17th September 2024
Our journey began on a warm early morning in September when we flew to London. It was a delightful surprise to experience a sunny day in London without any rain. What a miracle! Combining that with the vibrant atmosphere of Soho, the upscale vibe of Oxford Street, and a lively city full of positive energy that I had never encountered before, you have the perfect recipe for an unexpected vacation. The warm welcomes and kind-hearted people we met during our stay were at the heart of everything. We are truly grateful for all we discovered, the lessons we learned, and the wonderful experience overall!
But let’s rewind for a bit.
It all started with an invitation from our friends at AVstore, the KEF representative in Romania. Lucian asked us if we would attend a KEF event in London, and we were excited to hear those two magic words—KEF and London. Only a little was revealed in advance, but we liked that. KEF has a special place in our hearts, as we have appreciated and enjoyed many of their products in recent years. Since 1961, from their UK home, KEF has been creating remarkable, award-winning speakers. From groundbreaking Uni-Q technology to the modern LS60 Wireless complete system, KEF fills the room with music made to be heard, and the Reference series determines industry standards to this day. So, we said yes confidently and did not ask for more, keeping it as a great adventure coming up.
A little bit of history.
A series of breakthroughs spanning more than half a century speaks about pure innovation, heritage, and love of music. KEF, named after Kent Engineering and Foundry, has been headquartered in Maidstone, Kent, in the UK, since 1961. Cooke, an ex-BBC electrical engineer, was eager enough to experiment with new materials and technologies to create speakers that could reproduce recordings as natural as the original performance.
We saw up close the iconic three-way speaker Concerto from 1969, which was created to bring high-end performance in an attractive package to the mainstream market. By the end of the ’60s, KEF was already established as a leading company in the audio industry, with commercial success not only for the loudspeaker systems but also for the drive units that numerous companies adopted.
In the subsequent decade, starting in the 1970s, KEF emerged as the first company globally to incorporate computers into loudspeaker design and measurement. By leading the way in using digital technology to attain unparalleled audio precision, each pair of reference models can be calibrated to within 0.5 dB of the laboratory-maintained standard. The legendary L53/5a from the 70s, inspired by KEF and designed at the BBC, transformed the audio experience in 1975. In 1976, a new design methodology was refined into a new approach to loudspeaker development—computer-assisted “Total System Design,” which shaped the release of Corelli, Calinda, and Cantata. Just one year later, the first Reference Model 105 saw the light of day as one of the most radical and sophisticated loudspeakers ever made. This is how the Reference Series was born, and it continues to set the benchmark even today.
The 1980s brought us the Uni-Q driver, the first truly coincident source that enlarged the optimum listening area. This allowed everyone sitting in different spots in the room to experience the same natural and detailed sound. Uni-Q has become the building block of KEF’s signature sound to this day.
The 1990s saw advancements in innovative products like the Q Series, the second generation of Uni-Q driver technology, and the rise of home theater systems. KEF was one of the first companies to release a THX-approved home theater system with vertically directional front speakers and dipole surrounds. Does some of this technology sound familiar? Indeed, a lot of this innovation has become a standard of today’s systems.
Starting in 2010, the next decade became the era of the BLADE, launched in 2011. The Single Apparent Source configuration is what makes BLADE so gratifyingly coherent across the frequency range, with more precise imaging than was possible from any conventional speaker. KEF’s 50th anniversary brought a new KEF classic into our homes, the LS50. LS50 took the original LS3/5a studio monitor concept and enhanced it in many ways, becoming a pioneer in enabling everyone to experience great sound at home. It set a new benchmark for high-quality home audio for the years to come. That is why, in 2017, KEF introduced the first generation of LS50 Wireless, using the LS50 platform to bring high-fidelity sound into the digital lifestyle.
The advancements, starting in the 2020s, are more familiar now. Like everything surrounding us now, KEF is taking monumental steps instead of tiny increments. Everything is faster, and technology advances to another level. The groundbreaking use of Material Absorption Technology (MAT) in speaker design earned the “Innovation of the Year” award in 2020 for the Maidstone, Kent company. This revolutionary tool, MAT, absorbs 99% of the unwanted sound from the rear of the driver and has become the “de facto” standard in the upcoming products of KEF’s portfolio. KEF’s 60th anniversary brings the LS60 Wireless – the first active floor-standing speaker that combines all key technologies with digital convergence. In modern days, we can see advancements in Uni-Q driver technology and the introduction of Uni-Core, starting with the KC62 mighty mini subwoofer.
We discovered the reach history from our tour in Maidstone at the KEF factory and laboratory. I found it essential as a basement to unravel our experience.
Listen and believe.
“KEF’s mission is to deliver sound with as little intervention as possible, from treble to bass and everything in between. Listeners should be able to close their eyes and immerse themselves in the sound so deeply that they are transported, in their minds, to the source. We believe that the best sound is natural sound – and that access to it is a right, not a privilege.”
I must acknowledge that this KEF marketing piece effectively encapsulates the company’s philosophy. “Listen and believe” was the guiding principle throughout our visit from the factory to the Music Gallery in London. We were welcomed to immerse ourselves in the experience, uncover the underlying elements, grasp the reasons behind them, listen firsthand, and appreciate the enchanting power of sound.
So, it is way more than a marketing smart trick. With spaces created to be a home away from home for audiophiles, creators, makers, or just music lovers, the Music Gallery London completely embraces the idea of exploring music in a place where innovation meets inspiration.
Maidstone, Kent – Day 1
On the first day of our tour in London, we went straight to Maidstone, Kent, where KEF has been based for over 60 years. This is where the factory still manufactures KEF speakers, and the Laboratory and KEF’s R&D Center are set to drive innovation for years ahead. I believe we kicked off our visit on a high note, gaining invaluable insights. The next day, when we arrived in central London, we possessed a much deeper understanding and knowledge.
We met our wonderful host for the next two days, Mr. Matt Pujari, European Business Development Manager at KEF. I tell you, we could not have had a better host than Matt. It was a blast, and we had a fantastic experience, so thank you, Matt! With your tremendous help, this was one of the coolest factory tours we ever did. We are truly grateful!
The KEF factory
The KEF Acoustic Laboratory, established in 1977, set the foundation for KEF’s research and development efforts. Following a brief overview of the KEF facilities, we embarked on an extensive factory tour. Upon entering the factory grounds, we were welcomed by two impressive giants we had previously only seen in photographs. These striking speakers, formed from a single piece of aluminum and designed with a graceful silhouette, stand majestically at the entrance. I am referring to the stunning Muon speakers located just past the initial entrance corridor.
Two meters high and weighing 115 kg per piece, the Muons are a remarkable feat of sound engineering and cutting-edge design. Individually crafted and carefully measured in KEF’s highly accurate anechoic chambers, each loudspeaker has a certificate showing its unique frequency response curve, signed by the skilled craftsman who made it in KEF’s Maidstone workshop. Also, remember that these marvels are built in a limited number of just 100 pairs. We had the unique chance to hear what these beats are capable of in an exceptional room from the Music Gallery the next day. For now, we just circled the monsters a few times as you do in the museum where you first encounter the reality of a dinosaur skeleton. Somehow, your brain has to comprehend the scale to grasp the marvel of the encounter. Learning that each speaker is a single sculptured piece of aluminum settled in the end in our minds, but it needed the dust of the mind-blowing surprise to clear first.
We continue to advance on factory assembly lines. Next were a few BLADE speakers in different stages of assembly. People carefully assembled the BLADEs, taking the time to check thoroughly after each operation was completed. The skilled workers’ calm and relaxed movements through the steps resembled a surgical room rather than a product assembly line. Nothing was rushed, and each worker at their station was responsible for building your BLADE speakers from start to finish. That is a very well-established way of creating high-quality products.
The assembled BLADEs in marvelous colors waited in line for their packaging time. The racing red color stood apart in the line of shiny new speakers; I could not have imagined that it looked so good. It was an incredible, beautiful red color that suited the elegant silhouette of the Blade One Meta so well. The pictures that we took have no chance of coming close to reality.
During our tour from station to station, we learned that the whole process of packaging the speakers is recorded, and later, if any problems occur, they can be analyzed and rethought for the future. This makes total sense now that we know it, as the integrity of these expensive and sensible products matters almost as much as the engineering poured into their design and manufacture.
We learned that each crossover built is also measured and compared to the laboratory baseline component as a reference. This ensures quality control within very rigorous, tight tolerances. Do you want to know more? Well, there is much more… KEF has anechoic chambers (yes, a few of them) on the assembly lines. Every finished speaker is positioned precisely in the exact location inside the adjacent anechoic chamber, measured, and compared to the baseline – the first approved prototype for the specific model. Again, the results must fall within a minimal margin for the product to pass quality control. This is highly reassuring regarding each product’s quality expectations. This is something pretty hard to find these days…
KEF Acoustic Laboratory
After a brief coffee break, we were introduced to the Research & Development team. There, we met Prathmesh Thakkar, a Research & Development Engineer and one of the key innovators behind some of the most groundbreaking products in recent years. Prathmesh is such a knowledgeable person, and we had so many questions, but he never stepped back one moment from answering and enlightening us.
Walking through numerous rooms in the facility, we were dazzled by the many aspects involved in designing, engineering, testing, and releasing the products. There are so many steps involved, and KEF is definitely rooted in science, from the materials to the acoustics. We jumped from rooms filled with history, where the prototypes of the past settled into a peaceful quietness, to modern facilities, where the latest digital design techniques were used to develop new products.
We learned of the most advanced Finite Element Analysis (FEA) used to predict an object’s behavior in a system based on calculations made with the Finite Element Method (FEM). KEF did not settle for commercial analysis software solutions; they developed in the laboratory their software solution better suited to the acoustics and materials used. KEF starts the development of any new product using a scientific method of predicting the behavior required for new components in the final system needed. Grounding the requirements into reality allows for advanced simulations and predictable results. We remember they were the first in the industry to use advanced digital tools.
Jumping from the myriad rooms of the laboratory, we ended up in the most bizarre place I could have imagined. In the end, testing is almost as important as the theory; this is what the scientific method teaches us. That is why they have that awkward room, which was strange from many perspectives—it was a very, very high room, big alright, but mostly, the height was the most stunning aspect. We found out it was a measuring room for speakers. Many, many meters in the air, it was a special place to hang a speaker oriented toward a hole through a wall. From that hole, they can measure the frequency response of a speaker for very long waves, something totally different that can be accomplished in an anechoic chamber.
Of course, we also visited some listening rooms, as beyond all the science, there is always the need for real listening with the ears, heart, and soul. The speakers are meant to play music, something very personal to each of us and highly subjective. So, listening in a natural environment and with real music is an essential step in each development path of every product.
We gained a deeper understanding of the elements and reasons behind each stage of product development, from the initial concept to the prototype. It was quite overwhelming. We have to extend our deepest and most sincere gratitude to Prathmesh for guiding us through the complex and intricate world of the lab. It was an experience that we will not soon forget.
London – Day 2
KEF Music Gallery, London
Well, this was the whole purpose of our tour of the KEF world, their Crown Jewel – the Music Gallery in the heart of London. This space is designed to serve as a unique brand experience destination and embodies KEF’s ambition, values, and purpose. Meticulous planning, unwavering passion, and sheer determination have contributed to creating the flagship Experience Location. But the KEF Music Gallery is much more than that. It goes beyond the technical challenge, beyond a global retail flagship store; it stands at the intersection of technology and art, a place destined for creativity, passion, and love for music as a true art expression.
Matt guided us through the Music Gallery the next day. The different rooms of the Gallery are called Exploratory Spaces, and they showcase the latest KEF products. Let’s discover the Exploratory Spaces together.
The KEFe
Indeed, this is a coffee shop, where you can definitely enjoy excellent coffee. But that’s not all. You’ll find yourself enveloped in exceptional sound. Whether you seek relaxation, a creative workspace, or simply wish to enjoy music in its finest form, KEFe will captivate your senses with delightful aromas, great flavors, and fantastic acoustics.
The Gallery
The Gallery is a versatile space where you can discover and explore the latest KEF products on display. It is exciting that every product displayed can be connected and will demonstrate its capabilities. During the evening, The Gallery will transform into a place that hosts spectacular musical events where one can see their favorite artist, DJ, or producer and listen to a full album in the best acoustic conditions from stunning speakers like the Blade. Add to this a glass with great gin and tell me this is not a perfect evening. The place can always be transformed from album listening sessions to intimate dinners.
The Studio
On the same level as The KEFe and The Gallery, the Studio mimics the anechoic chamber found in the R&D facilities in Maidstone. This impressive acoustic space features a window overlooking the bustling street. Its remarkable soundproofing makes the Studio an ideal setting for podcast recordings, interviews, or demonstrations. While it isn’t an entirely dead anechoic chamber where one can hear their heartbeat, it boasts excellent soundproofing akin to the entire Gallery floor. Despite the extensive windows, street noise doesn’t disrupt the Gallery’s interior.
The Living Room
It is a contemporary-looking living room space where guests can have immersive hi-fi demos with KEF speakers in a warm and inviting atmosphere, resembling a home environment. In my opinion, this was a very clever idea, as we always struggle to foresee how a piece of equipment will really sound in our spaces, especially speakers that greatly interact with the room. The room’s dimensions are also a big problem when trying to demo some speakers in a classic demo room, which is a lot bigger most of the time. With the Living Room, KEF succeeded in eliminating all these second-guessing thoughts. Well, KEF has some cards up their sleeves as the Living Room is well-treated soundwise. Yes, there is sound treatment applied to the walls, but it is so clever and neat that it becomes a feasible solution for every living room.
The Ultimate Experience Room
Powered by the flagship Muon speakers and Ci-Reference architectural speakers with Dolby Atmos, this room is as impressive as it sounds. It is the space to experience incredible sound, whether it’s music or the audio of a great movie. This room truly excels in the technical department, as no stone has been left unturned. Just look at the acoustic ceiling lights, and you can start to understand the great extent and deep thought that went into building this room. Shall I tell you about the hidden subwoofers in the back that will cancel the room modes and enhance the long waves from the speakers in the front? No, they are not visible, and that is the whole point: cleverly hiding those eight massive subs under the wood panels while providing the best sound possible. It is quite a technical achievement. Shall I tell you again about the Muon speakers from the front of the room? I have to, as we had the chance to listen to them. Shall I explore the Dolby Atmos speakers that you cannot even see but sounded so spectacular recreating the point object marvel in the soundscape? At least for me, it tingled my interest in the home theater aspect that I had ignored until now.
The Hub
And there is The Hub, an intimate collaborative space ideal for hosting workshops with partners and the community of creators. Featuring KEF in-ceiling architectural speakers, the space allows guests to experience excellent sound in a social environment.
And there is another room…
Not one advertised or one that can be found in the Music Gallery presentations.
The Hidden Room
It’s not concealed at all. This technical room is designed to house the impressive server racks and equipment that instantly activate every speaker in the KEF Music Gallery. It serves as the heart of the entire space. And wow—what an incredible array of equipment! Only by visiting this room can one truly appreciate the immense technical effort invested to make the other rooms come alive. In fact, KEF received the CEDIA Smart Home Awards in 2024 for outstanding automation achievement for the London Music Gallery space. Everything is managed from this technical room, from lighting and audio routing to security and the decoding of Dolby Atmos streams on the top-notch equipment available. For avid tech enthusiasts, this room is truly a breathtaking sight.
The New Q Series with MAT
On the second day, we marveled through the Music Gallery, discovering every room and listening to a lot of music. In the Living Room, we still had another surprise. For the first time, we saw the new Q Series Meta line of speakers. The Q Series was not launched yet back then, but now the veil of secrecy was lifted as the whole series is available on the market. But we pride ourselves on listening to it just before the official launch.
Equipped with innovative technology from the premium ranges, the new Q Series features Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) and the 12th generation of the Uni-Q driver array. We listened to the Q7 Meta 3-way floorstanding and the Q4 Meta 2-way on-wall speakers. First, the speakers looked gorgeous, and the level of finishing for the price point was top-notch. Incorporating the latest version of Uni-Q drivers and the Meta absorption, the Q Series is an outstanding proposal for building around a competent stereo system or a home theater one. We could find no flows at that price point.
Soundwise, we were also impressed by the capabilities of the Q Series. Listening, especially to the Q4 Meta, I was very impressed with the sound quality of a speaker thought to be mounted on the wall. I did not expect that. Well, of course, the 3-way floorstanding would sound great, especially in a well-treated room and positioned a little into the room. But the wall speaker? Well… I did not see that coming. The Q4 Meta sounded really good, with good imaging and separation, and above all, good bass. Yep, can you imagine? It is definitely something to explore if one is considering building a home theater system that sounds really good.
Now, probably many reviews will start to pop up for the new KEF Q Series. And I bet that almost all of them will praise the sound quality as well as the look and feel. It is quite a step forward for KEF in terms of versatility and conscious pricing in the market. The Series is well-extended from bookshelf models Q1, Q3, and Q Concerto Meta to floorstanding Q7 and Q11 Meta, and the center channel Q6 or the Dolby Atmos vertical firing surround speaker.
Events at KEF Music Gallery London
The Music Gallery truly stands out as a unique collaborative space. It hosts various events throughout the year, including immersive sound and music sessions, film screenings, art exhibitions, discussions, and workshops. This diversity has inspired me to reflect on the successful Apple concept stores worldwide. However, KEF has surpassed those experiences by establishing a genuine hub for artists and creators to engage with tools of the highest technical quality. It is a magnificent achievement not just from a technical perspective but also from a cultural standpoint, as they succeeded in adding art to the inner core and building lasting experiences around it. This is not a plain and simple concept store to showcase products. It is primarily an event hub, a place to experience sound at the highest quality and to experiment with products that are not just price-conscious (most of them) but well-suited for any modern home.
We enjoyed a lively and inviting space to appreciate the beauty of music. We hardly noticed when The Gallery began setting up for the evening’s music event. The first floor transformed as people convened for a delightful listening session featuring an album from one of the participating artists. KEF provided drinks for attendees, and the ambiance was so pleasant that we totally forgot about our dinner wait. I could have attended many, many evenings like that.
It was a great experience, and we are truly grateful for the chance to be part of it. KEF realized something exceptional with their Music Gallery in the heart of London. I could only dream that maybe someday we could have something like this in the heart of our city. It is a genuinely social, immersive experience, and I wonder what else could be better than having such a place to share the passion for music, art, and creativity.
One More Thing
You may think I am shamelessly copying Steve Jobs and his “One More Thing” momentum. But I can not help myself; this last thing is quite a story in itself. Oh yes, quite memorable.
Matt arranged for a quick visit to Dolby London Soho. Exactly! It was as exciting as it sounds. It was an awakening experience that made me realize what is possible today with Dolby technology applied to image and sound. It started a sleeping daemon in me, as I was content with my OLED TV in my home.
We experienced a demonstration in the Dolby Screening Room located in Soho, London. The room was adjusted exquisitely; as soon as the lights went off, we were enveloped in complete darkness. There was absolutely no light, no reflections—just a pitch-black screen. From that void came the most striking image I have ever encountered. The vibrancy, contrast, and clarity of the colors were unmatched, even compared to the finest TVs. The light that reached the screen had minimal reflections from the surroundings and seemingly vanished upon impact. It felt almost like advanced sorcery, how the light seemed to disappear after hitting the screen. This profound blackness enhanced both the immersion and color vibrancy dramatically. It was the darkest black screen I have ever witnessed, even though it had been white before the lights dimmed. We were instantly absorbed by the atmosphere of the movie clip. A profound emotional state and total immersion took over us. The flawless projection evoked the same feeling as listening to exceptional music on a high-quality audio system—you just drift away into the experience. Although I had seen these clips from famous movies before, I had never felt such a compelling emotional grip.
Obviously, the sound contributed significantly to the experience. Dolby Atmos technology creates objects of sound precisely positioned in space and augments the projected image to perfection. I have to say that cinematography was at the highest level I have ever experienced. So, this is what “the artist intended” means. Outstanding.
Next, we translated the experience from the screening room to a standard living room with a TV and a Dolby Atmos sound system provided by KEF. And that was where the click happened for me. As I am aware, there is no way to reproduce at home the reality from that Dolby screening room, but the reproduction from the KEF room was so compelling that it raised my interest in the KEF home theater proposal, especially the architectural ones. The sound quality is astonishing, and the Dolby sound rendering technology is so real that it is a pity not to look into it. The sound experience was not at all far from the projection room. Quite an achievement!
Thank you, KEF
Many thanks to everyone from KEF who was involved in our experience in London!
A heartfelt thank you to Matt Pujari and Lucian Velea for their invitation, the valuable time shared, and the enjoyable moments we experienced together. We departed with such positive energy that we are certain we would come back. Our hosts were incredibly warm and welcoming, and we gained a wealth of knowledge from the experience.
KEF accomplished an extraordinary feat with The Music Gallery in the heart of London. I could go further and continue plagiarizing Steve Jobs, but it suits me so well to depict the true meaning of the endeavor: “We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise, why else be here?” Indeed, at the end of the day, our goals and accomplishments are never about us. They’re all about the change that we can bring to the world.
