As a professional magpie, I get to see a lot of cool hardware and, as a result, have a constantly updating list of stuff I wish I could afford for home use.
Before any of you ask, no, we don’t get to keep review samples. All the good stuff stays in our hi-fi and home cinema testing rooms, so we can use them for comparisons when reviewing. Nearly everything else gets sent back.
On the hi-fi side, I have detailed the swish lower/mid-level system I want, and that remains pretty much set in stone. As for home cinema, there’s an ongoing state of flux regarding the surround sound solution I want – it changes depending on my mood.
Some days, I’ll continue my Sisyphean task of trying to find a way to fit a full-fat 5.2.2 multispeaker system into my tiny office/home cinema/mancave. Each time I fail because, no matter which measuring tape I use, I have yet to find a way to fit it all in. I was never good at Tetris…
This is usually when I pivot to a more compact solution: the Award-winning KEF XIO Dolby Atmos soundbar. Each time this happens, though, even after I have plopped it in to my online shopping cart, I have never quite managed to take the final plunge and click the checkout button.
After much soul searching and a valuable meditative session listening to Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide on repeat, I think I know why: KEF has yet to deliver the bespoke wireless satellite speakers it promised us at the XIO’s launch.
Now, I know waiting on a set of speakers we don’t know anything about seems strange. Especially as having them doesn’t automatically make a setup better.
Our staff writer, Robyn Quick, wrote a feature just this week explaining why satellites and a subwoofer don’t guarantee that a system will outperform a similarly priced single soundbar solution.
And I already know first-hand that the XIO is a fine soundbar that easily beats many soundbar systems, even as a standalone product. Its wide soundstage, atypical accuracy, and musicality were key factors that earned it an Award last year, and a place in our best Dolby Atmos soundbars guide to this day.
But there is an equal number of examples where satellites, and in some instances a subwoofer, can truly elevate a five-star Dolby Atmos Soundbar’s performance.
The Samsung HW-Q990F is a prime example of such a system done right. I can also confirm that adding two Sonos Era 300 speakers as surrounds to an Arc Ultra makes for a much more immersive experience.
The added height, sense of directionality and general oomph make such a difference, especially if you’re a horror aficionado like me.
Knowing how well they can work, and that these satellites are coming at some point, makes it hard to pull the trigger. I want to know what they are, how much they cost and most importantly, how they add, or detract from the XIO’s performance before I take the plunge.
And while I am, of course, unbiased as a reviewer, I can’t help but think the add-ons will surely be a positive, especially given KEF’s track record with wireless audio. Imagine how brilliantly a tweaked pair of LSX II LT as wireless satellites might perform, given their similar sonic profile!
All of which goes some way to explain why my illogical brain can’t settle on the XIO as my main workhorse. Not, at least, until I find out more about the promised add-ons, which truly could make the best premium Dolby Atmos soundbar money can buy even better.
All this is particularly frustrating for me, as when I asked KEF if there’s an update on the new hardware, I was firmly told, “There’s no confirmed timeline just yet.”
The only silver lining on offer is that KEF did reiterate that “rear surround connectivity is coming,” and that it has “started demonstrating” an early version of it to some retailers.
So for now, my Groundhog Day cycle of flip-flopping between a proper 5.2.2 and the XIO looks set to continue, at least for the foreseeable future.
MORE:
We rank the best soundbars we have reviewed
Our picks of the best surround sound systems
The best projectors for every type of home cinema
