Kef Ci5160RL

THX Ultra 2 in-wall speaker for Home Cinema and LCR systems

The KEF Ci5160RL-THX is an in-wall speaker belonging to the Custom R series, designed for uncompromising high-end Home Cinema and LCR installations. Sold as a single piece, it features a Uni-Q array with Tangerine waveguide — a 125 mm midrange and a 25 mm tweeter — combined with four 160 mm aluminium alloy woofers, for a frequency response that reaches down to 40 Hz and up to 28 kHz. The THX Ultra 2 certification, a sensitivity of 90 dB and compatibility with amplifiers from 40 to 250 W into 4 Ω make it suitable for the most ambitious private cinema rooms and for 5.1 and 7.1 systems of the very highest level. The aluminium structure, the Bi-Wire / Bi-Amplifier connections and the cut-out dimensions of 1052 × 209 mm complete the profile of a speaker intended to dominate the soundstage while remaining perfectly integrated into the architecture.

THX Ultra 2 certification: the standard of professional cinemas

The THX Ultra 2 certification is not an aesthetic accolade: it is the result of a rigorous verification process that guarantees the speaker's ability to reproduce the sound mix exactly as it was conceived in the studio. Intelligible dialogue, impactful effects, controlled dynamics and spatial coherence are rendered with realism and naturalness at any sound pressure level. The Ci5160RL-THX always keeps balance, articulation and composure intact: in the most overwhelming action scenes as in the most intimate passages. This is the difference between a speaker that is simply powerful and a true high-end Home Cinema design: quality is measured not only in impact, but in the ability to render micro-details, stage presence and naturalness in every listening condition.

Four 160 mm woofers and Uni-Q driver: the sonic scale of a large floorstanding speaker

The architecture of the Ci5160RL-THX comprises four 160 mm aluminium alloy woofers alongside the celebrated Uni-Q coaxial driver with a 125 mm midrange and a 25 mm tweeter with Tangerine waveguide. This configuration delivers bass that reaches down to 40 Hz — fast, full-bodied and well controlled — without resorting to a dedicated subwoofer in less demanding applications. The whole structure is built around an aluminium frame designed to damp vibrations and offer the drivers a rigid, silent working platform. The result is cleaner, more precise listening even when the system is pushed to very high levels, with power handling up to 250 W.

Uni-Q and Tangerine waveguide: wide dispersion, extended listening area

The Uni-Q driver is KEF's most recognisable sound signature and in the Ci5160RL-THX it reaches its most mature expression for the installation world. The coaxial arrangement of midrange and tweeter guarantees a point sound source, with crystal-clear voices, precise localisation and very wide angular dispersion. In practice, the sound is distributed evenly over an extended area: there is no single privileged listening position, but a whole zone in which several people can simultaneously enjoy a coherent, balanced result. The Tangerine waveguide, as well as optimising dispersion, physically protects the tweeter, making use without front grilles possible without any concern.

Reference LCR installation: appearance and connection flexibility

The Ci5160RL-THX is designed to take the leading role in high-end LCR systems, both as the main left and right channel and as the centre channel. Its proportions — 1070 × 230 × 105.7 mm with an installation depth of just 99 mm — and its four-woofer structure give it immediate stage presence, while remaining integrated into the wall. The careful finishes and technical design make it a speaker that many choose to leave on view; for those who prefer a more discreet solution, paintable metal front grilles are available. The Bi-Wire and Bi-Amplifier connections offer maximum flexibility for optimising the drive of the mid-high and bass sections in the most refined projects.

The KEF in-wall reference for private cinema rooms and 5.1 / 7.1 systems of the very highest level

The fruit of decades of research and development, the KEF Ci5160RL-THX brings to custom installation the experience KEF has gained in developing its own high-end HiFi speakers. It is the reference choice for those who want a front stage capable of dominating the scene with authority — sculpted dialogue, great depth, dynamic control — without giving up the discretion of an in-wall installation. It sits in the KEF Custom R series as the top model for Home Cinema, with THX Ultra 2 certification, and is aimed both at high-level private cinema rooms and at enthusiasts of true high fidelity looking for performance of the highest rank from an in-wall solution.

Technical specifications