KEF R5 OPEN BOX Meta Tower Speaker - Gloss White - Each Excellent Condition
KEF R5 OPEN BOX Meta Tower Speaker - Gloss White - Each Excellent Condition
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Keep the Box
We suggest you keep the shipping box or boxes for at least 30 days. It is actually a great idea to keep boxes for audio products for the life of the product. Having the box and all packing will increase the trade-in value should you decide to move up and they are handy to have should you ever need to send the unit in for repair.
How To Receive a Motor Freight Order
The trucking company will contact you to schedule a convenient time to deliver the order. Please note that you must be present for delivery.
Visually inspect the box to make sure you see no signs of damage. If you notice any damage at all, take some pictures with your phone and make a note of them on the delivery receipt the driver will ask you to sign. If it is obvious that the product is damaged, please refuse the order and contact us immediately at 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com.
Open your box as soon as possible and inspect the product for damage and contact us if you find anything wrong.
uShip In-Home Delivery
Due to current concerns surrounding COVID-19, uShip is able to offer THRESHOLD SERVICE ONLY at this time. To ensure everyone’s safety, uShip is advising carriers to refrain from making room-of-choice deliveries. Threshold service consists of the shipment being brought into the first door of the address or the lobby of an apartment/condo, and does not include set-up, installation, assembly or debris removal.
What to Expect: Most oversized items will be delivered within 2-3 weeks. Your carrier will place your item inside the first door of the address or the lobby of an apartment/condo.
Appointment Scheduling: Your delivery partner will call 24-48 hours prior to delivery to arrange an appointment window.
How to prepare for in-home delivery:
- Determine the clearest path from the street to your home
- Measure entrances and hallways to ensure your item will fit
- Remove any wall hangings or clutter to ensure a clear path and to prevent damages
- Remove old furnishings to allow placement for your new piece
Check your furniture for damages: We rarely expect damaged furniture, but in the instance it does happen, we have you covered. Once your item’s packaging is removed, check for any damages that may have occurred in transit. Take pictures of any damages and notate appropriately on the delivery receipt. Keep possession of the damaged piece and contact us via phone or email and we’ll start the process to repair/replace your new piece of furniture. For uShip customer support, please call 800-698-7447.
At Audio Advice, we pride ourselves on customer satisfaction. We'll bend over backward to make sure you're 100% satisfied and we won't accept anything less. We offer 30-day hassle-free returns and personalized service from real, live people.
If an item doesn't meet your expectations, you may return or exchange it in its original condition and packaging within 30 days for a full refund, minus shipping fees. Items shipped back in like new condition through standard shipping carriers will only incur a flat fee of $15 to return. If the items were initially shipped through free scheduled delivery via motor freight (commonly referred to as LTL), returning them will result in return shipping fees starting at $150. These items include but are not limited to, oversized items such as TVs, certain subwoofers, floorstanding speakers, furniture, and most items weighing over 75 pounds. Return fees will also apply for exchanges. We want to treat your system as if it is our own and want you to be completely satisfied with your purchase.
Please see the instructions below. We only accept returns for any product purchased directly from our website. If merchandise is not returned in its original condition or is missing packaging, manuals, accessories or other parts, or the resale value of the product has been impaired, a partial refund will be given and calculated on a case-by-case basis.
Non-Returnable Items
The following items cannot be returned or cancelled:
- Special/Custom Order Items
- Open Box Products
- Gift Cards
- In-ear headphones cannot be returned once the packaging has been opened due to personal hygiene reasons. Please contact our customer care team if you'd like help choosing.
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Turntables With a Broken Stylus: All turntables ship out with the stylus intact. If you return a turntable or phono cartridge with a broken or missing stylus you will be subject to a return fee. Please be careful when setting up your turntable and contact us with any questions.
Is It Easy To Return An Item?
Yes, simply give us a call at 888.899.8776 or you can email our support team at support@audioadvice.com. Many times our team of experts can help figure out why the product might not be working like you expected and get things fixed over the phone, so don’t be surprised if we ask a few questions, we love troubleshooting!
If our tech help can not make you happy, we will email over a return shipping label with a Return Number.
Hopefully, you saved all of the original item’s box and packaging inserts. You will want to pack back up your return or exchange in the same way it came out of the original box. Once you have everything packaged correctly, tape the box on the top and bottom to assure it stays together. If Audio Advice shipped the item to you inside a second box, it's a good idea to use that same extra box to help prevent damage on its way back to us. To avoid it accidentally coming back to you, use a magic marker to cross out the old shipping label or just tear it off.
The return shipping label we send you will have our address on it, just make sure you take the box to the right shipper (UPS, FEDEX, or USPS) as per the label.
If you are close to one of our stores, please let us know if it is more convenient for you to return it to us directly. You will still need to get a return number by contacting us and shipping and/or restocking charges may apply.
When Will I See My Refund?
It usually takes around 7-14 days for the refund to show up on the payment method you used. We do inspect all returns for damage and accuracy of the item inside the box before issuing a refund. Some items may be subject to shipping and restocking fees.
Can I Exchange My Purchase For Something Different?
Sometimes those big speakers just don’t fit in the room or you might have bought a small subwoofer and later found out you’d love a bigger one. If you would like to make an exchange within 30 days of receiving your item, just give us a call at 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com and we will help work out the details. Additional shipping charges and return costs may apply.
How Do I Cancel An Order?
If the item has already shipped out or is a special order item, it is not possible to cancel the order. Please contact us at 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com to start the return process.
What If I Find Shipping Damage?
We need to know right away about any shipping damage. Please contact us at 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com within 48 hours of your delivery so we can get the ball rolling on making things right. It’s very helpful to take some pictures and email them to us if possible.
Can I Refuse A Shipment?
You can, but unless the item is damaged, shipping and restocking fees will be deducted from your refund. If your item arrives damaged and you are lucky enough to be there, snap some quick pics and refuse the order. Then contact us so we can get a replacement on the way.
What Happens If My Order Is Defective?
This is actually pretty rare, most consumer electronics work fine out of the box 99.9% of the time. We’d like for you to contact us first by calling 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com so we can help get to the bottom of things. If your item is indeed defective during the first 30 days, we can usually exchange it for a new, replacement unit.
What About Service After 30 Days?
Audio Advice has a great relationship with all of our brands and can help you with warranty service by the brand after our 30-day guarantee period. Even after the warranty expires, we can arrange for service by the brand on products purchased from Audio Advice. Just call 888.899.8776 or email support@audioadvice.com.
How Do You Determine A Restocking Fee?
You may not believe it, but sometimes we receive items back that were put in the box with zero packaging and are completely destroyed or are missing many of the pieces that came with the item. We also track serial numbers and will get back different serial numbers. We’ve even seen different items than what we shipped out be returned. However, it’s very important to package your return properly so that nothing goes missing or gets damaged in shipping, which will result in a restocking fee or even no refund at all. If a product is opened and the market value of the product is reduced, then a restocking fee may be applied to the cost of restocking and the reduced market value of the product. The bottom line is if you treat us fairly, we will do the same.
Audio Advice strives to provide industry-leading support and service while also maintaining the lowest prices available on products for our customers. We work hard with our vendors to bring our customers the best products at each price point. As a part of that process, we work with our vendors to provide the lowest pricing in our stores and on our website.
Our prices should always be the same as any other authorized dealer, including big-box retailers and major online retailers.
If you believe that you have found a lower advertised price from a legitimate authorized seller, call us and let us know so we can make sure we can correct any inadvertent error on our side. As a matter of policy, we update our prices automatically if a vendor changes its authorized pricing policies, so we generally have the best prices all the time. Increasingly, there are knock-off copies of products online, usually sold by non-authorized dealers.
Please be sure that the item meets the following conditions:
- The item is brand new, in stock, and available for purchase
- The item has the identical model number, color, etc as the item on our site.
- The seller is an authorized dealer
As always, our goal is to provide a terrific customer experience, including industry low prices. We appreciate your support.
Overview
KEF engineers do not believe in compromise. Designed specifically for a smaller space, or as surround speakers in the ultimate home theater system, the R5 Meta may be slightly smaller, but its 130mm (5.25 in) bass drivers still produce exceptionally clean bass. The slim and elegant, R5 Meta also contains the same Uni-Q driver array as its bigger brothers, with a 125mm (5 in) midrange driver and 25mm (1 in) aluminum dome tweeter producing incredible levels of detail.
The High Notes
Born From KEF Reference
12th Generation Uni-Q
A Great Tower for Smaller Rooms
There are three tower speakers in the new line, the R11 Meta, R7 Meta, and R5 Meta.
The choice between these three will depend on the size of your room and budget. What is great about all three is that the midrange and treble sounds virtually identical on all of them, but there are some big differences in the bottom end output.
The R5 Meta is a three way design with two 5 ¼” hybrid aluminum cone low frequency drivers. This 54 pound speaker has a very slim front profile being just under 7” wide, about 40” tall and 13 ½” deep. We like the outrigger feet that come on all of the towers which provide a high degree of stability. They come with spikes for carpet or if you have hard surface floors, a flat pad the spike sits in.
The R5 Meta is the easiest speaker to set up in the tower series. With the smaller woofers, and somewhat limited bottom end, it will not interact much with the walls around it, giving you the flexibility to put it closer to a rear wall. If you are putting them into a room larger than around 12’ by 15’, we would recommend that you add a subwoofer.
Details & Specs
Performance Redefined: R Series – Now With MAT
Since 1961, KEF has strived to reproduce pure sound precisely as it was meant to be heard. Decades of experience in acoustic innovation and the quest for music perfection come together in the R Series to deliver sound with more detail and deeper insight, sound that ignites excitement every time you experience it.
The R Series is a direct beneficiary of the technological innovations developed for The Reference, the class-leading series that continually set the benchmark for loudspeakers and sound reproduction. Combining with bespoke technologies, the R Series delivers an exceptional acoustic performance. The revolutionary Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) has been incorporated into the latest iteration of the R Series, and the 12th generation Uni-Q driver array has been refined to maximize the impact of this technological advance and ensure the best possible performance.
When we immerse ourselves in music, we don’t just listen to it but feel it. Then it has the power to alter our moods, to move our souls, and can be one of the greatest pleasures in life. This feeling is the driving force behind KEF’s quest to develop the ultimate loudspeaker – a goal that they have spent more than six decades in pursuit of.
You may have listened to your favorite music a thousand times or more, but through the R Series you will discover a depth and level of detail in any recording that will likely make you love it more – from the scrape of plectrum on guitar string, the changes of vibrato in a voice, to the sense of emotion and atmosphere in a live performance. KEF developed the R Series for those who share their obsession with music perfection - pure and natural sound as it is meant to be heard.
The result of this pursuit is an exceptional seven-model range of loudspeakers capable of fulfilling both stereo and home theater duties with exquisite detail and incredible insight.
- 3 Floorstanding speakers
- 1 Standmount speaker
- 2 LCR speakers
- 1 Up-firing Dolby Atmos/wall-mountable speaker
Revolutionary Sound Absorption With MAT
At the heart of the latest R Series is Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT), a revolutionary innovation that takes the performance of the 12th generation Uni-Q driver array to another level in terms of accuracy and clarity.
MAT is a highly complex maze-like structure, where each of the intricate channels efficiently absorbs a specific frequency. When combined, the channels act as an acoustic black hole, absorbing 99% of the unwanted sound that comes from the rear of the tweeter, eliminating the resulting distortion and providing a purer, more natural acoustic performance.
Metamaterials are specially developed structures that use existing materials in such a way that they exhibit new, desirable properties that are simply not found in naturally occurring substances.
A result of joint development with the Acoustic Metamaterials Group, using MAT breaks completely new ground in loudspeaker design, and demonstrates KEF’s unrelenting passion for innovation and dedication to improving the listening experience for everyone.
Superior KEF Sound
The building block of KEF signature sound, Uni-Q technology disperses sound more evenly throughout the room. By placing the tweeter precisely at the acoustic center of the bass/midrange cone, both act together as a single point source, eliminating the limited ‘sweet spot’ and instead allowing everybody, no matter where in the room they are sitting, to experience and enjoy the same natural, detailed sound.
A bespoke 12th generation Uni-Q driver array with MAT is found in all seven models of the R Series and delivers an incredibly detailed performance. It’s the result of decades of accumulated in-house knowledge and the application of cutting-edge simulation and analysis tools. The developments are many and all play a part in R Series’ exceptional performance.
The Uni-Q driver array has been redesigned to maximize the performance improvements that MAT delivers. The conical waveguide that couples the tweeter dome to the new metamaterial absorber has been specially designed for the bespoke driver based on its depth. The re-engineered tweeter gap damper strategically places two rings of porous material to tame the resonances and imperfections effectively, thus greatly improving detail and clarity.
The ultra-low distortion midrange motor design uses a copper ring embedded into the motor gap to minimise inductance and variation of inductance with coil position. This lowers the midrange THD and reduces thermal compression, leading to improved efficiency.
The Flexible Decoupling Chassis first used on the latest Blade and The Reference loudspeakers is employed on the Uni-Q driver array to dramatically reduce coloration of the sound caused by midrange vibration transmission to the cabinet, while also solving the problem of additional sound created by the driver basket that occurs with traditional decoupling methods. It works by decoupling the massive midrange motor from the Uni-Q chassis, dissipating its vibration before it can travel to the cabinet and be radiated as unwanted sound.
The surround on the 12th generation Uni-Q driver array allows for longer excursion without causing diffraction and extending the frequency range of the midrange. The contours of tweeter dome, midrange cone and surround are all computer-optimized to ensure a perfectly smooth transition to the cabinet.
These innovations combine to ensure the R Series sound even more transparent and life-like than previously heard on this already exceptional range.
Shadow Flare For Improved Clarity
Shadow Flare is another feature originally designed for The Reference. It reduces harmful cabinet diffraction, allowing the 12th generation Uni-Q with MAT to work to its highest potential. Shadow Flare is a precision designed surface that extends the waveguide effect of the Uni-Q driver array. This means the tweeter no longer has line of sight of the cabinet edges, creating a ‘shadow region’ at the points where the potential for diffraction is highest, minimizing the acoustic impact to negligible levels. The result is improved clarity and the reproduction of the fine details that make listening such a thrilling experience. The subtle nuances of plucked strings, the changes of vibrato in a voice, all of these are clearer on the R Series.
Deep, Agile Bass
When listening to music, the quality of the bass can define the whole experience. The low-frequency drivers of R Series have been engineered with acute care and precision. They are built using a two-part structure, where a shallow concave aluminum skin sits atop a paper cone. This stiffness combined with the cone’s unique geometry reduces unwanted resonances and delivers the pistonic movement that makes these drivers time so well. The drivers’ magnet system creates a broad, uniform magnetic field, while the suspension reduces harmonic distortion for a clean, precise sound. The result is exceptionally deep and agile bass that reveals every last bit of detail and punch available in the deep.
Flexible Port For Cleaner Bass
You only want to hear the drivers, not the resonances or turbulence created by a bass port. The R Series’ ports feature innovative flexible walls. Using computational fluid dynamics, the flare and profile of each port is calculated to delay the onset of turbulence, while the flexible port walls prevent longitudinal resonances from coloring the midrange. The advantages of this approach are twofold: better bass, and cleaner sound further up the frequency range in the vital lower midrange area.
Performance Critical Damping
Powerful drivers can easily cause the cabinet walls to make noise of their own - noise that was never in the recording in the first place. Working alongside the bespoke internal bracing layout, KEF’s Constrained Layer Damping is a sophisticated bracing system that ensures the cabinet stays inert by connecting the bracing to the drivers and cabinet by a lossy interface. This material converts vibration into heat, ensuring that the cabinet makes the only sound it needs to - the sound of silence.
Consistent Voicing
As with all KEF speakers, the R Series Meta has been given a neutral voicing. This allows R Series Meta to be paired with other KEF speaker ranges (traditional box or Architectural) within a home theater system, or to create a consistent sound throughout multiple zones in a whole home audio system.
Dedicated Microfiber Grilles
The R Series is engineered to perform its best with or without grilles. The dedicated microfiber grilles are crafted from multiple layers of material and the edges are burnished for a suede-like feel.
With 1801 precision-cut holes for each driver you experience fantastic performance even when the drivers are covered, which is great news if you feel the need to protect them. The magnetic fixings provide a secure and precise fit, in keeping with the clean styling of the R Series.
Features
- Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) eliminates 99% of high-frequency distortion for pure, natural sound
- Bespoke 12th generation Uni-Q with MAT driver array for exceptional acoustic accuracy
- Refined tweeter gap damper tames resonances for improved detail
- Flexible Decoupling Chassis prevents unwanted vibrations for better clarity
- Enhanced crossover design and fine-tuned the signal path for pristine, clean sound
- Microfiber grilles offer the perfect balance between driver protection, sonic performance and aesthetics
| Model | R5 Meta |
|---|---|
| Design | Three-way bass reflex |
| Drive units | Uni-Q Driver Array HF: 25 mm (1 in) vented aluminum dome with MAT MF: 125 mm (5 in) aluminum cone LF: 2 x 130 mm (5.25 in) hybrid aluminum cone |
| Crossover frequency | 400Hz 2.7kHz |
| Frequency range (-6dB) | 38Hz – 50kHz |
| Typical in-room bass response (-6dB) | 29Hz |
| Frequency response (±3dB) | 52Hz – 28kHz |
| Harmonic distortion (90dB, 1m) | less than 1% (75Hz and above) less than 0.5% (110Hz - 20kHz) |
| Maximum output | 110 dB |
| Amplifier requirements | 15-200W |
| Nominal impedance | 4Ω (min 3.2Ω) |
| Sensitivity (2.83V/1m) | 87 dB |
| Weight (per unit) | 54 lbs (24.5 kg) |
| Dimensions with terminal (HxWxD per speaker) | 40.4 × 6.9 × 13.5 in (1025 × 175 × 344 mm) |
| Dimensions with terminal and Plinth (HxWxD per speaker) | 42.2 × 10.7 × 13.5 in (1072 × 272 × 344 mm) |
| Finishes | Black Gloss White Gloss Walnut |
