KEF Reference 3 Floorstanding Speakers – Walnut / Gaia II Isolation Feet

Here we have a pair of beautifully finished Reference 3 loudspeakers from British company KEF. Well known for their Uni-Q drivers the Kent based manufacturers use their expertise to produce both an aesthetically pleasing speaker with one that shines in the sound quality department. Our examples are in the walnut finish and come in good fully working condition, noting a couple of minor blemishes including a slight indentation on one bass driver – please refer to photographs. They are supplied packed securely on a pallet. Please note these loudspeakers are supplied upgraded, with a full set of the highly regarded GAIA speaker isolation feet (in place of the originals) that give a real improvement in sound quality.
KEF Say….
The perfect reproduction of recorded sound is what KEF Reference has always stood for. Nothing less. And after four decades of continuous innovation and development, the name is firmly established as the yardstick of high-end acoustic engineering.
KEF led the world in the use of computerised ‘total system design’ to create better loudspeakers. By pioneering the use of these powerful analytics, KEF engineers matched pairs of speakers to within half a decibel. Because this exact pair matching delivers perfect stereo reproduction, they won instant acclaim for their superior acoustic precision. The name ‘Reference’ was born.
With six models encompassing two elegant three-way floorstanders, a formidable three-way bookshelf speaker, two three-way centre speakers and an awesome 1000-watt subwoofer, The Reference combines phenomenal high-fidelity performance with complete multichannel versatility.
At the heart of The Reference is arguably the greatest innovation in the history of modern loudspeaker design: KEF’s ‘point source’ Uni-Q MF/HF driver array. With a state-of-the-art 25mm vented aluminium dome tweeter at the exact acoustic centre of a highly sophisticated 125mm midrange driver, both act as a single source that floods the listening space evenly with a flawless natural sound field, no matter where you sit.
The powerful 165mm LF driver designed to complement KEF’s latest Uni-Q point source array is in a class of its own. Clever engineering and meticulous attention to design detail delivers a deeply rewarding experience, which blends seamlessly with Uni-Q’s immaculate midrange and treble response.
Whether for a traditional speaker system or multichannel home theatre set-up, the experience is so startlingly realistic that you feel as if you’re actually there. Mind-blowing special effects, from the opening titles onwards. Breathtaking dynamics. Consummate musicality, from overture to coda. And the level of accuracy that reveals details you’d never noticed before, even in favourite tracks. They’re easy to live with too – undemanding in terms of position, and easy to fine tune for your listening area through the innovative, flexible port tube technology.
Every Reference speaker exude the sense of sheer quality that comes from being hand built by KEF’s master technicians in Maidstone, Kent. Designed using finite element analysis to determine the ideal shape and bracing geometry, the expertly engineered cabinets are finished in a sumptuous deep piano gloss or richly detailed, pair-matched wood veneers to complement the strikingly distinctive front baffle, which is engineered to eliminate anomalies caused by diffraction.
Precision-engineered plinths and spike sets ground the stands as solidly as the floorstanders to prevent any vestigial cabinet vibrations from being transmitted through the floor of the listening area.
KEF’s obsession with absolute quality remains, as does the immaculate craftsmanship; the styling has evolved so as to be as fresh and contemporary now as their predecessors were then. But above all, for the serious audiophile who aspires to the perfect enjoyment of movies or music, there’s one name that still towers above the rest.
Sharing the design DNA of Reference 5, Reference 3 has the same uncanny ability to generate an intricate, emotionally compelling three-dimensional soundstage that places you right at the heart of the original performance. A three-way design, the two 165mm (6.5 inch) bass drivers are perfectly positioned above and below KEF’s latest Uni-Q point source driver array in what’s known as a D’appolito configuration. Fidelity across the midrange and treble is outstanding, with a smooth, flat on-axis frequency response and balanced response in other directions. Together with Uni-Q’s broad, inclusive dispersion characteristics, this allows everyone in the room to enjoy the same rich, spatially precise acoustic imagery without being restricted to a conventional ‘sweet spot’. Lyrical, finely nuanced and astonishingly powerful when required, it intensifies the experience of music or drama like few other speakers can.
Specifications:
Design: Three-way bass reflex
Drive Units: Uni-Q driver array: HF: 25 mm vented aluminium dome, MF: 125 mm aluminium; Bass units: LF: 2 x 165 mm aluminium
Frequency Range Free Field (-6dB): Short port: 38 Hz – 45 kHz; Long port: 35 Hz – 45 kHz
Frequency Range Typical In Room Bass Response: 28 Hz (-6dB)
Frequency Response: 43 Hz – 35 kHz (±3dB)
Crossover Frequency: 350 Hz, 2.8 kHz
Amplifier Requirements: 50 – 300 W
Sensitivity: 87.5 dB (2.83 V/1 m)
Harmonic Distortion: < 0.5% 40 Hz – 100 kHz; < 0.2% 200 Hz – 10 kHz, 2nd & 3rd harmonics (90 dB, 1 m)
Maximum Output: 113.5 dB (peak sound pressure level at 1m with pink noise)
Impedance: 8 Ω (min. 3.2 Ω)
Dimensions: 1155 (H) x 205 (W) x 470 (D) mm – with grille and terminal; 1202 (H) x 349 (W) x 470 (D) mm – with grille, terminal & plinth (H x W x D)
Weight: 51.3 kg
IsoAcoustics Say….
GAIA II is designed for floor standing speakers and subwoofers. Finished in an elegant machined dark chrome metal housing, the GAIA II incorporates IsoAcoustics’ patented design principles to deliver extraordinary acoustic results. GAIA II provides a high degree of isolation while resisting lateral movement and oscillations to maintain alignment with the listening position. Internal reflections from the hard-supporting surface are attenuated resulting in greater sound clarity and openness. The sound stage blossoms to open up a three-dimensional image of natural, spatial sound.