KEF REFERENCE 2 META

Reference 2 Meta is the most compact of the Center speakers in the Kef Reference series. The Reference 2 model is the perfect partner, in multi-channel systems, of Kef Reference 1 Meta, Reference 3 Meta and Reference 5 Meta. Thanks to the compact cabinet and the "closed box" configuration, the installation can be easily done even in furniture.

Kef Reference 2 Meta the High End audio center channel

Reference 2 Meta is certainly one of the best center channels in the world, the result of the new contribution of meta material to the famous Kef Uni-Q driver. Thanks to the amazing and renewed clarity, transparency and openness, every sound will be returned to you with realism and naturalness. It will seem to be immersed in the scene, in the middle of the action in a film or on stage if you are listening to a concert. The strong point of the Reference 2 Meta is the new extraordinary Uni-Q, with the special patented material that manages to capture and eliminate any resonance behind the tweeter. Uni-Q Meta is born: composed of a 25 mm Tweeter with meta material housed in a 125 mm diameter alloy mid-woofer. This coaxial unit, in synergy with two 165 mm bass woofers housed in an elegant and compact cabinet, manages to excite, relax, and reveal…

High End in a nutshell

Kef Reference 2 Meta is the most compact central channel of the premium Kef line, designed to reproduce all the emotion of the Cinema at home in all its purity. Perfect for medium-sized creations and projects, Reference 2 Meta is the jewel that crowns a high-level multi-channel audio system. The Reference 2 central is equipped with the most modern technologies. Created with the help of refined computer models, it is meticulously assembled and checked by hand in the UK by Kef technicians.

Experiencing the luxury of a High End sound at home is something that is and will be appreciated for years to come, while you listen and savor. The value of your favorite song is preserved and brought to a new level of emotional participation by Kef Reference Meta

The new Meta reference

Reference has continuously set the benchmark for speakers since its launch in 1973. The Reference has always been synonymous with perfect reproduction of recorded sound, now with Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT).

The goal of Kef's central series, Reference, has always been to "disappear" acoustically when listening, reproducing the essential, that is, the sole and exclusive musical message, as it was recorded. Simply the best for every audiophile and every lover of true music. In the Reference. Meta project, excellence is added today. The absolute engine is the combination of the superlative Uni-Q Meta driver - here at the twelfth great iteration - 125 mm combined with the two 165 mm diameter alloy woofers, housed in a massive and elegant cabinet, anti-resonant and compact.

The well-known qualities of the Uni-Q, now sublimated by the meta material, combined with the “lift” qualities of the woofers dedicated to low frequencies, the bass-reflex duct technologies, the exceptional workmanship of the cabinet, manage to excite as in live performances.

The great extension and extreme clarity of these splendid speakers makes any reproduction a real emotion, highlighting details and micro contrasts hidden within your recordings.

Maniacal care and new finishes

The great care and attention put into the creation of this series of speakers is evident at first glance. One of the most interesting aspects is given by the aesthetics and the extremely compact form factor. With a front height of only 205 mm it is very easy to position this speaker for speech directly under the projection screen or under the TV. The ultra-modern shapes of Reference 2 also mark its distance from the usual speakers with lines now outdated. Not only does it sound absolute, Reference 2 Meta is also a spectacular piece of furniture, a modern project with a great industrial scope, where artisanal wisdom marries the greatest production capacity of a giant.

You can dress Kef Reference 2 by harmonizing it with the environment and choosing from five available finishes. In particular, the first-ever High-Gloss White/Champagne and High-Gloss Black/Grey stand out, which join the color combinations already successfully proposed by the English maison: Satin Walnut/Silver, High-Gloss White/Blue, High-Gloss Black/Copper. Each model in the series features the same finishes and level of detail. It is now possible to create a top-level home cinema setup with an elegant full-black livery or prefer a full-white color.

Three-way center channel

Kef Reference 2 Meta is a 3-way High End center channel in which the high and mid frequencies are emitted by a single point source called Uni-Q Meta. It is the special and patented driver of Kef, the heart of every English speaker. Uni-Q places a 25 mm metal dome tweeter in the center of a 125 mm mid-range woofer. The crossover frequency between the two is set to 2.8 KHz. Repetita iuvant: the idea behind Uni-Q is to improve the coherence of the sound dispersion and the overall integration between the drivers. Kef uses the Uni-Q driver alone, in a version with greater extension, in the famous two-way LS50 Meta speakers. Here, in Reference 2 Meta the updated driver is combined with two 165 mm woofers in a final 3-way configuration.

Synergy between components: zero distortion

The Uni-Q Meta in Reference Meta is based on the design developed for the Blade Meta high-end speakers. Excuse the repetitions, but the MAT material is the icing on the cake, the final patent to reveal the impossible. The Uni-Q driver is a riot of solutions and patents. It uses an aluminum diaphragm and also incorporates MAT technology. Everything here, from the Tangerine waveguide - in front of the tweeter, with dispersion and protection purposes - to the ridges on the mid-range cone, to the contour shaping, from the MAT material to the design of the mid-woofer motor bodies, each component aims to reduce distortion in all its forms. The two 165 mm aluminum woofers take the place of the Uni-Q below 350 Hz, taking maximum care of the low frequencies. The bass woofers are designed to handle large power inputs without compressing the dynamics. For this reason they feature ventilated magnet systems and a large aluminum voice coil: lightness, dissipation, control.

Advanced Technology in Reference 2 Meta

The wide extension of these premium center channels makes any video playback a real thrill, revealing hidden details, nuances and contrasts within your recordings and media.

The Uni-Q driver array is completely decoupled from the rest of the speaker to prevent unwanted vibrations in the chassis from impacting the sound output. A new flexible decoupling frame has been specially designed to reduce vibrations and remove any possible coloration. It ensures that the mid/high frequency motor system does not transmit or receive vibration to or from the cabinet.

The contours of the dome, midrange horn and surround are all computer-optimized to ensure a perfectly smooth transition. The patented Tangerine waveguide technology, mentioned above, manages the airflow to recreate a natural and uniform spread of the sound field, dispersing an astonishingly pure image throughout the room. The result of these innovations and developments is that the Uni-Q with MAT reproduces a more transparent and lifelike sound than ever before.

The bottom line is that the Kef Reference 2 Meta is among the best center channels ever made and among the best speakers ever, regardless of size and price. All this with a unique design, capable of satisfying the increasingly important needs of placement in the environment. As the name suggests, the Reference 2 Meta can certainly be considered a point of reference for the design of center channels.

Total System Design

The Reference 2 Meta is certainly a definitive center channel. Correctly positioned, it is able to reproduce even the lowest registers without ever “cluttering” the room with its presence. Compared to the larger Reference 4 Meta model, which mounts four woofers in a cabinet about 40 cm longer, the Reference 2 Meta has a slightly less deep lowest register, a slightly lower acoustic pressure and a more contoured sound front (suitable for listening situations with seating distances of four or five meters on average). Cabinet, Uni-Q Meta, Woofer, Crossover and methodology are exactly identical across the series, deriving from the Total System Design approach that sees the overall and component modelling progress hand in hand for each driver and each speaker family.

Closed box: easy positioning of the center channel

Some speakers, especially high-end ones, must be positioned precisely and have a very directional emission. On the contrary, Reference 2 Meta takes advantage of the wide dispersion of the Uni-Q driver and offers an extremely wide and well-layered sound presentation. The sound front is vast and homogeneous and allows you to obtain the sweet spot, the magic point, ... in a very large area in front of the center channel. This means that all the guests on the large sofa or in the cinema room will hear perfect voices, not just those sitting in the center. Thanks to the absence of a rear bass reflex, it is possible to position the center channel with maximum freedom, even leaning against the rear wall.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

WEIGHT: 22.8.Kg

DIMENSION (H X W X D): with grille and terminalS : 205 x 603 x 325 mm

DESIGN: Three-way closed box

IMPEDANCE: 4 Ohm (min. 3.2 Ohm)

MAXIMUM OUTPUT: 113.5 dB (peak sound pressure level at 1m with pink noise)

AMPLIFIER CLASS: 50-300W

FREQUENCY RANGE: Typical in room bass response: 46 Hz (-6 dB)

Free Field: 65 Hz – 45 KHz (-6 dB)

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 80 Hz – 35 KHz (±3 dB)

HARMONIC DISTORTION: 2nd & 3rd harmonics (90 dB, 1 m)

<0.5% 40 Hz – 100 KHz

<0.2% 200 Hz – 2 KHz

<0.1% 2 KHz – 20 KHz

SENSITIVITY: 86dB (2.83V/1m)

DRIVE UNITS:

– Uni-Q Meta driver array HF: 25mm (1in.) vented aluminium dome / MF: 125mm (5in.) aluminium

– Bass units: LF: 2 x 165mm (6.5in.) aluminium

BASS DRIVER: LF: 2 x 165 mm (6.5in.) hybrid aluminium