This is just another milestone in KEF’s nearly six decade long journey in the custom installation audio segment.
Home Hi-Fi as a hobby was still in its infancy in the 1950s and 1960s, and most enthusiasts at the time preferred to build their own cabinets (and even their own amplifiers!). For those hobbyists, KEF offered drivers and crossover networks as separate parts or pre-assembled onto a baffle. These were also supplied to OEM manufacturers who sold them as systems under their own brand name.
In the mid-1960s, KEF offered assembly details to those who preferred to mount their speakers ‘In-Wall’ – the first steps toward the Custom Install architectural line. In the early 1980s we offered our Constructor Series for hobbyists who wanted to build their own cabinets or design their own customer installation setup.
Responding to the increased demand for high performance loudspeakers in the domestic custom installation environment, in 1987 KEF introduced two new products, CR200F and CR250SW, specifically designed for in-wall use. Although KEF had supplied loudspeaker assemblies for in-wall mounting since the mid-1960s, this was the first excursion into the new Custom Install market with purpose built bezels for the cavity wall application. The range was supplemented in 1989 with the CR160F and CR160Q.
Today, our line of custom install products covers every facet of audio reproduction, from entry level to the extreme performance of our THX-certified models. Our Ci products are designed with the homeowner and the installer in mind – beautiful sound and visual aesthetics combined with features specifically included for ease of installation in even the most challenging setups.
