Each to there own, I don't think KEF are lookers in my book, big orange unprotected cone with a cats bum in the middle! i normally love KEFs industrial design language but these for me don't hit the mark at all.
They're not competing with kef or even trying too these are dumb studio monitors aimed at completely different use case, sound-wise knowing tannoy as I do i bet there not a million miles away especially the gold 8's. I put them up as option for the people that might be looking at the kef and really not really wanting to spend the money on them.
And I rather have the outboard RME dac and streamer and by a good long way.
The 8 is huge. I don't think many considering the Kef would choose it. The 5 and 7 look more reasonable for anyone slightly concerned with decor but we are firmly in subjective territory so I may be wrong.
Kef's LS50 wireless/LSX are life style products and I guess many, including me, bought it to cut down on boxes.
Haven't I gone this way I very much like the look of AcousticEnergy's active book shelf model. However, it too, is not an integrated product.
Just depends what's important to the user.