I asked when the KEF XIO Dolby Atmos soundbar was getting a key upgrade – and the answer gave me pause for thought
As a professional magpie, I get to see a lot of cool hardware and, as a result, I have an ever-updating list of things I wish I could afford to use at home.
Before any of you ask, no, we cannot store review samples. All the goodies live in our hi-fi and home cinema test rooms, so we can use them for comparison when we review. Almost everything else is reversed.
On the hi-fi side, I’ve detailed the low/mid level system I’m looking for, and that’s pretty much set in stone. As for home cinema, there’s a constant state of flux in terms of the surround sound solution I’m looking for – it changes depending on my mood.
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Other days, I’ll continue my Sisyphean task of trying to figure out how to put together a full-fat 5.2.2 multi-speaker system in my small office/home theater/mancave. Every time I fail because, no matter what measuring tape I use, I still haven’t figured out how to get it all together. I was never good at Tetris…
Now, I know that waiting for a set of speakers that we know nothing about seems strange. Especially since having them doesn’t automatically make the setup better.
Our staff writer, Robyn Quick, wrote a feature this week explaining why satellites and a subwoofer don’t guarantee that the system will outperform a similarly priced single soundbar solution.
The added height, sense of direction and general oomph makes such a difference, especially if you’re a horror fan like me.
Knowing how effective they can be, and that these breakouts come at a certain time, makes it harder to pull the trigger. I want to know what they are, how much they cost and most importantly, how they add to, or detract from, XIO’s performance before I take the plunge.
And while, of course, I’m not biased as a reviewer, I can’t help but think the additions would be great, especially given KEF’s track record with wireless sound. Just imagine how well-tuned the LSX II LT as wireless satellites would be, given their similar sonic profile!
All of this goes some way to explaining why my naive brain can’t settle on XIO as my main workhorse. Not, at least, until I find out more about the promised add-ons, which could really make the best Dolby Atmos soundbar money can buy even better.
All of this worries me greatly, as when I asked KEF if there was an update to the new hardware, I was told firmly, “There is no confirmed timeline yet.”
The only silver lining offered is that KEF has also said that “surround back connectivity is coming,” and that it has “started showing off” its first version to some retailers.
