When KEF phoned to tell me that they were about to change the KHT 2005, I can remember exactly what ran through my mind.

Fear!

The reason is simple - the KEF 'eggs' have been our most successful sat/sub package ever, with projected sales of 300 units for this year alone, so any fundamental change to a 'winning team' is bound to be viewed with a fair degree of trepidation. What if some idiot in R&D got it wrong and launched a Mark 2 that was actually not as good as the Mark 1? Don't forget what's at stake here, we're talking about the biggest selling product in the whole of KEF's illustrious history - this is a big gamble.

Well, if it was a gamble, it looks like 3 'Lucky Sevens' have come up, because the Mk2 seems to have done the impossible, by improving on what was already the class leading product at this price point. As with all successful revamps, the great thing about the Mk2 KHT is that it has retained all the key features that made the MK1 so popular. For example, the overall shape and size of the system hasn't changed one millimetre; neither has the way the excellent foot assembly, which quickly transforms into a wall bracket. These are the things that attracted thousands of customers to the eggs in the first place, so it's great to see that they haven't been 'tampered' with. However, there are some other areas that have received a lot more attention from the 'back room boys'. At first glance, some of the changes appear to be superficial, but closer inspection reveals that they are actually fundamental alterations, that will have a profound affect on the way the system sounds.

Let's take a look at what has changed;

• The sub-woofer is now a sealed box enclosure - the large port system used on the Mk1 has completely disappeared. A huge improvment if you like really tight bass!
  
  
• The sub-woofer's driver has been upgraded to an all-new, long throw, 10 inch unit in favour of the old 8 inch cone. Gives much better bass weight and dynamic 'slam'!
  
  
• The 250W amp has 10dB more output at 30Hz compared to the MK1. Doesn't sound much, but any technical boffin will tell you it's a huge increase over the Mk1's performance.
  
  
• There is a switch on the back of the sub, which allows the customer to optimise bass output for either 'music' or 'cinema' applications. (Tighter bass for music, full-blooded bass for Cinema).
  
  
• The sub has a 'ground lift' switch to get rid of the annoying hums that plague some Home Cinema systems. (If you have a Mk1 KHT and are experiencing bad hum, give us a ring and we'll tell you about our recommended 'fix' {it's free!}).
  
  
• The sub also has a 'variable slope' switch to aid sub/sat integration in a variety of domestic situations.
  
  
• The sub is now colour co-ordinated to match the satellites - very smart!
  
  
• The satellites themselves have a completely new tweeter, which has been 'borrowed' from KEF's luxury Q Range speakers. This is a 19mm metal dome unit, with a frequency response right up to 27kHz - should keep the neighbourhood bats happy!
  
  
• The satellites now boast a new stream-lined twin neodymium magnet system. This is far less bulky than the magnet used on the old Mk1s, which increases the usable internal volume of the satellite, giving it more bass extension.
  
  
• The design of the port system on the satellite has been revised to give a less turbulent air flow and an increase in bass output.
  
  
• The satellites' crossover has been completely re-worked, utilising low loss capacitors and air-cored inductors to give improved power handling and reduced distortion. The new 19mm tweeter is also Ferrofluid cooled to make the eggs even more 'bullet proof'!
  
  
• The foot of the 'eggs' has been improved. It now has a cable management slot - much neater!
  
  

And……….(just so that your friends know you've got the new improved version) KEF have subtlely changed the MK2's colour to a very smart new 'white silver' finish, as well as offering a 'plasma black' version - the perfect match for modern TVs. What's more, the eggs can be bought as separate pairs for stereo applications around the house - the silver ones look really good in kitchens that have stainless steel appliances!

Optional Extras

Fancy a pair of KEF's elegant stands to complete 'the look'? RRP is £79, but buy them from us and you'll pay just £65! Speaker cable runs down the middle of the stand - very neat! Stand height (without speaker) = 100cm Stand height (including speaker) = 117cm

Or........a single KHT stand, for those of you with 6.1 RRP - £40, our price just £33!

One extra pod for 6.1 setups (RRP - £100) -buy one from us for £99 and we'll throw in 5m of QED Silver Anniversary single wire cable (RRP - £27.50) for free!

Two extra pods for 7.1 setups (RRP - £200) - £200 including 10m of QED Silver Anniversary single wire cable (RRP - £55) for free!

Beats leaning against the spin dryer(!)