KEF R3 META Bookshelf Speaker Pair Black

 KEF R3 META Bookshelf Speaker Pair Black

• Featuring Metamaterial Absorption Technology
• The KEF Uni-Q Array returns with a 5? midrange driver and Shadow Flare support
• Hybrid 6.5" aluminium-paper cone low frequency driver delivers clean, optimised bass
• Flexible port and cabinet dampening ensures the R3 Meta can withstand powerful execution
• Four distinct cabinet finishes includes black, white, walnut and indigo

The KEF R3 Meta Bookshelf Speakers are ideal for high-performance home audio, inheriting technologies from over sixty years of loudspeaker innovation.

Featuring components originally developed for the premium Reference Series speakers - a benchmark for quality - these bookshelf speakers can control a room without dominating its floor space.

The celebrated Metamaterial Absorption Technology (referred to as MAT) optimise the classic KEF Uni-Q Array and diminishes unwanted sound by up to an incredible 99%.

This, along with a host of ingenious advancements, keeps distortion to a minimum and widens the listening sweet spot.

Get closer to the original sound with the KEF R Series.

Three-way bookshelf speaker

R3 Meta redefines bookshelf speakers’ performance. Sharing the same drivers as the range-topping R11 Meta, the R3 Meta is a true three-way design.

It has a 12th generation Uni-Q® driver array with MAT™ and a powerful 6.5” hybrid aluminium bass driver that pushes performance to new extremes.

Now with Metamaterial Absorption Technology

Since 1961, KEF has strived to reproduce pure sound precisely as it was meant to be heard. Decades of experience in acoustic innovation and the quest for music perfection come together in the R Series to deliver sound with more detail and deeper insight, sound that ignites excitement every time you experience it.

The R Series is a direct beneficiary of the technological innovations developed for The Reference, the class-leading series that continually set the benchmark for loudspeakers and sound reproduction.

Combining with bespoke technologies, the R Series delivers an exceptional acoustic performance.

The revolutionary Metamaterial Absorption Technology1 (MATTM) has been incorporated into the latest iteration of the R Series, and the 12th generation Uni-Q® driver array has been refined to maximise the impact of this technological advance and ensure the best possible performance.

The result is an exceptional seven-model range of loudspeakers, engineered to deliver with exquisite detail and incredible insight.

Whether your taste lies with traditional two-channel HiFi, multi-channel home theatre or both, the R Series reveals levels of detail that must be heard to be believed.

Revolutionary sound absorption with MAT™

At the heart of the latest R Series is Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT), a revolutionary innovation that takes the performance of the 12th generation Uni-Q driver array to another level in terms of accuracy and clarity.

MAT is a highly complex maze-like structure, where each of the intricate channels efficiently absorbs a specific frequency.

When combined, the channels act as an acoustic black hole, absorbing 99% of the unwanted sound that comes from the rear of the tweeter, eliminating the resulting distortion and providing a purer, more natural acoustic performance.

Superior KEF sound

A bespoke 12th generation Uni-Q driver array with MAT is found in all seven models of the R Series and delivers an incredibly detailed performance. It’s the result of decades of accumulated in-house knowledge and the application of cutting-edge simulation and analysis tools. The developments are many and all play a part in R Series’ exceptional performance.

The Uni-Q driver array has been redesigned to maximise the performance improvements that MAT delivers. The conical waveguide that couples the tweeter dome to the new metamaterial absorber has been specially designed for the bespoke driver based on its depth. The re-engineered tweeter gap damper strategically places two rings of porous material to tame the resonances and imperfections effectively, thus greatly improving detail and clarity

The ultra-low distortion midrange motor design uses a copper ring embedded into the motor gap to minimise inductance and variation of inductance with coil position. This lowers the midrange THD and reduces thermal compression, leading to improved efficiency

The Flexible Decoupling Chassis first used on the latest Blade and The Reference loudspeakers is employed on the Uni-Q driver array to dramatically reduce coloration of the sound caused by midrange vibration transmission to the cabinet, while also solving the problem of additional sound created by the driver basket that occurs with traditional decoupling methods. It works by decoupling the massive midrange motor from the Uni-Q chassis, dissipating its vibration before it can travel to the cabinet and be radiated as unwanted sound.

The surround on the 12th generation Uni-Q driver array allows for longer excursion without causing diffraction and extending the frequency range of the midrange. The contours of tweeter dome, midrange cone and surround are all computer-optimised to ensure a perfectly smooth transition to the cabinet.

These innovations combine to ensure the R Series sound even more transparent and life-like than previously heard on this already exceptional range.

Shadow Flare for improved clarity

Shadow Flare is another feature originally designed for The Reference.

It reduces harmful cabinet diffraction, allowing the 12th generation Uni-Q with MAT to work to its highest potential. Shadow Flare is a precision designed surface that extends the waveguide effect of the Uni-Q driver array.

This means the tweeter no longer has line of sight of the cabinet edges, creating a ‘shadow region’ at the points where the potential for diffraction is highest, minimising the acoustic impact to negligible levels.

The result is improved clarity and the reproduction of the fine details that make listening such a thrilling experience. The subtle nuances of plucked strings, the changes of vibrato in a voice, all of these are clearer on the R Series.

Deep, agile bass

Bass is a vital element of performance, and the low-frequency drivers of R Series have been engineered with acute care and precision.

They are built using a two-part structure, where a shallow concave aluminium skin sits atop a paper cone. This stiffness combined with the cone’s unique geometry reduces unwanted resonances and delivers the pistonic movement that makes these drivers time so well.

The drivers’ magnet system creates a broad, uniform magnetic field, while the suspension reduces harmonic distortion for a clean, precise sound.

The result is exceptionally deep and agile bass that reveals every last bit of detail and punch available in the deep.

Perfecting every detail

At KEF innovative engineering goes hand-in-hand with great design, and the product design team strives to create deceptively simple, elegant loudspeakers.

While every design choice KEF makes is driven by acoustic performance, visual appeal is vitally important and the R Series proves that a loudspeaker can perfectly integrate into the room, both sonically and aesthetically.

The R3 Meta also features threaded inserts that allow the speaker to be mounted securely onto the top of the S3 Floor Stands, which also boast integrated cable management and a mass-loadable column.

What’s in the box?

• The KEF R3 Meta Bookshelf Speaker
• Microfibre grilles
• Rubber feet
• Port bungs
• User manual and warranty information