VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE SPEAKER REVIEW IN THIS MONTHS MAGAZINE -SHOCKED IN FACT

[admin_exported]

I was quite looking forward to this months edition of the magazine but I have to say I was left totally dejected and disillusioned. To match a set of speakers that are not even mentioned on the manufacturers website and when one does a search they cannot be found. Its the Kef3005se's that you have tested with a sub grade woofer. All the current online prices quote the
HTB2SE

and this should have been used in the tests. Reference could have been made to the probable change and tested at a later stage. I am looking at the KEF's tomorrow and if they are the cheaper ones then I will walk away because I was never told about the sub change. The least you should have done was tested it with both.

Very poor show and to me the test looks skewed. Words cannot express my shock. In a nutshell I am gobsmacked that a quality magazine could even consider conducting such a test. What if kef decide not to change the sub?

abbey

 

[VoodooDoctor]

They've already been reviewed with the HTB2SE...

 

[Andrew Everard]

We covered this in News almost a month ago, but unfortunately can't be held repsonsible for what KEF does and doesn't do with its website.

 

[TheHomeCinemaCentre]

The new K1 and K2 variants of the Kef Packages are available from 1 August. As is often the way the press get details of a product before it hits the shops. Much better that than it being reviewed at the end of its life.

 

[Big Aura]

ABBEY:I was quite looking forward to this months edition of the magazine but I have to say I was left totally dejected and disillusioned. To match a set of speakers that are not even mentioned on the manufacturers website and when one does a search they cannot be found. Its the Kef3005se's that you have tested with a sub grade woofer. All the current online prices quote the
HTB2SE

and this should have been used in the tests. Reference could have been made to the probable change and tested at a later stage. I am looking at the KEF's tomorrow and if they are the cheaper ones then I will walk away because I was never told about the sub change. The least you should have done was tested it with both.

Very poor show and to me the test looks skewed. Words cannot express my shock. In a nutshell I am gobsmacked that a quality magazine could even consider conducting such a test. What if kef decide not to change the sub?

abbey

It was a Supertest of speakers in the £900-£1000 RRP range. The Original KEF package retails at £1,299, and it's the cheaper sub option that comes in at £1,000. I'm not sure that's (on balance) sufficient to "totally deject and disillusion you". It's only a speaker package....

clicky

 

[Clare Newsome]

It's also worth pointing out, for the benefit of those yet to see the issue, that KEF's subwoofer-switch is explained both in the introduction to the Group Test and in the test of the KEF itself.

Oh, and - you'd never guess it from Abbey's original mail - the new KEF package gets five stars.

 

[kinda]

I'm interested in this view from a different perspective in that the Tannoy Arena wasn't included.

As far as I'm aware this speaker set is current but now comes with the TS300 subwoofer, and seems to be available for £1000 or under from various places, with some of the earlier sets in certain colours going for a lot less than that.

Even if it's actual RRP isn't considered to be in range, I'd have liked to see it in the test, and in real-world prices it fits into the price category, (albeit maybe without stands).

I suppose it might come down to Tannoy actually sending samples in, but I was hoping maybe if you'd still got the old set you reviewed against the MT-30 in 2005, and took the TS300 from the 300 Highline you reviewed, you might have included it.

 

[JoelSim]

kinda:

I'm interested in this view from a different perspective in that the Tannoy Arena wasn't included.

As far as I'm aware this speaker set is current but now comes with the TS300 subwoofer, and seems to be available for £1000 or under from various places, with some of the earlier sets in certain colours going for a lot less than that.

Even if it's actual RRP isn't considered to be in range, I'd have liked to see it in the test, and in real-world prices it fits into the price category, (albeit maybe without stands).

I suppose it might come down to Tannoy actually sending samples in, but I was hoping maybe if you'd still got the old set you reviewed against the MT-30 in 2005, and took the TS300 from the 300 Highline you reviewed, you might have included it.

The magazine can't be held to account for real world prices

 

[kinda]

I'm not holding them to account, and it's not a criticism as such. Not all products at a price point can be included in every review.

I just think if driving reviews from a price basis, it might be better to go with the available prices rather than RRP, as that's what the consumer will end up paying. I'm not talking about scouring the net and shops for offers either, but just common available prices.

I think people have raised previously on the forum that they'd like to see in reviews older systems that have dropped into the price range, as well as just new ones.

I only mention the Arena in particular as it came off with the same stars as the MT-30 in 2005, so would potentially be the best of the bunch in this review of sub-£1000 style speakers, unless the MT-25 is very close to the performance of the MT-30, which given the price premium of the PV1 over the 608 sub I'd be surprised.

But just to be clear, I'm not criticising. I realise that there will be various factors going into how many systems are in a review and which systems go in, and I won't understand the complexities of the choices going on. It was just maybe a suggestion for the future really.

 

[Andrew Everard]

OK, to clarify, here are all the KHT 1000, 2000 and 3000 combinations and prices:

KHT1005.2 Home Theatre System
COMPRISING : 4 HTS1001.2 Satellites, 1 HTC1001.2 Centre Speaker,
1 KUBE-1 Active Subwoofer and 5 wall brackets. High Gloss Black System £499.99

HTS1001.2 Satellite High Gloss Black Each £74.99

HTS1001.2 Floor Stand for HTS1001.2 in High Gloss Black Pair £79.99

KHT2005.3 Home Theatre System
COMPRISING : 4 HTS2001.3 Satellites, 1 HTC2001.3 Centre and 1 KUBE-2 200W Active Subwoofer. High Gloss Black System £799.99

KHT2005.3 K1 Home Theatre System
COMPRISING : 4 HTS2001.3 Satellites, 1 HTC2001.3 Centre and 1 KUBE-1 150W Active Subwoofer. High Gloss Black System £699.99

HTS2001.3 Satellite High Gloss Black Each £124.99

HTS2001.2 Floor Stand for HTS2001.3 in Matt Black Pair £99.99

KHT3005SE Home Theatre System
COMPRISING : 4 HTS3001SE Satellites, 1 HTC3001SE Centre Speaker and 1 HTB2SE 250W Active Subwoofer. High Gloss Black System £1199.99

KHT3005SE K2 Home Theatre System
COMPRISING : 4 HTS3001SE Satellites, 1 HTC3001SE Centre and 1 KUBE-2 200W Active Subwoofer. High Gloss Black System £999.99

HTS3001SE Satellite High Gloss Black Pair £299.99

HTC3001SE Centre High Gloss Black Each £249.99

HTS3001 Floor Stand HTS3001 in Black Pair £149.99



Wireless

KHT3005SE-W Home Theatre System
A KHT3005SE with wireless transmitter connection to a HTB2SE-W Subwoofer - HTB2SE with built in wireless receiver. High Gloss Black System £1299.99

Wireless System
Wireless system using 2.4GHz wireless transmission technology.
Comprising one transmitter and two standalone wireless receivers. High Gloss Black System £449.99

 

[Big Aura]

but the 1005.2 range comes in silver too... how much is that, and why haven't you reviewed it?

(waits for Andrew to melt-down).

 

[Anonymous]

Clare Newsome:
It's also worth pointing out... the new KEF package gets five stars.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Big Aura:but the 1005.2 range comes in silver too...

The price-list I have been sent this morning doesn't mention silver, only the gloss black finish.

Big Aura:how much is that, and why haven't you reviewed it?

I'm taking a wild guess here, but I suspect it might sound rather like the black version. Or do you think the silver models will be brighter?

Big Aura:(waits for Andrew to melt-down).

It'll take more than that...

 

[Big Aura]

Andrew Everard:

Big Aura:(waits for Andrew to melt-down).

It'll take more than that...

Noted - I'll keep at it.

 

[Big Chris]

Big Aura:Andrew Everard:

Big Aura:(waits for Andrew to melt-down).

It'll take more than that...

Noted - I'll keep at it.

I sense a forum ban coming on.

;-)

 

[Anonymous]

KEF no longer supply the KHT systems in Silver in the UK apart from the 3005se.