The Q1 Meta is the most compact and most affordable bookshelf speaker in KEF's Q Series, the ninth iteration of a range that first appeared in 1991. The current eight-model line-up runs from the Q11 Meta and Q7 Meta floorstanders through the Q Concerto Meta, Q3 Meta and Q1 Meta bookshelf models to the Q6 Meta centre, Q8 Meta Dolby Atmos speaker and Q4 Meta on-wall. KEF describes the Q1 Meta as the ultimate entry-level speaker for those looking to build their first hi-fi system, and it sits directly below the larger Q3 Meta, which uses a 165 mm Uni-Q where the Q1 Meta uses a 130 mm unit.
12th Generation Uni-Q Driver Array
Like every speaker in the range, the Q1 Meta is built around KEF's 12th generation Uni-Q driver array. A 25 mm vented aluminium dome tweeter sits at the acoustic centre of a 130 mm aluminium cone mid/bass driver, so the whole frequency range radiates from a single point source. KEF's aim is to disperse sound more evenly through the room, allowing everybody, wherever they are sitting, to hear the same natural, detailed sound. This 5.25 inch Uni-Q is shared with the Q4 Meta and Q8 Meta and, compared with the 11th generation unit in the outgoing Q Series, gains a tweeter gap damper with two rings of porous material to tame resonances, an updated cone neck decoupler and structural improvements to the Tangerine Waveguide.
Metamaterial Absorption Technology
Behind the tweeter sits Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT), a joint development between KEF and the Acoustic Metamaterials Group. Its labyrinth of channels acts as an acoustic black hole, absorbing 99% of the unwanted sound that comes from the rear of the tweeter dome and eliminating the distortion that energy would otherwise cause. On the Q1 Meta, Q3 Meta, Q4 Meta and Q8 Meta, the area of the tweeter rear chamber vent has been increased by 250% so that more sound reaches the absorber, and a conical waveguide designed around the depth of the driver couples the dome to the MAT structure.
Bass Reflex Loading
Where the previous Q Series relied on auxiliary bass radiators, the Q1 Meta uses a rear-firing reflex port with a flared profile modelled using computational fluid dynamics to minimise turbulence and reduce chuffing noise, giving bass that is cleaner and more controlled. Port bungs are supplied for positions close to a wall. KEF quotes a frequency range of 47 Hz to 20 kHz (-6 dB) and a typical in-room bass response of 42 Hz, with the crossover set at 2.1 kHz. Each crossover is refined using more than 1,000 measurements taken with a custom reference microphone array in KEF's anechoic chamber in Maidstone, UK.
Finish and Installation
This listing is for the Walnut finish; the Q1 Meta is also offered in Satin Black and Satin White. Colour-matched magnetic grilles are included, along with rubber feet, port bungs and the user manual and warranty information. Each cabinet measures 302 x 180 x 277 mm including the terminal and weighs 6.1 kg, small enough for a shelf, a desk or KEF's optional SQ1 Floor Stand, and the speaker can also be wall mounted using the optional B2 Wall Bracket.
System Matching
Sensitivity is 86 dB (2.83 V/1 m), nominal impedance is 4 ohms with a 3.2 ohm minimum, and KEF recommends amplifiers of between 10 and 150 watts, with a maximum output of 108 dB. The Q1 Meta is supplied and priced as a pair.
