KEF Q800DS English Cherry 3 Way Dipole Surround Speaker Pair

The beauty of KEF's Q800ds dipole speaker is that it's created specifically for home theater system setups. The dipole (which merely means the speaker fires out of phase) creates the realistic sound imaging that gives you that fully immersed feeling. Not only does it throw a little realism your way, the dipole feature and a groovy trapezoid design that makes it more flexible when it comes to placement. Take it from KEF: be there or be square.

KEF's latest version of the Uni-Q array uses state-of-the-art technology (and makes it affordable). The vented tweeter design makes clarity a priority and insures a smooth transition to midrange frequencies thanks to KEF's Stiffened Dome technology. Adding the new Tangerine Waveguide to the tweeter protects the dome and improves the efficiency and sound dispersion at the highest frequencies. Matched directivity (mounting the tweeter in the center of the bass driver) improves the uniformity of the tonal balance across the listening area improving off-axis stereo imaging. For lows and mids, the new aluminum driver cones and large aluminum voice coils deliver fast, clean response at high power levels. The Z-flex surround gets rid of the conventional half-roll and adds one that allows simple deformations at low frequencies, but resists complex deformations in the midrange. The result is clear, unsmeared sound. But, beyond all this techno-speak, the Uni-Q array does one thing and does it well disperse sound evenly throughout the room. It's like playing duck-duck-goose where everybody's a winner.

If you've ever peeked inside a speaker cabinet, you may be tempted to decry the simplicity of the design. Interestingly enough, the simpler the crossover design, the better the acoustic performance. And we're saying simple, not cheap. The whole point of a crossover network is to filter the input signal to the separate bass, midrange, and treble drivers and to provide overall equalization and good tonal accuracy. For the Q Series, KEF put together lower, second order (i.e. a construction that uses the least amount of components) crossovers with simple electrical filter topologies for free-flowing, unconstrained, and dynamic swings and a big, open stereo image with believable overall geometry. How do they get away with using lower order crossovers? They know that carefully designed drive units and enclosures ensure only minimal filtering is necessary: genuinely good high-performance drivers = the realization of the full potential of low order acoustic crossovers. More simply put, KEF is all quality, and you don't have to be an engineer to hear the difference (thankfully).

What may seem a Herculean task to the non-engineer was undoubtedly down-right fun for the developers at KEF. Beyond the high-performance components, KEF has taken care of every single detail. The cabinets are ultra rigid with 30% more internal volume for the best bass and midrange response. The gold-plated bi-wire terminals provide the clearest signal transmission possible. And the sexy, exotic, and very guilt-free wood veneers that consist of recycled wood fiber instead of unsavorily harvested hardwoods. (Hey, just because KEF provides luxurious sound doesn't mean they have to take more than their share.) KEF knows it's in the details. It's not just an experience. It's a KEF experience. Kind of gives you that warm fuzzy feeling, doesn't it?