An elevated and entertaining performance from classy speakers
Standmount speakers | £1900 | whf.cm/KEFR3Meta
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 is 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?
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.
As before, the R3 Meta is a three-way design and the only standmounter in 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 configuration can be difficult to implement successfully, but KEF has had a knack for delivering a cohesive, integrated sound over the years.
Award-winning tech
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 hockey 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 makes
