Customer Reviews

KEF R7 Meta

Had to replace two, very good B&W speakers that we have been enjoying for many years. The speakers were, unfortunately, damaged due to flood during a hurricane. Received guidance from Crutchfield staff via online chat for suitable replacement. The speakers we ordered arrived, very well packaged one day earlier than predicted. Performance of the new speakers so far has been exceptionally good. Expect many years of good listening ahead. Thank you, Crutchfield. :)

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What a speaker

Exquisite in every way, the KEF R7 Meta presents words and music with a precision far beyond what you've experienced before. Albums you've listened to for decades suddenly seem new and exciting. The intelligibility is remarkable. The presence is startling. And all of this technology is encased in a dazzling structure. What a speaker.

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KEF R7's wow

Hi, I bought R7's to replace prodigy PMC 5's which received the WHATHIFI 2023 product of the year review. They sounded great but I had one woofer blow out on first pair then 2nd woofer and tweeter go out on replacement pair....so I replaced them with KEF R7's. At first listen I was disappointed ...did not have same clarity PMC's...bumt them after breaking them in for only a few hours (yes I've always been skeptical about need to break in speakers) , I have to say I was BLOWN away by the clarity and even more the sound field/dispersion, I normally listen in stereo with sub with music, but I switched to dolby surround because I have the KEF R6 center and thought that would provide an even wider sound stage. Much to my surprise the KEF R7's in stereo mode presented a wider sound stage and imaging ! I could not believe the detail and nuances in various tracks I had not heard before and also how much better the KEF's blended with my SVS 3000SB sub that I had struggled with ..but setting the LFE crossover to 60hz resulted in clear non-boomy bass intergrated with the KEF 7's. I am a very happy camper. (note I have 40+ years with audio systems and started with crutchfield as a teenager LOL_

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Beautiful Sound

The KEF R7 is truly exceptional. Clarity is striking with no unwanted coloring going on. Very handsome adding to the appeal of going into my music sanctuary.

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KEF R7 Meta

I bought these after months of research to replace my 20-year-old acoustic Research statue S40's. I paired them with my NAD C399 integrated amp and an SVS SB 2000 subwoofer and they are nothing short of outstanding. As much as I liked my AR's, I wanted to upgrade to higher-end audiophile speakers. The S40's didn't compare to these in any way. I have them in a 12 x 18 room and more often than not I don't even need the subwoofer. The midrange and highs are brilliant without being harsh and the base is tight and punchy and there when it needs to be. Depending on the quality of some recordings however, the subwoofer adds extra depth at the low end.

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KEF R7 Meta

Bought the R-Series Meta suite (R7, R1 center, R3 surrounds) to replace most of a 20 year old 7.2 channel home theater set up. Main issue with the vintage equipment was a lack of dialogue clarity - so you can see why I was attracted to the KEF. Everything they say in the reviews is true. Sound is pure and clean and the sound field is incredibly wide. Having all 5 channels with identical drivers seemed excessive, but creates an amazing totally immersive experience. The speakers are beautiful to look at and then completely disappear into the sound. No localization of effects bouncing from speaker to speaker around the room but instead a natural movement through the air. It's hard to explain because the difference is subtle, yet amazing. One other note - I've been wanting these speakers for a long time and was a little concerned when the Meta upgrade was introduced and speaker impedence went from 8 to 4 ohm and my receiver is rated 4 ohm for main channels and only 6 for center and surrounds. I went ahead anyway after doing a bit of research and was even prepared to add an external power amp if necessary - But there are no issues at all. Receiver doesn't even get warm.

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KEF R7 Meta

I've had the KEF R7 Metas for a few days now, and I am absolutely amazed by the clear, articulate, open sound. The R7s are replacing my (non-Meta) KEF LS50 speakers, which I've enjoyed for many years, but which were just not big enough to fill a larger room. I'm using a Cambridge Audio EVO 150 integrated amp and a wireless KEF KC62 subwoofer (both purchased a year ago from Crutchfield). With zero EQ adjustments, the EVO/R7 pairing is fantastic for every musical genre I've thrown at it. Vocals are warm and detailed, the highs are open without being overly bright, and the lows are much more defined and effortless. Whether streaming music or playing vinyl, the R7s provide neutral and open sound that exposes musical nuances that had been missing from the LS50s. The R7s are also more efficient than the LS50s by a few db, so they are much easier to drive with the EVO 150. I auditioned a number of speakers before deciding on the R7 Metas, and I could not be happier with the resulting sound. The grey cabinets and red UNI-Q driver give the speakers a sleek and subtle modern look.

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Excellent speakers at their price point

After living with KEF R500s for five years we replaced them with R7 Metas. Reviews didn't prepare me for the degree of improvement this third generation of R speakers displays over the original. In a somewhat large 25' x 18' room (9' ceilings) the speakers are 30" from the rear wall and about 8' from side walls. Imaging and sound staging is superb for a speaker at this price point. Compared to our Tidal Piano speakers in the main system these don't reproduce micro dynamics and detail to the same degree but they still get the essence of the musical message across very well. I've driven them with a 25 watt class A Decware tube amp and a 120 watt Luxman M700u. The Luxman is excellent but the Decware tube amplification is magical. Professional reviewers have repeatedly speculated that these speakers will need lots of watts to perform well but my experience contradicts that. When seriously listening we're at around 80 db. average (slow response C rating on db. meter.) These speakers are not geared for the listener that is enchanted with bright, hyper detailed, speakers. They easily reveal what's right and wrong with a recording but they don't exaggerate the deficiencies unless you're using electronics that contribute to that failing. My comments are based on using IsoAcoustics Gaia feet instead of the factory supplied spikes BTW. Fit 'n finish on the titanium grey model was superb other than the trim rings around the woofers which required reseating.

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Superb all round

Great sound, easy to unbox and setup, fantastic service from Crutchfield and UPS Very pleased with these - excellent imaging. They are replacing some venerable and refurbished Kef 104/2 speakers / LS50 metas. The former are really good, but showing their age acoustically and the latter suffer from distortion at around 90Hz and need to be crossed over with a sub rather high. The R7s crossover with a Kef KF92 at 60 Hz optimally in my room. The two ports on the rear allow tweaking of the sound to further optimize. Strengths - jazz, vocals. Less good with classical, although one of the problems with good speakers is that they expose less good recordings and classical is fiendishly difficult to record well. Even with an awful room shape (square) these measure well. Technically, I really like the design The grills do affect the acoustics above about 12kHz - those with good high frequency hearing might want to leave the grills off - or (!) cut away the grill for the UniQ driver.

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