KEF Q11 Meta (Walnut)

KEF Q11 Meta
3-way floorstanding speaker with Uni-Q driver

The Q11 Meta, the flagship among the floorstanding models in the Q series, is designed for impressive performance in larger rooms and home theaters. Equipped with 12th generation Uni-Q® drivers featuring MAT™ technology and three 16.5 cm hybrid aluminum bass drivers, it delivers music and movie sound with refined detail, powerful bass, and uncompromising depth.

Revolutionary sound absorption with MAT

The core innovation of the Q series is the integrated Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT)1, a revolutionary breakthrough that allows the latest 12th generation Uni-Q drivers to perform with unprecedented precision and clarity.
MAT is a highly complex, labyrinth-like structure where each branched channel efficiently absorbs a specific frequency. Combined, these channels act like an acoustic black hole, absorbing 99% of unwanted sound coming from the rear of the tweeter, eliminating resulting distortions and providing a purer, more natural acoustic performance.

 

Deep and clear bass

The Q series features a new bass driver design4—a hybrid structure with a flat, concave aluminum skin over a paper cone—that provides stiffness to achieve piston-like movement for greater bass impact and speed. Combined with a 3D
FEA-optimized surround geometry, this significantly improves linearity at higher excursions. The result is precise and agile bass control even at high output.
Additionally, the conical bass reflex port, modeled using computational fluid dynamics, reduces turbulence and minimizes unwanted airflow noise (so-called "chuffing"). This allows the ported speakers to produce cleaner and more controlled bass.

 

Crossover improved through 1000 measurements

A crucial component of the Q series is the more sensitive crossover, which ensures seamless integration of all speaker components. To achieve this, our engineers conducted over 1000 specific measurements for each speaker model in our anechoic chamber in Maidstone, UK, using a specialized reference microphone setup. Thanks to these extensive on- and off-axis measurements, our team thoroughly understood the acoustic interactions of each model and, through advanced simulations and forward-looking prototyping, achieved a precise crossover design. This meticulous process was first employed during the development of the LS50 Meta and further refined for the latest Blade, Reference, and R series. This ensures a precise signal path and optimizations for the best possible performance for every speaker model.

 

Shadow Flare for enhanced transparency

Shadow Flare4, derived from the flagship models, represents another enhancement for the evolved Q series. This design reduces unwanted reflections at the corners of the speaker cabinets, allowing the 12th generation Uni-Q drivers with MAT to reach their full potential. Shadow Flare is a precisely crafted surface that improves the sound radiation of the Uni-Q drivers. This means the tweeter no longer has a "line of sight" to the cabinet edges. A "shadow zone" is created where the potential for reflections is highest, reducing acoustic effects to a negligible level. The improved clarity and fine detail reproduction make listening a truly immersive experience. Subtle nuances like the delicate brush strokes on a jazz cymbal or the complex overtones of a piano are rendered much more clearly with the Q series.