Price: £400
Website:
www.kef.co.uk
Size: HxWxD: 82x18x25cm
Weight: 9.1kg
Type: 3-way bass reflex
Finish: Black Ash, Maple or Dark Apple
Drive units: 130mm UNI-Q with 19mm aluminium dome, 130mm woofer
Sensitivity/impedance: 90dB/8 ohms
Plus points:
Superb midrange, classy styling, broad soundstage, bi-wiring option
Minus points:
Weak bass
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Kent Engineering Foundries (to give KEF its full name) has been producing various ranges in its Q-series for over ten years, steadily improving both in technical and style qualities through the years. This Q4 is one of three new additions to the range (with the entry-level bookshelf Qcompact and home cinema centre channel Q6C there are now 11 in all, though two of those are only available for the US) and while this three-way floorstander may not be everything you need in a loudspeaker, it certainly comes close.
For a start, for this money it's one of the most graceful looking speakers you can buy. Tapering cabinets were once very much the preserve of the high end, though modern manufacturing techniques (British-based KEF actually makes these units in China, as do many manufacturers these days) are now making it possible to include this technology in much less expensive speakers.
Besides looking extremely stylish as they slope from 16cm at the front to 8cm at the rounded back, there is a practical side to the look, as having a cabinet without unilateral sides can help to reduce internal reflections within the cabinet, which can lead to standing waves and in turn coloration of the sound. That raised bump at the top is a product more of style than function by the way, though it should dissuade any visitors from attempting to plonk their coffee cups on your pride and joy.
As floorstanders go it's slim and pretty, with a choice of three finishes - Black Ash, Maple or Dark Apple (pictured) - and there's a bracket at the back to help increase stability, though it's still not the most solid-standing of speakers. Also around the back are four cable terminals to allow for bi-wiring.
With the classy-looking silver grille removed there are three drive units revealed and it is a genuine three-way speaker, with 130mm port-loaded bass below the company's distinctive Uni-Q midrange driver, which features a diminutive 19mm aluminium dome tweeter in its centre, all of them in the top half of the speaker. Each of the drivers (all magnetically shielded, by the way) and that crowning coffee cup dissuader sport silvery plastic trims which give it an appealing look if you decide to leave the grilles off.
Sound
Foam inserts are supplied for the bass port, but it's unlikely that you'll need them. These are far from bass heavy speakers, and if you require the throb of banging techno or heavy dub, you'll be disappointed (although the Q-series does offer a choice of two active subwoofers which you can use to augment the low end). As such, it makes sense to position them close to a wall, which will help augment the bass, although perhaps not too close, as this can lead to some coloration in the midband, which it's best to do without - a little experimentation will probably be called for.
If you have little need for deep bass digging however, you'll be amply rewarded by this speaker, which offers a broad, convincing soundstage which works well off-axis, so there's little need to experiment with precise positioning of your listening seat. So long as you're a reasonable distance in front of them, the Q4s will deliver a precise aural image with a consistent tonal balance through most of the room.
The midrange proper is first-rate - clear, even, finely nuanced, with a particularly precise image. Moving up, things aren't quite so rosy, with the sound perhaps a little too laid-back in the presence region between mid and treble, and the treble itself perhaps just a smidgeon on the smooth side on occasion. These are small worries though, as overall the Q4 delivers a rewarding sound in stereo with the option to augment it later as either a surround sound system or with a subwoofer to boost the noticeably lacking bottom end.
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This is a beautiful looking speaker with an appearance and ability in some areas clearly above its price range. Its expressive midrange is its main aural selling point as is its refined, if occasionally slightly laid-back treble, but the lack of significant bass weight may put some off (though the addition of a subwoofer from KEF's Q-series should help out in this respect).
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