Founded in the United Kingdom in 1961, it is highly regarded among hi-fi enthusiasts around the world for its innovative high-performance loudspeakers, and is the world's first loudspeaker manufacturer to adopt computer-aided "total system design", and is known worldwide for its excellent acoustic accuracy
KEF 公司于1961 year由 Raymond Cooke MBE (1925–1995) 创办，总部最初设在肯特工程铸造厂(Kent Engineering & Foundry，KEF 便是由此得名)的一间 Nissan 棚屋中，这是梅德韦 (Medway) 河沿岸的一家金属加工厂，位于肯特郡梅德斯通市附近。曾担任 BBC 电气工程师的 Cooke 酷爱尝试新材料、新技术的实验，其目标就是生产出声学品质卓越的产品，重现媲美原声演奏的自然音效。自问世之初，KEF 扬声器就凭借其开拓性的创新能力征服了业界，时至今日，已经历了数十年历练的 KEF 仍然以其高性能的创新扬声器在全世界高保真发烧友中间备受推崇。
The key design concept of KEF at the beginning of its establishment was the use of synthetic materials for the production of the diaphragm and edges of the drive unit. KEF's first loudspeaker design, the three-way K1 loudspeaker, featured a foil-reinforced, vacuum-formed polystyrene diaphragm and a revolutionary T15 tweeter made of mylar (known as Mylar in the U.S. and Hostophan in Europe), a new high-strength polyester film. These technological breakthroughs have led to a number of new products, including the Celeste, a landmark compact two-way design and the first truly small hi-fi loudspeaker. The loudspeaker was a huge success on the market and provided a strong financial support for the fledgling KEF.
60s
In the early '60s, KEF introduced a comprehensive range of products for all uses, including the versatile Celeste portable loudspeaker for schools and public institutions, as well as the K1 and K2 baffle loudspeakers – which users can assemble themselves into their own cabinets or install "in-wall" by simply following a dedicated manual.
Later, Cooke re-established its partnership with the BBC, making KEF the exclusive manufacturer of the LS5/1A surveillance loudspeakers, and KEF's meticulous, consistent production model was a perfect fit for the system. To develop loudspeakers with clearer sound, KEF leverages the inherent properties of neoprene, a synthetic rubber, to create the edges of the speaker's diaphragm to maintain excellent midrange sound.
In the mid-60s of the 20th century, KEF put a new type of bass/midrange driver into development. To improve the performance of the diaphragm, Cooke and his development team set out to develop a new material, Bextrene. This is a lightweight acetic acid plastic film made from wood pulp, which was later adopted by the BBC to make the bass and midrange drivers of the LS5/5 monitoring loudspeakers. Bextrene not only has the necessary mechanical properties, but is also chemically stable and able to maintain its properties over a typical range of temperature and humidity variations. The woofer cone made of Bextrene also produces a stable sound over a wide frequency range, and it is because of these remarkable properties that the material has been widely used by other loudspeaker manufacturers in the years since its development.
After a period of intensive research and development, in 1967 KEF introduced a new 5-inch woofer/midrange (B110), along with a 3/4-inch mylar dome tweeter (T27). Subsequently, a larger 8-inch bextrene cone woofer (B200) was introduced to the market in 1970. KEF's comprehensive range of drive units offers designers a great deal of flexibility. Since then, these drivers have been used in millions of loudspeakers in a variety of ways – from those produced by KEF in Maidstone to those produced by many other manufacturers around the world. The B110 and T27 are used in KEF's new Cresta bookshelf loudspeaker system, as well as in the BBC's high-quality miniature LS3/5 loudspeakers. This outdoor broadcast surveillance loudspeaker was subsequently improved to the LS3/5A in 1975, which was undoubtedly the most important result of the collaboration between KEF and the BBC. This revolutionary product set the "BBC loudspeaker standard" and has since become a sacred object for music lovers.
In 1967, KEF also introduced the Carlton Surveillance Loudspeaker System, which featured an extremely advanced design with a 2.5-inch bextrene dome tweeter with a 33-inch-long acoustic suppression flex tube on the rear surface. Introduced in 1969, the three-way Concerto pioneered high-end performance in the mainstream loudspeaker market in an attractive bundle format.
In the mid-'60s, a small but talented design and production engineering team, including Malcolm Jones, who later founded Falcon Acoustics, a loudspeaker parts supply company, made an indelible contribution to the realization of Raymond Cooke's design vision. Laurie Fincham, who was chief engineer at Celestion and Goodmans, joined the team in 1968 and played a pivotal role in the development of KEF's technical knowledge in the 70s and 80s of the 20th century.
70s
As the company rose to prominence in the UK and abroad, KEF went on to win the prestigious Queen's Award for Export Achievement twice, which KEF first won in 1970. Three years later, KEF became the first loudspeaker manufacturer in the world to adopt a computer-aided "total system design." With the new revolutionary digital test equipment, KEF engineers have instant access to relevant crossover and driver data, contributing to the development of the world's best next-generation audio equipment.
By pioneering the use of computer-generated data, KEF's engineers were able to pair speakers to within half a decibel of an error, and in the world of audio technology, each pair of KEF speakers became a veritable match, with perfect stereo sound and revolutionary speaker systems that are known worldwide for their superior acoustic accuracy. The range includes Corelli, Calinda, and Cantata, as well as the acclaimed Model 104, the first home loudspeaker to rival the standard for broadcast surveillance loudspeakers.
When it first hit the market in 1973, the Model 104 impressed critics, dealers, retailers, and customers with its excellent acoustic precision and incredibly clear bass, albeit at a relatively small size. As a classic high-output, high-sensitivity system, the Model 104 is also the first product in KEF's world-famous Reference series.
80s
At the 1980 Edinburgh Festival, the KEF Reference Series was recognised for its precise sound quality. Berlioz's Thanks-Zen, conducted by Claudio Abbado, will soon be held in Usher Hall, but the organ will be played in St. Mary's Basilica, about a mile away. The music played by the organ is transmitted over a BBC FM radio relay line and reproduced on 36 KEF Reference 105/2 loudspeakers. Andrew Clements of the Financial Times commented: "...... When you close your eyes, Gillian Weir is playing with an orchestra in a concert hall. "The concert was a huge success and is another chapter in the history of the BBC's partnership with KEF.
In the '80s, KEF made a series of technological innovations to create the Reference Series loudspeakers, which further enhanced KEF's reputation for superior quality, and today the Reference is one of the most respected loudspeakers. KEF's technological innovations during this period include: coupled chamber bass loading technology, which can greatly improve bass performance; Force dissipation and drive unit decoupling technology to eliminate the box coloring effect caused by mechanical vibration of the drive unit base; Conjugate load-matching technology helps to alleviate the electrical load on the amplifier and KEF's Universal Bass EQ (KUBE), allowing for bass extension in a small cabinet. The combination of these advanced technologies was the Reference 104/2, launched in 1984, which was a worldwide success speaker.
In 1985, KEF introduced a range of in-car audio products, including a woofer with a coupled sound cavity system, developed for the 104/2 loudspeaker. In 1987, the in-wall Custom series of loudspeakers was introduced, which was reminiscent of the K1 and K2 baffle loudspeakers of the '60s. In the ever-expanding loudspeaker market, the Custom Series is officially ushered in a new era of application-centric applications.
In 1988, KEF used a new neodymium/iron/boron magnet developed by NASA to create a hurricane that revolutionized the industry's technological traditions – the world's leading Uni-Q driver, a new neodymium/iron/boron magnet material that is ten times more powerful than a typical speaker magnet. This major innovation enabled KEF engineers to produce a small tweeter that could be mounted in the acoustic center of the woofer coil, enabling a single point of sound for the first time. In layman's terms, the advantage of this technology is that it significantly expands the range of the best listening areas in the room. The search for the unpredictable "sweet spot" is a thing of the past, and to this day, Uni-Q remains a key feature of KEF's technology.
Three years later, the designers further refined this design approach with the Corelli, Calinda, and Cantata products, leading to a new model of loudspeaker development—a computer-aided "total system design." One year later, in 1977, the most revolutionary and sophisticated loudspeaker ever built, the Reference Model 105. It sets a new standard for home speakers with separate bass and mid/tweeter bodies for time calibration and even audio diffusion across the entire vocal range, as well as fourth-order Linkwitz-Riley acoustic crossover and a striking look that matches its acoustic performance.
90's to the present
The 105/3 loudspeaker with second-generation Uni-Q technology was named "Best Imported Loudspeaker" by the Japanese press in 1992. In the same year, KEF was acquired by Gold Peak, marking the beginning of a new chapter of excellence and innovation that added to the dazzling halo of the KEF brand.
In 1993, KEF made another splash in the home theater market with the Model 100 center speaker. Despite its hefty price, the speaker has sparked a strong cult among audiophiles, and the Uni-Q's excellent dispersion performance has impressed enthusiasts who are looking for perfect sound quality. The following year, KEF became one of the first companies to introduce a THX-certified home theater system, based on a high-end woofer/satellite speaker design concept with prominent vertical directional front speakers and dipole surround speakers, which was truly "revolutionary" at the time. As the 20th century continues to move forward, KEF continues to introduce new products that look stylish and affordable, including Q Series loudspeakers, 60S/80C/ 30B home theater systems, and the award-winning Coda 7 loudspeaker.
In 1995, visionary KEF founder Raymond Cooke passed away. However, he left the company with a strong guiding principle, which is the essence of the core values of "Quality, Integrity, Dedication and Innovation". In the same year, the Reference Series Model 4 loudspeakers with fourth-generation Uni-Q drivers were introduced, which were critically acclaimed around the world and received critical acclaim from the industry press. The chief reviewer for Stereophile magazine called it "the best product I've ever seen in the listening room," while Hi-Fi News called it "the best product in KEF." Two years later, the new Q series and the new Monitor series were launched, both of which are outstanding examples of Cooke's values of excellence.
In the late '90s, as the home theater market grew, KEF engineers set out to develop the next generation of affordable, high-performance woofer/satellite systems. The result was the KHT2005 system, launched in 2001, which introduced a distinctive "egg-shaped" satellite speaker. The first-class quality of the cast aluminium cabinet, combined with the superior acoustic performance of the Uni-Q, has set a new standard in its class and has been the leader in this highly competitive market for several years in a row.
Century to date
The KEF R&D team has a long history of expertise in advanced acoustics, magnets, and mechanical modeling technologies. These techniques, such as finite element analysis, enable acoustic systems to be simulated with a level of accuracy that is unattainable by other methods. For example, drive units with complex vibrating components can now be prototyped and optimized virtualized, making it possible to investigate a wide range of options before manufacturing physical physical samples. The fruit of this technical excellence is now the latest Uni-Q drivers used in all KEF loudspeaker systems: from the 4.5-inch KHT3005 system with ribbed cone and SST sealed suspension technology to the latest 6.5-inch Reference Series Uni-Q system with optimised geometry and wide-area dispersion tweeter drivers.
In 2005, KEF unveiled to the world the ACE technology, which had been kept strictly secret since the late 80s of the 20th century. After a comprehensive research and development process, the KHT9000 system presented an amazing technical achievement: placing activated carbon into the speaker cabinet can significantly increase the effective internal volume of the cabinet – making the dream of enhanced bass extension for small cabinets a reality. Since then, the speaker industry has finally found a panacea to break the historical trap of "extended bass can't leave a large cabinet". What's more, the sealed cabinet with ACE technology combines bass extension with excellent transition response to deliver flawless bass performance.
In addition, ACE technology plays a vital role in KEF's new legacy, the Muon, which is not only one of the brand's newest products, but also perhaps the most famous KEF speaker to date. Created in collaboration with renowned British designer Ross Lovegrove, this piece was first unveiled at the Milan Furniture Festival in April 2007. Muon loudspeakers are not only the perfect combination of form and function, but also incorporate the latest breakthrough acoustic technologies developed by KEF's engineering team.
Now in its 50th year, KEF continues to develop world-class loudspeakers. KEF, the ultimate loudspeaker manufacturer for hi-fi enthusiasts, will live up to its reputation and continue to write its glittering brand legacy with a philosophy of scientific innovation and hands-on experimentation.
