KEF Reference 2 meta Measurements and Review.

[exm]

How do you like the R8 as ATMOS speakers?

I have configured them as height, but obviously they're getting Atmos material. Before this I had Q50a's. Both speakers are really good in my opinion for surround/atmos, and really open up the room. I did notice an improvement, not large but it was there, going from the Q50a to the R8 Meta. They're a bit pricy though, although a good dealer will work with you.

 

[Descartes]

Hello, long time no see!
I'm back with a center speaker from the KEF's Reference Series.


I took pictures when I was measuring it, but the pictures provided by the manufacturer are cleaner, so I'm posting it here.


View attachment 299376







Impedance

View attachment 299377
View attachment 299378



Along with a smooth phase response, the linearity is not significantly distorted even at higher power (2.83 V).









Frequency Response

View attachment 299379
It has a largely flat FR characteristic, with a bass extension at about 49.3 Hz (-6 dB).
The bass roll-off falls on a gentle slope of about -14 dB/oct.

Thanks to the gentle slope, we can expect a beneficial room gain.






Nearfield Measurements
View attachment 299380









Directivity
View attachment 299381
View attachment 299382

View attachment 299383View attachment 299384


As is typical of KEF, it has fantastic directivity controls.
The horizontally placed units make it difficult to achieve uniform horizontal orientation, but KEF has managed to overcome this.


The asymmetry in vertical directivity in the highs after 10kHz is probably due to...


View attachment 299402


....the orientation of this lemon squeezer.










Beamwidth

View attachment 299385

View attachment 299386

An even, smooth, controlled beamweed gives us peace of mind.
Thank you, KEF!











Polar plot
View attachment 299387


Due to the chunky mass of these speakers and the horizontally placed units, you can see that most of the sound is only radiating forward.








View attachment 299388

The polar plot of this speaker's vertical plane is closest to what I personally expect an ideal speaker to look like.

I love it.

Total Harmonic Distortion
View attachment 299389

View attachment 299390
Superclean.

The amount of distortion was so small that we had to increase the y-axis scale.








Equivalent Harmonic Input Distortion at 85dB SPL@1m

View attachment 299391


EHID may be new to some of you.

It corrects for the linear distortion of the measurement system (speaker-room-microphone) and provides THD related data as a result.

This allows you to measure THD free from the effects of the room, and it is very accurate.

However, due to the limitations of the method, it has the following constraints

1.It cannot see below F0 of the loudspeaker frequency response.

2.Linear distortions in the speaker itself, such as split vibration of the diaphragm or front baffle response, are also ignored, so it cannot be used for HF measurements.

Therefore, I only used 80 to 500 Hz for this measurement.


Anyway...

The performance is incredible!
Even at 80Hz, the THD is no more than 0.5%.










95dB SPL@1m

View attachment 299392

View attachment 299393

View attachment 299394


Even with the output cranked up to 95dB SPL, there's quite a bit of defense against distortion.

This guy still has plenty of room to spare.









Multitone test
View attachment 299395



View attachment 299396


It doesn't even achieve a maximum of -35dB.
It hits -45 to 50 dB in almost all areas.
Again, that's tremendous performance.

View attachment 299397

I remeasured using only measurement signals above 80 Hz.
(The speaker and microphone positions are fixed, and this is all automated).


Interestingly, despite being a closed speaker, the MD was reduced in the HF as well as the LF.

I don't know why.





Multitone test(with multiple output levels)

View attachment 299398


View attachment 299399

Again, SuperClean.

Even at 96dB SPL@1m, it's only -35dB.

That's phenomenal for a 6.5-inch loudspeaker with bandwidth down to about 50Hz in a closed construction.






Compression test

View attachment 299400
Center speakers are often used in movie or gaming setups.

As such, they need to be able to handle momentary peaks.
If you want to see the limits of this loudspeaker, you might want to ruin your ears before you do.








HF -2dB knob

View attachment 299401
On the back of this speaker was a knob to attenuate the HF by -2dB.

And I measured the impact of that.





My personal opinion.


Given its beautiful appearance, ample bandwidth and performance, and neatly controlled directivity, I think this is one of the best center speakers out there.

Could you please measure the Reference 4 C Meta!

 

[Impossible]

How does this compare to the kef reference 1?

The reference 1 is ported this is not. Do they sound the same?

The reason I ask is because I want kef reference 1 sound, but I'll take less depth of the C2 if they sound the same. Also do the woofers interfere with each other on the C2? The reference 1 have only 1 woofer, I expect it doesn't have an issue here..?

 

[exm]

How does this compare to the kef reference 1?

The reference 1 is ported this is not. Do they sound the same?

The reason I ask is because I want kef reference 1 sound, but I'll take less depth of the C2 if they sound the same. Also do the woofers interfere with each other on the C2? The reference 1 have only 1 woofer, I expect it doesn't have an issue here..?

I'm really stretching here, but I thin the Kef Ref 1 compares to the R3M, and the Ref 2 to the R6M. With compare I mean, they are similar in specifications but obviously build differently (better components, speaker box with the Reference). So in other words, if you compare how people compare the R3M with the R6M you can probably expect a similar comparison with the Ref1M vs Ref2M. People think very highly of the R6M so I expected the Ref2M to be a very good speaker to be used as a stereo setup.

 

[Impossible]

I'm just asking about their tonality. As reference 1 is ported and reference 2c is not.

Anyone have both?

 

[quattro98]

They should match fine. The ported vs sealed will affect bass response which is mostly relevant to bass management and subwoofer setup. I am running the Reference 2 Meta and Reference 3 Meta as LCR.

I'm just asking about their tonality. As reference 1 is ported and reference 2c is not.

Anyone have both?

 

[exm]

They should match fine. The ported vs sealed will affect bass response which is mostly relevant to bass management and subwoofer setup. I am running the Reference 2 Meta and Reference 3 Meta as LCR.

I agree.

 

[Descartes]

They should match fine. The ported vs sealed will affect bass response which is mostly relevant to bass management and subwoofer setup. I am running the Reference 2 Meta and Reference 3 Meta as LCR.

Pictures please

 

[quattro98]

Pictures please

This is an old picture. The speakers have been moved to another wall. The next step will be surround installation.

The kit we bought, our current setups

Uhh…see that thing wrapped around the base of the lamp? That’s part of the speaker cable bud! :p They’re DIY FWIW but I’ve been eyeing up a shorter pair of Kimber 12TC. Here’s a better view:

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Descartes]

Is it possible to wall mount the KEF Reference 2 Meta or place it really close to the front wall?

 

[quattro98]

Is it possible to wall mount the KEF Reference 2 Meta or place it really close to the front wall?

It does have threaded holes on the bottom, so you could make a shelf or bracket and secure it. The binding posts stick out on the back, so you’d need some clearance for those.

 

[Descartes]

It does have threaded holes on the bottom, so you could make a shelf or bracket and secure it. The binding posts stick out on the back, so you’d need some clearance for those.

How would it affect the sound?

 

[Descartes]

Hello, long time no see!
I'm back with a center speaker from the KEF's Reference Series.


I took pictures when I was measuring it, but the pictures provided by the manufacturer are cleaner, so I'm posting it here.


View attachment 299376







Impedance

View attachment 299377
View attachment 299378



Along with a smooth phase response, the linearity is not significantly distorted even at higher power (2.83 V).









Frequency Response

View attachment 299379
It has a largely flat FR characteristic, with a bass extension at about 49.3 Hz (-6 dB).
The bass roll-off falls on a gentle slope of about -14 dB/oct.

Thanks to the gentle slope, we can expect a beneficial room gain.






Nearfield Measurements
View attachment 299380









Directivity
View attachment 299381
View attachment 299382

View attachment 299383View attachment 299384


As is typical of KEF, it has fantastic directivity controls.
The horizontally placed units make it difficult to achieve uniform horizontal orientation, but KEF has managed to overcome this.


The asymmetry in vertical directivity in the highs after 10kHz is probably due to...


View attachment 299402


....the orientation of this lemon squeezer.










Beamwidth

View attachment 299385

View attachment 299386

An even, smooth, controlled beamweed gives us peace of mind.
Thank you, KEF!











Polar plot
View attachment 299387


Due to the chunky mass of these speakers and the horizontally placed units, you can see that most of the sound is only radiating forward.








View attachment 299388

The polar plot of this speaker's vertical plane is closest to what I personally expect an ideal speaker to look like.

I love it.

Total Harmonic Distortion
View attachment 299389

View attachment 299390
Superclean.

The amount of distortion was so small that we had to increase the y-axis scale.








Equivalent Harmonic Input Distortion at 85dB SPL@1m

View attachment 299391


EHID may be new to some of you.

It corrects for the linear distortion of the measurement system (speaker-room-microphone) and provides THD related data as a result.

This allows you to measure THD free from the effects of the room, and it is very accurate.

However, due to the limitations of the method, it has the following constraints

1.It cannot see below F0 of the loudspeaker frequency response.

2.Linear distortions in the speaker itself, such as split vibration of the diaphragm or front baffle response, are also ignored, so it cannot be used for HF measurements.

Therefore, I only used 80 to 500 Hz for this measurement.


Anyway...

The performance is incredible!
Even at 80Hz, the THD is no more than 0.5%.










95dB SPL@1m

View attachment 299392

View attachment 299393

View attachment 299394


Even with the output cranked up to 95dB SPL, there's quite a bit of defense against distortion.

This guy still has plenty of room to spare.









Multitone test
View attachment 299395



View attachment 299396


It doesn't even achieve a maximum of -35dB.
It hits -45 to 50 dB in almost all areas.
Again, that's tremendous performance.

View attachment 299397

I remeasured using only measurement signals above 80 Hz.
(The speaker and microphone positions are fixed, and this is all automated).


Interestingly, despite being a closed speaker, the MD was reduced in the HF as well as the LF.

I don't know why.





Multitone test(with multiple output levels)

View attachment 299398


View attachment 299399

Again, SuperClean.

Even at 96dB SPL@1m, it's only -35dB.

That's phenomenal for a 6.5-inch loudspeaker with bandwidth down to about 50Hz in a closed construction.






Compression test

View attachment 299400
Center speakers are often used in movie or gaming setups.

As such, they need to be able to handle momentary peaks.
If you want to see the limits of this loudspeaker, you might want to ruin your ears before you do.








HF -2dB knob

View attachment 299401
On the back of this speaker was a knob to attenuate the HF by -2dB.

And I measured the impact of that.





My personal opinion.


Given its beautiful appearance, ample bandwidth and performance, and neatly controlled directivity, I think this is one of the best center speakers out there.

Thank you for such great reviews, with your experience di you think that placing horizontally three Reference 2 Meta bellow a 100” TV would sound good? That room is only used for movies!

 

[PGAMiami]

Heavy Duty Steel L Shaped Support Bracket, Four Inch Wide Steel, Made to Order Bracket, Can Be Made With Custom Dimensions - Etsy

This Shelving Brackets item by IndustrialFarmCoBarn has 74 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Camillus, NY. Listed on May 26, 2024

www.etsy.com

These brackets custom made 7” tall and 12” deep work perfectly. You do need to EQ them to compensate for the bass boost from the wall. Dirac does a great job on this. They match TADs quite nicely.

These are Reference 2Cs. Not Meta. KEF had them 50% off. I couldn’t resist. With a little EQ they sound amazing.

I have them above the TV so they don’t get damaged but they would sound better below.

 

[Descartes]

Heavy Duty Steel L Shaped Support Bracket, Four Inch Wide Steel, Made to Order Bracket, Can Be Made With Custom Dimensions - Etsy

This Shelving Brackets item by IndustrialFarmCoBarn has 74 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Camillus, NY. Listed on May 26, 2024

www.etsy.com

These brackets custom made 7” tall and 12” deep work perfectly. You do need to EQ them to compensate for the bass boost from the wall. Dirac does a great job on this. They match TADs quite nicely.

These are Reference 2Cs. Not Meta. KEF had them 50% off. I couldn’t resist. With a little EQ they sound amazing.

I have them above the TV so they don’t get damaged but they would sound better below.



View attachment 370717

Magnificent TAD!

 

[exm]

Heavy Duty Steel L Shaped Support Bracket, Four Inch Wide Steel, Made to Order Bracket, Can Be Made With Custom Dimensions - Etsy

This Shelving Brackets item by IndustrialFarmCoBarn has 74 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Camillus, NY. Listed on May 26, 2024

www.etsy.com

These brackets custom made 7” tall and 12” deep work perfectly. You do need to EQ them to compensate for the bass boost from the wall. Dirac does a great job on this. They match TADs quite nicely.

These are Reference 2Cs. Not Meta. KEF had them 50% off. I couldn’t resist. With a little EQ they sound amazing.

I have them above the TV so they don’t get damaged but they would sound better below.



View attachment 370717

You have the space; why not put them below your television? If you insist on having these mounted high, at least angle them downwards.

 

[Jerry Sobel]

I just received the reference 2 meta. I decided to change out my center channel. There are knobs on the back to adjust what? The pictures show if it is less than 0.3m from the wall to turn the left knob counterclockwise (facing the speakers orientation) and to adjust the right one if you are putting it in front or behind a screen. There is no explanation just pictures. Not certain what these knobs actually do. Any thoughts or advice

 

[quattro98]

I just received the reference 2 meta. I decided to change out my center channel. There are knobs on the back to adjust what? The pictures show if it is less than 0.3m from the wall to turn the left knob counterclockwise (facing the speakers orientation) and to adjust the right one if you are putting it in front or behind a screen. There is no explanation just pictures. Not certain what these knobs actually do. Any thoughts or advice

They are labeled. One is for +3 dB bass when further from the back wall. The other is for -2 dB treble when not behind a screen. Some words in the manual would have been nice.

 

[exm]

I left those knobs alone on my Ref 2M.

 

[PGAMiami]

You have the space; why not put them below your television? If you insist on having these mounted high, at least angle them downwards.

My son with special needs will destroy it if he can reach it. It is slightly angled downward. Typical of coax drivers, it has the smoothest response about 10 to 15 degrees off axis, which is about how it is. It sounds great where it is. For TV the image is excellent. For immersive audio I would prefer under the TV, but it’s not an option for me. In any case, I mostly use the center channel for TV.