For the successor to its R-series, the R Meta Series, KEF brought a raft of technologies from its flagship The Reference speaker. Chief among these is its Metamaterial Absorption Technology, or MAT. Where most audio technology advances are so much marketing puffery, MAT is the real deal.
MAT is effectively a metal plate situated at the rear of the driver. The special sauce here is a highly complex, Westworld-esque maze that baffles 99% of unwanted frequencies, mainly in the 620Hz to 40kHz range (here’s hoping none of the discarded frequencies achieve sentience). The result of this is what KEF calls “an acoustic black hole” that creates a sound about as close as possible to the artist’s original intention.
The speakers in the updated Meta family also include Uni-Q driver arrays, which efficiently disperse sound throughout the room, eliminating audio “sweet spots.” The KEF R Meta series falls into four categories:
Floorstanding
- R11 Meta ($3,250/speaker): 113 dB max; 15 – 300W
- R7 Meta ($2,500/speaker): 113 dB max; 15 – 250W
- R5 Meta ($2,000/speaker): 113 dB max; 15 – 200W
Bookshelf
- R3 Meta ($2,200/pair): 110 dB max; 15 – 180W
- R3 Meta Stands ($700/pair)
Left-Center-Right Interchangeable
- R6 Meta ($2,000/speaker): 111 dB max; 15 – 250W
- R2 Meta ($1,400/speaker): 110 dB max; 5 – 200W
Wall Mount or Vertical-Firing Immersive Surround Height Channel
- R8 Meta ($1,600/pair): 106 dB max; 25 – 150W
Available finishes for all speakers include modern Black and White Gloss as well as decadent Walnut. The R3 and R7 each get their own Special Edition finish: Indigo Gloss and Titanium Gloss, respectively. Other aesthetic pleasantries include microfibre grilles that, according to KEF, have a suede-like feel. The covers sport 1801 precision-cut holes for each driver, ensuring style doesn’t impact performance.
In other tech news, check out Razer’s Viper Mini Signature Edition Mouse.