The Reference
The Reference
The Reference
Only one loudspeaker range can truly claim ownership of the name, The Reference. KEF’s mastery of research, development, manufacturing, analysis and the art of sound balancing ensures that this range is truly representative of the state of the art.
Pushing Boundaries
For nearly 50 years, KEF engineers have pushed the boundaries of what is possible with The Reference. Ground-breaking in its first incarnation, each subsequent iteration of The Reference has added to the world’s knowledge of the science of acoustics.
The Benchmark of Benchmarks
How does each iteration of The Reference maintain its status as the loudspeaker against which others are judged? Through pair matching to within 0.5dB tolerance to the laboratory maintained prototype; and the continued development of ground-breaking technologies and supreme levels of craftsmanship.
The Four Aims
The Reference has four broad acoustic aims which underpin KEF’s entire acoustic philosophy. If you would like to understand our engineering and acoustic ideas in detail, please download The KEF Reference White Paper (English language only) written by our R&D team in the UK.
Kent Engineering and Foundry Editions
In 1961 Raymond Cooke founded KEF in a Nissen hut formerly owned by Kent Engineering and Foundry. To celebrate this heritage we created two bespoke editions of the Reference range. The Kent Engineering & Foundry editions combine the latest Reference technology in a style that subtly evokes KEF's rich pedigree.
Made in Maidstone
Since 1973, Reference has been designed, engineered, and crafted in Maidstone, Kent. When you experience The Reference, you don’t just experience the best: you experience all of the history that has gone into the creation of the benchmark.