R3 Meta

Three-way bookshelf speaker 

* Stand(s) not included.

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

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: 165 mm (6.5 in.) hybrid aluminium cone
CROSSOVER FREQUENCY
420 Hz, 2.3 kHz
FREQUENCY RANGE (-6dB)
38 Hz - 50 kHz
TYPICAL IN-ROOM BASS RESPONSE (-6dB)
30 Hz
FREQUENCY RESPONSE (±3dB)
58Hz - 28kHz
HARMONIC DISTORTION (90dB, 1m)
<1% 73 Hz and above
<0.5% 90 Hz - 20 kHz
MAXIMUM OUTPUT
110 dB
AMPLIFIER REQUIREMENTS
15 - 180W
NOMINAL IMPEDANCE
4 Ω (min. 3.2 Ω)
SENSITIVITY (2.83V/1m)
87 dB
WEIGHT *
12.4 kg (27.3 lbs)
DIMENSION (H x W x D) WITH TERMINAL *
422 x 200 x 336 mm (16.6 x 7.9 x 13.2 in)
FINISHES
Black Gloss / White Gloss / Walnut / Indigo Gloss Special Edition

KEF R3 Meta review

An elevated and entertaining performance from classy speakers

 By What Hi-Fi? published May 10, 2023

The KEF R3 Meta speakers are an enticing prospect. These new standmounters are part of KEF’s updated R Series, a revamped speaker range that now incorporates the company’s celebrated MAT (Metamaterial Absorption Technology) innovation – an ingenious and successful technology that has been transforming KEF’s audio performance in recent speakers. 

It’s an upgrade we are excited to hear: the original KEF R3 we tested a few years back received a five-star review, and the inclusion of MAT – from what we have heard already – should elevate the listening experience of the new speakers to a whole new standard. Do the R3 Metas live up to our expectations?

Build & design

It may not look like much has changed on the surface, and really it hasn't. In terms of the size, build quality and driver sizes, the R3 Meta is pretty much exactly the same as the previous model. 

But that’s no problem at all, as these speakers are impeccably made. The finish and build quality are of a high standard, and they look elegant whether in our review sample’s indigo gloss special edition (available at no extra cost), or the gloss black, gloss white or walnut finishes.

2023’s new R Series. Taking pride of place is KEF’s iconic Uni-Q driver array (which comprises a 25mm aluminium dome tweeter sitting right in the middle of a 12.5cm midrange driver) and a 16.5cm hybrid aluminium bass driver. The Uni-Q driver array is now in its 12th generation; it is designed to improve sound dispersion while also acting as a single source point for the high and mid frequencies. This type of driver design can be difficult to implement successfully, but KEF has had a knack for delivering a cohesive, integrated sound in recent models.

Another key improvement here is the inclusion of the aforementioned MAT (Metamaterial Absorption Technology). After its debut and success with the Award-winning LS50 Meta speakers (which sit below the R Series), it was inevitable that this revamped range would incorporate this MAT technology. MAT is a puck-sized, maze-like plastic structure that sits behind the tweeter and absorbs the unwanted backward radiation from the tweeter into the cabinet. KEF claims that MAT (made up of 30 tubes, each designed to absorb a particular high frequency) absorbs 99 per cent of these distorting sound waves. The result? Less distortion, clearer highs. It has made a huge difference in the speakers we have heard that have it (from the LS50 Meta to the similarly Award-winning LS50 Wireless II speakers). The MAT technology has also won its own What Hi-Fi? Innovation of the Year Award, such is its proven impact. 

The R3 Meta’s Uni-Q driver array has also been modified to accommodate the new MAT structure behind the tweeter. These include a refined tweeter gap damper for improved resonance control, more flexible decoupling chassis for better vibration dampening, an enhanced crossover design and a fine-tuned signal path. All of this to deliver an even more transparent sound than before.

Elsewhere, the bass reflex port and bi-wire speaker terminals return on the back panel. The micro fibre grilles with precision-cut holes are designed to deliver maximum performance (and style) when the speakers are covered. 

Compatibility

Getting the speakers set up and positioned doesn’t take long. We recommend placing the speakers on dedicated stands and leaving ample space from a wall. Thanks to the Uni-Q driver array’s wide dispersion properties, there is no need to spend much time fussing over the toe-in angle to get the perfect sweet spot, either. Angling them even slightly towards the general listening position should deliver a solid soundstage and convincing stereo imaging.

Making sure the rest of your system is also up to the task will ensure the R3 Metas shine, too. We plugged the speakers into our usual reference system driven by a Burmester 088/911 Mk III pre/power amplifier but also tried it with more price-compatible integrated amps, such as the excellent Naim Nait XS 3 (£2499) and the new Audiolab 9000A (£1999). 

Sound

The R3 Metas simply flow with every type of music thrown at them. The even tonal balance and insight we liked so much in the LS50 Meta (and the older R3s) are present here, but with an additional layer of refinement, weight and openness that is instantly apparent. And yes, we are proven right in our lofty expectations: you can instantly hear the impact that the inclusion of the MAT technology has in these speakers.

The KEF speakers don’t just grab your attention from the start, they keep the momentum going over long periods of listening. The soundstage is wide open, giving breathing space to complex arrangements such as Radiohead’s 15 Step as well as Ólafur Arnald’s sparser piano pieces such as Ljósið, where you can get lost in the meditative, melancholy composition. Agnes Obel’s intimate, otherworldly vocals on her Aventine album come through crystal clear and sound beautifully nuanced. It’s an elegant, affecting performance.

What is astonishing is the amount of detail and texture the R3 Metas manage to eke out of every song. The initial pluckings of the violin and cello strings in Obel’s The Curse, the weight of the bow across the strings – there’s a convincing sense of depth and richness to each instrument, rendering them so three-dimensional in our listening room. 

One of the advantages of the speakers’ Uni-Q driver array design is that the acoustic centre is the same for the tweeter and midrange, meaning the sound seems to be coming from the same point. That integration is key to the R3 Metas’ musically cohesive performance, and it is further bolstered by the dedicated bass driver that adds a whole extra layer of spaciousness and deeper bass. 

That results in a sound that has authority, solidity and sounds of a piece, but is also dynamic and agile. Every note is etched with precision and the timing is spot on. 

But the KEFs don’t simply major in refinement and precision; they also sound so much fun. Songs we have not played in a long while – Pon De Floor by Major Lazer, The Real Slim Shady by Eminem – win us over with an energy and playfulness that’s infectious. The meaty, driving basslines and slick rhythms are as natural to the KEFs as the way they convey the emotions (whether wistful or wry) behind vocals.

The KEFs have a graceful nature to them that hides just how accomplished they are. They are wonderfully transparent, at ease with any genre thrown at them: heavy metal, ’90s pop and classical works are all played over the testing period and the KEFs take it all in stride, simply relaying the music as faithfully as possible. The R3 Meta also sound enjoyable both at low volumes and high (without sounding too distorted) – that’s no mean feat for any speaker. 

We bring out the older R3 model and it takes only a few opening notes of a song to confirm the gulf of difference between the two speakers. The MAT technology in the new R3 Meta once again makes such a huge impact: the sound is cleaner, more transparent and precise by spades.

Verdict

That the new R3 Meta allow us to park our analytical observations after a while and simply enjoy listening to our music collection really says it all. To confirm: these are hugely enticing speakers in design and in performance. 

We haven’t come across many stereo speakers at this price point in recent years that are so accomplished in all the ‘hi-fi’ ways and fun to listen to in the same breath. If your system and budget allow it, the new KEF R3 Meta are worth the plunge. We promise you will be entertained.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Compatibility 5