As I slipped them out of the protective wrapping I saw these were the Piano Black versions. The packaging was very good and kept the speakers protected during shipping and this is in line with other speakers in this price range. I was also excited to really set them up in my own room and system, knowing I will hear them how they were meant to be heard. It took a while to get a pair from them but when they arrived I was excited to see how these would sound compared to Buchardt speakers, and even my reference Focal’s. When KEF asked me if I would like to review the new R3 Meta I was all in. They were great speakers just not what I was looking for at that time.ĮNTER THE 2023 KEF R3 META. Maybe it was the room or the setup but they didn’t touch my heart during that audition. To me they sounded a little thin in the mids as well. It wasn’t quite like that though as I found the sound a little too polite and without much bass, again. I fell for the looks and was hoping for an LS50 with more bass. In fact I was all set to buy them that day and had the cash in my pocket to do so because I fell for the looks of the brown set with the sheer grille.Īfter listening though, we walked out, both Debby and I saying “Let’s keep looking”. I do remember hearing the original R3’s at a dealer when they came out and I walked away a little bit uninspired in that short 20 minute audition. KEF says it is due to their Uni-Q Driver as this is something that sets KEF apart from other speaker makers. Not the most full bodied sounding little things but impressive with more of an “audiophile” flair to the sound. They can wow you with a remarkably crisp soundstage and imaging. They are not priced into the stratosphere yet expose the details from music in a sweet crispy fluid way with more warmth than before. The LS 50 Meta’s were better (than the OG) for sure and they are very well regarded speakers with fans all over the world. I remember being enthralled with the original LS50 for the energy, excitement and detail they produced, I just wanted more bass from them as at the time I did not own a subwoofer. To me the Meta was an improvement over the originals that I found to be crazy good at detail extraction but super weak on bass (sub would be needed for me). After much thought, I believe that they were the LS50 Meta. I tried to remember the last KEF Speakers I have heard. The KEF LS 50 Metas are smaller than the R3 and are beloved by many audio fans. I have also heard speakers from Harbeth (also beautiful) and Emotiva this year (budget champs). That special Fauna edition blew me away for what I was getting for the cost. The Buchardt S400 II are one set that come to mind. Over the last year I have been able to hear some stunning speakers. They often punch above their price class and this is a good thing. They always seem to be a popular choice due to the quality offered for the price asked. I do not have an all out favorite brand today but I do enjoy the sound of most KEF speakers because I find they have a unique sound, just to them. I still love some of the designs from Sonus Faber, Fleetwood Sound, Klipsch, Tannoy, B&W, Devore and quite a few other speaker makers though. The Diablos have been without question one of the finest sets of bookshelf speakers I have heard in my life but it took careful system matching and setup to get there as they are picky little buggers when it comes to associated gear and setup. By reference, I mean these are the speakers I compare against others that come in for review. I have been curious about the recent crop of bookshelf speakers ever since I went crazy and acquired a pair of Focal Diablos, which are now my reference speakers in my listening room. Just recently KEF sent me a pair of R3 Meta speakers to reviewand of course I jumped at the chance. I’m just a guy who loves to write and talk about things I like, and audio is one of them. I try to improve my reviews with each and every one that I do and am glad that some of you enjoy them. It seems my reviews in the audio realm have been taking off, getting more popular! I thank all of you who have watched my videos and read these pages over the years. I have been able to hear so many amazing audio products this year alone and they just keep flowing in for review. Wow, I can not believe it is already May of 2023.
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