A new partnership between iconic British brands KEF and Lotus sees the release of a unique hi-fi speaker system for the home
Following the success of the first KEF x Lotus partnership, which saw the creation of an in-car audio system built for the Lotus Emira sportscar (its last petrol-powered sports car) and Lotus Eletre Hyper-SUV, the brands are joining forces again to innovate a range of KEF x Lotus products for the home.
The first of these to be launched is the KEF LS60 Wireless Lotus Edition. So named to celebrate KEF’s recent 60th anniversary, this all-in-one hi-fi speaker system’s ultra-slim design nods to the streamlined silhouettes of sports cars, and it can be easily parked in any corner of the home.
The system comes in British racing green, paying homage to Lotus’ racing heritage. And it has, then, poetically come first. For it’s the world’s first Single Apparent Source wireless system, with flawless sound dispersing evenly throughout any given room. This is thanks to KEF’s Uni-Q® driver array, which comprises calibrated drivers configured such that low, mid and high frequencies radiate from a single point. In other speakers, some interference is often caused by drivers producing frequencies radiating from separate points.
The KEF LS60 Wireless Lotus Edition’s design recalls Lotus’ racing heritage, which includes 13 FIA Formula 1 world titles
Yingjia Yao, vice president of Group Lotus and global head of Lotus Life, explains, ‘Throughout Lotus’s 75-year history, we have always promised our customers aspirational experiences. This partnership continues to deliver on that promise by providing outstanding engineering, class-leading performance, and design innovation with the future of lifestyle in mind.’
Indeed, the LS60 system attests the degree to which pioneering engineering lies at the heart of this collaboration. It also capitalises on KEF’s Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MATTM), which absorbs 99 per cent of unwanted sound from the rear of the driver, and the brand’s revolutionary Uni-Core® bass drivers, which deliver deep and accurate bass. These features have won What Hi-Fi?’s Innovation of the Year and Product of the Year awards, respectively.
And this state-of-the-art tech has been built with the listener in mind. Wireless compatibility and the KEF Connect app allow listeners to stream music and podcasts instantly, while varied connection options allow fast linking directly to a turntable, games console or TV.
Grace Lo, KEF’s president and head of global marketing, says, ‘At KEF we have always been in pursuit of audio perfection and have a passion for sharing the magic of great sound, and we believe that for our customers it isn’t only about producing the perfect sound; it is also about the lifestyle and experience that goes with it. With this in mind, we are continually innovating and making breakthroughs in design to produce first-class products which deliver the very best experiences – a vision and philosophy which KEF and Lotus both share.’
KEF LS60 Wireless Lotus Edition, £7,000; available at uk.kef.com and Lotus London, 73 Piccadilly, Mayfair London, W1J 8HS
