Kef R11 Meta High End Floorstanding HiFi Speakers
Kef R11 Meta is the top-of-the-line floorstanding HiFi speaker of the revamped and ever-so-acclaimed R Series. Already winners of the 2019-2020 EISA Award for Best High-End Speaker – in the previous edition – they stand above R5 Meta – entry level floor standing speaker – and the high-performance R7 Meta, while still maintaining a slim and elegant form factor.
The Kef R11 Meta is the flagship of the R Meta Series, in fact the stylistic and acoustical pinnacle of a consistently successful line, now more complete than ever with one bookshelf speaker, three floorstanders, complemented by two LCR channels and a Dolby Atmos model.
Thanks to the combination of the 12th generation Uni-Q driver to its four 165 mm hybrid aluminum woofers, this speaker sinks lower than ever and thus delivers an exceptionally clean, deep and musical performance in the low frequencies.
In fact, Kef R11 Meta is able to go 2 Hz lower than the more compact model, the R7 Meta (and a full 4 Hz lower than the smaller R5 floorstanding speaker) thus reaching 46 Hz at +/- 3dB, for a truly breathtaking listening experience.
Moreover, Kef has exceeded all expectations by integrating, even in this celebrated speaker series, the innovative Metamaterial technology to provide an extremely natural sound front in this price range.
The result is a completely neutral HiFi loudspeaker, capable of reproducing the faintest details of music with grace and refinement, as well as providing power and energy, needed both within Hi-Fi 2.0 or 2.1 systems, but also in multichannel installations. Unlike the proposal of American-school loudspeakers that typically greatly emphasize bass, R11 Meta in fact remain delicate and precise even when listening to difficult instruments such as piano or in vocal reproduction, without emphasizing any frequencies.
R11 Meta uses innovative MAT™ technology.
Maidstone engineers relentlessly continue to improve the performance of their speaker series year after year. In this new R Series, Kef has achieved a significant “Meta” upgrade with the addition of MAT™, the technology that uses a round plate behind the driver and milled in a highly complex pattern, first applied on the iconic LS50 Meta and Wireless II as well as the flagship LS60 Wireless, Reference and Blade, winning the 2020 Innovation of the Year award according to What Hi-Fi? magazine.
In fact, the labyrinthine channels of the “damper” plate are able to absorb and actually eliminate as many as 99 percent of unwanted frequencies from the tweeter’s output, mainly in the frequency range from 620 Hz to 40 kHz, thus creating what Kef calls “an acoustic black hole.” The result is undoubtedly a purer and more natural sound, closer to the artist’s true intentions.
The Kef R11 Meta speakers are High Fidelity floorstanding speakers, on par with the rest of the series. For excellent sound but with a more moderate price, we recommend turning to the British brand’s entry-level series, the Q Series.
The famous Uni-Q coaxial driver in its 12th version
If we had to define the heart of the R11 Meta, this would certainly be the coaxial suodriver: Tweeter and midrange, fused in the unit of the Uni-Q allow the sound to be generated from a point emission source, exactly as in reality. The philosophy behind this patent, which has been in development and refinement for nearly 40 years now, is inspired by the basic physics of waves-that is why it offers the most accurate reproduction in existence, creating a much wider listening range and flatter frequency response. Any other technology involving split tweeters and midranges is perforce “far from reality” and can only try to compensate for this remoteness with mechanical or software artifices.
The KEF R Series has now become Meta and has been redesigned to elevate all the features that made it so renowned over the years. This has been done especially to integrate new technologies seamlessly with the twelfth edition of the famous Uni-Q patent, which equips all models, including this top-of-the-line R11 floor-standing speaker.
The new Uni-Q – now at its 12th update – is, as always, the result of combining a 125 mm midrange and a 25 mm aluminum dome tweeter. However, it has been redesigned to integrate with Metamaterials, starting from the magnetic assembly to the waveguide connecting the tweeter dome to the new metamaterial absorber equipped with two rings of porous materials, down to the midrange and its ultra-low distortion motor.
All these enhancements contribute to a greater driver excursion, and the final result is an even more natural and dynamic sound.
R11 Meta – Design and environmental integration
The generous dimensions of these speakers, combined with the power of the four next-generation Woofers and the new bass reflex ducts, make the R11 Meta ideal for large environments, up to 60 square meters. This applies to both the classic Hi-Fi configuration for stereophonic listening and their use as front speakers in a high-level multi-channel installation. This renewed line also includes a Dolby Atmos speaker and two LCR models, which are perfect as central channels. Simply add a subwoofer to the setup to bring the magic of cinema to your living room! For smaller spaces, the R7 Meta model would be better suited.
The use of more compact and dynamic drivers in the new R11 Meta has enabled exceptional performance while maintaining a slim chassis, already acclaimed as the most modern and elegant. This brings significant aesthetic benefits and versatility in placement within the listening room.
The Kef R Series Meta collection is now available in three finishes: piano lacquered glossy black, piano lacquered glossy white, and natural walnut. All available colors, from the drivers to the feet to the shadow flare, are crafted tone-on-tone. Every element of the speaker reflects the dominant color palette.
Additionally, this renewal introduces a special Titanium Gloss finish for the R7 Meta (with red drivers) and Indigo Gloss (with golden Uni-Q) for the R3 Meta bookshelf model. Each speaker in the R Meta series also comes with magnetic and removable microfiber grilles.
Once again, KEF demonstrates its dedication and passion for beauty, which has driven it for over 60 years to combine cutting-edge technology with truly captivating design, thus producing speakers with impeccable sound that perfectly complement modern spaces.
R11 Meta offers the best grilles yet
The protective grilles for the R11 Meta – like the rest of the line – are a true masterpiece. These front grilles are created through the hot fusion of 13 layers of composite materials and microfiber. The new protection type is ultra-thin, rigid, sonically transparent, and, in true KEF style, tone-on-tone with the rest of the speaker.
The new acoustic grilles of the KEF R11 Meta feature 1,801 laser-drilled holes for each of the various drivers, making these innovative “masks” not a simple accessory but an integral element of the speaker, enhancing its sound and design characteristics.
Shadow Flare for optimal dispersion in R11
The R11 Meta speakers feature a new technology derived directly from the Reference Series. The Tangerine Waveguide, the typical Uni-Q waveguide (and protection against damage) for the Tweeter, is supported by the “Shadow Flare,” the special outer ring connecting the driver to the chassis. This innovation plays a crucial role in completely reducing diffraction effects created when sound reaches the edge of an acoustic speaker.
The combined use of Uni-Q and Shadow Flare allows KEF to produce a monolithic and elegant speaker with ultra-modern design while sounding exactly like an ideal rounded cabinet speaker. The resulting sound reproduction is utterly convincing, pushing sonic realism to the extreme without extravagant costs for elaborate cabinet shapes. This enables KEF to allocate greater resources to the true sound generation components, achieving an absolutely extreme Uni-Q driver – the centerpiece of the R Series.
New Woofers of the R Meta series
The low-frequency speakers of the R Meta series were completely redesigned in the previous 2018 edition to improve their “punch” while maintaining absolute sound control. This even resulted in doubling the excursion of the woofers compared to the past. This ensures absolute performance and high tolerance to pressure excursions. KEF R11 Meta is indeed perfect for those who love listening to music or movies at high volumes!
The sound pressure generated by the R11 is truly impressive! The four 16.5 cm drivers benefit from a completely new ultra-low distortion motor, new baskets, and cones that are both stiffer and lighter. The result is exceptional bass performance that delivers great power, depth, and faster response. Want to crank up the rock? No problem!
Cabinet in R11 Meta
The extremely slender cabinet, with a reduced front panel, allows the speaker to interact less with the listening environment, maintaining the purity of its sound. Furthermore, placing a pair of thin speakers in a living room is much easier!
The extremely rigid cabinet of the R11 Meta was created using an innovative technique characterized by the use of soft damping joints in specific points.
The result is an entirely inert chassis that dampens the already minimized vibrations produced by the driver motor. Essentially, this – Flexible Decoupling Chassis – represents the ideal housing for the new woofers and Uni-Q.
Bass Reflex Ducts in R11
The R11 Meta speakers feature two bass reflex ducts on the rear panel with Flexible technology. These ports are precisely positioned off-axis relative to the drivers, have a precise profile, and are designed with flexible walls.
This incredible patent, developed using computational fluid dynamics and also employed in the Reference Meta and Blade Meta lines, aims to eliminate sound coloration, especially in mid frequencies.
This is achieved by preventing the creation of turbulence or resonance and maintaining constant pressure within the ducts at any volume or frequency level. As a result, the speaker delivers truly pure sound to the ears. With KEF, a bass reflex is always something more.
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