The full-range Ci250RRM-THX ($2,200) incorporates the 12th generation of KEF’s signature Uni-Q coincident driver array — in this case a 0.75-inch aluminum-dome tweeter fitted in the throat of a 4-inch midrange driver suspended over a 10-inch woofer — and is the first in-wall to deploy the company’s Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT), originally introduced in freestanding speakers and designed to coax more natural sounding highs from tweeters. The driver assembly is water-resistant and housed in a frame that’s 6.6 inches deep and requires an 11.8-inch cutout for installation.
Here’s how KEF explained the technology when it was introduced in 2000: “MAT is a highly complex maze-like structure, where each of the intricate channels efficiently absorbs a range of specific frequencies. When combined, the channels act as an acoustic black hole, absorbing 99% of the unwanted sound. Other traditional approaches have only allowed around 60% absorption, so the resulting acoustic quality is incomparable. The difference is audible.”
The Ci250RRM-THX also incorporates other technical innovations, including a new patent-pending technology KEF calls Cavity Radiation Control, which uses absorptive foam in combination with the speaker’s open-back design to reduce the distortion in the critical midrange region and correct the midrange dip that typically occurs in three-way coaxial speakers. KEF says the result is improved midrange clarity and realism.
To further refine performance, the Uni-Q array is housed in a “low diffraction LF aperture” with an acoustically absorptive outer foam ring designed to improve mid/high performance without compromising bass output by reducing resonance and diffraction.
The Ci250RRM-THX is rated down to 28Hz (±6dB) and THX Certified Ultra for use in large spaces up to 3,000 cubic feet.
Designed to deliver “accurate and powerful bass while remaining visually discreet,” the Ci250RRb-THX subwoofer is rated down to 20Hz (±6dB) and houses a water-resistant 10-inch woofer in a frame that’s 5.8 inches deep and requires an 11.8-inch cutout for installation. The driver is an extra-long-throw design with a massive 150-ounce magnet. The sub is THX Certified Select for use in spaces up to 2,000 cubic feet.
In addition to being high-output designs that boast max SPL ratings of 109dB (Ci250RRb-THX) and 111dB (Ci250RRM-THX), both models feature discreet paintable grille covers that all but disappear in a ceiling or wall. For more information, visit us.kef.com.
