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1
Introduction
“If I have seen further, it is because I stand on the shoulders
of Giants.”
This famous quotation, attributed to Sir Isaac Newton,
illustrates how progress is made in virtually all
scientic disciplines - progress is evolutionary, rather
than revolutionary. So it is in the development of
speakers and techniques developed for one model are
carried through to subsequent designs and added to.
That small loudspeakers could be serious hi-
reproducers was proved in the 1960s with Laurie
Fincham’s Maxim design for Goodmans. Grossly
inefcient, with a cone tweeter and rudimentary
crossover, this speaker was outdated by the 1970s,
but nevertheless inspired the BBC to design the
larger, but still diminutive LS3/5. Originally designed
for ¼ scale auditorium acoustic modelling, this design
was soon recognised for its suitability as a monitor in
the cramped surroundings of BBC Outside Broadcast
vans. The design was subtly changed to become the
legendary LS3/5A when the KEF drive units, with
which the speaker was equipped, were modied.
As time went by and loudspeaker design progressed,
it was again time to review the capabilities of the
LS3/5A and in 2012, to mark the 50th anniversary of
KEF, the original LS50 was born. As the name suggests,
the LS50 Meta is a development of the original LS50,
and again redenes what a small monitor loudspeaker
can do.
Philosophy
“Of all art, music is the most indenable and the
most expressive, the most insubstantial and the
most immediate, the most transitory and the most
imperishable. Transformed to a dance of electrons
along a wire, its ghost lives on. When KEF returns
music to its rightful habituation, your ears and mind,
they aim to do so in the most natural way they can…
without drama, without exaggeration, without artice.”
Raymond Cooke, KEF founder
These words set the company’s philosophy from
day one and they are as relevant today as they have
ever been. Continuing research into materials and
engineering has always driven KEF’s quest for
innovation, with the added element of ensuring that
the resulting designs work within a typical domestic
environment. Everybody deserves great sound.
LS50 Meta
Both LS50 Meta and LS50 Wireless II feature a 12th
Generation Uni-Q driver array featuring an industry-
rst - Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT).
This particular Uni-Q driver, whilst being inspired by
that of the R Series, has been engineered with regards
to the overall system design.
Firstly, the addition of MAT has necessitated
considerable redesign of the driver structure, allowing
KEF engineers to further rene technologies such as
the tweeter gap damper.
Secondly, where R Series features 3-way designs, LS50
Meta is a 2-way loudspeaker, meaning the midrange
driver must cover a much wider bandwidth, down into
bass frequencies. Whilst excellent for integration, this
does provide challenges in regards to performance.
With this in mind, KEF engineers made a number of
changes to the motor system, suspension, surround
and cone of the midrange driver to deliver as smooth a
performance as possible.
Tweeter
With any drive unit, as much sound is generated at the
rear of the unit as at the front (see gure 2) and this
radiation is unwanted and needs to be absorbed.
Figure 2 - Generic driver
Figure 1
LS50 Meta - Carbon Black
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