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Italy, Rome
1 Level
735 Review
43 Karma

Review on KEF T301C Center Channel Speaker - Pure White/Satin (Single), Enhanced Audio Experience by Doug Friedman

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Clearly: ear candy!

Taken from my L/R review of the same model: KEF knocked it out of the park with these baddies! First, let me say that I am a very serious audiophile. I've worked in the professional audio industry (both in the studio and live) and I can tell you the MP3 bitrate by ear. I also take my music and films very seriously. However, my wife didn't want big, giant speakers hanging on the floor or walls in the common room, and the design of our house didn't allow me to build speakers into the wall. Flat speakers were the only real option other than using TV speakers (their idea) which is totally unacceptable right? So when developing my "designer” home entertainment system, I expected to make some sacrifices in terms of soundstage quality. However, KEF had other plans. To be honest these are just not full range speakers like most home theater speakers on the market. You NEED a subwoofer, and a good one at that. The only weakness (as you might expect) is in the low and mid frequencies. However, when combined with a proper subwoofer (handy down to 100Hz) and a decent receiver/amplifier, the sound of these speakers is AMAZING. They work flawlessly at the reference level for both music playback and movies. Their sound is flat, balanced and very precise. The soundstage they create seems massive. Their output is great and they can accurately reproduce all 90 watts of subtle amplification that my Denon is putting out. I've never heard them cut or distort anything I've used with them from EDM to acoustic to film. I think they really shine the brightest when they see live music blues. The bank escape scene in "Heat" also reached a new level of awesomeness when played through these speakers. You just fascinate me. I can't believe these speakers will disappoint anyone. Oh, and did I mention they're flatter than a pancake and look super sexy? Yes, and it is. Reference: Denon AVR-1712KEF T301, T301C and CI160SRSVS SB12-NSD

Pros
  • Great for a small home
Cons
  • Questionable purchase for the elderly