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Entered CNET Catalog: 04/02/2004
SKU: KIT100
Manufacturer: KEF Audio Ltd.
Manufacturer description
PRODUCT FEATURES: Digital surround sound from only two speakers; Progressive scan DVD/CD player; AM/FM stereo tuner; Compatible with CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3; Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS compatible; Full function remote control.CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 09/13/2004
Setting up the Instant Theatre is simplicity itself: just make the video connection to your TV and plug in the specially terminated speaker and subwoofer cables and you're done. The setup menus are likewise basic, and we were playing discs in less than 10 minutes. The receiver's tiny buttons are hard to see and use, so we relied on the remote.
The silver plastic remote breaks the high-end spell, but its minimalist button count keeps things simple and easy to use. For this kind of money, we would expect the remote to be backlit, but it's not.
The system includes a pair of unique 9.5-inch tall, cast aluminum speakers. Their unusual shape was designed to reduce the resonances and vibrations that color the sound of more-conventional box speakers. Advanced technology features include KEF's Uni-Q drivers with their special 4-inch woofers fitted with integral 0.6-inch dome tweeters. KEF's engineers also fitted each of the speakers with separate flat drivers that serve two purposes. First, they direct sound out to the sides to conjure a phantom center image for dialogue, and second, they bounce sound off of your side walls to create an enveloping surround effect. As a result, KEF's virtual surround approach is a more organic system than many of its competitors--it doesn't rely on processing to synthesize 5-channel surround.The 10-inch subwoofer contains amplifiers for the woofer and the speakers, but KEF would not supply the amps' power ratings. Just 7 inches wide, the sub won't dominate your room, but its 20.75-inch depth might be a concern for some spaces. It weighs 40 pounds.
The receiver/DVD player features Dolby Digital, Pro Logic II, and DTS surround processing. Its connectivity quotient is modest: three A/V inputs, one optical digital input and output, and the usual set of composite, S-Video, and progressive-scan component-video outputs. The receiver doesn't have a headphone jack. The Instant Theatre is a closed system; you can't use the receiver with other brands of speakers, and you can't use the speakers or subwoofer with any other receiver.
The Instant Theatre instantly impressed us with its ability to create a wide and very deep surround field when we played the Goldmember DVD. Synthesizing surround from fewer than five speakers has been tried with varying degrees of success before, most notably from the Niro 1.1Pro single-speaker HTIB, but the Instant Theatre's wraparound surround sound was more enveloping. We heard sound coming from way out to the sides, projected far ahead of the speakers themselves. Goldmember's thumping bass fully exercised the KEF subwoofer, which is powerful enough to fill even large rooms with bass.We next tried the Big Fish DVD and noted the believability of Instant Theatre's phantom center "speaker"--dialogue was firmly planted between the two speakers--as long as we sat near the center of our couch. Once we moved to either side, the sound veered over to the side. This fantastical film's sensual sound wowed us overall, but it wasn't as dynamic or powerful as it would be on a more conventional 5.1 speaker package mated with a decent A/V receiver. Technology has its limits after all.
We were even more aware of the Instant Theatre's limits when we played a CD from Detroit's hard-hitting duo, the White Stripes. They sounded limp and a bit boring, and the bass was lumpy and thick. We took the hint and tried Holly Cole's jazzy Tom Waits tribute CD Temptation; it sounded gorgeous, with a detailed and holographic soundstage. So the lesson learned was that acoustic and quieter music can sound wonderful, but more aggressive music won't cut it. We've noted the same weakness on the Niro 1.1Pro and with HTIBs in general; they're at their best playing DVDs. If you're more interested in music than movies, we'd recommend an audition before you buy this or any HTIB.
User opinions
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User Rating: 
6/10
DIsappointed
Pros: Sturdy build, easy setup, cool look, Movies sound great. Bass sounds great.
Cons: receiver/DVD gets seriously hot. Music does not sound nearly as good as movies. Proprietary setup means that when it breaks down the whole thing is a boat anchor. Can only adjust Bass response. Would like to have had satellite speaker adjustments.
Bottom line? KEF has a good name when it comes to sound but I think this reputation was built on individual components. Theater in a box is a good concept but I would stick with individual components or at least one without proprietary connectivity.
User Rating: 
4/10
Not bad, but Bose 321 is better
Pros: Nice and compact
Cons: Sound not as good as Bose. How do you put those speakers in a room without drawing attention!
On another note, it seems trendy these days for reviewers to give Bose a thumbs down, but I think it is still the best sound you can get before you get into audiophile territory. Which means all those wires, and preamps, and crossovers and... I'm getting a headache already. That's where I have just come from!
User Rating: 
9/10
Hearing is believing !
Pros: Simple setup and easy to use
Cons: Remote needs a backlite
User Rating: 9/10
quality product
Pros: sound. styling. great bass
Cons: poor set up instructions from kef. slow dvd loading. remote keys too small
User Rating: 9/10
Well done KEF... Well done...!!!!
Pros: Clear and great surround sound from only 2 speakers, tremendously easy to set up, only a few leads and a VERY powerfull subwoofer that can shake you to your very soul! Built in HIGH quality materials!
Cons: A bit pricy and defficult to set up right so the KEF speakers provides maximum sound!! But everything... totaly worth it!!
User Rating: 
8/10
Easy, Great Sound, KEF Quality
Pros: Very easy to set up, easy to use. Great surround from only two speakers, powerful subwoofer. Stereo mode sounds excellent with music due to KEF's Uni-Q speakers. No need to run wires and mount speakers in back of room. Great overall system. Excellent cust
Cons: None! Well, might not be as good in rooms over 25 by 25 feet. Pieces of system are heavy, but i guess thats build quality.
User Rating: 8/10
great virtual surround system... but...
Pros: great looking player - ugly duckling speakers do grow on you. very adequate surround effects & good LFEs. wonderfult hi & mid-range music sound.
Cons: the 10" sub is too-much for normal music playback. while the remote has a seperate vol for the sub, even on -10, it is too boomy (however, this comment is within the context of the sound expected within the price-class - its still a great system!).
User Rating: 
5/10
Impressive sound from compact system, but...
Pros: Impressive surround which is much better than other similar systems including Bose; sub-woofer is very effective; easy set-up; speakers have unique look
Cons: Remote features for tuner-dvd player not up to similiar systems;volume control shows on screen, interfering with everything you watch; color of tuner/dvd read-out--hard to read from a distance; adjusting the dialogue and the surround sounds can be challen
User Rating: 5/10
Great Picture, good sound, need more quality control
Pros: -The system is easy to setup and looks great. -The sound is decent and performs as expected. -DVD picture quality is surpisingly good. - Good customer support
Cons: The system always freezes whtin 10 - 15 min of DVD playback. When using only the spaker, the system freezes in about 1.5 hr. Talked to KEF USA support and was able to get a RMA easily. Still waiting for KEF USA to send back the reparied unit though.
User Rating: 8/10
Beautiful and Easy
Pros: Easy to set up, easy to use. Sounds great with movies, music and PS2. Wife liked the lack of surround speakers and wires.
Cons: A bit pricey. No backlit remote. Buttons too small
User Rating: 5/10
Works, but not real surround
Pros: It is neat nice to look at and the die cast chassis and speakers have a quality feel. Easy to use and set up.
Cons: Very limited features. Speakers look odd. Sound is of very poor quality compaired to an equivalent price seperates system. Surround effects sound like someone in a bathroom. Musical playback is appauling.
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