KEF

KEF is a British company that produces high-end audio products, including HiFi speakers, subwoofers, architecture speakers, wireless speakers and headphones. It was founded in Maidstone, Kent in 1961 by BBC engineer Raymond Cooke (1925–1995). In 1992, the Hong Kong–based Gold Peak Group acquired KEF. GP Acoustics, a member of Gold Peak, became the owner of the company. KEF continues to develop and manufacture its products in Maidstone. KEF is named after its original site, Kent Engineering and Foundry. Product development, acoustical technology research and the manufacture of signature products still occurs at the original Maidstone site in England. KEF was the first loudspeaker manufacturer in the world to employ computers in loudspeaker design and measurement. KEF introduced the world's first coincident-source speaker driver, called Uni-Q, in 1988, which is now in its 12th generation; And it is still featured in almost all its speakers today. KEF is the first company in the HiFi industry to use metamaterial to absorb the unwanted sound from the rear of a speaker driver; the technology is called Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT). KEF has received over 300 awards and holds more than 150 patents. KEF also has published more than 50 academic papers and has received two Queen's Awards for Export Achievement. KEF's European competitors include Bang & Olufsen, Sennheiser and OneSonic.