Bookshelf Speakers - KEF Speakers
Bookshelf speakers, or standmount speakers, are an excellent alternative to floorstanding speakers for smaller rooms or those wanting something smaller. In many cases, they are an excellent choice for accurate sound and many studios use bookshelf sized speakers for monitoring.
We prefer to call them "stand mount" rather than "bookshelf" as they generally sound better on dedicated speaker stands which prevent a "boomy" sound in smaller spaces. You can control bass response by choice of stands. All speakers here are passive and require a suitable hi-fi amplifier. While we usually recommend this type of system (hi-fi separates and passive speakers) for the very best sound quality, we also sell excellent wireless and active speakers. Prices include free mainland UK delivery and full 30 day money back guarantee if you change your mind, so buy with confidence.
KEF is a British speaker manufacturer developing industry-leading products for over 50 years. KEF has received a host of awards and stellar reviews and currently offers a wide range of hi-fi speakers and AV speakers.
The flagship KEF Blade and smaller KEF Blade 2 speakers are renowned for their excellence and superb reproduction, and their advanced pioneering technologies and Uni-Q Driver Array designs have filtered down into lots of KEF’s consumer-end products, such as the KEF LS50 wireless speakers.
In 1961, KEF was founded by Raymond Cooke OBE an ex-BBC Electrical Engineer and headquartered the company near Maidstone, Kent. The company was set on the banks of the River Medway in the premises of a former metal working company, Kent Engineering & Foundry. Overtime by experimenting with new technologies and materials, Cooke aimed to produce superior acoustic quality with recordings reproduced to the exact nature of the original performance.
KEF became the first company to utilise the stability of Bextrene as a cone material, which has since been incorporated in many drivers for many leading audiophile speakers. Another major breakthrough a few years later, KEF became the first to design and test loudspeakers with computer modelling leading the industry in the digital analysis of speakers. Their revolutionary work resulted in KEF being able to match speaker pairs to within half a dB for flawless audio reproduction.
KEF eventually went on to produce their signature technology, the Uni-Q point source driver array in the next decade using NASA-developed magnets that were ten times more powerful than conventional ones. KEF stayed ahead of the game in the nineties with the advent of 5.1 home cinema recording by creating the first dedicated centre speaker in the UK, the Model 100 benefiting from Uni-Q.
Through the years, they have been developing impressive expertise in the use of advanced acoustical, magnetic and mechanical modelling techniques such as Finite Element Analysis resulting in an accuracy that was not previously achievable. Kept under wraps since the 1980s, KEF revealed their ACE technology in 2005 demonstrating the advantages of activated carbon inside a compact speaker enclosure and its effect on internal volume and bass extension.
Now five decades from the company’s inception, KEF's scientific innovation and hands-on experimentation cements their ultimate audiophile reputation and allows them to continue to lead in developing products ahead of the market. We stock the complete KEF range, from the multimedia range (that includes active speakers, headphones and earphones) to the Q series range, LS50 range, both the wired and wireless LS50, R series range, KEF Reference range and KEF Blade, along with custom install speakers and 5.1 speaker packages for a home theatre experience.
Traditionally, floorstanding loudspeakers are considered the ultimate to Hi-Fi with bookshelf speakers being largely perceived as too lightweight or compact to compete with their larger counterparts. However, the past 20 years has seen a drastic improvement in manufacturing and miniaturisation techniques so these standmount speakers can compete with floorstanders adding their own advantages as well.
Bookshelf speakers typically have more attack and rhythm than floorstanding models so they are more suited to complex tracks and rhythmic music. This is often viewed as a compromise between the weight and dynamics of a floorstanding speaker and the musicality possible with a bookshelf speaker.
Driver design and material is crucial when selecting a bookshelf speaker. There are various driver materials from Kevlar to paper – the top distinction being metallic or non-metallic drivers. A metal driver, typically aluminium, benefits from accuracy and precision. However, some listeners may describe this as "bright" or "analytical". Non-metallic drivers generally feature more engaging musicality and warmth at the expense of the absolute precision of a metal driver.
Tweeter design also hugely impacts the sound signature. Typically, entry-level and mid-range models incorporate a dome-shaped tweeter while higher-end speakers use a ribbon tweeter incorporating a diaphragm of stretched metallic ribbon. This delivers more lucid and broadly-dispersed highs, for better imaging and soundstage.
Most configurations employ a main bass/mid frequency driver paired with a separate tweeter handling high frequencies. However, some manufacturers choose to house the tweeter in the centre of the main driver to improve dispersion and imaging and make positioning easier and more versatile.
Dedicated speaker stand are ideal to position bookshelf speakers at the optimal listening height with the tweeters at ear level from the usual seating position. This achieves best imaging and ensures coherency and integration between the woofer and tweeter. They also add weight and authority to enhance bass extension. Many stands are fillable, letting you add weight and mass to further tweak the bass performance of your speakers. Base spikes ensure isolation from the floor and stop unwanted resonance from degrading the sound of your speakers.
Don't forget to buy a suitable pair of speaker stands and a good speaker cable as well! Call or e-mail us if you need any further help in choosing your new pair of speakers.
Bookshelf Speakers - KEF Speakers
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