The KEF RNC130S is a steel rear enclosure designed to accompany KEF 130mm square CI Series in-ceiling and in-wall speakers. Fitting a dedicated rear enclosure is strongly recommended whenever a speaker is installed into a ceiling or wall, as it isolates the driver from the open cavity space that would otherwise exist behind the installation cut-out.
Without a rear enclosure, a ceiling or wall speaker effectively has no back chamber. The cavity behind the plasterboard or timber frame becomes part of the acoustic system, introducing unpredictable volumes of air and potentially coupling the speaker to noise from adjacent rooms or mechanical services in the building fabric. The RNC130S eliminates these problems by sealing the rear of the speaker in a purpose-designed steel chamber, giving the driver the controlled acoustic load it was designed to work with.
The enclosure is constructed from galvanised steel and lined internally with acoustic foam. The square geometry of the RNC130S corresponds to the square driver format used in KEF's 130mm CI speakers, and the enclosure is sized to fit standard ceiling joist bays and stud partition walls. Installation is completed during the first-fix stage before the plasterboard or ceiling tile is applied. The speaker is then fitted in the usual way through the cut-out in the finished surface.
Beyond the acoustic benefit, a rear enclosure also acts as a fire barrier between the habitable space and the ceiling or wall void, which is a requirement in many building regulations and insurance policies. KEF rear enclosures are available in round, square, and rectangular formats across a range of driver sizes to match every speaker in the CI Series range.