KEF Q150 vs KEF Q950 Comparison

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KEF Q150

Passive Bookshelf | 51-28k Hz

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KEF Q950

Passive Floor-standing | 44-28k Hz

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KEF Q150

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KEF Q950

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KEF Q150

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KEF Q950

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KEF Q150 vs KEF Q950 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by KEF. KEF Q150 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Q950 is a Floor-standing speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of KEF Q150 and KEF Q950 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	KEF Q150	KEF Q950
Brand	KEF United Kingdom · founded 1961	KEF United Kingdom · founded 1961
Design	2-way	2-way
Uni-Q driver	11th Generation Uni-Q	11th Generation Uni-Q
Tweeter	1" Dome	1.5" Dome
Woofer	5.25" Aluminum	2 x 8.0" Aluminum
Frequency response	51-28k Hz	44-28k Hz
Sensitivity	86 dB	91 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	10-100 watts	15-200 watts
Weight	5.60kg / 12.3lbs	20.68kg / 45.5lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	11.9" x 7.0" x 10.9" 303.0 x 180.0 x 278.0mm	43-15/16" x 14-1/4" x 12-3/8" 1117.0 x 362.0 x 315.0mm

Q150 and Q950 are members of KEF's Q series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

KEF Q Series History

Model	Body	Frequency	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
KEF Q150	Bookshelf	51-28k Hz	86 dB	8Ω	1 x 5.25"
KEF Q350	Bookshelf	63-28k Hz	87 dB	8Ω	1 x 6.5"
KEF Q950	Floor-standing	44-28k Hz	91 dB	8Ω	2 x 8.0"
KEF Q550	Floor-standing	58-28k Hz	87 dB	8Ω	2 x 5.25"
KEF Q750	Floor-standing	48-28k Hz	88 dB	8Ω	2 x 6.5"
KEF Q650c	Center Channel	64-28k Hz	87 dB	8Ω	2 x 6.5"
KEF Q250c	Center Channel	68-28k Hz	87 dB	8Ω	1 x 5.25"

What size room are the KEF Q150 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 Q150	KEF Q950
Near-field	Average	Bad
Small Room	Good	Poor
Mid-size Room	Average	Good
Large Room	Poor	Good
Very Large Room	Bad	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

Both Q150 and Q950 are 2-way speakers.

KEF Q150

KEF Q950

TweeterWoofer

Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.

Driver	KEF Q150	KEF Q950
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1.5-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 5.25-inch	2 x 8.0-inch

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, 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

Q150 has a frequency range of 51-28k Hz whereas Q950 has a frequency range of 44-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 44Hz, the Q950 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Q150's min frequency of 51Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.

Low Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

Q150

Q950

Min

Average

Median

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

Q150 and Q950 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Q150 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the Q950's is at 91 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the KEF Q950 a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF Q150, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

Q150

Q950

Min

Average

Median

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.

Q950 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Q150 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Q950.

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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

KEF Q150

KEF Q950

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Q150 features Binding post type posts and Q950 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

KEF Q150's Post terminals

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Q150 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 Q150 with its rear-firing port.

KEF Q150 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 Q150's and KEF Q950'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 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 Q950 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 182mm wider, 814mm taller and 37mm deeper than KEF Q150.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of KEF Q150 and KEF Q950 in scale.

Comparison image of KEF Q150 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 Q150 is approximately 500.4cm² / 77.6inch² and base area of the KEF Q950 is approximately 1140.3cm² / 176.7inch². The Q150 requires 56% less surface area than the Q950 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of KEF Q150?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Q150:

2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
2 Foam port plugs
8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
Owner's Manual
Warranty Registration Card

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

Reasons to choose KEF Q150 over KEF Q950

Minimum Impedance	3.7 ohms vs 3.2 ohms	Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier
Height	303mm vs 1117mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	500cm² vs 1140cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	600USD vs 2200USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose KEF Q950 over KEF Q150

Max Input Power	200 watts vs 100 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	91 dB vs 86 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size	8.0 inches vs 5.25 inches	Larger woofer
Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
Low Frequency Response	44 Hz vs 51 Hz	Generates deeper bass
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

KEF Q150 vs KEF Q950 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	KEF Q150	KEF Q950
Brand	KEF	KEF
Speaker Type	Bookshelf speakers	Floor-standing speaker
Power Range	10-100 watts	15-200 watts
Sensitivity	86 dB	91 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Impedance	3.7 ohms	3.2 ohms
Frequency Response	51-28k Hz	44-28k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	2
Woofer Size	5.25"	8.0"
Woofer Composition	Aluminum	Aluminum
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1.5"
Tweeter Type	Dome	Dome
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Crossover Frequency	2500Hz	2200Hz
Firing Direction	rear	front
Physical Specs
Height	303.0mm (11.9")	1117.0mm (44")
Width	180.0mm (7.1")	362.0mm (14.3")
Depth	278.0mm (10.9")	315.0mm (12.4")
Weight	5.60kg (12.3lbs)	20.68kg (45.5lbs)
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	Passive Radiator
Finish	MDF/Vinyl-wrapped	MDF/Wood-grain vinyl
Available Colors	Black, Walnut, White	Walnut
Mounting Bracket	No	No
Recommended Stand Height	18-24"	n/a
Grille	Yes	n/a
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Years

Verdict

Siblings in KEF's Q series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	B	KEF Q950 digs deeper - 44Hz against 51Hz. A subwoofer would even that out.
Amplifier needs	B	KEF Q950 is more sensitive (91dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Headroom	B	KEF Q950 takes more power (200W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	KEF Q150 is easier to place; KEF Q950 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Type	depends	A Passive Bookshelf against a Passive Floor-standing - a different job rather than a better one.
Cabinet	depends	Ported vs Passive Radiator.
Expandability	B	KEF Q950: Atmos drivers.
Price	A	KEF Q150 is cheaper - $600 against $2,200, about 73% less; arguably a different class.

A KEF Q150 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?

The usual trade-off: KEF Q950 measures better, KEF Q150 costs about about 3.7x the price% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 51Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper KEF Q150 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate KEF Q150 the better fit for near-field listening and a small room, and KEF Q950 for a mid-size room and a large room.

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.