KEF Q6 Meta Centre Speaker Satin Black (Single)

The Q6 Meta is the centre channel speaker of KEF's Q Series with MAT, the eight-model range that also includes the Q11 Meta and Q7 Meta floorstanders, the Q Concerto Meta, Q3 Meta and Q1 Meta bookshelf speakers, the Q8 Meta Dolby Atmos speaker and the Q4 Meta on-wall speaker. It is the only centre speaker in the range and is engineered to integrate with any of the Q Series stereo models, using the same 12th generation Uni-Q driver array as the main speakers for a tonal match across the front of a home cinema system. This listing is for a single Q6 Meta in the Satin Black finish; Satin White and Walnut are also available.

Three-Way Closed-Box Design

Unlike the ported stereo models in the range, the Q6 Meta is a closed-box design that KEF says can be positioned in cabinets and alcoves. It is a three-way design: the Uni-Q driver array handles the high and midrange frequencies, while two 165 mm hybrid aluminium bass drivers look after the low end, with crossover points at 560 Hz and 2.7 kHz. KEF says this separation of the frequency ranges gives more precise handling of high, mid and low frequencies for greater detail and clarity, and it means the midrange cone can be optimised for its own band rather than doubling as a bass driver.

The bass drivers use the hybrid construction shared by the three-way Q Series models: a shallow, concave aluminium skin sits on top of a paper cone to stiffen the diaphragm for piston-like movement and better bass punch and speed, and the surround geometry has been optimised using 3D finite element analysis to improve linearity at higher excursions. In the Q Series white paper KEF notes that the increased bass driver count on the Q6, Q7 and Q11 Meta supports their low-frequency targets and improves cabinet loading.

12th Generation Uni-Q with MAT

At the centre of the cabinet sits the 100 mm Uni-Q driver array, which places a 19 mm vented aluminium dome tweeter at the acoustic centre of the midrange cone so that the speaker behaves as a single point source and disperses sound evenly through the room. Behind the tweeter is Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT), a maze-like structure developed jointly with Acoustic Metamaterials Group in which each channel absorbs a specific frequency; together they absorb 99% of the unwanted sound radiating from the rear of the tweeter, eliminating the distortion it would otherwise cause. The 12th generation Uni-Q also brings a re-engineered tweeter gap damper that places two rings of porous material to tame resonances, and a conical waveguide designed specifically to couple the tweeter dome to the metamaterial absorber.

Two technologies derived from KEF's flagship ranges are fitted to the Q6 Meta. The Flexible Decoupling Chassis, first used on Blade and The Reference, decouples the midrange motor from the Uni-Q chassis so that its vibration is dissipated before it can reach the cabinet and be radiated as unwanted sound. Shadow Flare, a precisely profiled surface that extends the waveguide effect of the Uni-Q, means the tweeter no longer has a line of sight to the cabinet edges, creating a shadow region where diffraction would otherwise be highest.

Crossover

The crossover was developed from more than 1,000 on- and off-axis measurements taken with a custom reference microphone array in KEF's anechoic chamber in Maidstone, UK. KEF says this process, drawn from the development of the LS50 Meta and refined through Blade, The Reference and the R Series, allows the signal path of each model to be optimised for the best possible performance. The Q6 Meta's own measurements are published in the Q Series white paper, which describes it as a three-way LCR loudspeaker.

Performance and System Building

KEF quotes a frequency response of 63 Hz to 20 kHz (±3 dB), extending to 52 Hz at -6 dB, with typical in-room bass reaching 36 Hz. Sensitivity is 86 dB (2.83 V/1 m), the nominal impedance is 4 Ohms with a 3.2 Ohm minimum, and KEF recommends amplifiers rated between 15 and 200 W. Maximum output is 109 dB. As a passive speaker it needs to be driven by an AV receiver or amplifier.

KEF's own home cinema system examples all use the Q6 Meta as the centre: a full 7.1.4 layout with Q11 Meta floorstanders at the front, Q Concerto Meta rears, Q4 Meta surrounds, four Q8 Meta Dolby Atmos speakers and a Kube 15 MIE subwoofer; a 5.1.2 layout with Q7 Meta floorstanders, Q4 Meta surrounds, two Q8 Meta and a Kube 12 MIE; and a compact 3.1 system with Q4 Meta on-wall speakers and a Kube 8 MIE. Because it is designed for left, centre and right duty, three Q6 Meta can also be used across the front of a system where identical LCR speakers are wanted.

Finish and Grille

The Q Series cabinets have a contemporary minimalist design with a satin finish and driver colours selected to suit each finish. The Satin Black version comes with a colour-matched grille whose magnetic fixing gives a secure fit in keeping with the clean styling of the range. The cabinet measures 210 mm high, 629 mm wide and 303 mm deep including the terminal, and weighs 14.1 kg. Rubber feet, the product manual and the warranty booklet are included.