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KEF R6 meta Measurements and Review

exm said:
I see your point. However, the Reference Uni-Q Meta drivers are in a different league which can't be displayed in measurements.
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Oh, it's that kind of improvement. Usually found only in very, very expensive equipment.

I don't think the store I'm dealing have any Reference 2's for demo, but I'll remember to ask. I'm trying to convince myself to get R6 instead of R2 and even that is not easy.
 
q2klepto said:
Nm I didn't get them lol I got upsold to a pair of Reference Ones and a single R6 Meta at a great deal :/
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So apparently not all the dealers will tell you that you shouldn't combine Ref and R line speakers (like mine did).

Btw, I bought the same or very similar setup (LR Reference 3 + R6 Center) and even without DSP/RC I didn't detect any issues.

The only problem really is that in my room the ported Reference towers must be pulled away sugnificantly from the front wall for an audibly better/deeper soundstage and better bass at the MLP. The R6 is a closed box so it can sit close to the front wall right below my TV. Aesthetically, 3x R6 would look much better for sure because their baffle would be flush from the side, and the Reference speakers would deserve their own music listening space anyway, but currently we have a single multi-purpise living room unfortunately so for the time being they are used as home theater LR too.

I noticed that in some movies (e.g. The Pig / Netflix) I have difficulties understanding the actors. I had the same problem with my previous old Yamaha center, and I tried driving the R6 with both a Denon x4800h with Dirac/Audyssey activated and my old Yamaha RX440RDS (current setup). I could never figured out what's wrong. It depends on the movie too of course, but in general I have to increase frenquencies above 1kH by 1-2-3dB to have slightly better clarity from the center. I know that I should do a REW sweep at this point, maybe it can identify the issue with in my room (my main suspect now).
 
soerenssen said:
So apparently not all the dealers will tell you that you shouldn't combine Ref and R line speakers (like mine did).
Click to expand...

Dealers who claim you can't combine R and Reference are just trying to upsell to the Reference. Both units use a similar driver, whereas the Reference is (obviously) of higher quality. They blend in seamlessly. My 2 cents by the way if someone mixes and matches is to always get a Reference Center assuming HT is the majority of content played (even if it's a used non-Meta Reference). In HT most higher frequencies (mostly: vocals) are routed to the center speaker, and that's where the Uni-Q driver comes into play.
 
What do you recommend putting underneath the R6? Currently it's sitting on my TV stand and there is a pair of rubber/plastic doorstopper to elevate the front of the speaker to point it to the listening position, but I think either some kind of foam or maybe a speaker stand (something like the Reference center stands from KEF) would be better. An Isoacoustic stand would elevate it too much from the TV stand so it would cover the TV screen.
Would a stand make any difference in your opinion?
 
soerenssen said:
What do you recommend putting underneath the R6? Currently it's sitting on my TV stand and there is a pair of rubber/plastic doorstopper to elevate the front of the speaker to point it to the listening position, but I think either some kind of foam or maybe a speaker stand (something like the Reference center stands from KEF) would be better. An Isoacoustic stand would elevate it too much from the TV stand so it would cover the TV screen.
Would a stand make any difference in your opinion?
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I'm using these under my Reference 2 Meta: Vibrapod - Isolator Isolation Feet - Model 4
 
R6 Meta seems like the best center channel in the market right now, but is there a case to be made for R2 Meta being "good enough" for a home theater space about 12' x 20' ?

The Meta will serve as center channel to a pair of SVS PC-2000 Pro subs with Polk Reserve R500 front speakers and other Polk Reserve surrounds.

Is R6 a good match or overkill?
 
AudioScience Enthusiast said:
R6 Meta seems like the best center channel in the market right now, but is there a case to be made for R2 Meta being "good enough" for a home theater space about 12' x 20' ?

The Meta will serve as center channel to a pair of SVS PC-2000 Pro subs with Polk Reserve R500 front speakers and other Polk Reserve surrounds.

Is R6 a good match or overkill?
Click to expand...
I believe the reference 2 or 4 meta is 'better'
 
Opal said:
yeah i am aware, jus responding to your this sentence, 'R6 Meta seems like the best center channel in the market right now'
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Sure, of course. Reference series are not in the price range for consideration unfortunately
 
Last edited:
geox said:
Great measurements ! Thank you
Killer value but I still think having another R3 as centre speaker in vertical is a better deal
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True but good luck finding one... They don't sell singles. I had to settle for r6 but seems like it's a legit speaker though.
 
DMill said:
I honestly don’t know why manufactures do this. What happens if one of them is damaged? A bookshelf falling off a stand could easily crack a case. You could try contacting KEF and see they’ll sell one direct.
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I tried. They won't. And the sales rep was super rude too. Just so annoyed I didn't want center and wanted a bookshelf. Was not impressed at all.

They sell cabinets if you drop a speaker.
 
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