KEF has won one of the most coveted awards of the year with the Innovation of the Year 2025 prize for its VECO (Velocity Control Technology). Deployed for the first time in the KEF XIO soundbar, this breakthrough marks a major turning point: it generates greater bass impact and power, while reducing the size of the drivers needed to achieve this level of performance. A technological breakthrough that could well shake things up in the soundbar and wireless speaker markets.
What is KEF VECO technology?
With VECO, KEF has completely revisited the way in which a driver controls its own movement. The idea is simple, but its execution requires precision engineering: measuring the velocity and excursion of the diaphragm in real time, and instantly correct the slightest deviation. Where traditional systems require sensors or external modules, KEF has developed a flexible, ultra-lightweight PCB that replaces the moving coil support. This innovative bracket integrates a voice coil directly into the driver surround, providing a much more accurate measurement of actual movement than systems based on the incoming electrical signal.
Thanks to this physical data, the DSP can adjust the signal in real time and avoid the classic problems of small low frequency drivers: distortion, drag, compression and loss of control at the end of excursion. This way, the cone moves exactly as the audio signal wishes, without unwanted inertia or deviation.
What are the advantages of VECO?
In practice, VECO delivers deeper, tighter and more linear bass, even in extremely compact enclosures. Every micro-movement of the diaphragm is controlled, limiting buoyancy, eliminating unwanted vibrations and dramatically improving responsiveness. As a result, the driver can deliver impressive physical impact without the need for large internal volume – a decisive advantage for an all-in-one soundbar.
It was this control of low frequencies that convinced the jury to name VECO “Innovation of the Year 2025”. And this advantage can be found in the KEF XIO, the first piece of equipment from the British manufacturer to benefit from VECO technology. In our review of the KEF XIO, this soundbar demonstrated a rare ability to deliver powerful, deep, punchy bass without the need for a separate subwoofer:
The KEF XIO soundbar demonstrated a true sense of showmanship and impressed us with its ability to generate powerful, punchy bass without the need for a separate subwoofer. The four P185 drivers delivered deep, impactful and perfectly controlled lows. Even in a living room of over 60m², they offered real physical impact that shook the sofa and brought action scenes to life with great realism.
Excerpt from our KEF XIO review
KEF XIO: more than just bass
The KEF XIO doesn’t just impress with the power and depth of its bass: it does so with a level of control rarely achieved by an all-in-one soundbar. While the physical impact of its four P185 drivers immediately grabs your attention, the KEF XIO really shines with its exemplary tonal balance, true to the KEF signature. Voices remain natural, dialogue is perfectly intelligible, and the soundstage maintains great consistency, even during passages packed with effects. This feat demonstrates that VECO technology handles signals with greater fidelity than DSP digital processing, ensuring a listening experience that is as immersive as it is musical.
What’s next? What does the future hold for VECO?
By deploying VECO technology in the XIO, KEF is blazing a new trail for compact audio systems. This technology enables the XIO to combine power, control and musicality without compromise, to the point of redefining what can be expected from a soundbar without an external subwoofer. This technology will undoubtedly be at the heart of the brand’s next generation of connected speakers and systems.
