KEF Q1 Meta

The Q1 Meta is a bookshelf speaker from KEF, designed as a two-way system in a compact format that avoids taking up space while remaining capable of filling a listening room. It features a 12th-generation Uni-Q coaxial driver, a system in which the tweeter sits at the centre of the midrange-woofer, an arrangement intended to align the point of emission of the two transducers.

The vented dome tweeter, paired with a waveguide and MAT (Metamaterial Absorption Technology), is designed to absorb the unwanted sound waves emitted behind the dome in order to limit the distortion they would otherwise cause. The coaxial driver measures 13 cm in diameter for the woofer-midrange section and 25 mm for the tweeter. The bass-reflex loading, via a port located at the rear of the cabinet, rounds out the low-frequency extension, with a stated frequency response of 51 Hz to 20 kHz (-3 dB). The crossover frequency between the two ways sits at 2.1 kHz. The speaker offers a sensitivity of 86 dB (2.83 V/1 m), an impedance of 4 ohms (3.2 ohms minimum) and accepts a recommended amplification power of between 10 and 150 W, allowing it to work equally well with a modest amplifier or a more powerful model.

This model is aimed at those wishing to put together a serious first hi-fi system without adding excessive bulk, whether placed on a piece of furniture, a shelf or dedicated stands. Its light weight (6.1 kg) and compact dimensions (180 x 302 x 277 mm) make it a speaker suited to medium-sized rooms, in a stereo set-up or as an addition to a home cinema system.