Description
Reference 5
With four bass drivers and the latest Uni-Q mid and tweeter, Reference 5 exemplifies KEF’s passion for innovation. Whether it’s music or film it reveals the irresistible emotional power of the performance every time.
This three-way floorstander aligns four powerful 165mm (6.5 inch) bass drivers with KEF’s latest 125mm (5 inch) Uni-Q array and the new vented 25mm (1 inch) aluminium dome tweeter. Lows are reproduced with consummate agility and control, integrating with the midrange to create spine-tingling accuracy and depth.
Finish
As of October 2021, Reference 5 is now available in three finishes: Blue Ice White, Copper Black Aluminium, and Silver Satin Walnut.
Specifications
- Design: Three-way bass reflex
- Unit Measurement: Pair
- Frequency Range: Typical in-room bass response: 25Hz (-6dB), Free Field – Short port: 35Hz-45kHz (-6dB), Free Field – Long port: 32Hz-45kHz (-6dB)
- Frequency Response: 40Hz – 35kHz (±3dB)
- Crossover Frequencies: 350Hz, 2.8kHz
- Maximum Output: 116dB (peak sound pressure level at 1m with pink noise)
- Amplifier Class: 50-400W
- Sensitivity: 90dB (2.83V/1m)
- Harmonic Distortion: 2nd & 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m) <0.5% 40Hz-100kHz, <0.2% 200Hz–10kHz
- Impedance: 8Ohms (min. 3.2Ohms)
- Drive Units: Uni-Q driver array, HF 25mm (1in) vented aluminium dome, MF 125mm (5in) aluminium, bass units LF 4x165mm (6.5in) aluminium
Reference series
No other range or series personifies the KEF Audio passion for perfection more than Reference.
If you want the very best sound from movies or music, it’s the one name that towers above the rest. For perfectionists who demand uncompromisingly accurate sound that captures the full emotional range, depth, and detail of the original performance.
Perfect reproduction of sound is what KEF’s legendary Reference Series has always stood for. After 40 years of continuous development, Reference has earned its name as the yardstick of high-end audio engineering. When only the best is good enough.
Constant research
The list of KEF patents and innovations is unequalled. The Uni-Q point source driver is just one of many including the tangerine segmented waveguide, stiffened and optimised aluminium domes, vented tweeters and the Z-flex surround.
Uni-Q driver array
At the heart of The Reference is a stunning new Uni-Q point source driver array. A state-of-the-art vented aluminium dome tweeter at the exact acoustic centre of a highly sophisticated midrange driver that fills the room with flawless natural sound. The artist’s voice sounds as if it were right there in front of you.
Bass drivers
Clean, rich and articulate bass is the foundation of great stereo or multichannel sound. KEF’s new Reference Series bass driver has a massive vented magnet assembly, a large aluminium voice coil and an exceptionally light and stiff alloy cone. Whatever volume you choose the dynamics and power handling are superb.
Flexible port technology
The Reference has adjustable ports for fine-tuning the bass output to suit personal taste and room characteristics. Flexible port technology is used to reduce port resonance, with the flare and profile of each port calculated by computational fluid dynamics to avoid turbulent air noise that might colour the sound.
Crossover design
KEF engineers computer-model the ideal crossover network before auditioning every component, individually and together, to select those with the lowest distortion. Perfection takes time, but the results are plain to hear. Reference crossovers are even decoupled from the cabinet to minimise vibration and crosstalk.
Cabinet design
Hand finished in pair-matched wood veneers to complement the composite front baffle, KEF cabinets have computer-optimised bracing geometry to minimise secondary radiation from the sides and constrained layer damping to absorb vibration. KEF cabinets are engineered to eliminate anything that compromises purity of sound.
Composite front baffle
The Reference drivers are set in a smooth, strikingly distinctive front baffle engineered to eliminate response anomalies caused by diffraction. Made from an exceptionally strong laminated aluminium/resin composite and secured via high-loss pads and high tensile bolts, it adds tremendous rigidity to the inert cabinet.
Plinths & stands
Reference 5 and Reference 3 are solidly grounded on a plinth with a built in spirit level and have easily adjusted spikes. Reference stands have a cable channel and can be bolted to the speaker, there’s also a compartment for mass filling to aid stability and acoustic damping. The stands are finished in Satin Black.
Special editions
In 1961 Raymond Cooke founded KEF in a Nissen hut formerly owned by Kent Engineering and Foundry. To celebrate this heritage we’ve created bespoke editions of the latest Reference range. The Kent Engineering & Foundry editions combine the latest Reference technology in a style that subtly evokes KEF’s rich pedigree.
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