It’s odd, isn’t it? Not long ago, you absolutely needed two speakers for decent stereo playback. Now, for surround sound, everyone wants to use just one speaker. Makes no sense. Maybe it’s a Tea Party-like reaction to all those speakers: Six speakers in a room are too many, and we’re not going to take it anymore! And let’s vote out the incumbents while we’re at it!
Politics aside, a soundbar, while not ideal for surround sound, can provide a convincing sense of sonic envelopment, and sound really great while doing so. Of course, good speakers — like the ones in the KEF HTF8003 seen here — help out the situation. This soundbar starts with a beefy aluminum enclosure containing left, right, and center channels to deliver the front soundstage. (You add wired or wireless surround speakers and a subwoofer to complete the package.) Each channel employs a three-way speaker system featuring a KEF Uni-Q driver with a tweeter placed coaxially in the bass/midrange, along with a woofer and auxiliary bass radiator. Sized for displays 42 inches or larger, you get both wall-mounting hardware and a table stand. Last call. kef.com
