Kef R Meta Series Release

[Daka]

Since we love data here at ASR, this is a fairly good review of the R8a: https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/kef_r8a/

The summary for those who don't want to click:

Dont know if we’re looking at the same data but FR is bad F3 127Hz, non flat and changes at different angles, Harmonic distortion bad, dispersion bad, dynamic range starts to falls apart at 96db/1m - while it can be argued for height speaker you dont need that much perhaps, I think these are bad choice for surround. Obviously this might slightly change with R8 meta - FR and directivity might be somewhat better but neither distortion nor dynamic range will. Can’t believe R8a costs 1400 in US. Wowzy.

I can't use wall-in speakers in my den, and the only other option would be to ceiling mount a LS50 or R3. I'll be looking at an expensive divorce.

what about creating box for in walls and hanging them ? Still too big? even like a ceiling speaker - ci200rr boxed or going with something like Arendal 1961 height speakers. Only slightly bigger and you can have wall/ceiling bracket with them. Very good quality and performance.

 

[exm]

The R8 Meta's are on the way to me. I reached out to @amirm if he wants to test a pair.

 

[Daka]

The R8 Meta's are on the way to me. I reached out to @amirm if he wants to test a pair.

That would be great to see

 

[andreas987]

Would it be possible to upgrade my R11s with the new R meta MF/HF UniQ driver if I was able to buy a pair from a KEF dealer? Or even better, Reference 5 meta MF/HF drivers. Seems like that's the mayor upgrade and I've got two massive subs to help out in the low end. Crossovers are also a bit different with the new R11 meta, but not much.

 

[exm]

Would it be possible to upgrade my R11s with the new R meta MF/HF UniQ driver if I was able to buy a pair from a KEF dealer? Or even better, Reference 5 meta MF/HF drivers. Seems like that's the mayor upgrade and I've got two massive subs to help out in the low end. Crossovers are also a bit different with the new R11 meta, but not much.

I am not sure if Kef sells the drivers without serial numbers for the originals. But even if so, the crossovers are different. It might work for the R11 Meta but the Reference Series have totally different drivers.

 

[JRiggs]

Would it be possible to upgrade my R11s with the new R meta MF/HF UniQ driver if I was able to buy a pair from a KEF dealer? Or even better, Reference 5 meta MF/HF drivers. Seems like that's the mayor upgrade and I've got two massive subs to help out in the low end. Crossovers are also a bit different with the new R11 meta, but not much.

No. This has been covered many other times since the LS50 meta were released.

 

[aarons915]

Would it be possible to upgrade my R11s with the new R meta MF/HF UniQ driver if I was able to buy a pair from a KEF dealer? Or even better, Reference 5 meta MF/HF drivers. Seems like that's the mayor upgrade and I've got two massive subs to help out in the low end. Crossovers are also a bit different with the new R11 meta, but not much.

If KEF offered the upgrade it would be possible but they don't because they want you to buy new speakers lol. In all seriousness, it would be a major pain because they would have to sell you the new UniQ driver along with the new crossover and then deal with all of the people who damage their speakers during this process.

 

[exm]

The R8 Meta's are on the way to me. I reached out to @amirm if he wants to test a pair.

I will ship a pair out to Amir. Based on time to ship and Amir's backlog we're looking at his review to be up around the end of April.

 

[aarons915]

I will ship a pair out to Amir. Based on time to ship and Amir's backlog we're looking at his review to be up around the end of April.

That's good but we need someone to send the R3 Meta and for that matter @jackocleebrown where is this Meta Whitepaper or at the very least maybe you can just share your anechoic measurements? Some of us are a bit impatient lol

 

[jackocleebrown]

That's good but we need someone to send the R3 Meta and for that matter @jackocleebrown where is this Meta Whitepaper or at the very least maybe you can just share your anechoic measurements? Some of us are a bit impatient lol

Sorry guys, white paper is on the way. Thanks for your patience!

 

[jackocleebrown]

The R8 Meta's are on the way to me. I reached out to @amirm if he wants to test a pair.

Just to make you aware, the R8 META is a certified by Dolby for use as an Atmos Upward-Firing Speaker. It's designed to hit strict frequency response and directivity targets specified by Dolby so it works optimally in this situation. Keep this in mind when looking at objective data as they're not the same targets we use for our other loudspeakers.

 

[jackocleebrown]

Hi Everyone,

I know that many of you are hungry for objective data of the new R series META. There will be a white paper but I'm afraid it is still being written. In the meantime, I'm posting the R3 META Spinorama here for your interest. Sorry for the delay.

Kind regards,
Jack.

 

[holbob]

Looks like a BBC dip. I assume the sports presenters caused that at the weekend.

 

[exm]

Just to make you aware, the R8 META is a certified by Dolby for use as an Atmos Upward-Firing Speaker. It's designed to hit strict frequency response and directivity targets specified by Dolby so it works optimally in this situation. Keep this in mind when looking at objective data as they're not the same targets we use for our other loudspeakers.

Here's Kef's take on this speaker - they market it as something beyond an up-firing Atmos speaker.

Listen your way​

A versatile solution that can be wall-mounted as a surround or rear speaker, or placed on another speaker to bounce sound off the ceiling.

 

[thewas]

Looks like a BBC dip. I assume the sports presenters caused that at the weekend.

It seems they have gone for an on-axis dip because there is a widening of the directivity between 2-3 kHz and otherwise there would be too much sound power in that region.

 

[Mario Sanchez]

It seems they have gone for an on-axis dip because there is a widening of the directivity between 2-3 kHz and otherwise there would be too much sound power in that region.

Interestingly, most KEFs seem to feature a Sound Power bump/ On-Axis dip/DI drop (different faces of the same coin) right around the crossover region between the coax cone and the tweeter, the exception being Blade and Reference, which if I'm not mistaken uses a slightly different uni-Q design, identifiable by the higher number of (2x) ribs on the cone. I wonder if this has to do with the Uni-Q design?

 

[youpassbutter]

Just to make you aware, the R8 META is a certified by Dolby for use as an Atmos Upward-Firing Speaker. It's designed to hit strict frequency response and directivity targets specified by Dolby so it works optimally in this situation. Keep this in mind when looking at objective data as they're not the same targets we use for our other loudspeakers.

That is interesting - so would that design approach make the R8 META less-than-optimal for a ceiling-mounted Atmos down-firing speaker? As exm notes, the marketing materials indicate a broader application for the speaker. Thanks!

 

[thewas]

Interestingly, most KEFs seem to feature a Sound Power bump/ On-Axis dip/DI drop (different faces of the same coin) right around the crossover region between the coax cone and the tweeter, the exception being Blade and Reference, which if I'm not mistaken uses a slightly different uni-Q design, identifiable by the higher number of (2x) ribs on the cone. I wonder if this has to do with the Uni-Q design?

I guess it has more to do with the baffle size and shape, that's why it is less on the LS50 and the Blades.

 

[Descartes]

Hi Everyone,

I know that many of you are hungry for objective data of the new R series META. There will be a white paper but I'm afraid it is still being written. In the meantime, I'm posting the R3 META Spinorama here for your interest. Sorry for the delay.

Kind regards,
Jack.

View attachment 271352

Thank you!

In regards to the R8 can they be used on the wall for ATMOS? I can’t install in ceiling speakers!

 

[exm]

Thank you!

In regards to the R8 can they be used on the wall for ATMOS? I can’t install in ceiling speakers!

Yes. That's how I am using my Q50a and soon-to-be R8 Meta.