Kef XIO soundbar review: A great British TV speaker

Telegraph

a day ago

Score: 9/10
We like:
Immersive movie sound
The most musical sounding soundbar
Well-organised app
We don't like:
No display to indicate modes or volume levels
Expensive
What is the Kef XIO?
While many specialist loudspeaker manufacturers have dabbled in the soundbar market over the years, British audio maker Kef has kept its distance. That changes as of now, with the debut of the new Kef XIO soundbar.
This is a premium-priced 5.1.2-channel sound system with upwards-firing speakers that aims to raise the stakes when it comes to high-end, one-box soundbars. Kef says that it offers a gateway to 'transcendent, high-fidelity spatial audio' and has been designed to offer 'sound quality and performance that rival Kef's renowned Hi-Fi systems', albeit for a more general audience.
The XIO comes without a subwoofer, but Kef says that the bass response should be plenty enough for most users. A dedicated wireless surround speaker system, designed to be paired with the XIO to create a more expansive 7.1.2 setup, is planned for launch later in 2025, with details and pricing to follow.
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How we test soundbars
I always test soundbars at home for a minimum of two weeks. For video, I mainly use content from live TV, streaming services including Netflix, Disney, and Amazon Prime, as well as Dolby Atmos and DTS content from my resident Sony UBP-X800M2 4K UHD Blu-ray player. Music listening is mostly from Spotify Connect, with more content accessed from my Plex server.
I have a mixture of LG OLED screens at home, as well as a 70-inch Philips 4K LED model. For big-screen viewing, I'm also currently using two 4K projectors: the Valerion VisionMaster Plus2 and the XGIMI Horizon S Max.
As well as assessing soundbars for outright sound quality, with a varied diet of live TV, movies and music, I also put soundbars through their paces to see how they stack up for relative ease of use, design, features and connectivity.
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Design, setup and usability
Score: 9/10
This elegant-looking soundbar is available in grey or black. Placed in a living room, it's best partnered with 65-inch TVs or larger, as it looks a little absurd with smaller screens.
The XIO can be turned through 90 degrees for wall-mounting. You have to rotate it so that the cables enter and exit from the bottom, which results in a messy arrangement. Built-in sensors automatically detect the orientation, adjusting the audio to accommodate.
On the top left of the XIO, there is a basic set of illuminated manual touch-sensitive controls, augmented by a simple backlit remote control.
The Kef Connect app is available if you want to do anything more involved than just switching and volume changing. This acts as a control hub for music streaming services, radio and podcasts, and allows you to customise your control options.
There isn't a physical display on the soundbar itself, so unless you have the smartphone app open, there's no way of knowing which mode or volume level is selected.
Sound quality
Score: 10/10
There are six EQ presets (settings to adjust the audio balance) in the app, but that's your lot when it comes to fine-tuning options. I stuck with the default mode for general listening, movie when watching Dolby Atmos films, and music for two-channel audio.
Having listened to most of the standalone soundbars currently on the market, I was floored by the XIO's sound quality.
There are three things that it does spectacularly well. The first is that it creates a remarkably palpable, full-bodied soundstage that's distinctly tangible. By that, I mean there's easily perceivable depth, as well as width and height. Cheaper soundbars rarely manage to excel at all three of those aspects.
I can't recall hearing a soundbar so far that recreates human speech as accurately. Turn up the volume in a large room and you can hear just the faintest hint of raspiness creeping in. However, at normal levels, speech sounds natural and convincing
Tight, extended and well-defined, the XIO's low-frequency performance completely avoids the one-note bass trait that renders so many soundbars unlistenable. Rarely, adding an external sub doesn't improve a soundbar's performance, but here it's not a 'must have'.
Lastly, you won't be surprised to hear that the XIO does a brilliant job with music. Aside from a slight softness in the upper bass, it's tuneful and engaging in a way that few soundbars can manage.
Connectivity
Score: 9/10
The W2 wireless platform used by the XIO works so sweetly, delivering a fuss-free way of enjoying all the major cloud-based music streaming services, including Spotify, Qobuz and Amazon Music, with AirPlay 2 provided for Apple Music fans.
At the rear of the unit, you'll find a physical power on/off switch plus a pairing control for your smartphone (using Bluetooth 5.3), a digital optical input, and a solitary eARC-enabled HDMI 2.1 socket. Which, I have to say, is a disappointment. Given the lofty price point, I would have expected a second passthrough HDMI to be provided, allowing the XIO to be used as a central hub for all sources, as opposed to a TV.
If you crave even more bass than already on offer (and there's a lot), there's also an analogue RCA subwoofer output provided. You also have the somewhat pricey, previously mentioned, option of purchasing the XIO with a Kef KW2 wireless sender/KC62 subwoofer combo.
Technical specifications
While there is a smaller selection of contenders in the XIO's premium soundbar category than, say, at below £1,000, there's still plenty of competition. Granted, it's not a standalone soundbar, but I daresay the Samsung HW-Q990F, which is a great sounding system comprising a soundbar, subwoofer and satellites, would also be high on the shortlist for anybody considering buying an XIO.
Should you buy the Kef XIO?
There's no getting away from it, the Kef XIO is an expensive proposition, especially for a standalone soundbar. Having said that, it's also one of the select few that's genuinely as skilled at reproducing stereo music, as it is at conveying multi-channel film soundtracks.
If a soundbar that excels at both of those tasks is your number one priority, then consider your search over: the XIO will deliver what you're after.
Yes, if:
You want a standalone, high-end soundbar with class-leading performance
Listening to music is as important to you as watching TV
You're going to partner it with a 65-inch TV or larger
No, if:
Kef XIO soundbar FAQs
Can a £2,000 soundbar possibly be classed as good value?
The XIO certainly isn't cheap. However, having now spent a couple of weeks with it, I'd have to say it genuinely sets a high standard for both music and movie sound. Few soundbars handle both tasks with as much sonic panache.
What if I decide I want to go beyond 5.1.2-channel performance?
Kef will be launching wireless surround sound speakers to accompany the XIO later in 2025, so building a 7.1.2-channel system around it (by adding two additional back speakers) will be possible.
How futureproofed is the Kef XIO soundbar?
According to Kef's Dr Jack Oclee-Brown, the XIO soundbar has enough memory and processing firepower to accommodate any foreseeable upcoming surround sound formats. It's been designed from the outset to deal with demanding MPEG-H 3D Audio-based ecosystems, Sony's 360 Reality Audio being the current, most high-profile example.