Britain has always been a nation that prides itself on its engineering and science pedigree, which is why it’s no surprise that it has been the birthplace of some of the most interesting innovations in the hi-fi space.
If we were to list every amazing British invention we have experienced reviewing in hi-fi over the past near-50 years of What Hi-Fi?, this article would read more like an encyclopedia of hi-fi know-how. Instead, we are going to focus on the biggies that our team of experts personally list as their hallmarks for British hi-fi innovation.
KEF MAT
KEF’s Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) first appeared in 2020 on the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning KEF LS50 Meta standmount speakers. The MAT technology is designed to help speakers cope with the unwanted sound that comes off the back of an aluminium tweeter dome so they don’t distort the unit’s forward output.
The MAT itself is basically a circular, plastic, maze-like structure that sits behind the tweeter. The specifics of the maze depend on the speaker, but effectively the design means the rearward sound from the tweeter (such as in the LS50 Meta) feeds into this maze element, that is roughly the size of a hockey puck. The element is layered and made up of 30 tubes, each of which has been tuned to absorb a different frequency (from around 600Hz upwards). According to KEF, this MAT technology helps absorb “99 per cent” of the unwanted distorting soundwaves that radiate from the cone’s rear into the cabinet.
This story is from the July 2023 edition of What Hi-Fi UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2023 edition of What Hi-Fi UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
AURAL HYGIENE
These devices will clean up your TV's sound and give your movies real bite
BABY BOOMERS
People say \"think big\". We say, with stereo speakers, that's not always good advice
INSIDER TOP FIVE LAUNCHES
Five products to look out for this month
Nakamichi Dragon
Amonster hybrid soundbar and home cinema speaker package
WiiM Amp
Can WiiM hit the budget jackpot again?
Hisense C1
Hisense’s boxy beamer is alot of fun, even if it isn't super subtle
Audio Pro C20
A fantastic, multi-talented wireless speaker that delivers in almost every way
Philips Fidelio T2
Chunky, but are they funky?
Systems vs separates
Speaker systems are in danger of killing budget hi-fi separates, but can they coexist? Managing editor Becky Roberts certainly hopes so
R.I.P. THE AUX INPUT
The aux input is dead and awaiting burial... but managing editor Becky Roberts misses it already