KEF R11 Meta Floorstanding Speakers Walnut (Pair)

The KEF R11 Meta is the flagship floorstander of KEF’s R Series, the largest of three floorstanding models above the R7 Meta and R5 Meta in a seven-model range that also includes the R3 Meta bookshelf speaker, the R2 Meta and R6 Meta centre channels and the R8 Meta Dolby Atmos-enabled module. The R Series is a direct beneficiary of the technologies developed for The Reference, and the R11 Meta combines the 12th-generation Uni-Q driver array with Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) and four 165mm hybrid aluminium bass drivers in a three-way bass reflex cabinet.

12th-Generation Uni-Q with MAT

The Uni-Q array mounts a 25mm vented aluminium dome tweeter in the centre of a 125mm aluminium cone midrange driver. Because both radiate from a single point, sound is dispersed more evenly through the room and the limited sweet spot of conventional layouts is eliminated, so listeners anywhere in the room hear the same detailed, natural sound. A 12th-generation Uni-Q array with MAT is fitted to every model in the series, keeping the sound character consistent.

Behind the tweeter sits MAT, a maze-like structure in which each channel absorbs a specific frequency. Together they act as an acoustic black hole, absorbing 99% of the unwanted sound from the rear of the tweeter and removing the distortion it would cause. A re-engineered tweeter gap damper tames resonances, and a copper ring in the midrange motor gap lowers distortion and thermal compression. A Flexible Decoupling Chassis, first used on Blade and The Reference, isolates the midrange motor from the Uni-Q chassis so its vibration is dissipated before it reaches the cabinet, while Shadow Flare extends the waveguide so the tweeter no longer has line of sight of the cabinet edges, cutting diffraction for improved fine detail.

Bass Performance

Four 165mm (6.5 in.) hybrid aluminium bass drivers allow the R11 Meta to dig deep while retaining an exceptionally clean performance. Each uses a shallow, concave aluminium skin over a paper cone for the stiffness and pistonic movement that lets the drivers time so well. The result is a typical in-room bass response of 26 Hz and a frequency range of 30 Hz to 50 kHz (-6dB), with the crossover set at 330 Hz and 2.5 kHz.

The reflex ports have flexible walls, with the flare and profile of each port calculated using computational fluid dynamics to delay the onset of turbulence, while the flexible walls stop longitudinal resonances from colouring the midrange. Port bungs are supplied for placement close to a wall.

Cabinet Design

Each R11 Meta stands 1249mm tall, 200mm wide and 384mm deep with terminals fitted, rising to 1296mm high and 311mm wide on the supplied plinths, and weighs 36.5 kg. KEF’s Constrained Layer Damping connects the internal bracing to the drivers and cabinet through a lossy interface that converts vibration into heat, keeping the cabinet inert. The plinths and M8 spike feet are supplied, and KEF advises always using the plinths for stability.

The speakers are engineered to perform with or without their microfibre grilles, which are built from multiple layers of material with burnished, suede-like edges. With 1801 precision-cut holes per driver they preserve performance when fitted, and attach magnetically.

Connectivity

The R11 Meta accepts single-wire or bi-wire connections through separate high-frequency and low-frequency terminal pairs. Link connection knobs join or separate the two sections for single-wire or bi-wire use, and bi-amplification is possible with the links disengaged. KEF recommends amplifiers of 15 to 300 watts, and with 90 dB sensitivity, a 4 Ohm nominal impedance (3.2 Ohm minimum) and a maximum output of 113 dB the R11 Meta suits a wide range of amplification.

Versatility and Finishes

As a stereo pair the R11 Meta delivers high-fidelity music reproduction, and it works equally well as the front pair of a multichannel system with the R6 Meta or R2 Meta centre channel and R8 Meta modules, which can be placed on top of the R11 Meta for Dolby Atmos height effects. The R11 Meta is available in Black Gloss, White Gloss and Walnut finishes, with Walnut being a classic wood veneer.