The History of KEF’s Reference Speaker RangeCategories: Hi-Fi, Speakers

‘Of all art, music is the most indefinable and the most expressive, the most insubstantial and the most immediate, the most transitory and the most imperishable. Transformed to a dance of electrons along a wire, its ghost lives on. When KEF returns music to its rightful habituation, your ears and mind, they aim to do so in the most natural way they can … without drama, without exaggeration, without artifice.’ ~Raymond Cooke

KEF the Reference needs no introduction. It’s a range that helped to define what it means to be reference-level… and, quite frankly, what it means to be high fidelity. After over 50 years, KEF’s Reference range of loudspeakers has shaped the brand as a whole into something that has achieved the kind of status few ever hope to even skirt around, and it only keeps growing.

But where did it all begin, and how has the range actually developed over the years? Well, to find out, we have to go back to the man who started it all.

The Beginning

It all began with Raymond Cooke, a WWII veteran who spent a year as a sound engineer for the BBC, before moving on to work as a Technical Director for Wharfedale. Taking what he learnt as a member of their team, Cooke left in order to pursue his dream and put his own designs into action. In 1961 he set up shop in a ‘nissen hut‘ on the grounds of Kent Engineering & Foundry (KEF!) a metalworks company a stone’s throw away from the current KEF headquarters.

Cooke left Wharfedale in order to have the freedom to experiment with new materials and technologies. He intended to produce speakers which were capable of producing a sound that was as close to natural recording as possible. His year spent with the BBC paid off, and his relationship with them continued as he manufactured several BBC designed loudspeakers while he improved his own designs. KEF – led by Cooke – went on to be considered pioneers and great innovators, winning award after award and creating technology which continues to inspire other leading manufacturers decades down the line.

A Reference History

Always at the cutting edge, Cooke made the decision to invest in computer software – a pretty big deal in the very early 70s. This was a bold move, intended to improve the measurements taken in loudspeaker design. The move paid off. It was due to this precision, computer-assisted measuring that the first incarnation of the Reference series came to life.

1973 – 1987

It all stems from one monitor, designed by the BBC: the LS5/1A. This was a high performance system, demanding meticulous production control. The LS5/1AC was an active system based on the same speaker. The LS5/1AC and its subsequent popularity was what propelled KEF into the commercial realm, forming the foundation of what KEF’s Reference was to be built upon.

The 104 was developed at the same time: an 8 inch two-way system with an passive radiator augmenting the low frequency response, a format that was developed previously for the non-reference (but hugely successful) Cadenza system. The subsequent success of this pure KEF loudspeaker, and its unique technology, promoted the 1976 release of an updated version: the 104AB, which combined the filter and driver system allowing for the filter response to be optimised to provide the accurate acoustic roll-off necessary for perfect integration.

The next landmark was the 105, a three-way system of modular design, allowing the enclosure of each unit to be optimised for its respective frequency operating range. Such was its performance and reputation that, in its revised form, it remained in production until 1987 – pretty much unheard of in the world of hi-fi. Its smooth sound was what came to be recognised as the early incarnation of the ‘KEF’ sound, and it only moved upwards from there.

1980 – 1996

The 80s kicked off with the 103.2, the successor to the 103 mentioned above. It was designed using KEF’s ‘total system design’ approach: “where drive units, filter networks and enclosures are studied and developed together to achieve a targeted response.” The 103.2 was among the first to receive such treatment, and the first to exhibit the resulting a broad frequency response, despite a relatively compact cabinet.

A common thread within the 80s References were the bextrene coned bass drivers and the fabric domed tweeters, as featured in the 105.2. The result was a unforgettable sound of tonal neutrality and pin point stereo imaging.

As the decade progressed, so did the innovation. The 104/2 was released: a high output, high sensitivity speaker system possessing exceptional dynamic capability, able to reproduce a very wide dynamic range at high output levels. So much so, it remained in production for over ten years and, following on from the 105.2, was further evidence of the capability of KEF’s forever progressing research and development facility.

Another innovation of note during this series was the KUBE (KEF Universal Bass Equaliser) which enabled Reference models from there-on-in to overcome the usual restrictions in sensitivity, bass extension and maximum loudness capability. It allowed a combination of these parameters that would not be possible with conventional passive systems. This technology was seen in varying shapes and sizes, from the 102 through to the 107, demonstrating how much could be done with a passive system.

1990-2000

The late 90s saw the technology found in the References of today start to take shape. Specifically, the earliest form of the Uni-Q driver, the KUBE (KEF Universal Bass Equaliser) which had appeared a decade before and various progressively designed and engineered cabinets, allowing for the likes of the 101/2, (the smallest speaker in the Reference Series so far) which went on to represent the maximum possible performance in the minimum possible size.

This new size sparked a pattern, in which different sized speaker were developed for purposes beyond the spaces they were to occupy. Towards the end of the 90s first ‘numbered’ models within the range (One, Two, Three and Four), emerged. Rather than functioning as revisions of their predecessors, these were designed to work both autonomously and harmoniously as a multi-channel system, and as an almost entirely new entity.

The standout article of the decade was the Model 109, the result of a desire to produce a new high-end system with pure sonic performance as the prime objective. The design was a mixture of proven sophisticated techniques, such as the four-way format with high slope crossovers. Conceptually simple but strikingly effective, resulting in ultra-low distortion.

2000-2006

In six short years, KEF seemed to find their knack for developing striking sounding and even more striking looking  loudspeakers, all designed to work together with a much higher purpose in play. And, as you can probably tell, these were the years that KEF released a number of Reference loudspeakers in very quick succession.

All featured the now world-famous Uni-Q driver array, alongside a new level of versatility enabled with a boundary compensation device, which was essentially a switchable attenuation of the bass output designed for use in small rooms or for positioning close to the room boundaries. This helped make Reference the user-compatible series it is now known for, streamlining the sound for multi-channel systems… and less accommodating spaces.

While the 2000-2006 range could trace its heritage right the way back to the very first Reference models, this was also a time that the new-age began to show itself. The elegant yet contemporary cabinets proved extremely popular, and the wide natural sound was becoming the benchmark.

Today

After a decade-long gap, KEF finally showed the world what they had been gradually building up to:  x2 floorstanders, x1 bookshelf, x2 centres and a sub. As with everything Ref, from the very beginning, they’re designed to work harmoniously together as an effective 5.1 system (perfect for AV audio much like its closer siblings) and they all contain the unique technologies that make the various Reference series… well… reference!

Here’s the final (well, most current) technology that over 5o years of innovation has built up to:

– Uni-Q Driver Array – a state-of-the-art 25mm (1in.) vented aluminium dome tweeter at the exact acoustic centre of a highly sophisticated 125mm (5in.) midrange driver, which act as a single source that fills the listening space evenly. Deep, powerful and room-filling

– Bass Drivers a new 165mm (6.5 inch) LF driver with a massive vented magnet assembly and a large aluminium wire voice coil. Together, they drive an exceptionally light, stiff and strong alloy cone with allows for controlled, tight and immersive bass at any volume

– Composite Front Baffle – constructed from a remarkably strong laminated aluminium and resin composite and secured via high-loss pads and high tensile bolts, the drivers sit within this precision engineered baffle adding tremendous stiffness to the cabinet

– Flexible Ports – Pioneered for the multi-award winning LS50 innovative, this technology features adjustable ports for fine-tuning bass output

– Crossover Design – every high grade component is auditioned in order to find the combination with the lowest distortion and smoothest response

– Cabinet Design – the shape and bracing is are computer-optimised to minimise secondary radiation from the cabinet walls, and then they are finished by hand. They are precision engineered to eliminate panel resonance, stray reflections or box colouration

– Stands & Plinths – as with everything else Reference (and indeed, KEF), the tiniest details are painstakingly explored and perfected to achieve absolute optimisation, right down to a spirit level built into the plinth and spike sets easily adjusted by neatly concealed screws

… and that’s the story. So far. It may be a little while until we see what KEF’s ‘total system design’ (yes, that’s still a thing) is cooking up right now, but as it was with the most recent Reference series, it’s very likely to be worth the wait.

To explore the rich history of KEF Reference in more detail, I strongly recommend visiting their digital museum. For a closer look at what they currently offer, including the individual models (complete with tech specs) click here. And, of course, to come and see the latest incarnations in all their glory, get in touch to arrange a demo.