In this review, we will be comparing Q150 and BW 606, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from KEF and Bowers & Wilkins. Let's have a brief look at the main features of KEF Q150 and B&W 606 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.
In the following sections, we will get into details in order to better understand how KEF Q150 and B&W 606 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both Q150 and BW 606 are 2-way speakers. Q150 features a 1" vented aluminum Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz. On the other hand, BW 606 features a 1" Decoupled Carbon Decoupled Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Continuum Woofer .
Frequency Response
Q150 has a frequency range of 51-28k Hz whereas BW 606 has a frequency range of 52-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 52Hz, the BW 606 can go slightly deeper then the Q150's min frequency of 51Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers under Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Impedance and Sensitivity
Q150 and BW 606 has the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Q150 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and BW 606's is at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes B&W 606 a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF Q150, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Q150 has a power range of 10-100 watts RMS whereas BW 606 has a power range of 30-120 watts.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
BW 606 features Post posts which makes bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Q150 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KEF Q150's Post terminals
B&W 606's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Q150 and BW 606 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generlly need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
KEF Q150 Port
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 Q150's and B&W 606's external dimensions. KEF Q150 has external dimensions of 303.0 x 180.0 x 278.0mm ( 11.9 x 7.0 x 10.9inch) whereas B&W 606 has external dimensions of 345.0 x 190.0 x 324.0mm ( 13.5 x 7.4 x 12.7inch) .
B&W 606 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 10mm wider, 42mm taller and 46mm deeper than KEF Q150.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KEF Q150 and B&W 606 in scale.
Comparison image of KEF Q150 and B&W 606 Size and External Dimensions
Here is an another comparison that shows both speakers on a BDI Octave Media Cabinet, next to a standard size amplifier and turntable in scale:
Size Comparison image of KEF Q150 and B&W 606 on a Media Console
