R5 Meta

Compact three-way floorstanding speakers

The slim and elegant R5 Meta is compact, but it is more than capable of delivering highly detailed sound and deep, clean bass. It boasts the 12^th generation Uni-Q^® driver array with MAT^™ and two 5.25” hybrid aluminium bass drivers. It can work as a stereo pair or as surround speakers as part of an ultimate R Series home theatre system.

Performance redefined.
An icon born from The Reference.

Developed for KEF’s flagship The Reference, a suite of the latest technologies has now made its way into the new generation of the R Series. Whether in stereo for music or in a home theatre set up the R Series makes exceptional acoustic performance more accessible. Now with the groundbreaking Metamaterial Absorption Technology, the R Series reveals exquisite detail and incredible insight: truly an experience to savour.

Innovation

R Series: Born from The Reference

Since 1961, KEF’s quest to reproduce immaculate sound has led to many acoustic innovations. The Reference is a case in point. Distilling decades of experience into an acoustic performance that is nothing short of exceptional, it is a design that continually sets the benchmark for loudspeakers and sound reproduction. Now the latest technological innovations have also made their way into the R Series.

Metamaterial Absorption TechnologyAbsorbs 99% of unwanted sound

At the heart of the R Series is Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT™). MAT™ is a highly complex maze-like structure that absorbs 99% of the unwanted noise from the rear of the driver, eliminating the resulting distortion and providing purer, more natural sound.

Uni-Q^®Sit anywhere, hear every detail

A 12^th generation Uni-Q^® driver array with MAT™ is found in all seven models of the R Series. Uni-Q^® acts as a single point source to disperse sound more evenly through the room. The result is the elimination of the limited ‘sweet spot’, therefore allowing everybody, wherever in the room they may be, to experience and enjoy the same natural, detailed sound.

Performance

Performance redefined

The R Series is engineered to be acoustically exceptional. Every element of the design has been precisely tuned to deliver more detail and deeper insight, recreating the exhilaration of hearing an original music performance, with all the emotion and nuance that goes with it.

A Flare for Detail

Derived from The Reference, Shadow Flare is an innovative way to cut harmful high frequency cabinet diffraction. It's a carefully profiled transition that extends the waveguide effect of Uni-Q. The treble escapes naturally because the ‘shadow region’ stops it getting to the cabinet edges. The result is vastly improved fine detail.

Performance critical damping

A solid platform is imperative for great sound. The R Series benefits from constrained layer damping, a system that uses internal braces joined by a ‘lossy’ interface. This material converts unwanted vibration into heat, ensuring that the cabinet makes the only sound it needs to: the sound of silence.

True Bass Definition

R Series bass drivers have a two-part structure with a shallow, concave, aluminium skin atop a paper cone. This stiffness, combined with the cone’s unique geometry, achieves a piston-like movement for punch and speed. The drivers’ magnet system creates a broad and uniform magnetic field which means more impressive and impactful bass.

Flexible port for cleaner bass

We only want to hear the drivers, not the resonances or turbulence created by a bass port. The R Series ports have innovative flexible walls. Using computational fluid dynamics, the flare and profile of each port is calculated to delay the onset of turbulence and the flexible port walls prevent resonances from colouring the midrange.

Versatility

Strength and versatility in numbers

R Series offers a choice of floorstanding speakers, bookshelf speakers, centre channel speakers and accompanying home theatre models. Each one offers the finest sound KEF has ever delivered in its category, whatever the dimensions of the room or system configuration.

Stereo for Music

The R Series consists of a trio of floorstanding speakers and a bookshelf speaker to reproduce high-fidelity stereo sound for your favourite music. Discover depth and detail you never knew existed – from the scrape of a plectrum on a guitar string to the emotion and atmosphere of a live performance.

Multi Channel Home Theatre

For the greatest movie experience at home, KEF offers both architectural speakers and modular HiFi speakers, such as the R Series, that don’t need custom installation. With three floorstanding speaker models, one bookshelf speaker model and two centre channel speakers to choose from, plus the additional Dolby Atmos surround speaker, different home theatre set-ups can be easily configured with the R Series. Complete the set-up with KEF’s class-leading subwoofers to feel the most immersive cinematic experience, from the deepest rumble to the softest whisper.

Design

Beautiful by design

Driven purely by acoustics, at KEF we believe there is a certain beauty even to the internal engineering fixings. The R Series has been created to be beautiful on the outside, and these finely tuned workings are protected behind a minimal exterior designed to fit seamlessly and elegantly into any interior scheme, whether traditional, modern or contemporary.

Finished to Perfection

Three carefully selected finishes include sleek Black Gloss, White Gloss and classic Walnut, while special edition finishes include Titanium Gloss and Indigo Gloss for the R7 Meta and R3 Meta respectively.

Dedicated microfibre grilles

The R Series has been engineered to perform with or without grilles. The dedicated microfibre grilles are crafted from multiple layers of material and have a suede-like feel. With 1801 precision-cut holes for each driver, performance is ensured even when the drivers are covered. The magnetic fixings provide a secure and precise fit, in keeping with the clean styling of the R Series.

SPECIFICATION:
DESIGN
Three-way bass reflex
DRIVE UNITS
Uni-Q Driver Array:
HF: 25 mm (1 in.) vented aluminium dome with MAT
MF: 125 mm (5 in.) aluminium cone
Bass Unit:
LF: 2 x 130 mm (5.25 in.) hybrid aluminium cone
CROSSOVER FREQUENCY
400 Hz, 2.7 kHz
FREQUENCY RANGE (-6dB)
38 Hz - 50 kHz
TYPICAL IN-ROOM BASS RESPONSE (-6dB)
29 Hz
FREQUENCY RESPONSE (±3dB)
52 Hz - 28 kHz
HARMONIC DISTORTION (90dB, 1m)
<1% 75 Hz and above
<0.5% 110 Hz - 20 kHz
MAXIMUM OUTPUT
110 dB
AMPLIFIER REQUIREMENTS
15 - 200W
NOMINAL IMPEDANCE
4 Ω (min. 3.2 Ω)
SENSITIVITY (2.83V/1m)
87 dB
WEIGHT *
24.5 kg (54.0 lbs)
DIMENSION (H x W x D) WITH TERMINAL *
1025 x 175 x 344 mm (40.4 x 6.9 x 13.5 in.)
DIMENSION (H x W x D) WITH TERMINAL WITH PLINTH *
1072 x 272 x 344 mm (42.2 x 10.7 x 13.5 in.)
FINISHES
Black Gloss / White Gloss / Walnut