In this review, we will be comparing Q11 Meta and Q950, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by KEF.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF Q11 Meta and KEF Q950 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KEF Q11 Meta | KEF Q950 |
|---|
| Brand | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Uni-Q driver | 12th Generation Uni-Q | 11th Generation Uni-Q |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.75" Hard dome | 1.5" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Aluminum | 2 x 8.0" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44-20k Hz | 44-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | Up to 225 watts | 15-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.55kg / 49.6lbs | 20.68kg / 45.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 43.8" x 12.5" x 15"
1112 x 317 x 380 mm | 43-15/16" x 14-1/4" x 12-3/8"
1117.0 x 362.0 x 315.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the KEF Q11 Meta and KEF Q950 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
KEF Q11 Meta |
KEF Q950 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Q11 Meta is a 3-way design whereas the Q950 is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
KEF Q11 MetaKEF Q950
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
KEF Q11 Meta |
KEF Q950 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.75-inch
|
1.5-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8.0-inch
|
Q11 Meta features a 0.75" vented aluminum dome with MAT absorber Hard dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 480 Hz, 2.7 kHz. On the other hand, the Q950 features a 1.5" vented aluminum Dome Tweeter and 2 x 8.0" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
Q11 Meta has a frequency range of 44-20k Hz whereas Q950 has a frequency range of 44-28k Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Q11 Meta is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Q950 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Q11 Meta can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Q11 Meta sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Q950's is rated at 91 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the KEF Q950 a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF Q11 Meta, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Q11 Meta can handle a max power of 225 watts RMS, whereas Q950 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 25 watts less than the Q11 Meta.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Q11 Meta features Binding post type posts and Q950 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Q11 Meta has a rear firing port whereas Q950 has a front firing ports. KEF Q950's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to KEF Q11 Meta with its rear-firing port.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare KEF Q11 Meta's and KEF Q950's external dimensions. KEF Q11 Meta has external dimensions of 1112 x 317 x 380 mm (43.8 x 12.5 x 15.0 in.) whereas KEF Q950 has external dimensions of 1117.0 x 362.0 x 315.0mm (43-15/16 x 14-1/4 x 12-3/8inch).
KEF Q11 Meta is 45mm narrower and 5mm shorter than KEF Q950 but it is also 65mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KEF Q11 Meta and KEF Q950 in scale.
Comparison image of KEF Q11 Meta and KEF Q950 Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the KEF Q11 Meta is approximately 1204.6cm2 / 186.7inch2 and base area of the KEF Q950 is approximately 1140.3cm2 / 176.7inch2. The Q11 Meta requires 6% more surface area than the Q950 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The KEF Q11 Meta weighs 22.55kg / 49.6lbs and the KEF Q950 weighs 20.68kg / 45.5lbs. This makes the Q11 Meta 9% heavier than the Q950.
Here is a comparison of how Q11 Meta and Q950's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of KEF Q11 Meta?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Q11 Meta:
- Q11 Meta
- Magnetic grilles
- Plinth and rubber feet
- Port bungs
- User manual and warranty information
What's in the Box of KEF Q950?
Here are the items that come with the Q950:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 2 Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes
- 6 Screws
- 6 Washers
- 4 Rubber inserts
- Hex-key
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
225 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
|
Uni-Q Driver |
12th Generation
vs
11th Generation
|
Newer generation Driver |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 Height |
1112mm
vs
1117mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Woofer Size |
8.0 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Passive Radiator |
2 x 8-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Base Surface Area |
1140cm2
vs
1204cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
KEF Q11 Meta |
KEF Q950 |
| Brand |
KEF |
KEF |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
Up to 225 watts |
15-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.2 ohms |
3.2 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
44-20k Hz |
44-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
0.75" |
1.5" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
480 Hz, 2.7 kHz |
2200Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1112.0mm (43.8") |
1117.0mm (44") |
| Width |
317.0mm (12.5") |
362.0mm (14.3") |
| Depth |
380.0mm (15") |
315.0mm (12.4") |
| Weight |
22.55kg (49.6lbs) |
20.68kg (45.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Satin Black,Satin White,Walnut |
Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: KEF Q11 Meta is the newer design, against a 2017 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (44Hz vs 44Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | B | KEF Q950 is more sensitive (91dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | KEF Q950 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (225W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | B | KEF Q950: Atmos drivers. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($2,200 vs $2,200 a pair). |
A KEF Q11 Meta B KEF Q950
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
KEF Q950 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. Match it to your room: we rate KEF Q11 Meta the better fit for a very large room, and KEF Q950 for a mid-size room. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, KEF Q950 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.