KEF R3 Meta Speakers
R3 Meta redefines bookshelf speaker's performance. Sharing the same drivers as the range-topping R11 Meta, the R3 Meta is a true three-way design. It has a 12th generation Uni-Q® driver array with MAT™ and a powerful 6.5" hybrid aluminium bass driver that pushes performance to new extremes.
Whether in stereo for music or in a home theatre set up the R Series makes exceptional acoustic performance more accessible. Now with the ground breaking Metamaterial Absorption Technology, the R Series reveals exquisite detail and incredible insight: truly an experience to savour.
Born From The Reference: Since 1961, KEF's quest to reproduce immaculate sound has led to many acoustic innovations. The Reference is a case in point. Distilling decades of experience into an acoustic performance that is nothing short of exceptional, it is a design that continually sets the benchmark for loudspeakers and sound reproduction. Now the latest technological innovations have also made their way into the R Series.
Metamaterial Absorption Technology: At the heart of the R Series is Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT™). MAT™ is a highly complex maze-like structure that absorbs 99% of the unwanted noise from the rear of the driver, eliminating the resulting distortion and providing purer, more natural sound.
Uni-Q® Sit Anywhere, Hear Every Detail: A 12th generation Uni-Q® driver array with MAT™ is found in all models of the R Series. Uni-Q® acts as a single point source to disperse sound more evenly through the room. The result is the elimination of the limited 'sweet spot', therefore allowing everybody, wherever in the room they may be, to experience and enjoy the same natural, detailed sound.
Performance Redefined: The R Series is engineered to be acoustically exceptional. Every element of the design has been precisely tuned to deliver more detail and deeper insight, recreating the exhilaration of hearing an original music performance, with all the emotion and nuance that goes with it.
A Flare for Detail: Derived from The Reference, Shadow Flare is an innovative way to cut harmful high frequency cabinet diffraction. It's a carefully profiled transition that extends the waveguide effect of Uni-Q®. The treble escapes naturally because the 'shadow region' stops it getting to the cabinet edges. The result is vastly improved fine detail.
Performance Critical Damping: A solid platform is imperative for great sound. The R Series benefits from constrained layer damping, a system that uses internal braces joined by a 'lossy' interface. This material converts unwanted vibration into heat, ensuring that the cabinet makes the only sound it needs to: the sound of silence.
True Bass Definition: R Series bass drivers have a two-part structure with a shallow, concave, aluminium skin atop a paper cone. This stiffness, combined with the cone's unique geometry, achieves a piston-like movement for punch and speed. The drivers' magnet system creates a broad and uniform magnetic field which means more impressive and impactful bass.
Flexible Port for Cleaner Bass: You only want to hear the drivers, not the resonances or turbulence created by a bass port. The R Series ports have innovative flexible walls. Using computational fluid dynamics, the flare and profile of each port is calculated to delay the onset of turbulence and the flexible port walls prevent resonances from colouring the midrange.
Beautiful by Design: Driven purely by acoustics, KEF believe there is a certain beauty even to the internal engineering fixings. The R Series has been created to be beautiful on the outside, and these finely tuned workings are protected behind a minimal exterior designed to fit seamlessly and elegantly into any interior scheme, whether traditional, modern or contemporary.
Dedicated Microfibre Grilles: The R Series has been engineered to perform with or without grilles. The dedicated microfibre grilles are crafted from multiple layers of material and have a suede-like feel. With 1801 precision-cut holes for each driver, performance is ensured even when the drivers are covered. The magnetic fixings provide a secure and precise fit, in keeping with the clean styling of the R Series.
EISA Loudspeaker Series 2023-2024 - KEF R Series - Best Product
"Whether used for music or movies, across the speakers there's a dynamic, detailed and thrillingly natural sound combining controlled, extended lows with open, wide-reaching highs."
KEF R3 Meta Review
"Highly resolving, the KEF R3 Meta takes the superb LS50 concept and adds a woofer to help address the potential light balance of the LS50 in some rooms. And, the treble balance isn't pumped up to make you think it has good detail; rather the R3 Meta sounds right and natural. That naturalness extends into the mids giving an overall brilliant package. KEF has lots of loudspeaker science and the R3 shows that science can win both hearts and minds." The Absolute Sound
Our Take On The KEF R3 Meta
This might be one of the most hotly anticipated bookshelf speakers we have ever had. And for good reason. Somehow, KEF have hit the sweet spot with this model. Unlike the LS50, this speaker has actual clout in the lower registers and it has that holographic image stability that the Uni-Q driver is famous for. All up, this is a wonderful performer and deserves to be the runaway best seller it is. Pick your colour and just buy it.
Main Features & Specifications
- Design: 3-Way Bookshelf/Stand Mount Speaker
- 1" (25mm) Vented Aluminium Dome Tweeter with MAT absorber
- KEF's exclusive MAT (Metamaterial Absorption Technology) absorbs 99% of the unwanted sound coming from the rear of the tweeter, for clearer, more natural performance
- 5" (127mm) Aluminium Cone Midrange Driver
- Tweeter and Midrange use KEF's Uni-Q technology, which places the tweeter in the centre of the midrange driver
- Creates a large listening "sweet spot" in your room
- 6½" (165mm) Hybrid Aluminium Cone Woofer
- Frequency Range: 38-50,000 Hz (-6 dB)
- Typical In-Room Bass Response: 30 Hz (-6dB)
- Frequency Response: 58-28,000 Hz (±3 dB)
- Sensitivity: 87 dB
- Impedance: 4 Ohms (Minimum 3.2 Ohms)
- Recommended Amplifier Power: 15-180 watts
- Bass-Reflex Cabinet with Constrained Layer Damping to reduce resonance
- Rear-Firing Port with flexible port technology for precise bass
- Two sets of input terminals allow bi-amping or bi-wiring
- Detachable Magnetic Microfibre Grilles
- Threaded Inserts for securing speakers to matching S3 speaker stands (sold separately)
- Included Accessories: Microfibre Grilles, Rubber Feet, Port Bungs, User Manual, Warranty Information
- Available Finishes: Gloss Black, Gloss White, Walnut, Indigo Gloss
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 200 x 422 x 336mm
- Weight: 12.4kg each
- Manufacturer's Warranty: 5 Years + 1 Extended Year When Registered at KEF.com
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE.