Who is the reviewer Two Cents? All you have to know is that I'm a cheap b*stard who also appreciates quality. I'm not going to blow thousands of dollars for an AV system that will depreciate to next to nothing in a few years. (I can't afford it I tell you. Besides the whole experience can induce nausea in me.) At the same time, I wouldn't be able to live with the underwater sound quality of HTIB systems that are sold at Wal-Mart (editorial note: they're evil) or Costco.
So, why KEF? In the days when I thought I was an audiophile, I loved the sound of KEF speakers, especially mated with NAD amps. Clear, neutral, and musical. There are other great combos out there, but these two happened to get into HT at a price range that doesn't induce nausea. I read a lot of great and not-so-good things about NAD receivers, but hardly anything at all about the KEF KHT1005 sat/sub system. (There are many glowing reviews of the older siblings, the KHT2005 system.) I went on a whim and bought the KEF1005s and decided to share my experience with those considering the same.
The first thing you notice about the KEF satellite speakers are the size, shape, and design. Each satellite is about the size of your hand and is shaped like an egg that has been cut length-wise. The casing is aluminum. Even though the satellite speaker weighs only a bit more than two pounds, there is a solid, hefty feel to them. The build quality is impressive for relatively inexpensive speakers, always a good sign to a cheap b*stard like me. There are two easy-to-use binding posts at the rear base.
I appreciate great industrial design. The KHT1005 are among the most beautifully designed objects I've seen in a while. Even better proportioned than the KHT2005, they are lovely sculptural objects that would blend into a modern house.
They look great, but how do they sound? I could say a lot of stuff using audiophile jargon like soundstage, brightness, laid-back, avoirdupois (okay that last one isn't a-p jargon) and so on. But I won't. What I will say is that the KHT1005 system produces convincing sound that gets you involved in what you're watching. The speakers disappear and the sound quality is there for the enjoyment of movies. For speakers this size, the quantity of sound produced is as much of an issue as the quality. All I can say is that they can be played surprisingly loud without distortion. They absolutely filled and rocked my room (12'x16'x8') with my NAD T-743 receiver at +2 dB, which is nowhere near the max volume. (It may be a different story for large rooms with cathedral ceilings.) In summary, these speakers fill my HT needs at a very reasonable price.
Now I didn't buy these speakers for critical music listening. The lower frequency range for the satellite speakers is a fairly high 120 hz. They will sound fine for background music, but when I focused on listening to some of my favorite CDs, my HT system fell short of my stereo system. The KEF subwoofer isn't as musical as it can be and the satellites can sound boxed-in (even though they don't look boxy) compared to my Klipsch towers with music CDs. I'm not sure if this is due to speakers or the $100 Toshiba dvd player I've been using (my next upgrade once good dvd players are available at a reasonable cost. When I have time to waste, I will hook up my Cal Audio Labs CD player to my HT system to find out if the dvd player is the weak link, which I suspect it is.)
So who should consider the KEF KHT1005 system? Anyone looking for a sat/sub system because of space consideration, mainly interested in speakers for HT, appreciates good modern design, doesn't need reference quality sound, and is budget-conscious. The KEFs are harder to find than some other speakers, but are worth seeking out if you fit the bill.