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I found them equally adept at low level, late night TV, or high level music listening and whilst doing either, I didn't feel short changed. When listening in 2.1 stereo mode, I had a genuine giggle whilst torturing them with Metallica's 'Black Album' at silly volumes. They do quiet and clear, they do loud and refined and that's not an easy trick to pull off. And having mentioned high volumes, it's worth noting the the T301s can play comfortably at high volumes. It's easy to forget, when presented with such a slender speaker, that the enclosure is still packing a pair of 115mm drive units.
The issue is not so much that that T-2 is lacking, but that the T301s are capable of performing out of their skin. The T101s would present less of a challenge, perhaps a better match, but the T301s have a significant extra SPL/dynamic capability that means a single T 2 is a bare minimum. If there is a weakness, it's that natural levels of mid range detail are slightly restrained, which can suck a little of the passion out of vocal expression. However, I found that the T 305s, yet again, enjoy the chance to stretch their legs with a bit of added volume and they open up quite nicely if you have the chance to listen at reasonable, if not excessive levels.
Review: KEF T305 speaker system Page 3
These effects lose none of their clarity with our Onkyo amp’s volume cranked up to 75 per cent – no mean feat given the slimness of those cabinets. We’re particularly impressed by the ferocity with which it spits out the Monaco Grand Prix scene in Iron Man 2. As drivers rev their engines on the grid, the KEFs nail the paint-stripping rasp of the engines and back it up with a bed of bass so deep and powerful you might want to stock up on Blu-Tack for your treasured ornaments. Running through our regular gamut of test discs – Inception, Hellboy II, Avatar and Iron Man 2 – the system delivers an explosive and aggressive sound that thrills in ways only previously achievable through the use of hard drugs. The powered subwoofer boasts a 250mm woofer and 250W Class D amplifier, delivering a frequency response down to 30Hz. On the bottom is a line-level phono input and switches controlling Bass Boost and phase control.
Uncompromised home theatre sound without bulky boxes. The T305 system, with T301 satellites and a T-2 subwoofer is ready for anything. We have no information on reviews that were never published in the first place. PASS/FAIL/WARN does not necessarily prove the presence or absence of ‘fake’ reviews. The subwoofer also does its best to blend in with your décor with its compact dimensions and stylish black finish – perfect for slinging in the corner of the room.
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As my room naturally delivers a fair old modal boost down in the low 30Hz region, I found the effect made the bass a bit thick and ponderous, preferring the more neutral sound of the flat setting. On a final note, I did find that the 'Auto On' did seem to be a bit hard to wake up. Normal day-to-day TV viewing seemed to be insufficient to keep the T-2 awake. The opening and closing credits of Eastenders woke it up, but sleep was it's preferred state in between. Some may not blame it on that score, but it's a point worthy of note.
No issues though, just the materials bending and flexing. The final piece of the system is the new T-2 subwoofer. Following the lead of the satellites, the T2 is a less than micro 37cm on a side, but is only 18cm deep. Further more, all cable connections, which means a two pin reversible mains lead and a single RCA phono connection, are housed in a recess on the base of the cabinet. 18cm deep in this case, means 18cm - Not 18cm plus cables.
Klipsch Reference R-625FA 5.1 Home Theater Pack, Black Textured Wood Grain Vinyl
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The Onkyo is kindof tricky when doing music and a 5.1 setup is even trickier because I can't just run a stereo signal and get left/right because left/right is 2 channel native, not 2.1. When I've found settings that work best for the music, I am very happy with the sound. Hardwood floors and plaster walls are great for jazz, and I love how clear the acoustic bass sounds in the mix. That may be the best test actually because that instrument runs a wide range of frequencies. I've run plenty of Coltrane, Stereolab , and live Yes through the system, and again, with the right processor on the Onkyo, I am very happy with the sound.
Keep in mind that you will not get low end from a driver this small, and it has nothing to do with depth. However, you can't listen to the T305s without a subwoofer - their response is designed to have a sub present and so the sound has to be considered as a package whole. The higher than average suggested crossover of 120Hz, does place demands on the quality of upper bass from the subwoofer, if it's not to start sounding obvious. Fortunately, it appears to be very clean in this area and even when I experimented with it 90cm to the outside of the right hand speaker, it's location wasn't obvious. Still, I would recommend trying to keep it near and preferably, in between the front speakers, but that would hold for most subs.
It’s heavier than you’d expect for the size, which is reassuring, but putting the controls on the bottom was a slight design misstep as it means you have to lift it up whenever you want to make any adjustments. We didn't detect any reviews that used language indicating they were incentivized. Beware of crroks who advertise quality product brands like MCINTOSH ...
In ultimate terms, the only area that I felt was only adequate was the T 2 subwoofer. It's nimble, it's clean, a fine match for the system in general, but it could dig deeper with movies. It is fair to note, that it's performance limitations, are a result of it's compact form factor that is entirely consistent with the rest of the T 305 system. It is a discrete and visually appropriate accompaniment to the package as a whole.
Hidden inside these stands are crossover components that optimise the sound when stood in free space. But as standard the speakers are optimised for table top or on-wall use. I strategically was looking for a minimalistic quality sound system to accompany my new Samsung Q80R TV. I paired the KEF sound system with a Yamaha RX-A1080 receiver and WOW! I am running a 5.1.2 system using Yamaha NS-IC800 in ceiling for my over head atmos. I am extremely satisfied with my purchase and quality of the sound from the KEFT305's.
I can see people being tempted, due to the T-2's slender dimensions, in sliding it behind a sofa. I feel that would tend to absorb some of the upper bass, that the package as whole requires if it's not to sound slightly hollow. So, it's best to take advantage of it's shape to make sure it's squeezed in up front and there's no reason why you can't position it sideways. That also saves you having to look at another bloody blue LED. It's red when in standby and blue when awake but I guess I'm getting used to being a lone voice on the AV beelzebub that is blue LEDs.
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