Time for new products and ideas from Kef, currently the UKs biggest selling speaker brand We started off with a background to the success of the multi-award winning LS50 and the design project that sparked the latest technology, the Blade. Blade is something you might have to wait to see, until we have a spare £ 25k lying about, but the £ 799 LS50 is on permanent demo at lyric and more than 30 pairs have already found homes in Ireland. Also related to the Blade technology is the R range. With bookshelf speakers at £ 599 and £ 999, then floorstanders at £ 1500, 2000, and 2750 these beauties are already very successful, and glowing reviews recently will help this even more. My favourites are the R300 at £1000 and the R700 at £2000
Coming next is the E series, a replacement for the KHT series KHT2005 and 3005. Priced very aggressively at only £ 899 for the 5 speakers and subwoofer, the E series is not a boring facelift. Blade technology has trickled down into the driver layout, bracing, crossover, and the cabinet materials. Whill the 3005 Kef have been the default choice for a compact sub-£1000 home cinema package, these are definitely better. The demonstration of Incredible Hulk blu ray and John Pizzarelli's guitar playing proved it. Deliveries start in May, check them out!
Also in May are two models of headphones. Now some of you may know that I dont own or use headphones, although I can hear the difference between good and average.
These are way better than good!
In ear phones, with iphone/ipod control £ 150. Over-ear phones in gorgeous lightweight aluminium, same control, love these, £ 250 Is that a lot for headphones? I dont think it is for these.
Shipping early May, call in to hear them for yourself, bring your card, you will fall for them, like I have
Next up was the Kef X300 active speaker system for computer based music. Usable for an office or as a main system these are great sounding, compact, and easy to hoook up and use. A usb cable goes from your computer or laptop into the first speaker and you then have a link cable from one speaker to the other. Each speaker has twin power amplifiers running in an active layout, and they sound mighty! £ 599 might place them at the top end of the market for PC speakers, but it's great value for the sound.
There was then a session on future products, which is embargoed so I'm not going into it here, and then a beautiful meal with great music including one of the Kef research team playing keyboard into a pa system into a bright orange pair of Blades. Is this the best PA system ever?
