The standard by which others are judged, and to which they aspire. The perfect reproduction of recorded sound is what KEF's legendary Reference Series has always stood for. And after 40 years of continuous development, the Reference has earned its name as the yardstick of high-end acoustic engineering. If you're a perfectionist when it comes to enjoying movies or music, it's the one name that towers above the rest. THE REFERENCE. It speaks for itself. "A description was needed to convey the idea that every loudspeaker is subject to scrutiny at all stages of assembly, culminating in a final test comparison with a laboratory-maintained reference standard. So the method became the name: Reference." -- Laurie Fincham, Engineering Director 1968-1991
Benchmark Technology
KEF has never been a 'me too'. We create. And we never stop learning. The list of KEF patents and innovations is unequalled. Although the Uni-Q point source driver array is our most famous breakthrough, it's just one of many. There's the unique 'tangerine' segmented waveguide. Cleverly stiffened and optimised aluminium domes. Sophisticated vented tweeters. The ingenious use of new materials to boost motor performance and power handling. Constrained layer damping. Acoustic Compliance Enhancement. The brilliant Z-flex surround - these and many others are what account for the reputation of KEF's multi-award winning drivers. No other manufacturer has done more to advance the state of the art - and no other range personifies KEF's passion for perfection more than The Reference.
A Class Apart
With six models - two elegant three-way floorstanders, a formidable three-way bookshelf speaker, two three-way centre channels and an awesome 1000-watt sub - The Reference range combines benchmark high fidelity with complete multichannel versatility. And as you’d expect, they all exude the sense of sheer quality that comes from being hand built by KEF’s master technicians in Maidstone, Kent.
Kent Engineering and Foundry Editions
When Raymond Cooke set out to perfect the reproduction of recorded sound in 1961, he set up his first research lab on the banks of the river Medway in the Garden of England in a wartime Nissen hut formerly occupied by Kent Engineering and Foundry. Hence the name: KEF. To celebrate KEF's unrivalled heritage of continuous innovation in the half century since, and the part that the legendary Reference Series has played over the last 40 years in consolidating KEF's reputation among serious audiophiles, we've commissioned two bespoke editions of the latest range. With two striking special finishes - Blue Ice White, hinting at the blue of the original KEF logo, and Copper Black Aluminium - the Kent Engineering & Foundry editions combine the latest Reference technology with an aesthetic that subtly evokes this rich pedigree.
