KEF REFERENCE 3 META - PAIR

Kef Reference 3 Meta is the intermediate floor model of Kef's reference series. This speaker contains all the DNA of the English brand, expressed in 60 years of innovation. Reference 3 Meta has compact dimensions and features a slim front profile and ultra-modern finishes, perfect for inclusion in the home. Reference 3 are suitable for medium to medium-large sized rooms and incorporate all the latest technologies in acoustic reproduction, including the most extraordinary innovation of recent years: the patented meta acoustic material. Reference 3 Meta: the expression of the Kef spirit

Kef Reference 3 Meta the destination of a journey that began 60 years ago in England

Kef Reference 3 Meta are the floorstanding loudspeakers of Kef's new premium, now more performing than ever thanks to the many improvements made. Starting with the new version of the Uni-Q, now redesigned from the ground up and also upgraded to the long-awaited meta material with MAT Technology. Reference 3 Meta are designed to reproduce high fidelity in all its purity and are perfect in medium-sized environments. Characterized by dimensions that fall between the small Reference 1 and the magnificent Reference 5 Meta, these High End speakers are the heart of the noblest line of speakers of the historic English brand. The only series whose name derives from its own production process.

Equipped with the most modern technologies, and in particular with the most extraordinary innovation of recent years – the Uni-Q Meta – the Reference 3 Meta have been engineered with the aid of refined computerized models and finally assembled by hand in the UK by Kef technicians.

The current Reference Meta series is the heir to the dynasty that began with the "reference" line par excellence, the one first invented by Kef himself in the 60s. The new Reference 3 Meta are the best medium-sized floorstanding speakers ever created from Kef.

Designed to be the new reference

The excellence of the innovative Reference Meta line is indisputable. The Reference line – even without the Mat Technology novelty – has been acclaimed on the market and has received countless awards0: from the EISA award as best High End loudspeaker to the Stereo Sound Grand Prix award, to the Audio Excellence award, The Best Speaker on Stereo Magazine, Outstanding Product by Hi-Fi News, 5 Stars from HiFi world, Product Of The Year by Stereophile, High End Hero of Home Cinema… Now with Uni-Q Meta Kef moves the bar much further.

The goal of Kef's central series, Reference, has always been to "disappear" acoustically when listening, reproducing the essential, i.e. the only and exclusive musical message, as it was recorded. Simply the ultimate for every audiophile and true music lover. In today's Reference Meta project, excellence is multiplied. The absolute driving force is the superlative Uni-Q Meta driver – here in the twelfth and most extreme version – 125 mm with 165 mm diameter coaxial alloy woofer, housed in a massive and elegant cabinet, anti-resonant and compact. The well-known qualities of dynamic speed and transparency of the Uni-Q, now improved by the new version, combined with the "lift" qualities of the two woofers dedicated to low frequencies, the technologies for the bass-reflex duct, the exceptional workmanship of the cabinet, manage to excite as in live performances. The great extension of these splendid speakers makes any reproduction a real emotion, highlighting details and micro-contrasts hidden within your recordings.

Reference 3 Meta means maniacal care

Reference 3 Meta was born to be among the best existing speakers ever, regardless of size and price. The great care and attention put into the creation of this series of premium loudspeakers is evident at first glance.

One of the most interesting aspects of the line is given by the aesthetics and the extremely slim form factor. It is no longer necessary to have old-fashioned and bulky boxes to listen to great music. Audio technology has evolved and today it is possible to get the most out of music even by placing two very elegant and thin brushed aluminum towers in the living room, with a front of only 205 mm. The ultra-modern shapes of Reference 3 Meta mark its distance from the usual huge audiophile speakers and bygone lines. Not only does it sound absolute0, Reference 3 is also a spectacular object of desire, a modern project with a great industrial breadth, where skilled craftsmanship marries the greatest production capacity of a giant.

You can dress Kef Reference 3 Meta by harmonizing them with the environment and choosing from the five finishes available. The brand new MY2022 finishes are High-Gloss

White/Champagne and High-Gloss Black/Grey while the further elegant Satin Walnut/Silver, High-Gloss White/Blue, High-Gloss Black/Copper complete the range of shades. All finishes, in tone-on-tone Kef style, cover all models in the series, including both center channels. The Reference 3 are therefore a candidate as non plus ultra loudspeakers both in stereophonic listening and in high-level Home Cinema projects.

Uni-Q with meta material and Tangerine waveguide

Kef Reference 3 Meta are three-way loudspeakers in which the high and medium frequencies are emitted by a single point source called Uni-Q Meta. It is the special and patented Kef driver, the heart of every English speaker, now totally new, with a redesign at the 12th iteration and with the strategic addition of the famous meta material technology. Uni-Q places a 25mm metal dome tweeter in the center of a 125mm mid-range woofer. The crossover frequency between the two is set to a 2.8 KHz. Repetita iuvant: The idea behind Uni-Q is to improve the coherence of sound dispersion and overall integration between drivers. While Kef often uses, and with excellent results, the Uni-Q in two-way loudspeakers such as the famous LS50 Meta. great benefits are found here from the three-way Uni-Q implementation, with the bass handled by powerful dedicated woofers. Reference 3 Meta therefore adopts a three-way configuration.

Synergy and holistic vision

The Uni-Q Meta in Reference Meta is based on the design developed for the HighEnd Blade Meta loudspeakers. The driver, made from white paper for this generation of Blade and Reference (however they are different from each other) uses an aluminum diaphragm and the tweeter is ventilated in order to improve dynamics. Everything from the “tangerine” waveguide in front of the tweeter – for acoustic and protective dispersion purposes – to the ridges on the midrange cone, to the contour shaping, to the meta material behind the dome, to the design of the woofer motor bodies , aims to reduce distortion in all its forms. 165mm aluminum woofers take the place of the Uni-Q below 450Hz. The woofers are designed to handle large power inputs without compressing dynamics. This is why it features a system of ventilated magnets and a large aluminum spool: lightness, dissipation, control. The power of the drivers is tuned by the rear bass reflex, with fine tuning possible – between 35 and 45 Hz – thanks to the double duct provided.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

WEIGHT: 51.3 Kg / unit

DIMENSION (H X W X D): with grille and terminalS : 1155 x 205 x 470 mm – with grille, terminal & plinth : 1202 x 349 x 470 mm

DESIGN: Three-way bass reflex

IMPEDANCE: 4 Ohms (min.3.2 Ohms)

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

AMPLIFIER CLASS: 50-300W

FREQUENCY RANGE: Typical room bass response: 28Hz (-6dB)

Free Field – Short port: 38Hz – 45kHz (-6dB)

Free Field – Long port: 35Hz – 45kHz (-6dB)

CROSSOVER FREQUENCIES: 450Hz, 2.1KHz

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 43Hz – 35KHz (±3dB)

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

<0.5% 40Hz – 100KHz

<0.2% 200Hz – 2KHz

<0.1% 2KHz – 20KHz

NOMINAL IMPEDANCE: 8 Ohms (min.3.2 Ohms)

SENSITIVITY: 86dB (2.83V/1m)

DRIVE UNITS:

Uni-Q Meta

HF: 25mm (1in.) vented aluminum dome

MF: 125mm (5in.) aluminium

Bass units: LF: 2 x165mm (6.5in.) hybrid aluminium