KEF Proudly Unveils the LS50 – Special 50th Anniversary Loudspeaker

KEF, the renowned manufacturer of innovative, reference-quality loudspeakers, introduces the new LS50 Mini Monitor speaker – a reinterpretation of the research, design and engineering approach of the legendary LS3/5a using the latest technologies developed at KEF – to commemorate its 50th anniversary celebration.

(High res images can be found at http://pressroom.marketingmatters.net/kef/ls50)

The LS50 monitor delivers a rich, multi-dimensional ‘soundstage experience’ that is rare in a loudspeaker with such a compact design. Patent-pending acoustic designs, together with state-of-the-art technologies from KEF’s latest flagship Blade loudspeaker, provide the ultimate studio experience – even in the smallest of spaces. At the LS50’s heart beats the highly acclaimed KEF Uni-Q driver array, capable of mastering an exceptional range of dynamic highs and lows over a large listening area.

In the early 1960s the BBC selected KEF drive units and crossover for the original LS3/5a because of KEF’s pioneering approach to new technology. The LS3/5a was an ‘engineers’’ loudspeaker – so is the LS50. The R&D team were given a free hand to build the best small enclosure, irrespective of the usual industrial design constraints. The result is a remarkably accurate and transparent sound.

“The new KEF LS50 mini monitor is a great example of how KEF lead the way in acoustical engineering and design for over 50 years,” said Alec Chanin, president of KEF America. “In one regard, the LS50 pays tribute to a legendary loudspeaker that captured the attention of a country nearly 50 years ago–the LS3/5a. On the other hand, the LS50 demonstrates how KEF has continued to redefine loudspeaker innovations. The LS50 is the ultimate mini monitor and allows listeners to experience sounds they’ve never enjoyed while listening to a rich, multi-dimensional soundstage previously not attainable from such a compact design.”

The LS50 uses KEF’s latest driver technology in the spirit of the original design and incorporates numerous patent pending technological breakthroughs in cabinet construction, baffle shape and port design – all made possible by KEF’s leadership in modern research techniques such as Finite Element Analysis. The cabinet features constrained layer damping to significantly reduce resonances in comparison to regular damping pads, while the baffle shape has been optimized for smooth on- and off-axis dispersion as well as incorporating a ribbed rear surface to reduce cavity resonance at the rear of the driver. Even the port has been optimized using computational fluid dynamics to offer lower turbulence at high levels. It’s all these small details, combined with the dedicated Uni-Q driver featuring damped Mg/Al alloy metal LF/MF cone and rear vented HF unit, that provide the ultimate in clarity, definition and imaging from a small enclosure.

The KEF LS50 comes in a stunning high gloss piano black cabinet with an elegant rose gold Uni-Q driver. The LS50 retails for $1,499.99 /pair and will be available for pre-order beginning May 3, 2012 exclusively online at www.kefdirect.com.

About KEF

KEF’s ethos has always been based on the continuing quest to find new and better ways of reproducing sound. Since the company’s establishment in Maidstone, Kent in 1961 by Raymond Cooke O.B.E., KEF has maintained a flair for unusual and controversial speaker engineering, design and material use. KEF has always driven innovation in sound with examples including its iconic ‘egg’, Muon and Blade speakers. KEF is part of Gold Peak Group and its products are available in more than 60 countries. In 2011 KEF celebrated its 50th anniversary and is still committed to building on its strong heritage. www.kef.com

About KEF America, Inc.

KEF America, a division of KEF Audio, offers loyal North American audiophiles a line of innovative speakers and components unmatched in the industry for quality and innovation. Headquartered in Marlboro, New Jersey, KEF America shares the same guiding principles as its British counterpart: ground-breaking design, exceptional sound and an unshakeable commitment to excellence. For additional information about KEF and its award-winning products and unique technology, please visit www.kef.com.

Media Contact:
Scott Moody, Director of Public Relations
Marketing Matters
Tel: 954-925-1511
Email: scott@marketingmatters.net
Web: http://www.marketingmatters.net

KEF Partners with Audio Doctor to Bring KEF Blade, R Series and Reference Series to the New York Audio & AV Show

KEF, the renowned manufacturer of innovative, reference-quality loudspeakers for over 50 years, will partner with New Jersey-based dealer, Audio Doctor, to present attendees to the New York Audio & AV Show 2012 with an opportunity to experience a range of KEF’s award-winning products, including KEF Blade, the world’s first single apparent source loudspeaker.

In addition to KEF Blade, the KEF/Audio Doctor presentation will feature KEF’s all-new R Series as well as models from the legendary Reference line of loudspeakers.

The first loudspeaker of its kind, KEF Blade features Single Apparent Source technology which ensures the entire frequency range of the loudspeaker radiates from one point in space, creating a sound picture that is virtually indistinguishable from a live performance. Attendees to the demo will see how KEF Blade is further enhanced by a glass-reinforced composite cabinet that matches the speaker’s high performance sound quality with elegant industrial design.

The KEF R Series features many of KEF’s latest innovations in premium high fidelity and home entertainment loudspeaker technology while seeking to make higher-end audiophile standards of sound reproduction more affordable. Attendees to the show will see how fluent new Uni-Q® driver arrays combine with new bass drivers and several additional innovations to create a rich, spacious sound image of such accuracy that it approaches the benchmark standards of KEF’s Reference Series.

In addition to KEF Blade and the R Series, New York Audio & AV Show attendees will have the luxury of enjoying demos of the iconic KEF Reference 207/2 loudspeaker. Everything about KEF’s flagship loudspeaker is designed to make what listeners hear sound totally real. As the finest expression of all the latest KEF design breakthroughs, the sound quality, bandwidth and dynamics of these formidably accomplished floorstanding loudspeakers are second to none. Their technological sophistication makes the loudspeakers themselves seem to disappear: all the listeners experiences is the pure sensation of hearing the original sound source.

The New York Audio & AV Show will be held April 13-15 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Attendees to the show can experience the KEF/Audio Doctor event in the Beekman Suite throughout the duration of the show.

About KEF

For 50 years, KEF has created technology that delivers the best listening experience for people who are passionate about natural sound. Founded on October 2, 1961 by Raymond Cooke O.B.E., KEF continues to maintain its flair for unusual and controversial speaker engineering, design and material use. KEF flourished during the 1960s, and in 1970 received the first of two Queen’s Awards for Export Achievement. Ten years of worldwide growth followed, solidifying KEF’s reputation as one of the international leaders in speaker engineering. The Gold Peak Group acquired KEF in 1992, backing KEF’s British heritage with new ideas, a new personality and new products, leveraging its deep R&D and global manufacturing capabilities, and building on the company’s core strengths in acoustics, design, distribution and quality. With the celebration of its 50^th anniversary, KEF will continue to build on its strong heritage to define listening experiences for the next 50 years and beyond. www.kef.com

About KEF America, Inc.

Media Contact:
Scott Moody, Director of Public Relations
Marketing Matters
Tel: 954-925-1511
Email: scott@marketingmatters.net
Web: http://www.marketingmatters.net

Company Contact:
Stephanie Scola, Marketing Manager
KEF America
Tel: 732-683-2356 x123
Email: sscola@kefamerica.com
Web: http://www.kef.com

Torn Ranch Introduces All Natural, Coffee Inspired Line: Café Time

Torn Ranch, a manufacturer and purveyor of gourmet specialty foods, is proud to introduce a new line of delicious coffee infused goods–Café Time. Torn Ranch’s Café Time product line, including chocolates, dragées, hand-rolled biscotti, cookies and specialty truffles, is infused with the same rich flavors and textures found in the world’s finest coffees and teas.

Cafe Time Espresso Covered Chocolates

The Café Time product line is manufactured in California’s Sonoma Valley using only the finest, all natural ingredients including organic wheat, local hormone-free butter, Colombian Supremo beans and real vanilla.

“Café Time recreates the same feelings you enjoy when you sip your favorite coffee or teas,” said Su Morrow, CEO of Torn Ranch. “Handcrafted from only the finest ingredients, this new delectable line of coffee infused goods will instantly transport you away from the daily ‘grind’ and into your favorite coffee shop or cafe.”

Café Time products–available wherever the finest gourmet foods are sold and online at http://www.tornranch.com–are available in convenient individual packaging, allowing individuals to savor their favorite products on the go.

For more information on Café Time from Torn Ranch, visit http://www.tornranch.com.

About Torn Ranch

Torn Ranch provides a wide range of all-natural snacks, as well as certified organic chocolates. The Company bakes, roasts and creates its artisanal items upon order, providing maximum freshness to customers. For over 30 years, Torn Ranch has focused on using only the best ingredients and combining its products with innovative packaging, including eco-friendly packaging options. Torn Ranch is an established leader in both the wholesale foodservice and gourmet food retail sectors. Torn Ranch is a certified MBE (Minority owned business) and WBE (Women owned business).

Media Contact:
Scott Moody, Director of Public Relations
Marketing Matters
Tel: 954-925-1511
Email: scott@marketingmatters.net
Web: http://www.marketingmatters.net

AVAD Appoints Jon Zabel and Hugh Hughes to New Executive Positions

AVAD LLC, one of North America’s leading distributors of custom electronics, has announced the appointment of Jon Zabel to Director of Sales and Hugh Hughes to Director of Merchandising. Zabel and Hughes have nearly two decades of combined experience at AVAD and were promoted from within to the recently created executive positions.

“When we created these two executive positions, we were determined to fill them with the best people this industry has to offer,” said Jim Annes, vice president and general manager of AVAD. “That search did not take very long as we knew that the two people most qualified to handle such responsibilities were already on our management team. Throughout the years, Jon and Hugh have demonstrated an impressive depth and breadth of experience and insight that has helped AVAD become an industry leader. And its people and leadership like Jon and Hugh that will continue to make AVAD the best in the business for many years to come.”

As the Director of Sales, Zabel–who previously served as the Senior Merchandise Manager for Video, Accessories and Security at AVAD–will develop, implement and manage all sales activities for each of AVAD’s US branches. Zabel boasts over 30 years of experience in the consumer electronics and custom electronics industry and has held management positions at numerous levels in retail and distribution. Zabel joined AVAD in 2004 as the Central Region Buyer and was promoted to Senior Merchandise Manager in 2006.

“AVAD’s core strength is our understanding of the unique products and services our customers need,” said Zabel. “Better than anyone else, we understand how those products need to be packaged, presented and provided to our dealers and I look forward to working with our branches to make sure we meet the needs of our customers.”

Hugh Hughes’ responsibilities as the Director of Merchandising will be managing and strengthening all vendor relationships, purchasing decisions and related functions. Hugh–an AVAD team member for over 11 years–rises to the Director of Merchandising position after previously serving as the Senior Merchandise Manager for Commercial, Custom and Audio products.

“At AVAD, our number one priority is serving our dealers,” said Hugh. “A major factor in that service is the valuable partnerships we have with our vendors. As the Director of Merchandising, I look forward to utilizing the unique resources we have at AVAD to forge even better relationships with our current and potential vendors to offer AVAD customers the best products from the best brands in the industry.”

For more information on AVAD, please visit http://www.avad.com in the US or http://www.avadcanada.ca in Canada. Connect with AVAD on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for news on the latest promotions and news.

About AVAD LLC

AVAD is an industry-leading provider of solutions to the residential and commercial custom installation markets. As part of the Specialty Solutions Division, AVAD, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ingram Micro, provides integrators access to the industry’s top products and integrated solutions for residential and commercial video, audio, lighting control, content management, whole-home and business automation and control, as well as digital signage and commercial solutions and design services. AVAD offers the broadest consumer electronics and home and business automation portfolio in North America. Further differentiating its services, AVAD invests in the business tools and technical support and services integrators need to grow their businesses. With 24 locations throughout North America, AVAD offers local, hands-on access to the latest products and trainings, as well as free support services including system design and technical support.

Media Contact:
Scott Moody, Director of Public Relations
Marketing Matters
Tel: 954-925-1511
Email: scott@marketingmatters.net
Web: http://www.marketingmatters.net

KEF to Take KEF Blade to Salon Son & Image 2012

KEF, the renowned manufacturer of innovative, reference-quality loudspeakers for over 50 years, will present attendees to Salon Son & Image 2012 with an up-close demonstration of the award winning, KEF Blade, the world’s first Single Apparent Source Loudspeaker.

“Every year Salon Son & Image brings together the industry’s latest and greatest products and this year is no exception,” said Alec Chanin, president of KEF America. “We are looking forward to offering attendees to this year’s show a one-of-a-kind demo featuring KEF Blade. We’re confident that they’ll walk away from the show impressed with a sound performance unmatched by any other loudspeaker on the market.”

KEF will partner with the teams at Canadian retailer Audioville and audio/video component manufacturer Chord Electronics to demonstrate how KEF Blade’s Single Apparent Source technology ensures the entire frequency range of the loudspeaker radiates from one point in space, creating a sound picture that is virtually indistinguishable from a live performance. Attendees will see how KEF Blade is further enhanced by a glass-reinforced composite cabinet that matches the speaker’s high performance sound quality with elegant industrial design.

The KEF Blade demo will be presented throughout the duration of the show–held March 22-25 in Montreal–in Salon St. Pierre at the Hilton Bonaventure Hotel in Montreal.

For more information on KEF Blade and its availability in Canada, please visit http://kef.com/html/ca_en/index.html.

About KEF

About KEF America, Inc.

Media Contact:

Scott Moody, Director of Public Relations
Marketing Matters
Tel: 954-925-1511
Email: scott@marketingmatters.net
Web: http://www.marketingmatters.net

Company Contact:
Stephanie Scola, Marketing Manager
KEF America
Tel: 732-683-2356 x123
Email: sscola@kefamerica.com
Web: http://www.kef.com