KEF KIT100 Instant Theatre review

What you need to know

Reviewed by: Steve Guttenberg

Reviewed on: 14 May 2005

Tags: KEF, KEF KIT 100 Instant Theatre, connectivity, standards, speakers

We like:

Innovative stereo speakers provide surround sound; stylish small-footprint design; die-cast metal speakers and receiver/DVD player

We don't like:

Pricey; less adept with music than with movie audio

You might also need:

TV, component-video cables

CNET UK judgement:

KEF's luxurious Instant Theatre makes believable surround from a pair of speakers

Full review:

The high-end market is continuously morphing into new forms. Just when we were adjusting to the idea that Porsche makes an SUV, KEF -- the legendary British speaker manufacturer -- has unveiled its first home theatre in a box (HTIB). But KEF's KIT100 Instant Theatre (£1,200 list price) is a radical departure from everyday all-style, no-substance plastic systems. Its die-cast metal speakers and diminutive receiver/DVD player have a luxurious look and feel. Instead of the usual array of five speakers and a subwoofer, the system creates a holographic sound field with just a pair of exotic-looking speakers and a solid subwoofer. No, it can't deliver the rear-channel effects of a full surround system, but its two speakers sounded surprisingly spacious. In fact, the KIT100's home-theatre sound bettered any of the other virtual-surround HTIBs we've tested, though its musical talents were less consistently spectacular. Continue Reading...