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Products: JBL 4305P, KEF LSX II LT, SVS Prime Pro
Reviewer: Arvind Kohli - TNT-Audio USA
Reviewed: October, 2025

The past few years have seen digital speakers grow from a fringe product, to being a fairly mainstream category. As more and more brands are introducing their versions, we are starting to see 2nd and 3rd generation products bring a maturity and seriousness to the category.

There is quite a range of features and configurations, but at a minimum, these will have a digital input, a DAC and power amplification all within the speaker enclosure. I may eat my words some day (and it wouldn't be the first time) but I would not give much consideration to a design that did not have a digital crossover.

Listening

For the listening tests, in addition to the three digital speakers, I also threw my Dynaudio Contour 1.3 MkII into the mix for comparison. These were driven by a Classe CA-100 stereo amp, fed by an ifi Zen Blue bluetooth DAC. All four units were fed by uncompressed tracks loaded on my phone, playing off the USB Audio pro player app.

"Sit down servant" (The ARC Choir; Walk with me; Mapleshade; 04132)
A powerhouse recording, I can never listen to more than three or four tracks on this album, before I am emotionally spent. An all acapella gospel choir with 32 former narcotic addicts, and this music therapy program is their lifeline back. This track features male solo with male baritone backup and female choir - a great test for male and female vocals, soundstage and macro dynamics.

• JBL - Very good separation of voices. A well placed sound stage, although narrower than the Dynaudios. The macro dynamics on female vocals were excellent.
  
• SVS - The male solo lacked some macro dynamics and liveliness compared to others. The female choir sounded strained at peaks, and the male baritone backup lacked depth.
  
• KEF - The female choir popped beautifully - clear, dynamic, and free of compression. The male solo was well separated, though the baritone backup was slightly recessed. The soundstage was smaller than the Dynaudios.
  
• Dynaudio - By far the best soundstage. The male solo was positioned clearly to the right, with the female choir spread wide and distinct. Separation and macro dynamics were effortless.

"Limelight" (Rush; Moving Pictures; Anthem)

• Dynaudio - Again had the biggest soundstage by far. They also had the deepest bass extension, as well as great separation and neutrality. The dynamics were excellent too.
  
• KEF - Exceptionally clean, with superb separation between instruments and notes. Bass was tight and extended impressively deep for the size (though not quite as deep as the JBL or Dynaudio).
  
• JBL - Had a very deep bass extensions, but that was about their only redeeming quality relative to the other speakers.
  
• SVS - Were not as clean or refined as the KEF's or Dynaudios.

"Rimshot" (Eryka Badu; Baduism; Universal; UD53027)
This album, and specifically this track have a fantastic electric bass line that dominates the balance and mood. I have used this as an acid test of deep bass performance since its release in 1997.

• Dynaudio - Not surprisingly, the Dynaudios were able to go quite low, however they did distort a bit at the low and loudest sections.
  
• JBL - Extended slightly deeper than the Dynaudios, but with a touch of muddiness.
  
• SVS - Could reach high SPLs, but sounded flabby and lacked definition.
  
• KEF - By far the cleanest and deepest-sounding of the lot. The performance was remarkable - I had expected the diminutive KEFs to lag behind, yet they outperformed both the JBLs and Dynaudios. This is the magic of well-executed DSP limiting just before distortion.

"Sevilannas" (Sabicas; Flamenco Fiesta; Legacy; CD428)
A high energy track, with lots of transients and dynamics between the guitar, plamas and castanets.

• Dynaudio - Very neutral and flat, but a bit darker sounding than the KEFs.
  
• KEF - Extremely clean and lively. Every note and handclap started and stopped crisply, with outstanding transient response. The precision heightened realism and emotional engagement.
  
• SVS
• JBL - They were both not nearly as resolved as the KEFs or even the Dynaudios.

Conclusion

The JBLs were the biggest disappointment. At over $2600 the performance was frankly shameful - when compared to the KEFs, seppuku would be the only honourable option. They also struggled the most to make and maintain a bluetooth connection. You have been warned.

The SVS speakers weren't great, but at $900, expectations are lower. Unfortunately, the KEFs at the same price, make the SVS hard to justify. I expected more from SVS, especially given the stellar performance of their SB-2000 and SB-3000 subwoofers. The team did mention they're working on a DSP-enabled update, and I'm hopeful they'll deliver on their potential. I honestly expected a lot more from SVS, after witnessing the incredible performance of their SVS SB2000 and SB3000 subwoofers.

The Dynaudio Contour 1.3 MkII driven by a Classe CA-100 stereo amp, fed by an ifi Zen Blue bluetooth DAC was thrown into the mix for comparison - I'd estimate the current equivalents of these components in the realm of $10,000. This was a very revealing comparison, and clearly showed the dominance of this combo in about every aspect other than distortion in the bass region when the spls are pushed beyond the speaker's comfort levels. The Dynaudios remain a benchmark for imaging and tonal balance — but they also underscore how far modern DSP-driven designs have come.

The KEF is an incredible little speaker, especially considering the price of only $900. Even more so when you consider the DAC, preamp with DSP, amplifier and speaker are all included in this one box and price. This is performance that sets a new benchmark for performance and value. When coupled to my ACI Force, the sub out on the KEF sense a subwoofer and activate a high pass filter at 80Hz. This allows the speakers to play well within their comfort zone, and subjectively seemed a bit more dynamic. I could live with this combination happily ever after.

But this is not a happy ending. Several months after receiving the review samples, the KEF's died. The speakers simply would not turn on - I tried power cycling and factory resets. Then I thought I'd play the part of a civilian to see how the issue could be resolved via customer service - after a month of very frustrating and unproductive emails I gave up. I did then put on my reviewer's hat and let the marketing team know of the issue - they picked up the speakers, and I checked in twice - no resolution there either. I give up! These are incredible sounding speakers, but between the reliability and lack of service I recommend not buying these either.

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© Copyright 2025 Arvind Kohli - arvind@tnt-audio.com - www.tnt-audio.com

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