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Three-channel passive home theater sound bar with KEF Uni-Q® driver arrays

$949.99

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KEF HTF8003 Three-channel passive home theater sound bar with KEF Uni-Q® driver arrays

Name: KEF HTF8003
Brand: KEF
SKU: 991HTF8003
Price: 999.99 USD
Availability: BackOrder
Rating: 4.5 (3 reviews)

Item # 991HTF8003

I've been awed by the room-filling sound of KEF's LS50 speakers every time I've heard them.

Front

1/5

Back

2/5

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3/5

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Decor-friendly design

Connects to your receiver's left, center, and right channels

KEF HTF8003 Connects to your receiver's left, center, and right channels

I've been awed by the room-filling sound of KEF's LS50 speakers every time I've heard them.

Item # 991HTF8003

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by Crutchfield's Emily S.

KEF HTF8003 sound bar under TV in nice room

Incredible KEF audio for your front soundstage

I've been awed by the room-filling sound of KEF's LS50 speakers every time I've heard them. So I was excited to see KEF include some of those signature technologies — especially their Uni-Q drivers — into one streamlined sound bar.

The HTF8003 combines individual left, center, and right channels into a single acoustically inert aluminum cabinet. Its glossy, black finish and slim oval profile will look cool whether it's wall-mounted or sitting on your TV stand. But remember — it's passive, so you'll need a home theater receiver to power it.

All the spots are sweet with Uni-Q

Each of this sound bar's three channels includes KEF's patented Uni-Q driver, which places the tweeter in the acoustic center of a bass/midrange driver. This single, focused audio source means the sound is more evenly distributed throughout your room. In short, the “sweet spot” is wherever you happen to be sitting.

A thorough test drive by a Crutchfield expert

When fellow writer Dave Delamere offered to take the KEF HTF8003 for a spin and give me the rundown on it, I was stoked. As the leader of our Demo Days team, Dave regularly helps us get hands-on here at Crutchfield HQ, so I knew he would provide some great insight. He did not disappoint. Here's what he had to say about this passive sound bar from KEF:

The facts

"I hooked it up to my older Yamaha AVENTAGE receiver (110 watts/channel), and I have a 3.1 configuration in my 700-square foot apartment. Source is an Xbox One for Blu-ray, streaming audio and video, and gaming."

Initial thoughts

"When taking it out of the box, I could tell it was well-made. A serious speaker. The aluminum cabinet has some heft, and it has a nice finish to it. It comes with wall-mounting hardware, as well as rubber wedges for placement on a shelf or stand (which is how I used it). These wedges let you control some of the angle, which is handy when it's lower on a shelf. Great option for my tight space."

Connected and cranking

"I had the movie Sleepy Hollow going, and the HTF8003 had really good direction. The dialogue was clear, while not overly bright. The effects were solid and impactful, even at low volume. What impressed me the most was the dynamic control. Quiet passages were super-quiet, but when it had to deliver sound quickly, it went at it full-force. Note: You need a subwoofer. There's no getting around that. I switched my sub off, and this sound bar doesn't offer much on the low-end, which was never its intent."

"I was most interested in music. Overall, sound bars aren't known to be very good with it. I switched on SomaFM (the Lush, Left Coast 70's, and Secret Agent channels) for some streaming tunes. The HTF8003 didn't have the spaciousness that a conventional 2-speaker system would, which I expected. However, the Uni-Q drivers provided the consistent, accurate output that I've also heard from the KEF LS50 and Q350 speakers I've listened to. Very smooth and natural. I found myself listening longer than I thought I would… and enjoying it."

The bottom line

"For someone who has limited space for a front speaker array and who wants the power and versatility of a home theater receiver, the KEF HTF8003 sound bar would be a great addition to their surround sound system."

— Dave Delamere, Crutchfield writer

Product highlights:

includes separate left, right, and center channels in a single sound bar speaker design
non-powered — connects to your home theater receiver's front three channels
handles 100 watts per channel
designed for TVs 42" and larger
includes rubber feet for tabletop placement and a bracket for wall-mounting
frequency response 70-22,000 Hz (±3dB)
sensitivity: 87 dB
impedance: 8 ohms
each channel contains a three-way speaker system:
- KEF Uni-Q® driver with 3" bass/midrange driver and 5/8" tweeter
- 3" woofer
- 3" passive bass radiator
3 sets of gold-plated spring post speaker terminals (one set per channel)
- banana plugs not supported
rigid aluminum enclosure
gloss black finish
37-13/16"W x 4-3/4"H x 3-3/8"D
weight: 13.2 lbs.
warranty: 5 years (6 years with registration)
MFR # HTF8003
Item # 991HTF8003

Separate A/V receiver required. Shop compatible receivers

What's in the box:

KEF HTF8003 owner's manual

Passive soundbar loudspeaker
Wall-mount bracket
2 Metal kick-stands
2 Rubber feet
2 Threaded posts
Hex-key
Installation Manual
Registration Card
Wall-Mount Template

Researched by Crutchfield's Stacey B.

Features & specs

General
Design	Bar
Amplification	Separate Receiver Required
Separate Subwoofer	No
Wireless Surrounds	No
Number Of Channels	3
Surround Formats
Dolby Digital	No
DTS	No
Dolby Atmos
DTS:X	No
Audio Enhancements
Dialogue Enhancement	No
Auto Volume	No
Night Mode	No
Virtual Surround	No
Room Correction	No
Audio Connections
Optical Digital Inputs	None
Coaxial Digital Inputs	None
HDMI ARC Input	No
HDMI eARC Input	No
3.5mm Stereo Analog Inputs	None
RCA Stereo Analog Inputs	None
USB-A Input	No
USB-C Input	No
Subwoofer Output	0
Audio Specs
Tweeter	.6" (3)
Midrange	3" (3)
Woofer	3" (3)
Subwoofer Driver	None
Enclosure	Passive Radiator
System Frequency Response	70Hz - 22k Hz
Sound Bar RMS Power	0
Subwoofer RMS Power	N/A
Video Connections
HDMI Inputs	None
HDMI Outputs	None
Video Specs
HDMI Version	N/A
HDMI Video Pass-through Resolution	N/A
HDR Video Compatible	No
Control
Includes Remote	No
Voice Control	No
Control by App	N/A
HDMI CEC	No
Remote IR Passthrough	No
Learns TV Remote	No
Audio Streaming
Bluetooth Connectivity	No
Bluetooth Audio Playback	No
Bluetooth Transmitter Mode	No
Online Music Sources	None
Apple AirPlay	No
Google Cast	No
Amazon Music	No
Apple Music	No
Pandora	No
SiriusXM	No
Spotify	No
TIDAL	No
TuneIn	No
YouTube Music	No
Files on Your Network	No
Wi-Fi Networking
Built-in Wi-Fi Version	None
Bands	N/A
Other Info
Wall-mountable	Yes
Mounting Bracket Included	Yes
Sound Bar Size (inches)	4-3/4H x 37-13/16W x 3-3/8D
Sound Bar Weight	13.2 lbs
Subwoofer Size (inches)	No Subwoofer
Subwoofer Weight	N/A
Speaker Parts Warranty	6 Years w/ registration
Speaker Labor Warranty	6 Years w/ registration
Amplifier Parts Warranty	N/A
Amplifier Labor Warranty	N/A

Product Research

Features

Passive Soundbar Loudspeaker: Delivering on the promise of KEF's legendary sound quality and rock solid sonic imaging, the HTF8003 passive soundbar loudspeaker produces the home theater's front soundstage from a single acoustically inert aluminum enclosure that recreates the performance of three discrete loudspeakers (Left Front, Center, and Right Front).

Note: The KEF HTF8003 is a passive soundbar loudspeaker (not an active soundbar speaker) and will require a separate AV receiver or integrated amplifier.

3-Channel Design: Each of the HTF8003 passive soundbar's three channels (Left Front, Center, & Right Front) is comprised of a three-way speaker system containing a KEF Uni-Q driver with a 0.6" tweeter and 3" midrange, a 3" mid-bass woofer, and a 3" Auxiliary Bass Radiator (ABR).

Uni-Q Driver Array: The HTF8003 utilizes KEF's patented Uni-Q driver configuration that places the tweeter in the acoustic center of the midrange cone. This creates a single focused audio source that disperses the sound image evenly throughout the room so that everyone enjoys the full richness of music or movie soundtracks. KEF's patented "sit anywhere" Uni-Q driver in the HTF8003 places a 0.6" tweeter in the acoustic center of a 3" midrange cone driver. This allows both the midrange and tweeter to act as a single, focused source of sound that is dispersed widely and evenly throughout the room. The practical benefit is that great sound can be experienced from anywhere in the listening environment removing the "sweet spot" effect.

3" Mid-Bass Woofer & Auxiliary Bass Radiator (ABR): The KEF HTF8003 pairs three 3" mid-bass woofers with three 3" Auxiliary Bass Radiators (one woofer and one radiator per channel) for extended bass output from a passive soundbar loudspeaker.

Aluminum Enclosure: The KEF HT8003 passive soundbar loudspeaker incorporates an acoustically inert aluminum enclosure for uncolored and natural sound.

Spring-Post Terminals: Each channel (Left Front, Center, and Right Front) of the HTF8003 features a set of spring-post terminals that will accept up to 12AWG bare wire. The spring-post terminals are too small to support banana plugs.

Mounting Options: The KEF HTF8003 soundbar loudspeaker is sized to perfectly complement 42" and larger flat-panel TVs. The HTF8003 soundbar comes supplied with both a wall-mount bracket and table-top feet which make it an elegant compliment to almost any flat-panel television. Wall-mount screws not included.

Wall-Mount Dimensions: 37.8125" (w) x 4.75" (h) x 3.625" (d)
Table-Top Dimensions: 37.8125" (w) x 4.75" (h) x 4.5" (d)

Optional Rear Speakers: You can choose a pair of KEF in-wall, in-ceiling, or on-wall loudspeakers (sold separately) as rear speakers for your home theater system.

Optional Powered Subwoofer: A KEF Kube series powered subwoofer (sold separately) is the perfect addition to the HTF8003 soundbar loudspeaker.

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3 questions already asked

I have this speaker right under my TV right now. It serves as my L, R and C speaker. I'm wanting to get some better book shelf speakers for L & R. I just want to know can I use this current speaker to only use the center channel when I upgrade to the external L &R speakers?

miles Jun 28, 2025

1 answer

If you upgrade your L and R mains to bookshelf speakers Miles, you can use the center channel portion of your KEF HTF8003 passive soundbar for your center channel. The L and R channels of your KEF HTF8003 would remain in place but not connected to your receiver or amplifier.

bo Jun 28, 2025 (Staff)

Kef lists the HTF8003 with an "adaptor" as HTC8001 for use a center speaker. Do you know if there's also modifications to the internal wiring? Given that each channel in HTF8003 is listed as 8 ohm, but the HTC8001 is listed as 6 ohm when all three LR and C are connected together. This suggests that the L and R are connected in series together then connected in parallel with the C channel. Can anyone confirm this or provide more information? Thanks.

ayman Dec 12, 2022

1 answer

After a brief conversation with KEF support, we have determined that the HTF8003 and HTC8001 are in fact the same speaker with the only difference being the inclusion of the adapter with the HTC8001. This is to say that the HTC8001 could be used as a 3-channel speaker system or 1-channel center with a total impedance of 6-ohm. They did not detail the wiring scheme as achieved with the adapter.

zachary Dec 15, 2022 (Staff)

ayman Dec 12, 2022

1 answer

Greetings New User, and thank you for your question. Im going to refer you to contact KEF directly for these questions. Im not showing any adapter to make the HTF8003 into a center channel only speaker. Nothing in the manual for that option either. The best point of contact I have for them is 732-683-2356. Hope they can get the answers you need.

thomas Dec 12, 2022 (Staff)

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