It’s already been established that we quite like KEF. We have made one of their legendary speakers a heavily discounted UK exclusive (more on that later!) and we often write about them. Here, for example (read that if you want a little history on the brand as a whole). Today, we’re going to write about the extremely special R Series, which too often overshadowed by the higher-level Reference series. Which is a shame, as these guys seriously hold their own.
The KEF R Series sits above the entry level Q-series and beneath the aforementioned References. The Q-series range is very (very) good value and great for beginners. The R-series is more expensive than the Qs, but there is an even bigger price difference between the R-series and Reference range. To put it bluntly, the R-series is the closest you can get to Reference level performance… but it won’t cost you as much.
Not even close.
For instance, the KEF R100 (normally £599) or KEF R300 (normally £999) bookshelf speakers are a fraction of the cost of the Reference 1 bookshelf speakers (normally £4499). And yet, they sound close. Pure, magical, dynamic and atmospheric sound that works beautifully when combined into a 5.1 (or 7.2) system for movies, or just as a a two channel. It’s sound that will move you, in many ways.
… it’s no surprise it sounds good, it uses much of the same technology as the References!
“Featuring many of KEF’s latest innovations in premium hi-fi and home theatre loudspeaker technology, the multi-award winning R Series makes genuine audiophile standards of entertainment more affordable than ever before. Stunningly fluent Uni-Q driver arrays combine with potent new bass drivers and many ingenious refinements to create a rich, spacious sound image of such accuracy that it approaches the benchmark standards of KEF’s legendary Reference Series.”‘ ~ KEF
It’s (quite unsurprisingly) a multi-award winning series, and its making genuine audiophile standards of entertainment more affordable than ever before.
Why does it sound so good? Well, the Uni-Q driver arrays combine with potent new bass drivers (amongst other key refinements, I have a diagram coming up shortly) to make something that looks and sounds out of this world. The Uni-Q Driver Array is 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
The impressive Bass Drivers finish that pairing nicely: 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.
And that’s just the start of the many treasures these speakers hold. Diagram incoming…
R900
Couldn’t resist a little look inside to show off the incredible technology across the entire series! With twin 8-inch LF drivers positioned perfectly either side of the aforementioned Uni-Q driver array, the KEF R900 ensures an incredible scale and depth. This is the biggest floorstanders in the series, and they have a sound that would move the earth.
Available in: Black, white, walnut and rosewood.
R700
The mid-sized floorstanders in the series which exudes sophistication. They look the part, and feature class-leading sonic reproduction. The three-way design compliments both movies and music in a controlled, detailed and dynamic way.
Black, white, walnut, rosewood.
R500
They may be cute, but don’t be fooled! The smallest of the three floor standers in the R Series still pack a gorgeous punch. With two 5.25-inch aluminium bass drivers, their slim proportions and sleek contemporary looks make them perfectly suited for any interior, while the technology side makes for some surprisingly rich, detailed and accurate sound.
Available in: Black, white, walnut and rosewood.
R300
Featuring the all-new Uni-Q driver array and a 6.5-inch LF bass driver, the three-way KEF R300 lacks for nothing. Its stylishly uncluttered appearance beautifully complements the fast and clean mid-range response, along with accurate and clean low-end frequencies. With dynamic, uncompressed and undistorted LF performance, the R Series R300 provides a clarity and realism many strive to emulate but few achieve.
Available in: Black, white, walnut, rosewood – and we have a 20% sale on the rosewood (UK exclusive too)!
R100
Speaking of cute, R100 are “masterpieces in miniaturisation”. Fast, clean and agile, with a performance you would expect from a speaker double its size. The bass is deep, warm and rich, and they will slide beautifully into any interior, by themselves or as an ensemble.
Available in: Black, white, walnut and rosewood.
R50
If your desire is a 5.1 system, the glorious R50s are designed to sit above freestanding or wall-mounted home theatre satellite speakers, creating the critical vertical sound dimension, and a realistic 3D sound image. Have you heard of Dobly Atmos? that’s the stuff they use in the cinema, and that’s what you’ll get with these speakers too. They beams the sound upwards to envelope you in precise multidimensional sound… much like real life.
They’re only available in black. But once you’ve heard what they can do, you really won’t care.
And now, onto the Centre speakers. You have two to chose from:
R600C
T larger of the two centre channel speakers, but with a nice clim profile for perfect positioning. A big piece of the true surround sound puzzle, immersing you fully with a level of clarity, precision and sophistication. Just wait until you hear how good the voices sound!
Available in Black, white, walnut and rosewood.
R200C
This smaller, daintier centre speaker is the perfect partner for R100 or R500 home theatre systems. Withthree way design incorporating twin 5.25-inch bass drivers and a 5-inch MF Uni-Q driver array (a small but mighty 1-inch aluminium tweeter) this is a centre that boasts detail, precision and effortless timing.
Available in: Black, white, walnut and rosewood.
R800DS
This is the next step in surround sound. If you’re serious about home theatre, the R800dS provide an extra level of exceptional surround capabilities. The twin 5-inch Uni-Q driver arrays work out of phase to create a remarkable, hard to localise sound field. This results in stunning dynamic sonic effectsthat your average surround system won’t even touch upon.
Available in: Black, white, walnut, rosewood.
R400B
Don’t let the image fool you, this is a very compact sub. It’s just 14 inches cubed, yet it packs an incredible punch. With a reinforced and braced sealed cabinet, the R400b houses twin 9-inch LF drivers powered by twin 250W class-D amplifiers. It’s a clean, fast, powerful bass performance, and it finishes off the system spectacularly.
This one is only available in black or white.
Now, the whole series is worth a look. Very good prices, very good value, very very good sound. There are several home theatre packages available too, give us a call for more information on those.
It’s also worth a mention (just in case you didn’t spot our sneaky offer earlier) that we’re running a UK exclusive offer on the rosewood R-series speakers! This gorgeous finish is now discontinued, so we bought all remaining stocks from KEF and we’re offering these at 20% off RRP. This exclusive offer has also offered us a new level of freedom! While the R-series range is usually only available to collect from R-series dealers (like us), our prices on rosewood R-series include free UK delivery!
You can’t get much better than that. Unless you go Reference… but that’s a different blog for a different time. This blog, specifically. I did mention that we really like writing about KEF…