KEF Q30 (1994)

A medium-sized speaker system from KEF's Q series, with a Uni-Q coaxial driver and an anti-magnetic design for accurate, space-saving audio reproduction.

Overview

The KEF Q30 is a tall boy speaker system produced around 1994 as part of KEF's Q series. It was built in England for listeners who wanted a compact, full-range speaker with a small visual footprint and reduced magnetic interference - which made it suitable for placement near CRT displays. The Q30 is built around KEF's Uni-Q technology. A 16 cm polypropylene cone woofer and a 1.9 cm soft dome tweeter sit in a single coaxial point source, with their acoustic centers aligned to improve phase coherence and dispersion. The bass reflex enclosure is 16 liters and the finish is ash black. Low-end response extends down to 50 Hz (±3 dB) and 40 Hz (-6 dB), offering balanced performance across genres.

Specifications

Type	2-Way, 1-Speaker, Bass Reflex System, Tall Boy Type, Anti-magnetic Design
Driver	16 cm Coaxial Type (16 cm cone + 1.9 cm dome)
Frequency Response	50 Hz - 20 kHz ±3 dB; 40 Hz -6 dB
Impedance	6 Ω
Sensitivity	88 dB
Amplifier Compatibility	10W – 125W
Enclosure Volume	16 liters
Dimensions	190 mm (W) × 700 mm (H) × 302 mm (D) + Spike
Weight	9.5 kg
Original Price	¥39,000 (circa 1994)

Design

The Uni-Q coaxial driver in the Q30 puts the 16 cm polypropylene cone woofer and the 1.9 cm soft dome tweeter at the same acoustic point in depth. This gives phase coherence and wide, consistent dispersion. The tweeter uses a neodymium iron boron magnet, ten times more powerful than ferrite, which allows a compact design and improved efficiency. The crossover network is mounted on the rear terminal board with independent wiring, to balance frequency response and support faithful playback. The speaker has magnetic shielding to minimize interference with nearby CRT devices, and it is finished in ash black.

Context

The KEF Q30 is described as a medium-sized speaker within the Q series, a line designed to deliver KEF's core technologies in accessible, compact forms. Its anti-magnetic design and tall boy profile suggest it was aimed at space-conscious users, possibly for near-field or multimedia setups in environments with video monitors.