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KEF’s Entry-Level Loudspeakers Just Got Their Biggest Hi-Fi Upgrade in Years

The new line borrows tech from the British hi-fi giant’s more premium loudspeakers.

KEF Q1 Meta speakersKEF

By Tucker Bowe

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For the first time in nearly seven years, KEF has overhauled its entry-level line of loudspeakers.

The British audio maker has introduced the new Q Series Meta, an updated version of its 2017-released Q Series, which borrows technologies from its more expensive loudspeaker ranges.

According to the company, the new line “brings high-fidelity sound to more people than ever before, combining a sleek, modern design with cutting-edge technology.”

KEF Q1 Meta speakers
Eight different loudspeakers make up KEF’s new entry-level range.
KEF

Stereo and home theater

KEF’s Q Series Meta range includes eight different models to meet your stereo or home theater needs.

There are three bookshelf speakers, the two-way Q1 Meta ($600) and larger Q3 Meta ($800), as well as the three-way Q Concerto Meta ($1,300) — the latter of which gets its name for KEF’s vintage Concerto speakers that were first released in 1969.

The Q7 Meta ($900) and Q11 Meta Flagship ($1,100) are the two sets of floor-standing speakers in the line.

For those building out a surround sound system, there’s a center-channel speaker in the Q6 Meta ($800), a two-way Dolby Atmos module in the Q8 Meta ($800), and on-wall speakers in the Q4 Meta ($500).

KEF Q1 Meta speakers
The Q Concerto Meta is a three-way bookshelf speaker. It borrows the name from KEF’s 1969-released Concerto speakers.
KEF

Trickle-down tech

The main upgrade for all the loudspeakers in the Q Series Meta range is that KEF has given them with a 12th-generation Uni-Q driver with Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT). This is the same driver and technology used in its higher-end R Series Meta range and popular LS50 Meta hi-fi speakers.

The latest-gen Uni-Q driver has been reengineered to take full advantage of MAT, a complex maze-like structure that absorbs 99% of unwanted sound.

Together, this driver-and-tech combo promises an incredibly accurate and natural sound that’s free of distortion.

KEF Q1 Meta speakers
The Q3 Meta bookshelf speakers can be stand-mounted.
KEF

Price and availability

All eight models in KEF’s new Q Series Meta come in the same three finishes — satin black, satin white and walnut — as its original Q Series.

The KEF Q Series Meta starts at $600 with the entry-level Q1 Meta bookshelf speakers and goes up to $2,200 for its highest-end Q11 Meta Flagship floorstanding speakers.

You can order any of KEF’s newest speakers on October 10th, with the Q Concerto Meta being the one exception — myKEF members can order them today.

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