Form meets function, and the two embrace in the 3005 series speakers from KEF. Designated as the KHT-3005, this futuristic-looking 5.1 system resembles a tasteful, yet playful speaker system that would look right at home in Mork from Ork's home (ask your parents if you don't understand the reference, kids). Available in gloss black or silver, the 3005 system features coaxial drivers and an unusual oblong powered subwoofer that can be placed either horizontally or vertically. The whole system screams sophistication and quality, and it looks great with nearly any decor.

The satellite speakers are somewhat egg-shaped and have a coaxial tweeter-within-woofer design that KEF called its "Uni-Q" array. They feature a ported (bass-reflex) design and the mid-bass cones have a distinctive pattern of ribs, which is designed to increase the rigidity of the woofer. The grills are magnetic--one of the more promising innovations of the last few years--and can be easily (but not too easily) removed. The speakers look great with the grills on or off. The center channel uses the same concentric driver system, but adds two three-inch mid-bass drivers to deliver more output and a slightly-increased frequency response. The speaker wire connectors are proprietary and, while elegant, don't allow for anything other than bare wire (we recommend 14 gauge) to be utilized.

The ten-inch subwoofer is housed in an oblong, rounded enclosure that is deceptively large, though narrow. It's powered by a 250 watt Class-D amplifier and has a passive ten-inch radiator. We noticed no buzzing or rattling inside the enclosure, even when the system was pushed to high levels of output. The sub has excellent extension, dipping down close to 30Hz in our tests; exceptional, considering the size of the driver and enclosure. It's also tight and controlled, meaning that you get some real sound out of it, not the colorless droning that accompanies many smaller systems. There is no crossover control on the sub--instead KEF opted for simplicity and intends the system to be utilized with modern home theater receivers which can send proper bass managed signal to the sub. Anything purchased in the last 5 - 7 years should do this without difficulty. These days, even a $200 AV receiver provides adequate bass management and a dedicated subwoofer output.

In our listening tests, the system played extremely loud with little to no distortion. Midrange frequency response was somewhat lacking, but the system did very well in both stereo and multi-channel modes. The satellites produced a great, wide soundstage, though they were directional--a common shortcoming of smaller systems. Whether it was movies or music, the KEF 3005 series really came across as a convincing alternative to larger, boxy speakers. If nice aesthetics are part of your requirements for a 5.1 home theater system, the KEF KHT-3005 is a tight solution that is one of the few compelling choices which won't sacrifice function on the altar of form and design. We heartily recommend it.

Pros: Beautiful design, tight bass, plays loud
Cons: Simplistic subwoofer connections, somewhat directional, limiting speaker terminals

Warranty
5 years