KEF V700 & V720W Digital Soundbars Preview

As TVs keep getting thinner and thinner, especially in the past few years with LEDs and now even more so with OLED creeping into the market, speaker manufacturers have been answering in turn. The new KEF V700 and V720W soundbars take the idea of thin to the extreme and bring the idea of clutter-free just as far.

The V700 soundbar is only 6.3" H x 47.2" W x 2.1" D, meaning it can mount just as close to the wall as nearly any TV on the market. Yet, KEF managed to pack four 4.5in. dual layer diaphragm midrange drivers and two 1" vented aluminum dome tweeters into the enclosure. Thin drivers seems to be a thing for KEF, as they were also showing off the CiL60TR ($324.99/ea)in-ceiling speaker at CEDIA, made to fit in tight spaces with a total depth of less than 1.4".  The six drivers in the V700 are powered by two built-in 50w class D amps.

Those familiar with speaker design might say, "But Cliff, how low or loud can a soundbar that's so thin actually play." Well, my friends, KEF rates the V700 with a frequency response of 80Hz-30kHz and a max SPL of 103dB. Of course, those specs are lacking some key details to make them useful for critical analysis. Luckily, the V700 also features a subwoofer out, meaning you are free to hookup any KEF or other 3rd party subwoofer to fill in the low end. If you can manage it, we would highly recommend running this, and any soundbar for that matter, with a nice subwoofer for bass.

Around back of the unit you will find an HDMI input and digital optical input. The way KEF envisions that most people will hook up the V700 is via the HDMI cable, utilizing HDMI-ARC from the TV. People without an HDMI-ARC enabled TV will be stuck using the perfectly acceptable optical input. Control is facilitated by the TV remote, which the V700 will learn the commands of. The V700 retails for $799 and is available from dealers or select online stores.

KEF V-20W Wireless Subwoofer

For those who want added bass over what the V700 can pump out on its own, but don't want to run a wire from a subwoofer to the soundbar, then the V720W might be the ticket. It's basically a V700 packaged with a KEF V-20W wireless subwoofer. The V-20W subwoofer sports a single 8" driver and is rated at 38Hz - 150Hz at -6dB. It's a diminutive subwoofer at only 11.6" x 11.6" x 11.6" and 21.2 lbs., but seems adequate when compared to similar soundbar/subwoofer offerings from other manufacturers. The V720W package retails for $999.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.