KLH designed its three-piece HT-9930 for people who already have a pair of stereo speakers and are ready to turn their systems into five-channel home theaters without spending a fortune. The HT-9930 brings together a center-channel and two rear-channel speakers for less than $100, a bargain any way you cut it. The HT-9930's two unobtrusive satellite speakers come with keyhole-shaped slots for easy wall mounting. Removing the grilles reveals 4-inch woofers with small "whizzer" cones for added midrange detail as well as a 0.625-inch piezoelectric tweeter. The center channel sports an identical tweeter and is flanked by two similar but slightly larger (4.25-inch) woofers. The black enclosures are quite attractive and belie this system's modest price.
And, for the money, the HT-9930 sounds surprisingly good. Vocals, the most important element for a center-channel speaker to reproduce, sound well-balanced and natural. The center channel exhibits a slight--and, at this price, unavoidable--boxiness, however, and lacks the ability to render subtle aural details.
The satellites sound nearly identical to the center channel but are not quite as rich or full-bodied due to their single, small woofers. But they perform atmospheric surround-sound duty with ease, carving out a large, three-dimensional soundfield.
With the HT-9930, KLH has funneled its years of speaker-making experience into a remarkably good little add-on home-theater rig. If your budget is limited and you wish to dip your toes into 5- (or 5.1-) channel sound, it's hard to think of a better place to start. --Wayne Garcia
Pros:
- Sensible approach to easing an existing system into home theater
- Highly affordable
- Surprisingly good sound
- Wires included
- Removable grilles
Cons:
- Lacking high- and low-frequency detail
- Limited bass response
