U.K. speaker maker KEF has given its popular Q Series lineup of speakers its first upgrade in seven years, bringing the company’s audiophile Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) and other fine-tunings to the speaker range that spans an affordable $600 to $2,200.
The new KEF Q Series with MAT family is an eight-speaker collection that can be used in a simple stereo setup suitable for music (and/or vinyl record) lovers or built out into a multi-channel home theater configuration complete with up-firing height speakers for the immersive, Dolby Atmos surround sound enthusiast.
What sets this iteration of the Q Series (the ninth time it’s been revamped since its 1991 debut) apart from its predecessors is that KEF has added its sound-absorbing MAT innovation that can be found on several of its high-end speakers, including the LS50 Meta wireless speakers, Reference line, and others.
KEF’s MAT consists of a maze-like element in the speaker construction with channels that each absorbs a specific frequency. The result, KEF says, is an element that “acts as an acoustic black hole, absorbing 99% of the unwanted sound,” making for a beautifully distortion-free and natural sound.
All eight of the Q Series Meta speakers combines the MAT with the latest 12th generation of KEF’s renowned Uni-Q driver array design, with each speaker being specifically designed and tuned based on their size and depth so the driver array and the metameterial work together to further improve clarity and detail.
Additional changes to the Q Series range include a move away from the two-way speaker design to a three-way design in the floorstanding Q7 Meta and Q11 Meta speakers, as well as with the bookshelf Q Concerto Meta and Q6 Meta center speakers. The change promises to add better frequency separation between the mids and highs with a new bass driver also doing much more of the low-end lifting for what KEF says is deeper and cleaner bass.
The new Q Series lineup consists of: The slimmer and more compact Q7 Meta and Q11 Meta floorstanding speakers; three bookshelf/stand-mounters that increase in size up the range and include the Q1 Meta, Q3 Meta, and the newest addition, the Q Concerto Meta that is a throwback to the KEF Concerto bookshelf from 1969; KEF’s first on-wall speaker, the compact Q4 Meta that can be used in a left-center-right (LCR) configuration or as surrounds; the more traditional Q6 Meta center speaker that can also be LCR or surround configured; and the Q8 Meta, a versatile height speaker that can either be placed on top of the M7 or M11 floorstanders or wall-mounted as surround speakers.
Like its predecessors, the new KEF Q Series comes in Satin Black, Satin White, and Walnut finishes, but this time around their magnetic grilles are included (grilles were previously sold separately in the Q Series).
Here’s a full pricing an availability breakdown of the Q Series Meta speaker lineup:
- Q1 Meta: $600 per pair — bookshelf, two-way
- Q3 Meta: $800 per pair — bookshelf, two-way
- Q Concerto Meta: $1,300 per pair — bookshelf, upgraded from two-way to three-way
- Q6 Meta: $800 each — center speaker, upgraded from two-way to three-way, can also be used in a left/center/right configuration
- Q7 Meta: $900 each — floorstander, upgraded from two-way to three-way
- Q11 Meta: $1,100 each — floorstander, upgraded from two-way to three-way
- Q8 Meta: $800 per pair — height speaker or can be used as a wall-mounted surround speaker
- Q4 Meta: $500 each — on-wall speaker, can also be used as a LCR or surround speaker
The KEF Q Series Meta speakers will be available at KEF’s website as follows:
- Q Concerto Meta — Available beginning September 26, as part of myKEF’s member early access exclusive.
- Q11 Meta, Q7 Meta, Q3 Meta, Q1 Meta, Q6 Meta, Q8 Meta — available from October 10.
- Q4 Meta, SQ1 Floor stand, PQ1 Plinth Spike Kit — available this winter.