In this review, we will be comparing Q7 Meta and Q550, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by KEF.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF Q7 Meta and KEF Q550 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KEF Q7 Meta | KEF Q550 |
|---|
| 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" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Aluminum | 2 x 5.25" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 46-20k Hz | 58-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | Up to 200 watts | 15-130 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.45kg / 40.6lbs | 14.55kg / 32lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 39.4" x 12.5" x 12.4"
1001 x 317 x 315 mm | 35-3/16" x 11-5/8" x 12-5/16"
894.0 x 296.0 x 313.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the KEF Q7 Meta and KEF Q550 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 Q7 Meta |
KEF Q550 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 Q7 Meta is a 3-way design whereas the Q550 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 Q7 MetaKEF Q550
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 Q7 Meta |
KEF Q550 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.75-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
Q7 Meta features a 0.75" vented aluminum dome with MAT absorber Hard dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 440 Hz, 2.3 kHz. On the other hand, the Q550 features a 1" vented aluminum Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
Q7 Meta has a frequency range of 46-20k Hz whereas Q550 has a frequency range of 58-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 46Hz, the Q7 Meta can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Q550's min frequency of 58Hz.
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
Q7 Meta is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Q550 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 Q7 Meta can provide this impedance level.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 87 dBdB.
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.
Q7 Meta can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Q550 has a max power handling value of 130 watts RMS, 70 watts less than the Q7 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
Q7 Meta features Binding post type posts and Q550 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Q7 Meta has a rear firing port whereas Q550 has a front firing ports. KEF Q550's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to KEF Q7 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 Q7 Meta's and KEF Q550's external dimensions. KEF Q7 Meta has external dimensions of 1001 x 317 x 315 mm (39.4 x 12.5 x 12.4 in.) whereas KEF Q550 has external dimensions of 894.0 x 296.0 x 313.0mm (35-3/16 x 11-5/8 x 12-5/16inch).
KEF Q7 Meta is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 21mm wider, 107mm taller and 2mm deeper than KEF Q550.
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 Q7 Meta is approximately 998.6cm2 / 154.8inch2 and base area of the KEF Q550 is approximately 926.5cm2 / 143.6inch2. The Q7 Meta requires 8% more surface area than the Q550 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 Q7 Meta weighs 18.45kg / 40.6lbs and the KEF Q550 weighs 14.55kg / 32lbs. This makes the Q7 Meta 27% heavier than the Q550.
Here is a comparison of how Q7 Meta and Q550'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 Q7 Meta?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Q7 Meta:
- Q7 Meta
- Magnetic grilles
- Plinth and rubber feet
- Port bungs
- User manual and warranty information
What's in the Box of KEF Q550?
Here are the items that come with the Q550:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 2 Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes
- 6 Screws
- 6 Washers
- 4 Rubber inserts
- Hex-key
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
130 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 |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
46 Hz
vs
58 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.5 ohms
vs
3.2 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 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 5.25-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Height |
894mm
vs
1001mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
926cm2
vs
998cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1400USD
vs
1800USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
KEF Q7 Meta |
KEF Q550 |
| Brand |
KEF |
KEF |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
Up to 200 watts |
15-130 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.2 ohms |
3.5 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
46-20k Hz |
58-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
0.75" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
440 Hz, 2.3 kHz |
2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1001.0mm (39.4") |
894.0mm (35.2") |
| Width |
317.0mm (12.5") |
296.0mm (11.7") |
| Depth |
315.0mm (12.4") |
313.0mm (12.3") |
| Weight |
18.45kg (40.6lbs) |
14.55kg (32lbs) |
| 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 Q7 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 | A | KEF Q7 Meta digs deeper - 46Hz against 58Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 87dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | KEF Q550 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | KEF Q7 Meta takes more power (200W vs 130W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | B | KEF Q550: Atmos drivers. |
| Price | B | KEF Q550 is cheaper - $1,400 against $1,800, about 22% less. |
A KEF Q7 Meta B KEF Q550
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 58Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper KEF Q550 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate KEF Q7 Meta the better fit for a very large room, and KEF Q550 for a mid-size 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.