Kii Audio Kii Three BXT
Add the BXT units to the Kii Three to add vertical line array capability.
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Kii Three BXT System, (2 x Kii Three, 2 x BXT, 1 x Kii Control – inc cables), standard colours, £31,467.00. Premium colours, £34,347.00.
Kii BXT single module, standard colours £8,148.00. Premium colours £8,988.00.
See specs for colour choices.
About the Kii Three BXT
The Kii Three BXT is a system comprising the Kii Three as 'head units', paired with the Kii BXT. The BXT, with it's 16 additional drivers, enables another change to the 'math' of the system – the DSP now alters it's algorithms to create an effective vertical line source and a further enhanced cardioid functionality (by including the side-mounted drivers of the BXT into the equation). Interestingly adding the BXT doesn't extend the already impressive lower-end extension of the Threes (already 25Hz), but does dramatically improve the dynamic headroom at those lower frequencies – and right up through the midrange too. The drivers work less hard because there are more of them, as you would expect, but that efficiency is taken further because the extra directivity of the line array function delivers even more energy at the listening area and less into the rest of the room, with greatly reduced reflections from floor and ceiling to boot.
When it comes to connectivity and usability, the Kii Three BXT has the same hookup flexibility of the Threes. It can of course also be integrated with other single Kii units around the house to make a stunning 'combined' music solution. And the Kii Three BXT stack comes in a huge range of colours with impeccable build quality and finish. They have a significant visual impact for the style conscious.
The most important thing of all though with the Kii Three BXT is its sound. And please be sure that this is no 'subwoofer box' experience here. The level of subtlety and integration on offer provides a totally transparent and integrated experience. Sure, bass is stronger but the 'control of the room' characteristic leaves a subtle and extended clarity of bass that is often a revelation. Indeed the ability to sit in a relatively high SPL field, without the bottom-end becoming detached and out of control, brings a grin to your face every time.
Tech Insight
The Kii THREE BXT adds line array functionality to proceedings. The DSP goes to different algorithms when you add the BXTs – it time aligns the drivers to add to the Kii Three's head unit cardioid dispersion, but also utilises a vertical line array principle to further enhance the directivity and focus at the listening position. And sure, this process reduces effects from room reflections, adding clarity as the percentage of 'direct-from-the-driver' sound you hear in your listening position increases significantly. But there is another function at play – the drivers are all working less hard, the amplifiers are all working less hard. Indeed, for the same overall SPL at the listening position, the overall power output of all the amplification is less than when playing the threes on their own!
Specifications
Full-size floorstanding DSP controlled monitor speaker system.
12 x 6.5” woofer, 1 x 5” midrange, 1 x 1” waveguided tweeter.
Amplification: 2.000 Watt full custom class D
Active Wave Focusing crossover filter
Frequency response: -3dB: 20Hz, 100Hz-10kHz: +/- 0.5dB, 10kHz-20kHz: +/- 1dB.
Integrated tone control
Phase response: selectable, linear phase or minimum latency
Protection limiters
Controlled Directivity: 4.8dB (54Hz - 1kHz, slowly rising thereafter)
Size: 20x120x40cm, 8”x47”x16” (WxHxD)
Weight: 51kg (112lbs)
Inputs: Analogue, AES/EBU, KiiLink
SPDIF, TOSLink, USB on Kii Control
Selectable correction for free-standing, near wall or in corner (14 positions)
Automatic Standby Mode
Standard Colours: FineTouch White - FineTouch Dark Grey - Graphite Satin Metallic - High Gloss White
Premium Colours: Iced Bronze Metallic - Azzurro High Gloss - Spring Green - Nardo Grey High Gloss - Tempranillo Red Metallic - Phoenix Orange Metallic - Iced Green Metallic (NEW) - Rosso Corsa High Gloss (NEW) - Iced Titanium Metallic (NEW) - Iced Sapphire Metallic (NEW)
Kii Control can be supplied in all colours to match.
Matching & Setup
There is something very unusual in the setup experience with the Kii Three BXT system. A full range system with tuneable boundary response and cardioid dispersion horizontally, and line array response vertically, gives much more setup flexibility than almost any other system out there. You start by considering your listening space in a conventional audiophile manner of course, but you owe it to yourself to move the room around a lot more with both speaker and listening position. Dial them in at their new position and spend a day or so listening – then move them around again and re-adjust in a different location. This process tells you the really important things you need to know about the synergy between the speakers and your room. Then you focus in and refine, depending on your new found experiences – and you might find them back in your original configuration, or just maybe in a new and better setup that delivers a performance that was unachievable before.