KEF BLADE ONE Meta User manual

User Manual
BLADE Meta
BLADE

1
Important safety information
General care of your system
Thank you for purchasing KEF Blade Meta speakers. They have been designed to faithfully reproduce
high quality sound over many years of use and should provide realistic reproduction of music and
speech. Please take a little time to read these instructions prior to use.
Your KEF Blade Meta speakers are tall, slim and extremely heavy. Installed correctly on a smooth, level
surface, your speakers should be entirely safe to listen to and to live with.
However, if you live with small children, large pets, the infirm, have uneven flooring or unusually thick
carpeting in your home, then correct adjustment of the foot assemblies is imperative if safe, stable
operation is to be achieved.
Warning: The metal tweeter dome has a protective wave guide at the centre of the Uni-Q®driver
array; if this is compromised and the dome itself is dented, it will permanently impair performance.
1. Read this manual carefully,
especially the safety
information, before attempting
to assemble and operate
the system.
1. Avoid temperature extremes.
2. Avoid damp.
3. Avoid direct sunlight.
4. Clean with the KEF cloth provided.
5. Do not use spirit based cleaners.
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pleased to assist you.
4. Trailing cables are dangerous.
Ensure all cables are secure
and tidy.
2. Follow the unpacking and
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cartons. Please note that
lifting the system requires
two able-bodied persons.
3. Never connect the system
directly to the electricity supply.
5. When stripping cables use
only tools designed specifically
for the purpose i.e. correct wire
cutters or cable strippers.

3
Contents
Installation and operation
Unpacking, handling and after care 6
Adjusting the feet and/or spikes 7
Speaker placement and room acoustics 8
Amplifier to speaker connections 10
Amplifier requirements and power handling 11
Single, bi-wire and bi-amp connections 12
Specifications 15

5

Adjust Lock
Lock
Unlock
7
Unpacking, handling and after care Adjusting the feet and/or spikes
BLADE ONE Meta & BLADE
TWO Meta speakers are packed
one speaker per carton. Prior to
unpacking, please ensure that
the serial numbers of the
speakers supplied match
each other.
Then, unpack the speakers
carefully following the
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carton and inspect for any sign
of damage.
Your speakers left KEF in
perfect condition. If any
damage is apparent, you should
notify your retailer or
consultant immediately. Retain
the packaging in case a need
arises for you to transport the
speakers at a later date.
Under normal circumstances
your speakers will be
commissioned by your retailer
or consultant, who will have
been trained in their installation
by KEF.
KEF strongly recommends that
you do not attempt to level
your speakers single-handedly.
Recruit the assistance of
another adult or consult an
authorised
KEF Blade Meta outlet for
assistance which
may be chargeable if the
purchase was not made
through them originally.
The spike/locking nut
combination supplied is
designed to provide small
Each Blade Meta speaker is
supplied with KEF designed
substantial spikes and locking
nuts (also in the care pack).
This enables fine adjustment
of level, depending on your
preferred location of the
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wood. In addition to the spikes
and locking nuts each Blade
Meta speaker also comes with
pucks to protect wood floors.
stability of each speaker by
gently rocking it from side to
side, front-to-back and
diagonally.
Often, you will find that the
speaker is close to vertical, but
rocks because one spike (or two
spikes diagonally) seems
too short.
If the general stability is good,
but the speaker is leaning to
the left, right, backward or
forward, then equal minor
adjustments to the two spikes
opposite to the direction of
lean should be made.
Installation and operation Installation and operation
You will notice that a special
KEF care pack is included with
each pair of speakers.
This pack contains a cleaning
cloth and all the required
accessories for connecting and
positioning your speakers. The
care pack also contains the
unique product build certificate.
This is a valuable document and
guarantees the quality and
craftsmanship of your speakers.
The cabinets are finely finished
and should be treated with the
same care with which you
would treat fine furniture.
A suitable cleaning cloth is
included in the customer care
pack to maintain the original
finish and lustre.
adjustments, not to compensate
for seriously irregular floors.
A spirit level is provided at the
rear of each Blade Meta
speaker to gauge when the
speaker is perfectly level.
A rigidly-sited speaker performs
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because it enables the cabinet
to remain fixed while the
drive units are allowed to
move as determined by the
source signal.
Best results will be obtained if
the speakers are level and
stable. Check the general

D: 1 - 1.2 x W
9
Speaker placement
The listening room is one of the
most variable elements in the
hi-fi chain and its effect cannot
be emphasised too strongly, nor
can its effect be reliably
predicted. Spacing the speakers
approximately 2m - 3m (6ft. -
10ft.) apart will allow the stereo
images to develop fully. You
should sit at a distance at least
equal to, and preferably greater
than, the distance between
the speakers.
Positioning the speaker in a
corner or near to a side wall is
not recommended as the
is right and that the stereo
image is well defined.
As Uni-Q has a wide, uniform
dispersion, we recommend that
you star with the speaker facing
flat into the room with no
toe-in. A more focussed centre
image may be achieved in your
room with a small degree of
toe-in, but overall soundstage
width may be reduced. It is
worth taking the time to
experiment with what works
best for you and your room.
Installation and operation
significant bass boost caused
by this position will affect the
sound and cause the stereo
image to deteriorate.
It is best to place the speakers
symmetrically within the room,
relative to the walls, ceiling and
floor, where possible.
Be aware also that soft
furnishings near to a speaker
will deaden the sound -
similarly, nearby reflective
surfaces may brighten up the
sound. Move the speakers until
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0 - 15° 0 - 15°
W: 2 - 3 m (6 ft. – 10 ft.)
A > 225 mm (9 in.)
B > 1 m (36 in.)

11
Amplifier to speaker connections
All connections should be made
with the amplifier switched
OFF. Ensure the integrity of all
connections prior to switching
the amplifier ON.
KEF Blade Meta speakers are
fitted with purpose designed
silver-plated Bi-wire/Bi-amp
terminals which will accept bare
wire, spade or 4mm connectors.
Most good quality speaker
cables have some indication,
such as colour coding or
‘ribbing’ on the insulating
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conductor is ‘+’ or positive.
Connection to the speakers can
then be made as follows:
Bare wire connections are the
simplest to achieve and involve
stripping 12.5mm (0.5in.) of
insulation to expose the
speaker wire core. (You should
twist together, using clean
fingers, the ends of each
multi-stranded core prior to
the next stage to ensure
a good signal contact). Having
unscrewed the lower terminal
cap, push the wire through the
exposed hole in the terminal
body and screw the cap
down tightly.
Make sure that no stray strands
come into contact with the
opposite terminal; this could
cause a short circuit between
the terminals and may damage
your amplifier.
Be aware that a higher quality
run of cable will always give a
more rewarding presentation
than multiple runs of an
inferior cable.
Installation and operation
The left channel amplifier
output terminal marked ‘+’ or
coloured RED connects to the
left speaker terminal marked ‘+’.
The left channel amplifier
output terminal marked ‘-’ or
coloured BLACK connects to
the left speaker terminal
marked ‘-’. Similarly, these
instructions should be followed
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between the right channel
amplifier output and the right
speaker. Correct polarity, or
phase, is vital to the proper
operation of the system.
If the connections are not
made correctly the sound will
deteriorate giving poor
bass output and a diffuse
presentation of the soundstage.
Amplifier requirements
and power handling
In KEF literature and in the
specification table within these
instructions are listed a range
of amplifier power outputs to
match your Blade Meta
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(room size, type of programme,
preferred listening level) and
the nature of the speaker/
amplifier interface vary so
widely that it is not possible to
lay down hard and fast rules
about amplifiers and the
speakers they drive.
KEF speakers are built to
rigorous standards of quality
and consistency and the upper
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requirements shown are those
which the speaker in question
should handle without distress
or damage when used under
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Remember it is easier to
damage the speaker by using a
small amplifier driven into
distortion by too much volume,
possibly with bass and treble
boost, than by using a larger
amplifier which has power in
reserve. If in doubt,
ask the advice of your retailer
or consultant.
Installation and operation
If higher than specified
amplifier powers are used, great
care should be taken to avoid
abnormal conditions such as
switch-on surges or gross
distortion, either of the
amplifier or the speaker,
resulting in power peaks greatly
in excess of the ratings
specified. Care should be taken
as the possibility still exists
under certain conditions (such
as excessive bass or treble
boost caused by tone and/or
loudness controls, graphic
equalisers, etc.) that the
speakers can be overloaded and
damaged. The lower limits of
amplifier power are those
necessary to give a reasonable
sound pressure level under
domestic conditions.

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13
Single, bi-wire and bi-amp
connections
Installation and operation
Speaker cables. Poor quality cables can seriously compromise the overall sound of your hi-fi system.
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It is good practice to keep the cables as short as possible.
The left and right channel speaker cables should, wherever possible, be the same length otherwise
there may be a perceptible change in output level between the speakers.
Single
Bi-wire
Bi-amp

15
Specifications
Model BLADE ONE Meta BLADE TWO Meta
Design Three-way bass reflex
Single apparent source
Three-way bass reflex
Single apparent source
Drive units Uni-Q driver array:
HF: 25 mm (1 in.) vented aluminium dome
with MAT
MF: 125 mm (5 in.) aluminium cone
Bass units:
LF: 4 x 225 mm (9 in.) aluminium cone,
force cancelling
Uni-Q driver array:
HF: 25 mm (1 in.) vented aluminium dome
with MAT
MF: 125 mm (5 in.) aluminium cone
Bass units:
LF: 4 x 165 mm (6.5 in.) aluminium cone,
force cancelling
Frequency range free f
ield (-6dB) 27 Hz - 45k Hz 30 Hz - 45k Hz
Frequency range typical in room
bass response (-6dB)
20Hz 25Hz
Frequency response (±3dB) 35 Hz - 35k Hz 33 Hz - 35k Hz
Crossover frequencies 350 Hz, 2k Hz 450 Hz, 2.2k Hz
Amplifier requirements 50 - 400W 50 - 400W
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Harmonic distortion 2nd and
3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m)
<0.5% 40 Hz - 100k Hz
<0.2% 200 Hz - 2k Hz
<0.1% 2k Hz - 20k Hz
<0.5% 40 Hz - 100k Hz
<0.2% 200 Hz - 2k Hz
<0.1% 2k Hz - 20k Hz
Maximum output (SPL)
(peak sound pressure level at 1m
with pink noise)
117dB 116dB
Impedance ƓÐŐlbmĺƑĺѶÐő ƓÐŐlbmĺƒĺƑÐő
Weight 57.2 kg (126 lbs) 57.2 kg (126 lbs)
Dimensions - with plinth
(H x W x D)
1590 x 363 x 540 mm
(62.5 x 14.3 x 21.2 in.)
1461 x 338 x 475 mm
(57.5 x 13.3 x 18.7 in.)
1590mm
(62.5in.)
363mm
(14.3in.)
540mm
(21.2in.)
1461mm
(57.5in.)
338mm
(13.3in.)
475mm
(18.7in.)
BLADE ONE Meta
BLADE TWO Meta
35.3 kg (77.8 lbs)

P/N: K290268ML Issue 1: 09/2021
GP Acoustics (UK) Limited
Eccleston Road
Tovil, Maidstone
Kent, ME15 6QP
UK
KEF.com
For product registration, please visit
kef.world/BladeMetaReg