KEF Blade Pair - Snow White

The KEF BLADE is the production version of the renowned Concept BLADE project, which was unveiled by KEF at the Munich High End Show in 2009. Refined using ingenious new materials to replicate the shattering performance of the original, the KEF BLADE is a unique synthesis of cutting-edge audio technology and groundbreaking design.

The inspiration behind the project was straightforward: to give the world's most talented audio engineers the freedom to create a speaker that would showcase KEF's technological leadership and innovative prowess. Without any preconceptions, the need to use existing components, or design or cost restrictions, the team embarked on a three-year journey of original research and exhaustive testing. The result was the Concept BLADE, whose startling acoustic precision was enthusiastically acclaimed when it was first revealed at the Munich High End Show in 2009.

Unlike many glamorously radical concept cars that never see production, the team decided that the Concept BLADE was simply too good not to take a step further. Encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive reviews, and to mark KEF's 50th anniversary, the design team was given the go-ahead to develop the stunning concept for production. Two more years were spent painstakingly refining the concept to produce an edition that serious audiophiles could actually own.

The team devised ingenious applications of different new materials to replicate the shattering performance of the original, using innovative technologies to deliver the acoustic capabilities required of such a super-premium product. They perfected a method of manufacturing the complex parabolic enclosures, and the drivers gained sophisticated enhancements to recapture the magic of listening to the one-off prototype. What was previously thought impossible was set to become a reality.

The result is the KEF BLADE – a unique synthesis of cutting-edge audio technology and groundbreaking design. While the technologies involved are highly advanced, the original focus on simplicity remains. Every single component operates so comfortably within its performance envelope that they work together as a single, flawlessly coherent unit – in effect, a giant full-range Uni-Q driver array.

The BLADE's singular HF/MF Uni-Q driver array works in tandem with its four side-mounted bass drivers, effectively creating a single, flawlessly coherent unit. To avoid bass frequency dissipation, the LF drivers are mounted back-to-back. This configuration cancels out any unwanted frequencies or coloration, and partly accounts for the BLADE's engagingly musical performance.

Two pairs of the finest audiophile-quality WBT connectors allow for bi-wiring or bi-amping, enabling users to properly harness every single detail of the music they're listening to. The simple low-order crossovers employ the best components available, carefully selected by the engineers to ensure that every part of the signal path is fine-tuned for maximum clarity. All crossover components are individually wired by hand, rather than mounted on a conventional printed circuit board, optimizing both reliability and sound quality by assuring the cleanest possible signal transmission.

product information: