Place your speakers virutally anywhere in the room Work essentially as expected, but might not be worth the price
The technical specs on these are already available all over the place, so I won't repeat them here. Instead, I'll give a pro and con review:
Pro:
1) Size - There are three units and each is small enough not to be a big problem to hide.
2) Set up - There is really not much to do. I was up and running in under 10 minutes. The main part attaches to your receiver speaker terminals and an AC plug. The other ends attach to each speaker and to an AC adapter (each needs its own AC plug - three in all).
3) Audio quality - Both a plus and a minus. When it works, the audio is very clear and does not really sound any different than a wired system would. HOWEVER, see my comment under the con section.
Con:
1) Interference - My baby monitor interfears with this system. I know it says it does some fancy type of frequency jumping, but the Garco monitor creates interference if it is too close to the speaker ends of the system.
2) Audio quality - This is a high end (and very expensive) system. It figures that those purchasing it will have equally high end systems. Remember how much you paid for those high end amps? None of that power is used to power the remote speakers. Instead you have an overtaxed 50 watt (I think) amp on the speaker end. For 90% of surround applications this is probably fine, but real audio nerds will not be happy with the result. Of course, would an audio nerd really ever use a wireless system? The lack of amplifier power is even more apparent if you try to use this to power a second set of main speakers. Using a McIntosh amp and mid-range Boston Acoustics speakers (VS240) the clipping was evident.
3) Wires - It should be obvious that a trully wireless system is really impossible. Each unit has a speaker wire hook-up and a dedicated AC adapter (although they aren't the massive brick type.)
4) Auto power? - Just a note that these are always on. It would be nice if they could sense a signal and turn themselves on and off (standby). I have no idea how much power these draw when off, but I imagine it isn't much.
5) Price - At the price point these are placed, I'm just not sure they really are worth it. For the same amount of money (or less) you could probably have an electrician fish some speaker wires for you.
Early Adopters and Niche Consumers ...
I had this system unboxed and installed in close to fifteen minutes. The instructions that accompany the device is minimal and I kept looking through the empty cardboard shell for something more. I wanted to know the real specs and the what it was actually promising. My judgment resting on a few snippets printed on the box just wasn't good enough for me, but that's where it left me:
CD Quality Sound.
Hmmm ... that sounds a lot like 192 kbps if you ask me ... which ain't much. I've stated in reviews before that my wife is intense audiophile and she drools, pavlovian, over stuff like this and while I installed the remote speakers she quickly and deftly installed the transmitter portion behind the stereo cabinet.
"Uh ... it's pretty simple, Steffan. Now stop touching stuff!"
So that's how it went. She proceeded to run some audio diagnostic tests and made the following comments.
"I can usually set the distance in the receiver of each speaker, now the option to do that on the back two channels have disappeared. That's a problem."
"Hmmm. Pink noise on the back two sound weak."
and other gems like: "CD quality? That's it? Please."
The lack of amplification is pretty obvious as the rear does begin to sound low, especially if you do not have a sixth or seventh channel.
The other moment of clarity came when I realized that you're not going to get 'wireless' from this as they have to plug into the wall. For some this may prove a problem depending on your room as you may not have enough power outlets or even have them near without having to run a cord, which defeats the purpose of them being wireless. but that's not really a knock on KEF as it's just a limitation of current technology.
I did notice some strange behavior with my Wii remote and also some clicking with our Baby-Monitor as well, but it was minimal. No "ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch" every time the cell phones rang or anything like that.
The price is what it is and anyone researching wireless systems know that they're going to have to pay money, so knowing this -- I'm not going to make an issue out of it.
... ...
Wireless Perfection, at a Price - Make sure you need this!!!
I am sure at this point you have researched a wireless speaker technology and that is what has brought you to this review. For anyone looking at this item you must understand what you are buying before diving into the expense of such a product. Other reviewers have already stated that these are quite expensive and that you can probably run wiring for a lot less. I agree...which is why my review will be 4/5 stars. That being said here is how I tested this item and my experiences there after.
Box Includes: One transmitter, two receivers, power adapters, and documentation.
I am a big fan of Denon receivers and own two of them...one high end (avr-4308) and one mid level for our family room (avr-689). Both of my receivers have Audyssey, which is a sound shaping mechanism that balances your speakers to your room and makes the sound as real as possible. Basically, you attach a microphone to your receiver and start the audyssey software which instructs you to move the mic at regular intervals around your room. In this process the speaker size, levels, and frequencies are all adjusted.
Dolby Digital 5.1 systems all require speakers that run at approximately 100w per channel. Most 5.1 receivers provide this kind of power, which is not a requirement but a recommendation. So how does a wireless device pass this kind of power to your speakers and how does it sound?
I connected the KEF system first to my two rear surround speakers in the family room. I ran Audyssey when the kids and wife were out..since it needs to be quiet time. MUCH to my surprise the speakers were detected properly...the same as they were when hard wired. Audyssey then proceeded to adjust the levels and had to raise them about +1-+2 to get more sound out...but THATS IT. Not bad if you ask me....for wireless. My better half loved the fact that wires were now gone...but hated that there were two receivers behind the speakers that needed power. So yes, its wireless...to a degree.
Second, the ultimate test, I connected the KEF to the front left and right channels and proceeded to connect the receivers to a pair of outdoor speakers in the back yard...there is a window that overlooks the back so wireless interference and range were not too much of a challenge. I did not do any calibration...I simply wanted some music outside from our receiver. VOILA..it worked and it worked VERY VERY well. The speakers sounded as good as they did with a wired connection. Again a SOLID product.
Now then, what about the 2.4ghz frequency and other wireless devices? Simply put we have a lot more wi-fi around our televisions then we used to. Between video game consoles, media streaming devices, etc. They all run at the same frequency and thus there has to be an issue... Answer: NO - no interference what so ever. We were still able to use our Apple TV and or Roku to view content over wi-fi signals. Our laptops worked the same, 5 bars, and there was not even a hint of lag with these things running.
The KEF is a solid product and is a bit on the expensive side. Make sure you need the technology before spending your hard earned dollars. Wiring will generally cost you a lot less but the convenience of having a product like this is priceless. I have rated it at 4 stars, simply due to cost...which will make it prohibitive to certain people that need a simple technology like this.
