Don't get us wrong -- we love
subwoofers -- but honestly we've been pretty satisfied with the formula that combines a driver, strong box and large amplifier into a more or less (we prefer
less) inconspicuous cube. Changing the physical design always looks kind of
strange, even when the results are great. Horses for courses, however, as
KEF has introduced its HTB2SE-W subwoofer that has us thinking of one George Jetson. That impression is only enhanced by the wireless connection (hey, it was futuristic a few years ago) that promises "CD-quality sound," which is probably more than sufficient for even lossless LFE tracks. If you don't like the flying saucer look, simply put the HTB2SE-W on its side -- the 10-inch driver and 250-Watt amp promise to deliver bass so non-directional that you won't be able to tell the difference. Available next month for $1,200 -- head below the fold for one more pic if you're not sure if this is the look for you.
posted Sep 24th 2009 2:06PM
Steve- any chance you will get one of these to review??
Seems to me wireless is a hopeless cause for anyone who really enjoys hi-fi but I'm curious to see if this has any potential.
Also, if it's between a mid-level subwoofer + bookshelves or 2 full range towers, which would you choose for a medium sized living room?
Hadn't planned on trying to get one for review. The same post got put on Engadget, you might be able to get some impressions there:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/24/kef-lands-its-wireless-htb2se-w-subwoofer/
Wireless might be just fine for a sub -- not the most demanding kind of signals.
The tower vs. bookshelf+sub depends on a lot of things. If your AVR has good room EQ, you might be better off using the bookshelves. Audyessey, for example, recommends you set all speakers to "small" if you've got a sub. Also, if you do more movies than music, the bookshelf approach might be better for you. Finally, if you go with bookshelves, don't forget to budget for some stands.
Ah yes, well I happen to have an Audeessy receiver and bookshelves on stands already.. so perhaps I will stick with that setup and get a quality sub. I do more music than movies.
My only issue with Audyessey is I can't seem to get it out of my head that is shaping the sound and removing what the recording engineer had in mind for the album i'm listening to. The thing is, when I bypass it, I find things a little muddy and lifeless in comparison.
Sounds like Audyssey is doing its job, then. Really some of the biggest improvements Audyssy makes is to the bass. Actually, the goal of Audyssey to to more accurately reproduce what the engineer heard -- by removing your room's artifacts. Check out the Audyssey blog for some good info.