The Coda III
Coda III is a two-way compact speaker of medium efficiency which produces amazing sound quality from such a small enclosure. It is easily accommodated in smaller homes and presents no special installation problems. It is equally at home on shelves or stands, free standing or against a wall. The success of previous coda designs was hard to follow, but this latest version incorporates important new technical features with a pleasing new design to suit contemporary trends in home furnishing. KEF have been in the forefront of loudspeaker development for many years, and their unrivalled research facilities have been directed towards smaller and more economical designs with stunning effect.
Many benefits usually reserved for expensive esoteric loudspeakers are found in the Coda. Its sound is alive, dynamic and thoroughly musical, mid-range reproduction is coherent and detailed, preserving instrumental timbres and voices with a degree of realism normally found in large and more complex designs.
Coda III Specifications
| Frequency range | 60Hz to 20kHz ± 3dB at 2m on reference axis ( -10dB at 50Hz and 30kHz) |
| Directional characteristics | within 2dB of response on reference axis up to 20kHz for ± 5º vertically up to 12kHz for ± 20º horizontally |
| Maximum output | 104dB spl on programme peaks under typical listening conditions |
| Character sensitivity level | 87dB spl at 1m on reference axis for pink noise input of 1W |
| Distortion | Measured at 1m on reference axis at man spl of 90dB, anechoic
conditions Second harmonic: less than 1% from 85Hz to 20kHz Third harmonic: less than 1% from 150Kxz to 20kHz |
| Enclosure type | Closed box with third order low frequency attenuation characteristic |
| Internal volume | 19 litres |
| Nominal impedance | 8 ohms |
| Maximum amplifier power | normal 50W, audiophile 100W |
| Minimum amplifier power: | normal 10W |
| Maximum continuous sinusoidal input | 14V rms from 80Hz to 2.5 kHz reducing to 12V rms above 4kHz |
| Weight | 6kg (13¼lb) |
| Dimensions | 470 (h) x 280 (w) x 226mm (d) mm 18½ (h) x 11 (w) x 81/8 (d) in. |
Digital Recordings
Coda III is perfectly suitable to reproduce compact disc and other types of digital recording, with full dynamic range. All the expertise used to develop the extremely successful Coda II has been incorporated into the latest design, plus considerably more.
The 200mm bass unit is fitted with a cone moulded from damping materials for smoother response and lower colouration. It is terminated by a plasticised pvc roll-surround.
The unique KEF series ‘C’ bass loading technique is used to extend the low-frequency range and increase the subsonic power handling capacity. This technique is particularly suited to small two-way systems and is far superior to the commonly used vented enclosure which is prone to over-loading by heavy bass signals. The increasing availability of digital recordings and compact discs makes this an important consideration. The high-frequency unit has an impregnated cloth dome diaphragm with a 25mm voice coil wound with high-temperature resins on to an aluminium former. Ferrogluid introduced into the magnetic gap provides additional cooling for the voice coil, which virtually eliminates the risk of thermal damage due to accidental overload.
The dividing network, which contains only close tolerance components, provides a crossover frequency between the two drive units of 3kHz. This simple but refined network has been designed to ensure that the acoustic outputs from the two drive units combine smoothly, both on and off axis, in the critical crossover region.
Due to its above average sensitivity, the Coda III will provide realistic listening levels even with relatively low-powered amplifiers. In addition, its generous power handling capacity enables a pair of Coda IIIs to produce maximum peak sound pressure levels on programmes up to 104dB in a domestic living room.
The Coda III has a smooth, easy to drive impedance characteristic, making it suitable for use with any power amplifier designed to deliver its full output into a nominal 8ohms. Input connections are made by good quality 4mm binding posts that suit most low-loss super cables. Connection can also be made using 4mm banana plugs.