KEF's new Metamaterial Absorption Technology

[phoenixdogfan]

Yeah, but it's rare to see format support to that degree in any active speaker, even those by boutique brands. I have seen those recordings before sold on specialist labels, but it's a vanishingly small selection that advertise it as a selling point in itself, making the artist's performance seem merely a means to an end.

Yeah, they're for the people who buy records to listen to their equipment.

 

[sfdoddsy]

It looks good, but you can tell they haven't quite got the crossover right by comparing the response of the passive version to the active one.

 

[sweetchaos]

For anyone who hasn't seen, @napilopez posted Kef's measurements:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ption-technology-mat-coming.16133/post-522151

 

[leonroy]

As per the Darko review (preview ?), the app has been merged into a single one.

And then there were five...

I have the LS50W (Series 1) and the new KEF Connect app is definitely for Series 2 and onwards only (says as much in the app description too).

 

[Martigane]

In case some missed it, the absorption caracteristics of the meta absorber itself (not from the tweeter location) has been posted here:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...absorption-technology-mat-coming.16133/page-3

 

[rxp]

I love how Kef do their marketing. White papers, engineers on video. Been a customer in our family since the early 90s with the Koda 7s and Reference 100c center. All the way to today with the R and LS50' and in ceiling range s all over our house (21 KEF speakers in total).

I've reached the end game for my purposes with the R series, but nice to see the incremental improvements are still there.

 

[leonroy]

in ceiling range s all over our house (21 KEF speakers in total).

That’s a cool setup - what sort of amps and streaming tech do you use to drive that?

 

[rxp]

It's not a whole house system - I have two theaters. One is our main one and the other is in the office.

Main one is a 7.1.4 setup consisting of R300s/100s and 4xCi160QR in ceiling for the heights. All driven by a Marantz SR6012 and mini Class D amp.

The office one is 7.1.4 with LS50s for the LCR and R100's for the other grounds. Heights are non kef. Driven by a SR6011 and same mini Class D amp.

Final setup is at my parents which still has their Kef 200c center and a pair of Koda8's. B&O RL45s (original pair my dad had!) serve as rear channels.

I used to be interested in multiroom audio, but with the advent of smart speakers and great headphones/bone conduction headphones I use those when going around the house.

 

[thewas]

(very good) NRC measurements of the new passive LS50 Meta
https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/i...ef-ls50-meta-loudspeakers&catid=77&Itemid=153
KEF seems to have successfully corrected the FR problems of the first passive one
https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/i...&catid=77:loudspeaker-measurements&Itemid=153
rest looks as excepted very similar, "unfortunately" already the distortion measurements of the old tweeter were beyond the plot scale so we cant see the differences of the new one with the META absorption material, also as per NRC standard unfortunately no decay spectrum measurements.

 

[Ron Texas]

I'm wondering if the Meta will cause some cannibalization of the R series especially the R3 on speculation that those will get the Meta coaxial soon. Some of this stuff could get overblown because the meta might not sound any better than the classic LS50 with a little EQ

Meanwhile Steve Guttenberg says if the meta's are a 10 the originals are a 6.5. Sounds like happy horseshit to me.

 

[Matias]

I'm wondering if the Meta will cause some cannibalization of the R series especially the R3 on speculation that those will get the Meta coaxial soon. Some of this stuff could get overblown because the meta might not sound any better than the classic LS50 with a little EQ

...and the next series to be "metafied" is going to be the R, then the Reference, then the Blades.

 

[Wes]

I'm still using ortho-material

 

[richard12511]

I'm wondering if the Meta will cause some cannibalization of the R series especially the R3 on speculation that those will get the Meta coaxial soon. Some of this stuff could get overblown because the meta might not sound any better than the classic LS50 with a little EQ

Meanwhile Steve Guttenberg says if the meta's are a 10 the originals are a 6.5. Sounds like happy horseshit to me.

Objectively, these do look quite a bit better than the old LS50s. Maybe not 6.5 to 10 lol, but 7.0 to 8.5? I was actually surprised at just how much better they were when I first saw the measurements. They seem to have solved many of the issues that the originals had. Like you, though, I wonder how many of those original issues can be fixed with EQ. I guess the LS50M + EQ is still better than LS50 + EQ.

 

[thewas]

I guess the LS50M + EQ is still better than LS50 + EQ.

Yes, but with EQ the differences are way smaller, I personally cannot listen to my LS50 without EQ, but am sure I would have no problem listening to the Metas without.

 

[Matias]

KEF LS50 Meta NRC measurements here:

https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/i...&catid=77:loudspeaker-measurements&Itemid=153

 

[tvrgeek]

So, 95 posts and no one has heard them?

 

[kaka89]

So, 95 posts and no one has heard them?

We have measurement that is all we need

 

[Matias]

So, 95 posts and no one has heard them?

If you prefere subjective descriptions there is Doug Schneider's review too:
https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1502-kef-ls50-meta-loudspeakers

 

[mtmpenn]

Nice review! Notably absent is a comparison to the Kef R3.

I would be very curious about a subjective comparison of those 2 speakers. The R3 costs only a bit more and while it lacks the meta-material it would seem, to me, that the 3-way design should have significant advantages.

 

[Matias]

Nice review! Notably absent is a comparison to the Kef R3.

I would be very curious about a subjective comparison of those 2 speakers. The R3 costs only a bit more and while it lacks the meta-material it would seem, to me, that the 3-way design should have significant advantages.

Agreed, the previous generation LS50 x R300 the larger R300, with its dedicated woofer, makes the difference in bass response and overall balance according to people who heard them side by side.

For this generation the better speaker would be the R3 Meta whenever it is announced.