SINGAPORE — Audio company KEF might have celebrated it’s 50th anniversary in 2011, but two years on it’s crystal clear that it aims to change the soundscape of home theatre. With the Singapore release of the KEF 305 — a 5.1 surround system for home entertainment — KEF has shifted its focus from being solely on its core audiophile audience toward the middle class.

“(While) we have our traditional hi-fi enthusiasts, our core customers, we want to reach out to other premium customers, like the middle class,” says Mr Alan Wong, business development (Asia) director of GP Acoustics International, which owns KEF. “They (too) have the desire to have a good system with great sound quality — we call this an affordable luxury.”

Calling the E305 an affordable luxury wouldn’t be too far from the truth — it is powered by the same technology found in KEF’s high-end USD$30,000 (S$38,000)-a-pair Blade speakers. The secret to the E305’s sound is KEF’s Uni-Q driver array, which combines both the tweeter and the midrange into one array, a solution which KEF says increases the accuracy of the sound.

“For other brands, they use two drivers, the tweeter and the mid to low frequency (driver), and it’s never accurate,” says Mr Wong. “So we are using this technology we have engineered and we’ve placed it in all our speakers — this is the breakthrough for KEF as a brand.”

The driver array is also designed such that the range of dispersion for the audio is wider, which means that hallowed seat termed the “sweet spot” by audiophiles is not as important anymore — the audio is meant to sound as good in most areas of the room.

The drivers are smaller 4.5-inch version compared to the Blade’s 5-inch drivers, but KEF says that “these are the latest (drivers), the most updated”, and has also done research, testing different materials and different sizes for the speaker cabinets to ensure high accuracy. Mr Wong likens this to buying a car, and getting a Ferrari engine in a more budget body.

“We use the engine and trickle it down to different series so there are different price points and different sizes for the customers in Singapore,” says Mr Wong. “This is what we want to do, and I believe that this is right for Singapore.”

Those familiar with KEF’s previous releases will know that the E305 doesn’t look too different from its predecessors — the egg-shaped KHT2005 and KHT3005, both of which came out more than five years ago. Testing the new speakers in KEF’s recently renovated store in The Adelphi, it feels like the E305 is a clear improvement over the previous models. We tested the attack scene from Pearl Harbour, concert videos such as that from Les Miserables, and even music CDs. The E305 showed off what it could do, from accurate soundstaging, warm and clear vocals that don’t distort even at high volumes, and good instrumentation. The only thing I felt the E305 could improve on was the bass impact, such as during the explosions during the battle scenes. Still, for a great sounding 5.1 home theatre system, you are paying S$1,750 — while perhaps more than some of the models you see usually given free with TVs, it’s priced competitively for those who want that premium sound without breaking the bank.

Mr Wong hopes that with the E305, people will start to appreciate movies and music better when they’re relaxing at home, especially since flatscreen TVs are getting common in today’s households.

“Flat panel TVs are getting thinner and thinner, and their speakers are getting thinner, and are placed somewhere at the bottom, so it is a very small sound,” says Mr Wong. “You won’t get a home theatre experience!”

The E305 appears to be key for KEF’s future plans, and with its competitive price and great sound quality, it’s easy to see why.

“We want more customers to know our brand,” says Mr Wong. “This is our mission. So instead of (just) the top customers, we also want to reach the middle class.”

The E305 isn’t all that KEF has in store this year — new headphones are also available, and a soundbar awaits release later this year, and that's the start of KEF's expansion plans.

“In a few years you won’t see our store just in The Adelphi,” says Mr Wong. “We want to make it very accessible for the consumers in other parts of Singapore.”

The KEF E305 retails at S$1,750, and is available now at the KEF store in The Adelphi.