KEF Turns 50: A Retrospective

Posted by: Alan Sircom at 4:04 pm, September 23rd, 2011

The first years of the 21st Century saw KEF catch the home-theater world unawares, with the launch of its KHT2005 sub/sat system, forever known as the “KEF eggs.” These small, ovoid loudspeakers, whose enclosures were made from cast aluminum, featured custom Uni-Q drivers and offered excellent value for money, which gave them far more spacious sound than their rivals. Once again, these loudspeakers were the result of extensive research and led to the development of new technologies, with the assistance of new Finite Element Analysis-driven computer-aided design systems. In home theater, one such development was KEF’s Acoustic Compliance Enhancement (ACE) technology that uses bass cabinet filler materials infused with activated charcoal to help control the flow of air within the enclosure at a molecular level. In short, ACE gives small cabinets the loading characteristics of much larger enclosures, improving bass depth and smoothness in the process.

Recently, KEF has been busy, with all-new Q-Series and R-Series loudspeakers, both of which feature Uni-Q technology developed to its fullest extent to date, while the Muon represents the first in a beyond-luxury series of limited edition loudspeaker products. Most recently, KEF has brought its elegant Concept Blade speaker—first seen as a pure engineering idea at the Munich High End show two years ago—into a new high-end design simply called the Blade that shows just how much good KEF can put into any speaker.

Fifty years on, and KEF still stands by the goals laid down by Raymond Cooke back in 1961. The company is driven by technological innovation, research into new materials, and a passion for music, expressed through fine audio engineering. And with products like the Blade, KEF looks set to hold to those goals for years to come.