• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Kef R Meta Series Release

dogmamann

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Dec 16, 2022
Messages
809
Likes
507
Well afaik - it pretty well tracks freq response off angle and it rolls off highs slightly making it less fatiguing
Yes, also makes the image of the singer Lower. This one I have always noticed with kefs tower speakers, if you compare a q series, it’s evident. Bookshelf’s won’t have this effect
 

nawfal07

Active Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2021
Messages
171
Likes
222

dogmamann

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Dec 16, 2022
Messages
809
Likes
507
To be fair, this should be very easy to upgrade… the r7 and the r7 meta are a very minor step up and a minor change… and because kef have a lot of stores that knows how to repair them, they can upgrade too…
Using the planet resources better please
Ls50 and ls50 Meta had different crossovers if am not wrong. If cabins are same on R7 and R7meta, it’s possible. But where do you get the driver from?! Even ls50 meta driver isn’t available in that French shop which everyone buys parts from.

Also I hope it’s not a minor update too as there are lot of people wanting a real upgrade. If the prices are as mentioned, it better be a considerable upgrade.
 

ROOSKIE

Major Contributor
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Messages
1,915
Likes
3,394
Location
Minneapolis
They’re also naming the centre speaker R2 Meta, dropping the letter “C” to follow the naming convention of the Reference series.
Makes good sense especially as there is no reason these ought to be limited to center channel duty.
 

ROOSKIE

Major Contributor
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Messages
1,915
Likes
3,394
Location
Minneapolis
9

Also I hope it’s not a minor update too as there are lot of people wanting a real upgrade. If the prices are as mentioned, it better be a considerable upgrade.
There isn't room for considerable upgrades here.
I anticipate minor improvements and tweaks. Which for the right person may be valuable but I'd guess for the typical casual hifi champ meaningless.
The considerable upgrade is the Reference Meta line which obviously costs much more.

The price increases may be bringing European prices in line with USA prices due to inflation and currency changes over the years.
Who knows. I am betting on $2500usd which is the new $1800, so really the same $$ from the R3 OG release.
 

Kal Rubinson

Master Contributor
Industry Insider
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 23, 2016
Messages
5,273
Likes
9,790
Location
NYC
I think the reference 3 is taller than the R7 and therefore you get the image shifted slightly above on them making them feeling different in sound during the demo.
Yes. The (old!) R7 is 41.8" (w/o plinth) and the Reference 3 is 45.5".
 

BrokenEnglishGuy

Major Contributor
Joined
Jul 19, 2020
Messages
1,914
Likes
1,147
Ls50 and ls50 Meta had different crossovers if am not wrong. If cabins are same on R7 and R7meta, it’s possible. But where do you get the driver from?! Even ls50 meta driver isn’t available in that French shop which everyone buys parts from.

Also I hope it’s not a minor update too as there are lot of people wanting a real upgrade. If the prices are as mentioned, it better be a considerable upgrade.
They can send the drivers and then '' repair '' them, kef have around the world a lot of stores that can fix the speakers. This should be extremely easy.

It's time to think about the planet too, they can replace the drivers, so the owner don't even have the R series normal UNIQ for making anothers speakers diy, but please give to the owners the option of upgrade his speaker because this should be very easy for a company of it's size of Kef...
 

Vacceo

Major Contributor
Joined
Mar 9, 2022
Messages
2,636
Likes
2,753
They can send the drivers and then '' repair '' them, kef have around the world a lot of stores that can fix the speakers. This should be extremely easy.

It's time to think about the planet too, they can replace the drivers, so the owner don't even have the R series normal UNIQ for making anothers speakers diy, but please give to the owners the option of upgrade his speaker because this should be very easy for a company of it's size of Kef...
That is an element I appreciate from Primare: making a universal remote so you don´t have to pile up unused remotes from your whole rig. I´d take the extra mile and remove the remote entirely in favor of an APP.

The extreme version would be the capacity to send my old IQ´s to get them refurbished with new drivers and crossovers, but I guess that would be way too difficult. I prefeer the rounded shape to the boxy style, even if the performance is drastically better on the newer speakers.
 

BrokenEnglishGuy

Major Contributor
Joined
Jul 19, 2020
Messages
1,914
Likes
1,147
That is an element I appreciate from Primare: making a universal remote so you don´t have to pile up unused remotes from your whole rig. I´d take the extra mile and remove the remote entirely in favor of an APP.

The extreme version would be the capacity to send my old IQ´s to get them refurbished with new drivers and crossovers, but I guess that would be way too difficult. I prefeer the rounded shape to the boxy style, even if the performance is drastically better on the newer speakers.
What iqs are you talking about?
I was only talking about the previous series wich is almost the same, that is the reason because is easy to upgrade
 

Vacceo

Major Contributor
Joined
Mar 9, 2022
Messages
2,636
Likes
2,753
What iqs are you talking about?
I was only talking about the previous series wich is almost the same, that is the reason because is easy to upgrade
I have a multichannel system with KEF IQ´s that are almost 20 years old. Waaaaay to old to retrofit with more modern KEF drivers. :D
 

dogmamann

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Dec 16, 2022
Messages
809
Likes
507
They can send the drivers and then '' repair '' them, kef have around the world a lot of stores that can fix the speakers. This should be extremely easy.

It's time to think about the planet too, they can replace the drivers, so the owner don't even have the R series normal UNIQ for making anothers speakers diy, but please give to the owners the option of upgrade his speaker because this should be very easy for a company of it's size of Kef...
You may need a new crossover to match the driver. LS50 and ls50 Meta had different port designs, possibly the r meta would have a new port. So, mostly nope it won’t work that way. Also company needs to make profit to sustain. Selling drivers alone would make let every single r users buy it and just get settled with it. So part of their job is to make sure it’s not a viable solution.

You can sell your r7 to someone who is aspiring to get some new speakers. So you can prevent him buying new speakers ruining the planet.

So, that way, you won’t ruin the planet in total when you get your new R7. Also, you can enjoy the improvement doing so
 

MingChops

Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2020
Messages
94
Likes
92
I can't see KEF offering an upgrade for existing R users, but it would be cool if they did. As an owner of R5's for a couple of years now, there's no chance I'd upgrade to the new Meta versions, as there simply won't be a big delta between them because there wasn't really a huge delta to the Ref's (diminishing returns and all).
The current R series already sound excellent and so for me it's either save up for Ref Meta, or, wait until the 3rd or even 4th generation R series is out and perhaps then consider changing. Speakers aren't iPhones and don't need changing every year!

However if KEF were to offer an upgrade option, then that's actually about the only feasible way they have of extracting more money from me. For a reasonable fee I'd be inclined to do that upgrade.

I've got LS50 Meta in another room, the current R's already have a sweeter treble, so it's not like MAT is transformative by any stretch.
 

stren

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 9, 2020
Messages
254
Likes
298
Reference are also deeper I believe not just taller. I believe the drivers should be able to support more output too without as much distortion - higher xmax, more linear I assume and no doubt a teenier better crossover, cabinet construction etc. But yeah if you have space for the R11 is there much advantage to the Ref One? I wonder if they'll also support selling an individual R3 for center duty as well. I'd love to see an active R3 or R7 as well.
 

regan

Active Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2022
Messages
196
Likes
83
I do not see them as bright speaker. Nor on my setup nor on listening rooms or YouTube.
That's interesting. How many hours are you listening on them? On an interrupted session
 

regan

Active Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2022
Messages
196
Likes
83
Today was the world premiere of the new R Meta loudspeaker series. The interesting thing is that none of the audio and video media have commented yet, and KEF has not updated its website either.

I got this insight from an installer on Barcelona
View attachment 261390

And then got some extra pics from my dealer contact:

View attachment 261394View attachment 261392

View attachment 261393

Looks like the R6C made its comeback ! Last R series from 2018 only offered the R2C
Holy mother of mary jesus lazarus R3 IN BLUE! Take my money no measurements needed!
 

Opal

Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2022
Messages
79
Likes
153
whats the difference between R6 and R2? From the pictures they look like the same center speakers.
 

bodhi

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 11, 2022
Messages
973
Likes
1,371
I can't see KEF offering an upgrade for existing R users, but it would be cool if they did. As an owner of R5's for a couple of years now, there's no chance I'd upgrade to the new Meta versions, as there simply won't be a big delta between them because there wasn't really a huge delta to the Ref's (diminishing returns and all).

The reference floorstanders are huge beasts. If you can get good sound with tiny R5s in your room then maybe you don't need big speakers.

The ref 5s would be great for somebody's third guest living room (120m2). :)
 

KMO

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Aug 9, 2021
Messages
629
Likes
901
whats the difference between R6 and R2? From the pictures they look like the same center speakers.
R2 always had the same 130mm (5.25") bass drivers as the R5.

Presumably R6 has the 165mm (6.5") ones like the R7 (or R3 or R11), and correspondingly bigger cabinet. This configuration has always been conspicuously missing in the 2018 R range - it used to be there as the R600C in the previous iteration.

Hard to judge looking at the bass drivers, cos they just scale up, but the whole series has the same size Uni-Q, so you can see the difference in the shadow flare around it. Small bass drivers means a thin shadow flare.
 
Top Bottom