This is KEF's new Picoforte One iPod dock system, said to be 'a taste of the audiophile high-end in a market dominated by poor plastic tat'. Claimed to 'kick out a huge, high quality hi-fi sound from a compact package', the system will sell for £250 when it hits the shops in the next month or so, and comes in the white finish above or gloss black.
The system is made from die-cast zinc throughout, meaning that the 16cm tall speakers, in the same enclosures used in the KHT1000 home cinema system, each weigh 1kg. It uses 2x25W digital amplification to power the UniQ drive units, also found in the KHT5000 and KHT6000 systems, which each have a 15mm tweeter at the centre of a 7.5cm mid/bass unit.
There's also a connector to add an active subwoofer, while an S-video output allows the display of track information on a TV, or even playback of videos with suitable iPods.
A 3.5mm socket allows the system to be used with other portable devices, and the system comes complete with iPod adapters, cables and a 'credit card' remote control. The system can be used with the dock stacked on top of the small amplifier unit, or with the two side by side.
The Picoforte One will be followed by a Picoforte Three, which will use the larger speakers from the KHT3000 system, combining a 19mm tweeter and an 11.5cm mid/bass unit.
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