Dream theatre
High-spec movie dengoes big on 4K, p34

High-performance sound & Vision

MagicalKEF METAWeinnon!

D800H
AVR-X2upreceiverbs!
for gra

New R Series looks great,sounds even better!

asuehtninroB
ays to import
Ultra HD Blu-r ndfrom across the po

Bargain bass

GoldenEar Forcefield 30
subwoofer packs a punch
On TestOnkyo TX-NR6100
Dolby Atmos AVRSony XR-65A80L TV
BenQ W2710i 4K
HDR projector
Sennheiser Ambeo
Plus soundbar system

Inside Buyer’s guide ➜ Competitions ➜ Opinion ➜ Totem Acoustic➜ Remembering Cool Hand Luke ➜ Sony Bravia Core exPlained ➜ More!

Film & tv

n Plane n Knock at
the cabin n Ghostedn Brotherhoodof the wolF n Star

Wars Jedi: Survivorn Superman I-IV 4K
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ISSUE 342 Summer 2023
£5.99
AUS- $15.99 NZ- $18.50 CAN- $18.99

KEF R Series META 5.1. 2/£9, 200

Reviews

Now reborn with 'metamaterial' Uni-Q drivers, KEF's
R Series puts on an awesome show, says Mark Craven

Entering KEF'sMetaverse

AV Info
Product:
Floorstanding 5.1.2
speaker system
Position:
R Series Meta isone up from KEF's
entry-level Q Series
Peers:
Monitor Audio Gold;
Bowers & Wilkins
700 S2

KEF's Uni-Q driver has been a staple of its loudspeakers since
1988, undergoing various refinements over the years to thepoint that we're now at its 12th generation. However, not every
overhaul has led the audio marque to shout about it in its
speaker names, which is what it's doing with the R Series Meta.
KEF's mid-range line of loudspeakers, above its Q Series
and below the Reference (and fancy Blade hi-fi models),
the R Series is the latest to receive the company's 'Meta'technology. First debuted on the LS50 Meta bookshelf
speaker, and more recently added to the Reference andBlade, this is an invisible upgrade to its Uni-Q driver, but
one it's claimed makes a serious difference.

Two become one

1
Reprinted from Home Cinema Choice for global distribution

First, however, for those unfamiliar with KEF speakers,
Uni-Q is the name given to its distinctive 'coincident source'
mid-range/high-frequency driver array, where the tweeter
unit is mounted in the throat of the surrounding mid-range
cone. The idea here is to have mid- and high-frequencies
emanating from the same point in space, improving theintegration of the sound.
On all the R Series Meta speakers, regardless of thesize of the cabinet or accompanying bass driver(s), theUni-Q tweeter is a 1in aluminium dome design, firing
through KEF's now familiar 'tangerine' waveguide tobetter control its dispersion. The mid-range driver,meanwhile, is also madefrom aluminium, andmeasures 5in across.
That's the basics, so what
about 'Meta'? This refers
to the introduction of what
KEF calls its Metamaterial
2
Absorption Technology,a sound-absorbing discplaced behind the tweeter
assembly. This has amaze-like surface that– like a very smallscaleversion of an absorption
panel in a custom cinema
room – aims to effectively
eradicate the HF unit's
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rear-radiating output (well, 99 per cent of it). By removing
this 'unwanted sound', says KEF, the result is a huge
reduction in distortion and a far smoother treble.

The whole story
KEF's full R Series Meta range runs to seven models.
At the very top is the R11 Meta floorstander, whichsurrounds its 12th-gen Uni-Q unit with four 6.5in hybrid
aluminium cone bass drivers, and sells for £5,500.
It's big (1.3m high) so naturally KEF has other floorstanders
to tempt you: the R7 Meta (£4,000) opts for just two 6.5in
woofers, and the R5 Meta (£3,000) trims its bass driver
pairing down to 5.25in designs.
It's this last speaker we have on test here, joined by theR2 Meta centre (£1,200ea), which is the smaller of therange's two centre enclosures and uses 5.25in woofers;
a pair of KEF's R8 Meta Dolby Atmos modules (£1,400);
and the R3 Meta standmounts for surround channel duty.
Here is where KEF's lineup starts to not quite makeperfect sense. With the R3 speaker being the only
standmount, it could well be considered by many wanting
to build a multichannel
setup. Yet its bass units
are of the larger size, so if
you want to keep all things
equal in the system, you'll
need to spec either the R7
or R11 floorstanders, and thechunky R6 Meta centre(£1,600). You do wonder
if a smaller standmount/bookshelf design might
be on the cards.
The floorstander andstandmount models areported to the rear, to tune
the output of their bassdriver(s), delivering a

1. Dedicated stands
are available for
the R3 Meta, priced£649 per pair
2. The R8 Metas aredesigned for upfiring
Atmos use, but have
keyhole fixings on
the rear for on-wallinstallations

Reprinted from Home Cinema Choice for global distribution

Reviews'typical' in-room LF reach of 29Hz for the R5 Meta, and30Hz for the R3. KEF's centre speakers are – sensibly– sealed cabinets, as are the R8 Atmos toppers, whichfeature just a single (two-way) Uni-Q unit.
For this review, KEF supplied the speakers with its
ultra-compact KC62 subwoofer (HCC #320), which might
not be the most obvious choice (because it sells the moreconventional, and larger, KF92 – see HCC #329), but
certainly makes for a neat visual partner if you've gone
for the speakers in black or white, rather than walnut.
It's more curvy than straight-edged, but fits in very well.
And speaking of finishes, and craftsmanship in general,
the R Series Meta might just be the most beautiful
loudspeakers I've ever clapped eyes on. The combinationof the gloss cabinet finish, the central Uni-Q driver, andthe dished aluminium woofers makes these a sight for soreeyes. Everything appears clean, crisp and in proportion,and little details abound that really impress. The feetfor the R5 towers are stylish and sturdy, while even theeasy-access packaging of this fairly hefty speaker showsa level of attention. And on all models bar the R8, there aredual sets of binding posts for bi-wire/amping, but rather
than link these via a metal jumper that might get lost,the connection mechanism is internal, controlled bya dial on the back. Very clever.

Reviews

3Specifications
R5 Meta
DRIVERS: 1 x Uni-Q with 1in aluminium dome tweeter and 5in aluminium mid-range;
2 x 5.25in hybrid aluminium cone bass drivers ENCLOSURE: Twin rear-ported FREQ.
RESPONSE (CLAIMED): 52Hz-28kHz (+/-3dB) SENSITIVITY (CLAIMED): 87dB
IMPEDANCE (CLAIMED): 4ohm (3.2ohm min) POWER HANDLING (CLAIMED): 200W
DIMENSIONS (Incl. feet): 1,072(h) x 272(w) x 344(d)mm WEIGHT: 25.5kg
R3 Meta
DRIVERS: 1 x Uni-Q; 1 x 6.5in hybrid aluminium cone bass driver ENCLOSURE:
Rear-ported FREQ. RESPONSE (CLAIMED): 58Hz-28kHz (+/-3dB) SENSITIVITY(CLAIMED): 87dB IMPEDANCE (CLAIMED): 4ohm (3.2ohm min) POWER HANDLING(CLAIMED): 180W DIMENSIONS: 422(h) x 200(w) x 336(d)mm WEIGHT: 12.4kg
R2 Meta
DRIVERS: 1 x Uni-Q; 2 x 5.25in hybrid aluminium cone bass drivers ENCLOSURE:Sealed FREQ. RESPONSE (CLAIMED): 67Hz-28kHz (+/-3dB) SENSITIVITY (CLAIMED):
87dB IMPEDANCE (CLAIMED): 4ohm (3.2ohm min) POWER HANDLING (CLAIMED):
200W DIMENSIONS: 175(h) x 550(w) x 309(d)mm WEIGHT: 15.4kg
R8 Meta
DRIVERS: 1 x Uni-Q ENCLOSURE: Sealed FREQ. RESP (CLAIMED): 97Hz-17.5kHz (+/-3dB)
SENSITIVITY (CLAIMED): 85dB IMPEDANCE (CLAIMED): 4ohm (3.2ohm min) POWER
Han. (CLAIMED): 150W DIMENSIONS: 174(h) x 175(w) x 259(d)mm WEIGHT: 4.5kg

All-round excellence
What this 5.1.2 system can achieve, even on the end of
fairly modest amplification (I ran it from both Onkyo's
affordable TX-NR6100, p54, and a beefier Arcam AVR850),
is remarkable. KEF has been in the loudspeaker gamelong enough to know what makes for a crowd-pleasing
sound, so its speakers tend to be all-rounders rather
than idiosyncratic. Yet the performance here isn't justabout getting all the basics right; it's about doing
that, and then some.
The R Series Meta sound is one of seemingly converse
elements existing in harmony. These speakers can beboisterous and muscular, detailed and sweet, all at thesame time. There's punch and drive at the bottom, airand resolution at the top, and a whole lot of fun in between.
The soundmix of animated Ocean's Eleven wannabe
The Bad Guys oozes from this set with all the charm of
the film's characters. At the very beginning, we're in a diner,
listening to Tarantino-esque banter between Wolf (SamRockwell) and Snake (Marc Maron). The dialogue is clear,
powerful and articulate through the R2 Meta centre, while
the background ambience of the coffee shop and thetraffic pootling by outside is nicely layered behind.

644

Reprinted from Home Cinema Choice for global distribution

But once they've stood up to pay their bill, thesoundmix kicks up a gear, first with the funky, jazzy score,and a rush of extra audio as the doors open and we stepoutside. Suddenly the stage becomes huge, the surround/Atmos channels and sub swinging into action, and you
realise the R Series Meta cabinets have been almost
toying with you up until now. The ensuing car chasefeatures roaring engines that are both impressively rich,deep and snarly, but seem to rip a line right across mycarpet, such is the steering panache.

Sand me down
Perhaps it is all down to that new-fangled Meta
technology, or maybe just the combined experienceof 35 years of engineering working its magic, but
the mid/high output of all these models is fantastic.
With seven identical Uni-Q drivers all around,the feeling is of musical motifs and effects being
passed from one cabinet to another without a gap
in the chain. During much of Dune's inventive sounddesign (4K Blu-ray), the sense is of a soundfield
that, while not offering the 360-degree immersion
of a 7.1.4 setup, is coming pretty damn close.
Hans Zimmer's score continually dispenses fromall channels, and it's impossible not to get wrapped
up in the drama of it all.
As mentioned earlier, the KC62 might not seem,at first glance, to be a subwoofer of serious impact
based on its 25cm approx cube size alone. But its
rock-solid enclosure, and innovative overlapping voicecoil that allows two 6.5in drivers to occupy a spaceno bigger than a bowling ball, add up to a remarkable'good things come in small packages' performance.
It misses out on ultimate bass extension (despite
an 11Hz freq. response claim) and sheer scale ofoutput, but the areas it does cover it covers in style.
And it dovetails exceptionally well with R5 towers
for a low-end performance that marries deep, richlows with plenty of definition and slam. Nowhereis this more apparent than with Dune's mix ofbassy soundtrack notes and an LFE track thatadds weight to everything from a closing ship door
to footsteps in interiors.
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With the bus-based brawl in action/thriller Nobody(Sky Cinema), the KEF speakers show off a lean upperbass range, again helped by the fast and tight KC62
sub, and the control being brought to the woofers in
the passive speakers. This sequence impresses first withthe claustrophobic staging inside the vehicle, and thenreally captivates with the knife-tip delivery of all the meatytransients. Fists pummel flesh and skulls crack into metal,
and there's not a hint of bloom to the bass or tardiness tothe delivery. Some of the gore sounds are wince-inducing.
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (4K BD) benefits
from the refined delivery of the KEF centre when it comesto the array of different accents; the smartness of thissystem's handling of panned effects when Ethan Hunt(in long hair mode) chases Hendricks through Mumbai;
and the rich, musical presentation of Michael Giacchino'sscore. Indeed, it perhaps goes without saying that KEF'sspeakers – the R5s in particular, but also the standmountR3s judging from a brief session using them in stereo– are exemplary hi-fi models. For anyone interested inusing their AV setup for movies and music (as you probably
should be if you've just dropped over £9,000 on it), thesewill take some beating. Daft Punk's 'Give Life Back toMusic', from the French duo's fan-fave Random Access
Memories album, writes a foot-tapping tempo with its funk

7

KC62 (subwoofer)
DRIVERS: 2 x 6.5in woofers ENCLOSURE: Sealed, force-cancelling config ONBOARD
POWER (CLAIMED): 2 x 500W (RMS) FREq. reSPONSE (CLAIMED): 11Hz-290Hz
REMOTE CONTROL: No DIMENSIONS: 246(h) x 256(w) x 248(d)mm WEIGHT: 14kg
FEATURES: Stereo/LFE line-level input; speaker-level input; line-level output; room/wall/corner/cabinet/apartment preset EQs; crossover and phase control

Tested withDune: Denis Villeneuve did a better job
than David Lynch of adapting Frank
Herbert's sci-fi to the bigscreen, butcheated somewhat by splitting it into
two parts. This first flick, from 2021,
received a 4K Blu-ray release with epic
AV credentials. If you don't own it, buy
it now and watch before Dune: Part
Two arrives in cinemas later this year.

bassline and choppy guitar, while soft synth sounds riseand fall in the background. Via the R Series Meta, thesmooth, sumptuous quality of the whole thing was as
impressive as the low-end poise and grip.

Pick and mix
All that needs to be said at this stage is that £9,200 is aheck of a lot to spend on a 5.1.2 speaker array. Yet KEF'smodels earn their crust by the sheer listenability of theperformance, the achingly cool design and luxurious build.
And when you consider their position between the muchcostlier Reference range and the as-yet un-Meta'd Q Series,
it's arguable they mark KEF's sweetspot.
Delectable high-frequencies, seamless handling ofpanned effects, a spacious, detailed Atmos presentation,bass you can chew on and a centre speaker that doesn't
miss a single syllable. Where do I sign? n

3. KEF also suggests
using its R2 and R6
Metas as LCR models
4. Rear of the R5 Meta
(in walnut) features
the reflex ports thattune the output ofits 5.25in bass drivers(cutaway shown)
6. The Uni-Q drivers(here on the special
edition Indigo Gloss
iteration of the R3Meta) combine
aluminium tweeterand mid-range
7. KEF's KC62 subfeatures dual opposed
force-cancelling
6.5in woofers

Verdict
KEF R Series Meta 5.1.2➜ £9,200 ➜ uk.kef.com

We say: KEF's Meta rollout reaches its R Series, and the results
are impeccable. This 5.1.2 array provides serious (and seriouslyfun) home cinema sonics from some gorgeous cabinets.
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Reprinted from Home Cinema Choice for global distribution