide an elegant solution to this dilemma.

I spoke to Alec Chanin, president of KEF America, who told me, “The five two series speakers build on our award winning KEF Instant Theatre technology and bring it to new applications and levels of performance,” said Alec , who also added “The five two series Model 7 and Model 11 offer a unique solution to those who either cannot or would prefer not to accommodate five separate speakers and the associated wiring spread around their room, but would still like to enjoy the exciting experience of true 5.1 channel home theater sound.”

He said it better than I could.

The five two series speakers’ name derives from their ability to produce amazing five channel sound from just 2 speaker enclosures. The line is comprised of the Model 7 bookshelf speaker system (seven drivers) and the Model 11 floor standing speaker system (eleven drivers). Both models feature a slender and elegant “racetrack” shaped enclosure and are available in either a matte silver or high gloss black finish to match most of today’s popular flat panel displays. Optional matching floor stands and wall brackets are available for use with the Model 7s.

KEF achieves full five-channel, sound from two speaker enclosures by combining their patented Uni-Q ‘point source’ drivers in a multi-driver array with a uniquely new application of NXT flat panel technology. Although housed in only two enclosures, true, discrete left/center/right and left/right surround signals are fed to and reproduced by different drivers within the enclosures. The inherently broad dispersion pattern of KEF’s Uni-Q drivers creates a rock-solid center-fill, while the wide, diffused soundfield from the dipole NXT flat panels provides spacious surround and ambient effects.

In improving on earlier design, both KEF five two series speaker systems feature the latest generation of Uni-Q drivers, which are capable of even deeper bass and greater dynamics than their widely praised predecessors, and the newly optimized NXT panels deliver even greater rear channel “punch.” The Uni-Q’s extremely wide dispersion pattern insures that an entire roomful of family and friends share equally in the experience, rather than just those sitting in a small ‘sweet spot’ as is the case with conventional speakers.

This ingenious design delivers the subtleties and spatial depth encoded in today’s digital formats and eliminates the need for a multi-speaker set-up and the associated complex, unsightly wiring it requires.

However, I would suggest adding a subwoofer to add some extra bottom to the loud explosions and car crashes so prevelant in today’s movies. The five two series of speakers are designed to be used with almost any A/V home theater system, thus providing great flexibility in terms of both performance and budget.

KEF five two series speakers are available now and the Model 7 and Model 11 retail at $1,200 and $2,000 respectively. For additional information about KEF’s line-up, please visit www.kef.com.

John Lentz