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Page 1
People who know sound, know KEF.
Its a name that commands such respect because weve never
been a me too manufacturer. Ever since the early days of hi-fi,
our approach has been driven by a passionate belief in the power
of new materials, new technologies and design ingenuity to
heighten the enjoyment of recorded sound.
This is as true today as it was back in 61, when KEF was founded
by Raymond Cooke, which is why KEF speakers have ranked
among the finest in the world in ever y decade since .
In that time , KEF has pioneered many landmark innovations.
New dia phragm materials.Neoprene damping.The use of
computer modelling in research and quality control.
Digital testing to unprecedented tolerances. Total system design
methods.Conjugate load network techniques. And arguably
the greatest breakthrough of all:the Uni-Q array,based on technology originally developed for the NASA space
programme and protected by world wide patents. No other
manufacturer has done more to advance the principles of
loudspeaker engineering, and none is better placed to exploit the
potential of the latest digital formats.
Separating out the midrange and high frequency drivers
into their own pods has long been a KEF tradition dating
all the way back to 1977 with the worlds first speakerto do this, the Model 105. This technology lives on today in the
Model 207 flagship.
KEF - THE FACTS AND THE FEELING
Fresh ideas are what we breathe - but only obsession with detail can make them work
Raymond Cooke MBE 1925 - 1996
Founder of KEF
KEF Production Facility at Maidstone
Model 105 1977-79Model 105/4 1980-82Model 105/21982-87Model 1071986-89Model 107/2 1990-96Model 207 2001
POD TECHNOLOGY
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1
KEF LOUDSPEAKERS
What to look for when choosing your speakers
Of all the elements in your audio system, changing y our speakers
can make the bigg est difference in sound quality. As a rule of
thumb , the speak ers in a basic two-channel hi-fi system often
account for about a third of the total system cost.
Speaker quality has a lot to do with size and the number of drive
units; but ultimately what matters is how well they reproduce your kind of music or film soundtrack in your room at the volume
you most enjo
y. Although technical specifications are helpful,
you can only find which model best suits your personal
preferences by hearing them in action. These are some of the
things you should be looking for...
Drive units
Hi-fi drivers are dedicated to different parts of the frequency spectrum.
Bass units reproduce sound between 20 to 500Hz, midrange drivers
(carrying most of the identifying tones of music or speech)usually from 200Hz to 4kHz, and HF drivers (tweeters),from 2kHz to above 20kHz. Long-throw drivers allowa large amount of cone movement, and thereforegenerate higher sound pressure levels. A strong
chassis such as cast aluminium provides a rigid
platform for the moving coil/cone assembly and avoids
the energy being drained from the cone into the cabinet
itself. Some form of mechanical decoupling between the chassis
and the cabinet can greatly reduce the transmission of this vibrational energy to
the cabinet walls.
Cone materials vary.Tweeters are usually made from metallic or fabric materials
- the former tend to be very revealing and detailed; the latter, a more
reserved sound.
Components
Crossovers act as the brains of a speaker,
allocating the various frequency ranges to the
appropriate drivers, with filters to stabilise
impedance loads and shape frequency response.
The quality of the components (such as polypropylene capacitors
and air-cored inductors) directly affects acoustic fidelity.
Setting up
High performance speakers usually have dual sets of connectors
(binding posts) and crossovers with separate sections for low and
high frequencies. This is to accommodate bi-wiring (using two
sets of cables to improve resolution) and bi-amping (in which
each set of connectors is wired to a separate amplifier for
optimum response across the frequency range). KEFs new
Reference Series even features 3 pairs of connectors for
tri-wiring or tri-amping. Most speakers sound better after a few
hours use. All you have to do then is sit back and enjoy.
Imaging
Stereo imaging is the illusion of a realistic 3D presence that seems not to come
from the speakers themselves, but a virtual sound stage in which different
instruments or sound effects are localised. With conventional speakers
(as opposed to KEF Uni-Q), this illusion only occurs in a relatively small area -
the sweet spot.
To test speaker dispersion characteristics, move around the listening area.
Does the sound fade as you move away from the main axis of the speaker?
Do central images stay centrally located at some frequencies but not others?
Measuring perf ormance
The smoother a speakers frequency response, the more faithful its reproduction
of the audio signal. Transient response is also important, reflecting the speakers
ability to respond quickly to any sudden change in the signal without blurring
(smearing) the sound. How loudly a speaker plays depends on its sensitivity,
maximum output capability and power handling. Low sensitivity speakers require
larger amounts of amplifier power to reach a given loudness level.
High sensitivity speakers require relatively less and
can be used to compensate for low amplifier power.
When compensating for low sensitivity speakers
remember that a 10dB increase in sound pressure
level, which sounds twice as loud, requires 10 times
more power.
Always look for a wide dynamic range in a speaker -
the range of sound intensity that can be reproduced
without distortion. Its expressed as a ratio in
decibels. In speech, this is rarely more than 40dB;
in orchestral works, it can be as much as 75dB.
Judge whether loud passages sound appropriately
louder than quiet ones. Can you hear subtle changes
when something else is playing loud? Does music
come to life at high volume, or blur?
Ask yourself also whether the sound picture is complete at the frequency
extremes. Or has bass, for example, been sacrificed to midrange clarity?
Accuracy is a matter of how closely the speaker reproduces live sounds.
How much detail can you hear? Do individual images sound separate from each
other, or are they like highlights in an acoustic soup?
Neutral balance gives the human voice a natural timbre, without distortion at
frequency extremes. Listen for colouration - do voices sound strange? Is there
too much sibilance? Can you differentiate the sound of similar but different
instruments? Or does a violin sound like a viola, a Stratocaster like a Les Paul?
SPL( )
FREQUENCY H )
110
100
90
80
70
60
20 200 k2 k i Re e n e 2 00
FREQUENCY (Hz)
20
200 k
Ci Ref 2000
31 6
10
3 16
2k
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7
Q1
All the benefits of the latest Q Series in a
compact speaker with the power to fill the
room with big sounds. It has the same Uni-Q
driver array as the floorstanding models,
reproducing the frequency spectrum with
virtually no crossover effects. Genuine performance - and great value.
Q2ds
The new Q2ds dipole surrounds create the perfect
diffuse surround effect, as experienced in movie
theatres, by utilising two 165mm (6
1/2) Uni-Q arrays.
The addition of a downward firing reflex loaded 130mm
(5
1/4) bass driver adds weight to the surround effects. Enveloping you
in a rich and spacious soundfield. Providing you with the perfect home
theatre experience.
Q9c
The Q9c centre speaker has the same Uni-Q
array for a perfect timbre-match with the rest of
the Q Series. Magnetically shielded and bi-
wirable, it has the power to enrich your viewing
experience compared to any conventionally engineered equivalent.
Q8s
Slim and compact, Q8s is the two-way closed box rear effects speaker for the
Q Series range. Using an identical Uni-Q array to the rest of the range, it
reproduces diffuse ambient effects with great accuracy. Full
magnetic shielding prevents any interference with nearby
electronics, and they can be either wall or shelf-mounted.
Q4
A 130mm die-cast chassis houses the long throw cone and
coincident mounted 19mm aluminium dome HF unit for true point
source reproduction. Combine the excellent offaxis dispersion
characteristics of Uni-Q with the magnetic shielding of the driveunits and you get a speaker which is much easier to place in the
room and one which alleviates the traditional sweet spot found
with ordinary speakers. The new Q4 is a true three way speaker
with extended bass output which belies the size of its diminutive
cabinet.
Q6c
By utilizing an identical Uni-Q array in the Q6c
centre channel, an even tonal balance is obtained
throughout the soundstage when combined with
other models in the range. Configured for bi-wiring, as are all the new Q Series
products, or even bi-amplification, the Q6c has the power and presence to bring
your home theatre to life.
Q compact
The new Q compact brings unrivalled performance
to a small bookshelf loudspeaker by making the
outstanding attributes of Uni-Q available at an
affordable price. Compact in all but performance.