KEF’s Ci3-80QT Positioned to Win in Best Speaker Category
MARLBORO, NJ — February 15, 2007 — KEF, renowned British manufacturer of audiophile quality speakers, was named a finalist in the Consumer Electronic Association’s 2007 TechHome Mark of Excellence Awards. The KEF Ci3-80QT LCR Motorized In-Ceiling speaker is poised to take home honors in the Best Speaker category. Winners will be announced during an awards ceremony on March 9, 2007 during the Electronic House Expo Spring 2007 in Orlando, Florida.
“We’re thrilled that the innovative Ci3-80QT has been named a finalist in the 2007 TechHome Mark of Excellence Awards, said Alec Chanin, president of KEF America. “Specifically designed for in-ceiling applications, the unique Ci3-80QT is the perfect solution for someone who wants his or her audio system to be heard and not seen.”
Sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association, the TechHome Mark of Excellence Award is one of the consumer electronics industry’s most prestigious tributes. The Mark of Excellence Award celebrates the finest achievements in custom electronics products, services and installations.
The judging team for the TechHome Mark of Excellence Awards is comprised of a four-person panel of systems integrators, manufacturers and members of the trade press. Finalists represent the very best technologies and achievements in their category.
About the Ci3-80QT
The Ci3-80QT Motorized LCR In-Ceiling Loudspeaker automatically extends down from its flush-mounted ceiling position when activated to directly project sound toward listeners. It gives home entertainment system installers the power to design a virtually invisible home theater that truly rivals the performance of free-standing speakers. The Ci3-80QT envelopes its audience with realistic movie sound while its exclusive design maintains the utmost decorative subtlety.
In addition to the advantages of a motorized tilting mount, KEF’s Ci3-80QT produces exceptionally wide dispersion through its patented Uni-Q driver.
This array is based on over 45 years of audio engineering and uses technologies implemented by NASA. Uni-Q places its aluminum dome tweeter in the acoustic center of a mid-bass cone, resulting in a near-perfect, single-point source driver. This configuration ensures both drivers’ frequency ranges are delivered in-phase and in precise focus, providing the wider dispersion that ensures all listeners throughout the room enjoy optimal sound quality, including those outside of the typical “sweet spot.”
The Uni-Q array also offers distinct “vocal intelligibility,” bringing crisp transparency to all dialogue–whether whispered or shouted–even when it is competing with ambient noise.
The Ci3-80QT comes in a soft white finish, which can be painted to match virtually any setting. The Ci3-80QT is now available at KEF dealers nationwide. MSRP is $499.99 each.
Talking Points:
• The KEF Ci3-80QT Motorized LCR In-Ceiling Loudspeaker was named 2007 CEA’s TechHome Mark of Excellence Finalist in the Best Speaker Category.
• Winners will be announced on March 9, 2007 at Electronic House Expo Spring 2007 in Orlando, Florida.
• The Ci3-80QT gives home entertainment system installers the power to design a virtually invisible home theater that truly rivals the performance of free-standing speakers.
• The Ci3-80QT comes in a soft white finish, which can be painted to match almost any setting and retails at $499.99.
About KEF Audio
KEF Audio, a division of GP Acoustics, is a UK based company that has earned a reputation as the premier manufacturer of stunning, audiophile-quality speakers for modern home cinema, hi-fi and custom installation applications. KEF products which are distributed around the globe, have won awards from both sides of the Atlantic, as KEF is a brand name long associated with style, quality and technical innovation.
Founded in 1961 by a British electrical engineer named Raymond Cooke on the banks of the River Medway, KEF is driven by a passionate belief in the power of new materials, new technologies and design ingenuity. Still occupying the same riverbank site, KEF passionately remains true to its patented, proven technologies such as Uni-Q and ACE. These characteristics, traditions and above all sound quality, secure KEF’s world-class reputation.
About KEF America, Inc.
KEF America, a division of KEF Audio, offers loyal North American audiophiles a stream of innovative speakers and components unmatched in the industry. Headquartered in Marlboro, New Jersey, KEF America shares the same guiding principles as its British counterpart: ground-breaking design, exceptional sound and an unshakeable commitment to excellence.
For additional information about KEF and its award-winning products, please visit www.kef.com.
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