Trickle down from the Reference line brings the R series a new "Shadow Flare" surround for the Uni-Q driver, which enhances dispersion occurring with flat front baffles, and a redesigned bass driver magnet assembly allows considerably higher gain without distortion. Get the perfect stands to match your KEF speakers. aluminium dome tweeter Uni-Q array that pushes performance to new extremes. From the LS50 comes flexible rear ports designed to eliminate standing waves, and upgraded gloss finishes. $45.00 shipping. bass driver and a 125mm (5 in.) The new R series is a distillation of everything that came before them. I don't think you will be disappointed with the P rimare I35 Prisma and it might make you think that the next worthwhile step (and perhaps your final step) should be the Hegel H590. The new R series is comprised of the R11, 7, and 5 floor standers, R3 bookshelf, R2c center, and R8a Dolby Atmos modules, which can also be used for side or rear surrounds. KEF Speaker Stands and Accessories. KEF Speaker Stands and Accessories. That said, they're plenty stable without fasteners. Digital isn't exactly known for its retiring sonic qualities, and things were even smoother and more enjoyable with a VPI Cliffwood turntable, and Moon by Simaudio 310LP phono stage providing an analog source. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. This means they are not recommended to be placed on bookshelves but rather on a stand-mount for the best experience. I've had KEF's R700 floor standers in my system in the past, and I can tell you the new R series takes everything to an entirely new level. Shop KEF R3 Series Passive 3-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) White Gloss at Best Buy. Despite being relatively slim and compact boxes – the KEFs stand just 42cm high – the R3s are capable of delivering a good amount of bass weight and authority. KUBE 10b Subwoofer $649.99. New. E&OE. The R3 stand mount shares the same Uni-Q driver array as the range topping R11 in a full range design that defies expectations. Naturally none of this would matter unless they also sounded as good as they look and happily they do. Usually, anniversary models are large, floorstanding "statement" designs with a price to match, but the LS50 was a minimonitor, priced at $1500/pair. KEF's LS50 loudspeaker was introduced in 2012 to celebrate the English manufacturer's 50th anniversary. Design and features Loud is easy, anyone can do loud. S2 Speaker Stand $449.99. KEF has cracked the code when it comes to creating incredibly big sounding speakers with equally incredibly small footprints and reasonable price points. Get the perfect stands to match your KEF speakers. KEF R3. Despite being relatively slim and compact boxes – the KEFs stand just 42cm high – the R3s are capable of delivering a good amount of bass weight and authority. Streaming via Tidal, flac 44.1kHz, 16-bit, snare hits cut like a knife, bass was fast, tight and accurate, synth horns clearly defined but never toppy, and Lizzo's vocals up front, big and bold. Now comes KEF's revamped R series, represented here by the only standmount in the range, the £1300 R3. Whether it was glossy pop from Billie Eillish, pared down acoustic signer songwriter fare from Jack Johnson or Leonard Cohen, soulful jazz from Lou Donaldson, Beethoven's 9 symphonies via Leonard Bernstein, or blues drenched rock from Marcus King, it all sounded terrific piped through the R3. And i started this thread seeking comparisons of the b&w 700 with the new KEF R3, there's only one review from hifi.com i can find for it, but so far im not able to locate a person on any of the boards i post on who has hands on impressions with the bookshelves or towers of both the latest KEF R3 series and the b&w 700 s2 series. Speaker Stand Pair The S2 Floor Stand provides the perfect platform for your speakers to perform. Weighing in at just over 10lbs each, these stands are robust and well balanced, even on carpet, especially with their hidden, sealable cavity filled with sand, shot, or KEF's optional inert filler. These high quality finishes are now standard with R series. The KEF R3 put you smack dab in the music, with a big ballsy presence that's able to keep up with the most dynamic music you can throw at them, but also eminently capable of reproducing quiet, delicate works with aplomb. midrange driver with 25mm (1 in.) midrange driver with 25mm (1 in.) Free shipping on many items ... Kef Center Channel Stand . After more than 50 years, KEF still manufactures their high-performance loud speakers with the goal of reproducing “recordings as natural as the original performance.” Accessories4less.com is proud to be the exclusive online authorized KEF outlet store in the USA! Rather, they have an accurate, lively, up front sparkly top end that I never found fatiguing, regardless of the sources or material used. bass driver and a 125mm (5 in.) This means ideal driver height positioning, steel damping plates accompanied by aluminium tube and base plates and space available for the addition of inert filler for further stability. (Please note: R3 does not come with speaker stands.) Even after a hundred hours of burn-in, the high frequencies are dull. Three-way stand mount The R3 stand mount shares the same drivers as the range topping R11 in a full range designe that defies expectations. LS50 Wireless II $2,499.99. Absent filler, stand cavities will resonate degrading sound quality, so it's always recommended stands be filled regardless of brand. According to KEF a compatible mounting plate add on is in the works. With the R3, bass is fast, articulate, tight, and snappy with zero bloat or bloom. This means ideal driver height positioning, steel damping plates accompanied by aluminium tube and base plates and space available for the addition of inert filler for further stability. ), Installation and Speaker Placement Guide For a taste of bass heavy jazz fusion I looked no further than Herb Albert's "Rise" from the album of the same name, also via Tidal, for another endorsement of R3's fabulous low end bonafides. Build quality is rock solid, clean, well executed, and stands are available in three high quality black, white, or gray powder coat finishes. When it comes to bass driven pop fun you'd be hard pressed to find a better example of the R3's low end muscularity than Lizzo's "Worship" from her 2016 debut album Coconut Oil. A true 3-way speaker the R3 has a powerful 165mm (6.5 in.) aluminium dome tweeter Uni-Q array that pushes performance to new extremes. KW1-RX Wireless Subwoofer Receiver $99.99. Give me speakers that remain full and dynamic at any volume without loosing steam and I'll give you a winner. Dynavector 20X-2L moving coil cartridge, VPI ADS Speed Controller, VPI Periphery Ring, Synergistic Research UEF Record Weight, Pneuance NP-2 isolation feet, Timber Nation maple audio rack & 3” maple isolation table, Levin Dry Record Cleaning and Stylus Brushes, Oznow Zero Dust Stylus Cleaner, , Wax Rax RC-2 Vinyl Record Cart, Audio Desk Vinyl Cleaner Pro, Sleeve City USA Ultimate Outer 5.0 outer sleeves, Bags Unlimited paper & poly inner sleeves. New R series speakers are available in three beautiful finishes: gloss white, piano black, and satin walnut. The UNI-Q array disperses the sound in a wide and consistent manner, so toe-in angle towards the listening position isn’t as critical as it is with most conventional rivals if you want pinpoint stereo imaging… PS Audio BHK Signature Preamplifier, PS Audio BHK Mono 300 Power Amplifiers, Zesto Tessera Phonostage, Digital: PS Audio DirectStream DAC, OPPO UDP-203 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Player, Analog: VPI Avenger Reference Turntable w/2 JMW-12-3DR Reference Tonearms, Reference Feet & Rim Drive Motor. The R3 also come with high quality bi-wireable binding posts. The passive ability, of course, calls for an external amplifier which can be a hassle to some. Using these stand with KEF Q100s at first (now LS50s) these stands seem to have helped tighten up the bass and brought additional clarity/punchiness to the speakers. Piano notes were rendered clearly, crisply, and percussively, with a deep, dynamic, resonant tone which sounded fulsome, transparent, open and airy. © 2021 Positive-Feedback.com. In fact, everything about these speakers is high quality, from the look, feel, build quality, and finish to the packaging. KEF is a world renowned British speaker manufacturer offering the very best ... R3 $1,999.99. LS50 Meta $1,499.99. All components in BOLD are loaned; all components in standard face are owned by me. Three-way stand mount The R3 stand mount shares the same drivers as the range topping R11 in a full range designe that defies expectations. All material within this site is copyrighted and can not be reprinted or used in any form without our express written permission. Speaker positioning is critical when it comes to creating the ideal soundscape. The company was founded in 1961 by Raymond Cooke OBE (1925 - 1995) and was initially headquartered in a Nissen Hut on the premises of Kent Engineering & Foundry (from where the name KEF is derived) a metal-working company on the banks of the River Medway, near Maidstone in Kent. KEF reserves the right, in line with continuing research and development, to amend or change specifications. Product Information Sheet. Their award winning LS50 and LS50 Wireless speakers are perfect examples. midrange driver with 25mm (1 in.) In other words the R3 are not only an outstanding value, but a great way to experience some of the best KEF has to offer without breaking the bank. Designed around the Uni-Q 12th Generation with Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT™) driver array, this solid, compact loudspeaker is capable of delivering detailed sound anywhere in the room.   Integrated cable management allows cables to be hidden away effortlessly, keeping your décor clean and elegant. KEF Performance Speaker Stands were engineered by our engineers to ensure standmount speakers sound at their best. Weisband's vocals were lush as they swelled and hung in the air centered between the R3's ample soundstage. Priced per bag. Streaming the track "Texas Sun" from the new Khruangbin and Leon Bridges EP of the same name via Qobuz, flac 96kHz 24-bit proved equally enjoyable. The KEF R3 is the second flattest speaker I’ve measured to date – second only to the Neumann KH80, which uses digital signal processing to achieve an … Exactly what you want from a speaker. KEF's R3 stand-mount speakers are part of the company's newly redesigned R Series. Stunning sonic ability at a reasonable price. These speakers excel across the entire frequency band. However, enjoy the P rimare I35 Prisma with the Kef R3's. $142.00. The entire track sounded open, airy and transparent on the R3. Mark Speer's guitar work strummed and twanged with open, airy clarity while Leon Bridges channeled Sam Cook with mid band vocals that sounded equally open, natural, transparent, full and centered via the R3. They do an exceptional job reproducing fleshy mid-band vocals, a sparkly top end with strings and horns, and a thunderous gut punch low-end with bass and drums, resulting in an extremely coherent and listenable presentation overall. In our test room they sound most balanced well away from all walls.We would suggest positioning them at least 70cm into the room as a good starting point. The 12th generation of the renowned KEF Uni-Q driver – which in R3 bundles a one-inch vented aluminum-dome tweeter with a five-inch aluminum-cone midrange, the very same full-range design found in the R Series flagship R11 floorstander – anchors this 29.8-pound overachiever. The R3 stand mount shares the same drivers as the range topping R11 in a full range designe that defies expectations. The woofers are paper cones with an aluminium façade. It would be easy for those uninitiated with KEF, and sensitive to aggressive top ends, to be gun shy when seeing aluminum drivers listed in specs. KEF is owned by a Chinese company (Gold Peak), and the R3 speakers are made in China. Vocals and instruments were each clearly delineated and placed within an appropriately wide soundstage for this groovy quartet. LS50c Meta Center Channel $799.99. A true 3-way speaker the R3 has a powerful 165mm (6.5 in.) The new R series is comprised of the R11, 7, and 5 floor standers, R3 bookshelf, R2c center, and R8a Dolby Atmos modules, which can also be used for side or rear surrounds. aluminium dome tweeter Uni-Q array that pushes performance to new extremes. The KEF Q350 is available now for $650 or £529 for a pair. aluminium dome tweeter Uni-Q array that pushes performance to new extremes. Add to that advanced internal bracing, new material and cabinet technology, rock solid build quality—R3 are 35lbs each, a new 12th generation Uni-Q driver design that eliminates air leakage previously occurring between the midrange and tweeter, allowing increased gain with less distortion, purer sound, and more accurate imaging, and a gorgeous magnetically applied laser etched leatherette grill, and you have a really special range of mid-priced speakers on your hands. The R3 is 87dB efficient with a 38Hz - 50kHz frequency range on paper, although my ears tell me it reaches as low as 40Hz. Laura Leeds's bass and Donald Johnson drums shuffled along with an easy, natural, musical sound, plenty of detail retrieval from the cymbals, and deep strutting rhythms which were clear and well defined. While the previous generation earned rave reviews from Crutchfield employees and customers alike, these new R Series models are jam-packed with upgrades that promise even sweeter, more refined sound. ... KEF - R3 Series Passive 3-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Walnut - NWOB. KEF's inert filler is the perfect substance to mass load your speaker stand support column. As these were originally designed for use with KEF's LS50, the screw holes on the mounting plates located the top of each stand don't line up with the taps on the bottom of each R3 speaker cabinet. Designed to partner LS50 Meta, LS50 Wireless II, and other KEF standmount speakers, they boast a mounting system with integrated cable management that allows wires to be hidden, and spike discs to protect wooden floors. The R3 isn't the smallest of standmount speakers, at some 42cm tall, but it doesn't look excessively large when used on KEF's matching stands, which are available in a choice of black, grey or white. What's more, the R3 is a relatively unfussy design when it comes to both positioning and partnering equipment. All Rights Reserved, Andover Audio Model-One Turntable Music System, Koetsu Black Goldline Moving Coil Cartridge, A Fantastic Little Stereo System - Part 1, Announcing the New Series 3 Loudspeaker from Bamberg Audio! 2 Bags per KEF Speaker Stand are recommended. bass driver and a 125mm (5 in.) With the R3 placed 16" inches from the rear wall, 2' feet from each side wall, 7' feet apart and an equal distance from my listening position these stand mounts delivered a fully fleshed out soundstage, and could easily fill larger spaces. What manner of black magic has KEF used to elicit this degree of deep bass response from such a diminutive cabinet with only one 6.5" inch bass driver? Inquiring minds want to know! Sign up for the latest news and exclusive promotions. bass driver and a 125mm (5 in.) Purchased the KEF R3 for the studio where I work as a recording engineer. Here are a few of the notes from my listening sessions: Piano and vocals were deftly handled streaming Emily Weisband's "Healthy" from her digital only album Identity Crisis via Tidal, flac 48kHz, 24-bit, MQA 48kHz. A true 3-way speaker the R3 has a powerful 165mm (6.5 in.) They won't make your ears bleed. If you like KEF I'm confident you'll love these speakers, and if you're new to KEF there's no better time to become acquainted. $125.00. Lots of bottom end is great, but sheer bass alone doesn't tell whole story. Rest assured, while these speakers are not what I would call laid-back or forgiving in their presentation, they are also not overly analytical, bright, harsh, or brittle in their high frequency range. The KEF Performance Speaker Stand was created to offer the ideal platform for KEF standmount speakers. The Performance Speaker Stand is ideal for the LS50 and LS50 Wireless, but can also be utilised by other KEF standmount speakers. KEF Performance Speaker Stands were engineered by our engineers to ensure standmount speakers sound at their best. For the record I left Dirac Live room correction off because A) I felt the R3 sounded significantly more dynamic without it, and B) to better obtain an unadulterated assessment of what the R3 were capable of. - Steve Martin, 1977. We are recognised in the history of loudspeaker development as one of the most important contributors and a great deal of our research has been published at well respected professional institutions, including the Audio Engineering Society and the Institute of Acoustics.