KII AUDIO - GAME OVER

Kii Audio defies the laws of physics. The Model THREE active monitor speaker system sounds as clear, linear and crisp in any room as if the walls disappeared. The BXT Bass Extender makes the system even more versatile.

ACTIVE SPEAKERS

VFor some audiophiles who don't enjoy their system primarily for the music, but for the constant refinement, experimentation and fine tuning, the Kii THREE system can be a disappointment in the sense that a simple listen can get them to the end goal, to experience the perfect system - without the time, money and effort spent on experimentation.

The Kii Audio system is so different that there is literally nothing to compare it to. The approach itself is revolutionary, not to mention the technology built in, from the quality of the workmanship to the unparalleled sound quality. In one system, you get hi-tech technology, the ability to push the boundaries of physics with acoustic adjustments and, not least, the immediacy and precision of a top-of-the-range headphone that will match the perfect sound of a pair of headphones in almost any room.

Of course, there's also the risk that experiencing the Kii sound might make you look at your home system a little differently...

WRONG GEOMETRY

The approach: the speakers themselves can't help how the room behaves. They can affect the room acoustics, but only indirectly. In general, small loudspeakers with a diaphragm surface area of less than 2m² are the most common in rooms of normal human dimensions. It doesn't take a physicist to understand that the more a room is "excited" by the sound energy coming from a loudspeaker, the more dominant the room is as a sound source. Unwanted reflections from a room are not harmonically distributed in the frequency range. While the high and upper midrange frequencies sound relatively close to the listening point, the low frequencies are scattered in a spherical pattern throughout the room. The result is total chaos: some frequencies form a whole and echo uncontrollably, while others disappear, creating gaps and ultimately distorting the signal reproduced by the transducer.

If the sound generated by the room is responsible for everything, why is it not addressed?

The answer is simple, build an anechoic chamber. This is difficult to do at home, but it is already in practice in sound studios elsewhere.

Active technology and intelligent signal processors (DSPs) can provide some relief: systems such as Audyssey and Dirac measure the harmful effects of interaction between speakers and the room, compensating and correcting what needs to be compensated and corrected. It works well, sometimes even works wonders, but at the end of the day it's nothing more than damage control.

Generally speaking, there are two types of speakers used in the home: those you take out of the factory packaging, place in front of your intended listening position, and listen as it sounds. And then there are all the others: the ones you have to work on, finding the right listening position to get the perfect result. That's where Kii Audio comes in, where every millimetre of difference reveals new, but sometimes crucial, nuances.

Cynics ask, what makes Kii Audio different?

An innovative young company with a new approach is not only able to paralyse the excitation of harmful waves, but goes one step further and completely prevents all harmful effects.

The compact THREE speaker

All in all, each stylish and colourful active loudspeaker contains six active loudspeaker systems. One high and one mid on the front panel, one low on the side panels and two lows on the back panel. Each speaker has its own 250-watt analogue amplifier and D/A converter, which communicates digitally with the central DSP controller, eliminating the need for crossovers in the traditional sense. The signal is fed to the DSP controller via XLR through an AES/EBU or analogue connection.

What's the trick? The two bass channels on the back panel are delayed by the signal-processing DSP to such an extent that the phase-reversed sound produced by the rear speakers overlaps with the sound from the side panel speakers. The result is that, while the kii Three radiates in the direction of the listening position over its full frequency range, the low frequencies near and behind the speaker are completely eliminated. The high energy bass frequencies can only have a distorting effect on the room behind the listening position, i.e. after the music information has been detected, but this is far below the distortion caused by the directly radiated side and rear walls. Even this distorted low frequency is perceived by the brain as if it were an actual musical signal: flawlessly clear and linear. These systems are called "cardioid" systems.

Loudspeaker technology:

Kii THREE uses cardioid dispersion. This term comes from the Greek word "cardio", meaning "heart". In fact, when viewed from above, the dispersion pattern of the active loudspeaker's radiation pattern looks a bit like a heart: the idea is that the sound information is transmitted in a heart-shaped pattern in front, so that it is not affected by the back and side walls as a reflecting surface.

The weakness of this design is that the optimal listening position is in a seated position. The optional BXT module eliminates this compromise and turns the Kii THREE into a line source. However, there is no problem with reflections in this case either, as the BXTs are the side radiators and the THREE's rear speakers also provide the Kii's 'directional wave focus'.

Controls:

The CONTROL tool is used to control and tune the system. This is a wired, console-type remote control that handles various functions. It provides extra inputs to the THREE radiators. A maximum resolution of 24/192 and TOSLINK ensure that the low delay listening signals and then the playback connection (up to 24/96) are perfectly timed to arrive at the right speaker.

Example 1: On the back of the Kii CONTROL you will find an S/PDIF connection (like an AES/EBU connection on the speaker) Short patch cables connect the THREE speaker to the BXT module, so there are no tangled wires everywhere. CONTROL can be connected to a conventional turntable, CD player, Streamer, satellite receiver, television. The central potentiometer is used to adjust the volume and mute the system. Optionally, the Apple remote control can be used for wireless control.