Finding decent wireless speakers can be a difficult task. With an over-saturated market it can be really difficult to figure out what’s good value for money and what is style over substance. High resolution is the buzzword at the moment for speaker systems, which to be honest unless you’re streaming high resolution files, it makes very little difference. One of the newer entries into the market is the KEF EGG Wireless Digital Music System.
Available in three colours – black, white and blue, the KEF EGG Wireless Digital Music System is around the mid-range when it comes to price point. A pair of speakers will set you back around £350, which is quite a lot of money to pay if you’re taking a gamble on a product. Once you have the speakers in your hand you notice the weight and these bad boys are definitely not light. The connector cable they come with allows you to space the speakers a good distance away from each other.
The main selling point of the speaker is the Bluetooth connectivity. It’s straightforward enough to pair your device (e.g. smart phone, laptop) to them and I found once you’d paired it, it would connect automatically for the most part once the speakers were turned on again. I tested a variety of songs and genres through the speakers to see how they coped and I have to admit I was impressed. From a more bass heavy track like Zayn’s recent single Pillowtalk through to the acoustic stylings of Jewel’s latest album Picking Up the Pieces, the audio clarity is fantastic. The speakers cope with the needs of every style of music and you don’t feel that it’s muffled or muddy at any point.
Something else that impressed me was the warmth of sound that comes from the KEF EGG. I left it playing at a modest volume downstairs while I nipped upstairs to get something. The audio fills the room, and indeed the house, and it’s lovely and warm. In fact I enjoyed the sound so much I pretty much stopped running audio through anything else during the time I had them to play with.
The speakers aren’t exclusively wireless. There is a mini USB input and a 3.5mm AUX input too making them surprisingly flexible. It also means that older devices that may not have Bluetooth can take advantage of their fantastic sound. The speakers can also be connected up to your TV to give it a great sound boost but for the most part I’d recommend them for streaming your music collection.
Design-wise the speakers fit nicely into any room and they are really nice to look at. The design looks fairly eye-catching and simplicity is at the heart of it. The speakers only feature what is absolutely necessary and they should be simple for a person of any age to be able to use.
The only real criticism I can direct at the KEF EGG is that the range for the Bluetooth is surprisingly poor. I connected my laptop to the speakers, which were in the next room. I had to stand pretty much next to them to get the pairing to work and once I returned to the room I was originally in the connection cut out. My device had to be very close to the speakers at all times if I wanted it to work properly. The same was true when I paired my phone. I wanted to keep the phone on me while I was in the kitchen so I can skip tracks and change albums. The range meant that connection kept dropping, which was pretty disappointing as returning to the speakers every few minutes to change the track seemed a little ridiculous.
Despite the Bluetooth range snag, I was deeply impressed with the KEF EGG Wireless Digital Music System. If you have a bit of extra wiggle room in your budget then I would recommend that you opt for a set rather than buy a lesser product for cheaper. The audio quality is the real draw here and the speakers sound great providing background music or cranked up loud for a party. They are sturdy and well made so I would expect them to last for years after your initial purchase. If high quality audio and high quality products are attractive to you, then I’m yet to see a better product than the KEF EGG Wireless Digital Music System.
Manufacturer: KEF Price: £349.95
