Great speaker, very even handed across the frequency range. Music sounds in the room rather than coming out of two loudspeakers. Has detail, power, dynamics. Expensive, but if you can afford it (in my case barely) and love music then worth it.
I bought these speakers in 2019 without auditioning them specifically, because in 2016 I was auditioning power amps and the retailer was using Kef Reference 1 as the speakers, with my front end CD player and pre amp. I never forgot that sound, without knowing the speaker brand or model. When the time came, moving to a house with a bigger space where I listen to/hear music, I decided to buy new speakers and asked the same retailer about "that sound" I'd heard. They told me, and then I went online and researched reviews. All very good, and for me and the way I listen to music etc etc it was important to read that the speakers are not too fussy about placement, the room, even the front end and and amplification. So I bought them as I said without a specific audition, because of my memory of something just so right about the sound. They really really work excellently in my room. Joy in the music. My front end and amplification, cabling etc is Chord Hugo TT2 with Mscaler, so good stuff, but the ability of KEF Reference 1 to use the good input and just get it out into our ears is in my view exceptional. Like I said I heard them when doing a completely different dem, not thinking about loudspeakers at all, but somehow never forgot it. Congratulations to all of you at KEF, and thank you for such a great help to music and happiness. OK it's not like Water Aid, but .........anyway.