KEF Blade Two Meta Review

[Pearljam5000]

Is the KEF Blade One Meta basically the same but with more bass output?

 

[Curvature]

Is the KEF Blade One Meta basically the same but with more bass output?

Easily compare loudspeakers measurements

www.spinorama.org

The 2 is a better speaker all around.

 

[staticV3]

Easily compare loudspeakers measurements

www.spinorama.org

The 2 is a better speaker all around.

Only fair to compare like for like:


I don't see it.

The One offers deeper bass response and for that you give up nothing of value (except money).

 

[horias2000]

Nice review! Indeed these are very well designed and engineered speakers. My only concern is the impedance. If I read it correctly, there are many areas where it dips below 4OHMs and even below 2OHMs. By looking at this, it seems this will be a considerable load on the amplifier.

 

[Blockader]

The biggest issue with these speakers is the rapidly increasing directivity index as they transition from omnidirectional dispersion (DI = 0). This is a natural consequence of using side firing woofers. However, those same side woofers also enable an exceptionally smooth directivity, smoother than anything we've seen before.

This would be "theoretically" the ideal. However, it is hard to say whether the "ideal" or the original would sound better in a room without really trying in person.

 

[peniku8]

DirectivityView attachment 467410
Impressive.
As always, KEF’s mastery of directivity control shines through.
It’s simply beautiful.

This is a funny remark, considering how simple it is to get good directivity in the 2-10Khz region and how bad this speaker looks below that (consequence of the narrow design).

 

[AudioSceptic]

View attachment 467404
KEF’s high-end flagship — the Blade Two Meta.
Due to its price, significant weight, and unusually shaped cabinet, I was unable to measure deviation between 2 samples and vertical directivity. I appreciate your understanding.





Impedance
View attachment 467405View attachment 467406




Frequency Response
View attachment 467407
Across the full audible range, the response is exceptionally flat.
The -6 dB low-end extension reaches down to about 33.6 Hz.
Although the low-frequency roll-off is fairly steep, the usable bandwidth is still more than sufficient.



Nearfield Measurements
View attachment 467408
Multiple components work in harmony to create something truly cohesive here.
The port shows no signs of pipe resonance, and the woofers exhibit an incredibly clean response.
This is engineering refinement at its finest.





Directivity
View attachment 467409View attachment 467410
Impressive.
As always, KEF’s mastery of directivity control shines through.
It’s simply beautiful.





Beamwidth
View attachment 467411
The beamwidth begins a smooth, graceful narrowing from around 800 Hz upward, showing excellent control across the range.





Polar Plot
View attachment 467412
Due to the speaker’s design and limitations of the time-window measurement method, a measurement artifact appears around 200 Hz on-axis (black line).




View attachment 467413
Once that’s excluded, the radiation pattern from 1 kHz up into the treble converges beautifully into near-perfect circles. It’s stunning.




THD
View attachment 467414View attachment 467415View attachment 467416
Even down to the 50 Hz region, total harmonic distortion remains around the 0.5% range.
Yes—50 Hz. That’s remarkable.





View attachment 467417View attachment 467418View attachment 467419
Even at 96 dB SPL@1m output, the performance in the sub-bass remains impressively clean.
Truly outstanding.




Multitone Test
View attachment 467420
View attachment 467421
This is what true scale and engineering prowess look like.
The speaker asserts its dominance with ease.





View attachment 467423View attachment 467424
The distortion was already so low to begin with that even at higher output levels, the increase in distortion is negligible.
Stellar performance.



Compression Test
View attachment 467425

Within the test bandwidth, the compression results are practically flat — almost error-level behavior.
Utterly powerful.




Final Thoughts
Blade Two Meta doesn’t compromise between stunning design and top-tier performance.
In any reasonably sized listening room, I believe it will deliver exceptional results — no matter where you place it.

Great results but there's something important to add: these are passive, so you need to factor in the cost of the amp(s) of you don't already have something suitable (KEF recommend 50-400 W RMS/channel). What did you use for the measurements?

Also, these are available in a range of colours, which might make quite a difference with such an imposing design.

 

[Chagall]

Nice review! Indeed these are very well designed and engineered speakers. My only concern is the impedance. If I read it correctly, there are many areas where it dips below 4OHMs and even below 2OHMs. By looking at this, it seems this will be a considerable load on the amplifier.

Budget AVR heatsink upgrade

I would imagine that Blade owners usually find a way to sort out the amp situation.

 

[AndreaT]

Great review! What is the minimum impedance? It looks quite a difficult load for the amplifier.

 

[FrantzM]

Great results but there's something important to add: these are passive, so you need to factor in the cost of the amp(s) of you don't already have something suitable (KEF recommend 50-400 W RMS/channel). What did you use for the measurements?

Also, these are available in a range of colours, which might make quite a difference with such an imposing design.

In these days of Hypex and Ice, etc amplifiers modules,
Not a real issue: $ or Euros 1000 or 2000 later…

 

[DanielT]

Thanks for the test @Nuyes. Top notch superb speakers. Just one problem, at least for me and I think many with me, but on the other hand you only live once so why not open up the big wallet?

...but I'm saving the money to buy a not too old used car in the future. That economic reality and so on.

 

[AudioSceptic]

In these days of Hypexand Ice, etc amplifiers modules, n
ot a real issue: $ or Euros 1000 or 2000 later…

Yes, I appreciate that, but it's still something to consider, especially if you're upgrading from really old stuff.

 

[Talisman]

Great performance, but I can't get over that slim, tapered shape, I just find them ugly and wouldn't want to spend my life looking at them (if I had the money to buy them, which I don't).

 

[welwynnick]

Thank you, Nuyes, that was beautiful - pure HiFi porn.

Yes, they're a difficult electrical load, but you're not going to use them with an AVR, are you?

Do you still have them? Could you measure step response and phase response? I'd be very grateful.

 

[Curvature]

Only fair to compare like for like:
View attachment 467647 View attachment 467648

I don't see it.

The One offers deeper bass response and for that you give up nothing of value (except money).

The value of the 2 is the better directivity control, starting lower, which is perceptually more relevant. Bass is more or less the same and would be subject to EQ and room effects anyway.

 

[DSJR]

Am I the only one who doesn't like the appearance of them?

The sub-three ohm loading may not be such an issue these days and THIS is why amps with pretensions to 'high end' must in my opinion, be tested thoroughly into two ohm loads

Also, how stable are they? Surely some of the no doubt wealthy owners of these things have grandkids or boisterous dogs flying around?

 

[welwynnick]

Am I the only one who doesn't like the appearance of them?

Yup!

Kef made the boxy Reference 5 especially for you.

 

[Curvature]

Am I the only one who doesn't like the appearance of them?

I think they are ugly too. I've seen them in person, which reinforced the impression. And KEF's Muons are also super ugly. I didn't get to hear them since it was a pure display model at a show, disconnected on a pedestal.

I can feel, however, the quality of the engineering beautifying them through some kind of cognitive overlay.

 

[DSJR]

Yup!

Kef made the boxy Reference 5 especially for you.

Nah, I think I'll stick with the these-days flawed but great sounding 'Concerto' from the early to mid 70s - Proper looking speakers if placed on low stands... Couple up a Quad 33/303 to them and it's a seriously pleasurable sound for hours (been there and done it years ago!)

Online pic of a late 70s pair with brown rather than silvery grilles...

KEF Concerto - Mar 21 - Retrotech Audio - Vintage Audio

www.retrotechaudio.co.uk

 

[DearSX]

Thanks for the review. Makes me wonder if I should enjoy the speakers I have and save for a few years for something like this.

I only sit 6 feet away though and speakers are only 7 feet apart, so I know that this would work in my space.