Tom Norton

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CEDIA 2011
Kaleidescape's Vault
Tom Norton  |  Sep 10, 2011
Kaleidescape's CD/DVD/Blu-ray server gets around the copy protection issue with Blu-rays by having the user load his or her Blu-rays into this carousel-like unit--the Vault. The discs are then loaded onto hard drive servers and played from there. But they will only play from the server if the unit confirms that they are still in the Vault. If not, the server will no longer play the disc file. That's not a limitation with CDs or DVDs, which can also be loaded into the Vault, but can be removed (but still play) after copying onto the hard drives. The Vault holds over 300 discs, but the number of Blu-rays you can load will depend on how big a server you purchase. No word on whether the pretty blue light is standard or just a show special.
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CEDIA 2011
KEF Blade
Tom Norton  |  Sep 10, 2011
KEF's new R-series, mentioned in an earlier blog, was inspired by KEF's far pricier Blade ($30,000/pair), shown here in its dress whites. It sounded surprisingly good on the open show floor, with a tight, punchy bass that was undoubtedly helped by the lack of room modes--though the latter can hardly be blamed on any speaker. When I placed by hand on the composite cabinet during those heavy kick-drum hits, I felt practically nothing.
KEF Cutaway
Tom Norton  |  Sep 06, 2007

If you move up to the top of the KEF line you'll hit the flagship Reference series, also recently redesigned to eliminate the pod tweeters. Shown here is a cutaway of the smallest Reference model, the Reference 201/2 ($5000/pair). The port for this model, which is smaller than its predecessor, fires out of the top rear of the cabinet. The duct is visible at the upper left, just to the rear of the white damping material.

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Subwoofer Reviews
KEF KC92 Subwoofer Review
Tom Norton  |  Aug 28, 2024

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value
PRICE: $2,000

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Tight, clean, deep bass
Small size
Minus
Pricey
No app

THE VERDICT
The KEF KC92 is ideal in a situation where space is a serious consideration but deep, impactful bass is a must. While it will be best suited to modestly-sized home theater spaces, it can also offer impressive performance in larger rooms, even at challenging output levels.

Most audiophiles today are familiar with the KEF brand. It's one of the most widely recognized names in loudspeakers, offering products ranging from the relatively affordable to the high-end. Established in the U.K. in 1961 by Raymond Cook, the company's name was derived from its original location, the Kent Engineering and Foundry. The Hong Kong-based Gold Peak Group acquired KEF in 1992. All of its products are currently designed and engineered in the U.K., but today most of them (including the KC92 subwoofer), are manufactured in China. One major exception to this are the KEF Blades, the company's highest-end loudspeakers that are still built in Kent.

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Surround Sound System ReviewsSubwoofer ReviewsTower Speaker Reviews
KEF R900 Home Theater Speaker System
Tom Norton  |  Apr 23, 2013

KEF R900 Speaker System
Performance
Build Quality
Value
KEF R400b Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value
Price: $9,400 At A Glance: Sweet, clean highs • Big, generous soundstage • Flawless fit and finish

If you’ve been passionate about audio for more than a few years, or can name five loudspeaker companies with names that don’t rhyme with rose and begin with a B, you’ve certainly heard of KEF. In the late 1980s, KEF introduced a new concentric driver that placed the tweeter in the throat of the midrange cone. Dubbed Uni-Q, the design has been continually refined for over 20 years and remains the centerpiece of most KEF loudspeakers.

KEF today is part of a Hong Kong conglomerate...

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CES 2009
KEF Reference
Tom Norton  |  Jan 10, 2008

KEF also demonstrated the smallest entry in its Reference series, the 201.2, in 2-channels. It sounded superb. $5000/pair now, going up to $6000/pair soon. Get 'em while they're hot.

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KEF XQ
Tom Norton  |  Sep 06, 2007

KEF had a small booth, but a lot to show. Its updated XQ speaker line was particularly interesting. Gone are the pod-like supertweeters sitting atop the cabinets. Instead the tweeter in the company's UniQ concentric drivers has been re-engineered to handle all the high frequency chores. The XQ 30 floor stander, shown, will run $3400/pair. Not shown are the matching bookshelf model, the XQ 10, at $1400/pair, and the $1200 XQ 50 center.

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CES 2012
Kimber Kable Garden Hose
Tom Norton  |  Jan 13, 2012  |  Published: Jan 12, 2012
Like most cable manufacturers these days, Kimber Kable's top speaker cables sell at "If you have to ask" prices. Shown here is how they are internally constructed, which looks like a braided mesh of cables over a flexible inner core.
Klipsch Hits a New High
Tom Norton  |  Sep 06, 2007  |  Published: Sep 07, 2007

Klipsch has a new Flagship floor-stander, the Palladium P39F, which will set you back $15,000/pair. You'll have to wait until CES for six other models in the range, including the designs needed to fill out a home theater array, but I'm sure Klipsch will sell you five, six, or seven P39Fs if you're in a hurry.

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CES 2013
Klipsch, Jamo, Energy
Tom Norton  |  Jan 09, 2013
Times change. The once illustrious speaker brands Klipsch, Jamo, and Energy now belong to conglomerate VOXX (along with RCA, AR, and others). This lonely kiosk on the main convention center floor didn't look too encouraging, given the vitality of those brands at past shows. At the Venetian, where most of the audio exhibits are held, things looked slightly better. I'd expect the Klipsch name to be kept relatively sacrosanct, and there were some nice looking Jamo floor-standers on static display. But the Energy Demo was relegated to a modest-looking sound bar.

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