KEF R-820F 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos Home Theater System Instruction Manual

KEF R-820F 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos Home Theater System

NOW WITH METAMATERIAL ABSORPTION TECHNOLOGY

Developed for KEF’s flagship The Reference, a suite of the latest technologies has now made its way into the new generation of the R Series. Whether in stereo for music or in a home theatre set up,
the R Series makes exceptional acoustic performance more accessible. Now with the groundbreaking Metamaterial Absorption Technology, the R Series reveals exquisite detail and incredible insight:
truly an experience to savour.

BORN FROM THE REFERENCE

Since 1961, KEF’s quest to reproduce immaculate sound has led to many acoustic innovations. The Reference is a case in point. Distilling decades of experience into an acoustic performance that is nothing short of exceptional it is a design that continually sets the benchmark for loudspeakers and sound reproduction. Now the latest technological innovations have also made their way into the
R Series. Combined with bespoke technologies, the R Series makes high performance audio more versatile and accessible than ever – whether in stereo for music or in a home theatre set up. Now with the award-winning Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT), the range includes seven loudspeaker models, each designed and engineered to produce sound with exquisite detail and incredible insight. KEF has developed the R Series for those who share our obsession with music perfection – pure and natural sound as it is meant to be heard.

REVOLUTIONARY SOUND ABSORPTION WITH MAT™

A revolutionary tool in the KEF acoustic armoury, MATTM breaks completely  new ground in speaker design Metamaterial Absorption Technology 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 distortion and providing a 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.

SIT ANYWHERE , HEAR EVERY DETAIL

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 centre 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. The latest 12th generation Uni-Q with MAT driver array is found in all seven R Series models. The bespoke driver array is the result of decades of acoustic experience and incorporates the very latest advances in acoustic simulation and analysis. The result is a performance of breath-taking realism and accuracy.

Flexible decoupling chassis

Derived from The Reference, the flexible decoupling chassis is incorporated to reduce vibration and colouration. It ensures that any vibrations generated by the mid and high-frequency motor system are not transmitted to the loudspeaker cabinet.

Ultra-low distortion  MF motor
The ultra-low distortion midrange motor design sees a copper ring embedded into the motor gap, minimising inductance and variation of inductance with coil position. This lowers the midrange THD and reduces thermal compression, leading to improved efficiency.

Tweeter gap damper
The tweeter gap damper has been re-engineered to strategically place two rings of porous material to tame any resonances and imperfections, greatly improving detail and clarity.

MAT tweeter absorber
The MAT tweeter absorber is a highly complex maze-like structure in which each of the intricate channels efficiently absorbs a specific frequency. When combined, the channels absorb 99% of the unwanted sound from the rear of the tweeter.

Conical waveguide
The conical waveguide that couples the tweeter dome to the new metamaterial absorber has been specifically designed for the bespoke driver based on its depth.

Tweeter dome
The stiffened aluminium tweeter dome that sits at the centre of the Uni-Q driver array can deliver a consistently sweet, lucid and lyrical treble at any volume.

Driver surround
The driver surround allows longer excursion without causing diffraction and extending the frequency range of the mid-frequency. Plus, the contours of the dome, midrange horn and surround are all computeroptimised to ensure a perfectly smooth transition to the cabinet.

Tangerine waveguide
The patented Tangerine Waveguide technology manages the airflow torecreate the wide, even spread of a natural sound field, dispersing the pure high-frequency imaging throughout the room.

A FLARE FOR DETAIL

Derived directly from The Reference, the R Series incorporates Shadow Flare, a precision designed surface that extends the waveguide effect of the Uni-Q driver array and allows it to work to its highest potential. Reducing harmful cabinet diffraction, 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, minimising the acoustic impact to negligible levels. The result is extraordinary clarity – with a noticeable difference especially in the fine details: the subtle nuances of plucked strings, other percussive sounds.

TRUE BASS DEFINITION

When listening to music, the quality of the bass can define the whole experience. The low-frequency drivers of the R Series have been duly engineered with acute care and precision.
Built using a two-part structure, a shallow concave aluminium skin sits atop a paper cone. The metal’s stiffness combined with the cone’s unique geometry reduces additional resonances and delivers pure piston like movement that is timed with perfect accuracy. The drivers’ magnet system creates a broad, uniform magnetic field, while the suspension reduces harmonic distortion for an exceptionally agile, soulful bass and a deeper level of feeling.

FLEXIBLE PORT FOR CLEANER BASS

When it comes to listening to music through a speaker, it should only be the drivers we hear, not the resonances or turbulence created by a bass port. The innovative flexible walls of the R Series ports prevent longitudinal resonances from colouring the midrange. Meanwhile, using computational fluid dynamics, the flare and profile of each port is calculated to delay the onset of turbulence. The advantages of this approach are twofold: better bass, and cleaner sound in the vital lower midrange frequency area too.

PERFORMANCE CRITICAL DAMPING

Powerful drivers can easily cause the cabinet walls to make a noise of their own – noise that was never in the recording in the first place. For this reason, a solid platform is imperative. 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 material.This material converts vibration into heat, ensuring that the cabinet makes the only sound it needs to: the sound of silence.

PURE MUSIC IMMERSION

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 we have spent more than six decades in pursuit of. You may have listened to your favourite 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. Delivering sound that is natural and accurate –the performance as intended by the artist – the R Series consists of a trio of floorstanding speakers and a bookshelf speaker. Each reproduces high-fidelity stereo sound irrespective of the dimensions of the listening space.

FLOOR STANDING SPEAKERS

For different sizes of rooms and configurations, a trio of room-filling floor standing speakers is offered in R Series.

R11 Meta
For a breathtaking listening experience, the R11 Meta is the R Series flagship floorstander. In a three-way design it boasts four 165mm (6.5 in) hybrid aluminium bass drivers, allowing it to dig deep into the sound and retrieve an exceptionally clean performance. R11 can pick out the softest details with grace and refinement, while delivering raw power and strength. This is due to the 12th generation Uni-Q driver array with MAT nestled in the centre of the drivers, as well as the combination of the 125mm (5 in) midrange driver and 25mm (1 in) aluminium dome tweeter, together delivering a supremely natural midrange and treble.

R7 Meta
The midsized floorstanding member of the R Series is as powerful as it is flexible. Featuring two 165mm (6.5 in) hybrid aluminum bass drivers for the most accurate, dynamic bass, the three-way design incorporates KEF’s 12th Generation Uni-Q driver array with MAT combining a 125mm (5 in) midrange driver and 25mm (1 in) aluminum dome tweeter. The result? A performance where full transparency makes for jaw-dropping realism.

R5 Meta
KEF engineers do not believe in compromise. Designed specifically for a smaller space, or as surround speakers in the ultimate home theatre system, the R5 Meta maybe 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) aluminium dome tweeter producing incredible levels of detail.

BOOKSHELF SPEAKER

A compact speaker with expansive sound, the bookshelf model and its optional floor stand are perfectly suited to a smaller listening space.

R3 Meta
A compact speaker, the size of the R3 Meta belies its power. Defying all expectations, this true three-way speaker redefines stand-mount performance. The R3 Meta share the same drivers as the range-topping R11 Meta. The 165mm (6.5 in) bass driver pushes bass performance to new extremes while the 125mm (5 in) midrange driver and 25mm (1 in) aluminium dome tweeter creates the 12th generation Uni-Q array, now with MAT for a cleaner and highly accurate performance. The R3 Meta also features threaded inserts, allowing the speaker to lock onto the S3 Floor Stands. Especially designed with a mounting system that rigidly secures the speakers, the S3’s dimensions have been dictated by KEF’s engineers to ensure the ideal height for driver positioning. With integrated cable management to ensure all cables are elegantly concealed and organised, a pillar that can be loaded with inert filler to further improve stability and spike discs to protect wooden floors, everything is considered. It’s the smallest details that make all the difference.

CINEMATIC SOUND

Listen, and be there. Whether ‘there’ is a white-knuckle chase through the backstreets of Bangkok, the cacophony of nature in a tropical rainforest or the royal box at the Vienna Philharmonic – the R Series transports you, delivering an immersive, meticulously engineered soundscape that will bring your entertainment to life. Offering high performance acoustics in room friendly dimensions, the R Series is the ideal choice for a home theatre set up. Identically sized Uni-Q arrays are deployed across all the R Series models, creating consistent sound character and making sure all the focus is on the film and not the equipment around the room. With two centre speakers, speech and vocals are delivered with crystal clarity. Add a Dolby Atmos- enabled surround speaker and any of KEF’s class-leading subwoofers to complete the cinematic experience and take your movie enjoyment to the next level.

HOME THEATRE

Complete your home theatre set up to ensure you never miss a moment of the drama or dialogue.

CENTRE SPEAKERS

R6 Meta
The flagship center speaker of the R Series, the R6 Meta is a three-way design featuring the same 12th generation Uni-Q driver array with MAT as the R Series stereo models. This is a model that recreates every nuance, whilst matching the rest of the range tonally. Designed to be used in an LCR configuration, the R6 Meta is effortlessly versatile. Thanks to twin, powerful 165mm (6.5 in) hybrid aluminum bass drivers, every sound is perfectly reproduced to ensure the audience doesn’t miss a beat.

R2 Meta
Whether epic or intimate, the size of the room should never dictate the quality of sound. Designed specifically for a home theatre set up in smaller rooms, the R2 Meta centre speaker delivers the exact same high performance as its larger counterparts in the series. Providing a truly immersive listening experience with crystal clear dialogue, the three-way design of the R2 Meta centre speaker boasts the latest generation Uni-Q driver array with MAT, two 130mm (5.25 in) hybrid aluminium bass drivers. A versatile speaker the R2 Meta centre can be used in an LCR configuration.

DOLBY ATMOS SURROUND SPEAKER

R8 Meta
A truly immersive movie experience at home requires planning, or a multitasking solution. This is where the R8 Meta comes in. A highly flexible solution that can suit any room, the R8 Meta can serve as a surround or rear speaker with the integrated wall mount feature, or be placed upon another speaker for Dolby Atmos height to bounce sound off the ceiling, bringing Dolby Atmos to the room with no need for custom installation. Fully equipped with 12th generation Uni-Q array with MAT, every detail of the audio is clearly described and steered around the listening space as the director intended.

MICROFIBRE GRILLES

The dedicated microfibre grilles feature 1,801 precision-cut holes for each driver, delivering uncompromised sonic performance even when the drivers are covered. Compressed with heated pressure from multiple layers of material, they have a tactile, suede-like feel. The Magnetic fixings provide a secure and precise fit in keeping with the clean styling of the speakers themselves. The R Series has been engineered to perform with or without grilles, which – though they look beautiful – have a negligible effect on sound performance.

FINISHES

The R Series is designed to fit seamlessly and elegantly into any interior scheme, whether traditional, modern or contemporary. Understated and timeless, driven purely by acoustics, all engineering fixings have been concealed in a beautiful, minimal exterior. Three carefully selected finishes include sleek Black Gloss or White Gloss, or classic Walnut, while special edition finishes include Titanium Gloss and Indigo Gloss for the R7 Meta and R3 Meta respectively.

SPECIFICATIONS

Model| R11 Meta| R7 Meta| R5 Meta| | R3 Meta| R6 Meta| R2 Meta| R8a Meta
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---
Design| Three-way bass reflex| Three-way bass reflex| Three-way bass reflex| | Three-way bass reflex| Three-way closed box| Three-way closed box| Two-way closed box
Drive units| Uni-Q Driver Array:| Uni-Q Driver Array:| Uni-Q Driver Array:| | Uni-Q Driver Array:| Uni-Q Driver Array:| Uni-Q Driver Array:| Uni-Q Driver Array:
| HF: 25 mm (1 in.) vented aluminium dome| HF: 25 mm (1 in.) vented aluminium dome| HF: 25 mm (1 in.) vented aluminium dome| | HF: 25 mm (1 in.)| HF: 25 mm (1 in.)| HF: 25 mm (1 in.)| HF: 25 mm (1 in.)
| with MAT| with MAT| with MAT| | vented aluminium dome with MAT| vented aluminium dome with MAT| vented aluminium dome with MAT| vented aluminium dome with MAT
| MF: 125 mm (5 in.) aluminium cone| MF: 125 mm (5 in.) aluminium cone| MF: 125 mm (5 in.) aluminium cone| | MF: 125 mm (5 in.) aluminium cone| MF: 125 mm (5 in.) aluminium cone| MF: 125 mm (5 in.) aluminium cone| MF/ LF: 130 mm (5.25 in.)
| Bass unit:| Bass unit:| Bass unit:| | Bass unit:| Bass unit:| Bass unit:| aluminium cone
| LF: 4 x 165 mm (6.5 in.) hybrid aluminium cone| LF: 2 x 165 mm (6.5 in.) hybrid aluminium cone| LF: 2 x 130 mm (5.25 in.) hybrid aluminium cone| | LF: 165 mm (6.5 in.)

hybrid aluminium cone

| LF: 2 x 165 mm (6.5in.)

hybrid aluminium cone

| LF: 2 x 130 mm (5.25 in.)

hybrid aluminium cone

|
Crossover frequency| 330 Hz, 2.5 kHz| 400 Hz, 2.4 kHz| 400 Hz, 2.7 kHz| | 420 Hz, 2.3 kHz| 500 Hz, 2.4 kHz| 560 Hz, 2.5 kHz| 2.6 kHz
Frequency range (-6 dB)| 30 Hz – 50 kHz| 33 Hz – 50 kHz| 38 Hz – 50 kHz| | 38 Hz – 50 kHz| 55 Hz – 50 kHz| 58 Hz – 50 kHz| 88 Hz – 19.5 kHz
Typical in-room bass response (-6 dB)| 26 Hz| 27 Hz| 29 Hz| | 30 Hz| 40 Hz| 43 Hz| –
Frequency response (±3 dB)| 46 Hz – 28 kHz| 48 Hz – 28 kHz| 52 Hz – 28 kHz| | 58 Hz – 28k Hz| 65 Hz – 28 kHz| 67 Hz – 28 kHz| 97 Hz – 17.5 kHz
Harmonic distortion (90 dB, 1 m)| <1% 33 Hz and above| <1% 76 Hz and above| <1% 75 Hz and above| | <1% 73 Hz and above| <1% 65 Hz and above| <1% 84 Hz and above| <1% 220 Hz and above
| <0.5% 80 Hz – 20 kHz| <0.5% 110 Hz – 20 kHz| <0.5% 110 Hz – 20 kHz| | <0.5% 90 Hz – 20 kHz| <0.5% 93 Hz – 20 kHz| <0.5% 95 Hz – 20 kHz| <0.5% 320 Hz – 20 kHz
Maximum output| 113 dB| 111 dB| 110 dB| | 110 dB| 111 dB| 110 dB| 106 dB
Amplifier requirements| 15 – 300 W| 15 – 250 W| 15 – 200 W| | 15 – 180W| 15 – 250 W| 15 – 200 W| 25 – 150 W
Nominal impedance| 4 Ω (min. 3.2 Ω)| 4 Ω (min. 3.2 Ω)| 4 Ω (min. 3.2 Ω)| | 4 Ω (min. 3.2 Ω)| 4 Ω (min. 3.2 Ω)| 4 Ω (min. 3.2 Ω)| 4 Ω (min. 3.2 Ω)
Sensitivity (2.83 V/1 m)| 90 dB| 88 dB| 87 dB| | 87 dB| 88 dB| 87 dB| 85 dB
Weight | 36.5 kg (80.5 lbs)| 29.3 kg (64.6 lbs)| 24.5 kg (54.0 lbs)| | 12.4 kg (27.3 lbs)| 17.8 kg (39.2 lbs)| 15.4 kg (34.0 lbs)| 4.5 kg (9.9 lbs.)
Dimension (H x W x D)| 1249 x 200 x 384 mm| 1062 x 200 x 384 mm| 1025 x 175 x 344 mm| | 422 x 200 x 336 mm| 200 x 625 x 339 mm| 175 x 550 x 309 mm| 174 x 175 x 259 mm
with terminal | (49.2 x 7.9 x 15.1 in.)| (41.8 x 7.9 x 15.1 in.)| (40.4 x 6.9 x 13.5 in.)| | (16.6 x 7.9 x 13.2 in)| (7.9 x 24.6 x 13.3 in.)| (6.9 x 21.7 x 12.2 in.)| (6.9 x 6.9 x 10.2 in.)
Dimension (H x W x D)| 1296 x 311 x 384 mm| 1109 x 311 x 384 mm| 1072 x 272 x 344 mm| | N/A| N/A| N/A| N/A
with terminal with Plinth *| (51.0 x 12.2 x 15.1 in.)| (43.7 x 12.2 x 15.1 in.)| (42.2 x 10.7 x 13.5 in.)| | | | |
Finishes| Black Gloss / White Gloss / Walnut| Black Gloss / White Gloss /

Walnut / Titanium Gloss Special Edition

| Black Gloss / White Gloss / Walnut| | Black Gloss / White Gloss /

Walnut / Indigo Gloss Special Edition

| Black Gloss / White Gloss / Walnut| Black Gloss / White Gloss / Walnut| Black Gloss / White Gloss / Walnut

• Measurement per unit KEF reserves the right, in line with continuing research and development, to amend or change specifications. E&OE.

EXPERIENCE R SERIES

Don’t just take our word for it. The best way to really appreciate the power and potential of the R Series is to listen to it for yourself. Experience how these speakers can immerse you in sound and transform your own audio and entertainment set up at home.

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Documents / Resources

| KEF R-820F 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos Home Theater System [pdf] Instruction Manual
R-820F 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos Home Theater System, R-820F, 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos Home Theater System, Atmos Home Theater System, Theater System
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References

• KEF US | KEF USA

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