In this review, we will be comparing Q7 Meta and ES60, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KEF and Polk Audio. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF Q7 Meta and Polk ES60 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the KEF Q7 Meta and Polk ES60 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the KEF Q7 Meta and Polk ES60 compare 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Q7 Meta is a 3-way design whereas the ES60 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.
| Driver |
KEF Q7 Meta |
Polk ES60 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.75-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 6.5-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 ES60 features a 1" Terylene High-Res Soft-Dome Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
Q7 Meta has a frequency range of 46-20k Hz whereas ES60 has a frequency range of 32-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the ES60 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Q7 Meta's min frequency of 46Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. 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 ES60 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.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Q7 Meta sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the ES60's is rated at 90 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Polk ES60 a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF Q7 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. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Q7 Meta can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Q7 Meta has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS , 100 watts less than the ES60.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
ES60 features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Q7 Meta has a Binding Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Q7 Meta has a rear firing port whereas ES60 has a bottom firing ports. Polk ES60's bottom-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
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 Q7 Meta's and Polk ES60'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 Polk ES60 has external dimensions of 1131.0 x 216.0 x 401.0mm ( 44-1/2 x 8-1/2 x 15-3/4inch) .
KEF Q7 Meta is 130mm shorter and 86mm less deeper than Polk ES60 but it is also 101mm wider.
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 Polk ES60 is approximately 866.2cm2 / 134.3inch2. The Q7 Meta requires 15% more surface area than the ES60 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
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 Polk ES60?
Here are the items that come with the ES60:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille (attached)4 Feet (pre-installed)Owners ManualOnline Product Registration