PHONEBLOKS.COM

Kien: a modular sound system

by Giulio Minotti, Phonebloks

Kien is a flexible and versatile modular audio system developed by a Dutch company. In Dutch, kien means sharp, clever, smart, intelligent. Kien, also, sounds like the English word keen, which has very similar meanings.
The Kien system consists of multiple audio modules: satellites and subwoofer(s). The satellites are battery-powered portable speakers with 12 hours of music playback, that can be used alone or you can wirelessly connect multiple modules.

For example, you can grab a single sat to take it anywhere or you can combine subs and sats together, in your home, to form a multiroom system or to create a 2.1 or a 5.1 multichannel configuration (5 satellites, 1 subwoofer). It’s also possible to assemble a soundbar, horizontally or vertically, combining satellites and subwoofer.

The Kien system is very simple to use. When you relocate the speakers, the modular system, automatically, will know the new position. When you need more modules, simply buy more subs or sats and place them where you want. The system, immediately, will recognize the new modules and the new audio configuration.
Kien is a smart platform, if you’re using it as a multiroom system, the music can follow you automatically in the room where you are, through the function called “User Tracked Audio (UTA)”.

Kien consists of high quality speakers. Each sat use 2 x 2” drivers and a 1” tweeter with a 30 Watt class D amplifier. You can connect your satellite to your smartphone via Bluetooth or with a 3.5 mm jack. Inside the subwoofer there are 2 x 6.5” drivers with a 150 Watt amplifier. The back of the sub hosts a digital S/PDIF input, an Ethernet port, an analog RCA input, and an HDMI In and HDMI Out port, it also supports a WiFi connection.

Kien doesn’t have a proprietary app and it’s compatible with iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.
Kien is available for preorder on Indiegogo, with estimated delivery for next March. The price will change depending on the chosen configuration, for example. the single satellite will cost $ 129 and the 5.1 configuration $ 899 .