In this review, we will be comparing Q950 and BP-9060, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KEF and Definitive Technology.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF Q950 and Definitive BP-9060 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
KEF Q950 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 11th Generation Uni-Q Driver
- 1.5" Dome Tweeter
- 2 x 8.0" Aluminum Woofer
- 44-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 91 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:15-200watts
- Weight:20.68kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1117.0" x 14-1/4" x 12-3/8"( 1117.0 x 362.0 x 315.0mm )
Definitive BP-9060 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" dome Tweeter
- 4.5" Midrange
- 10" Polypropelene Woofer
- 4.5" Midrange
- 18-49k Hz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:50-300watts
- Weight:22.73kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1132.0" x 11-1/16" x 13-13/16"( 1132.0 x 281.0 x 351.0mm )
What size room are the KEF Q950 and Definitive BP-9060 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 Q950 |
Definitive BP-9060 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
(* 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the KEF Q950 and Definitive BP-9060 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Q950 is a 2-way design whereas the BP-9060 is a 3-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 Q950 |
Definitive BP-9060 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.5-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
3 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.0-inch
|
1 x 10-inch
|
Q950 features a 1.5" vented aluminum Dome Tweeter and 2 x 8.0" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200Hz. On the other hand, the BP-9060 features a 1" annealed aluminum dome Tweeter , a 4.5" Midrange and 1 x 10" Polypropelene Woofer .
Frequency Response
Q950 has a frequency range of 44-28k Hz whereas BP-9060 has a frequency range of 18-49k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 18Hz, the BP-9060 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Q950's min frequency of 44Hz.
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
Impedance and Sensitivity
Q950 and BP-9060 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Q950 sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the BP-9060's is at 92 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Definitive BP-9060 a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF Q950, 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.
Q950 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Q950 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS , 100 watts less than the BP-9060.
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
Q950 features 5-Way post, RCA type posts and BP-9060 has a 5-Way post, RCA type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Definitive BP-9060's 5-Way post, RCA terminals
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 Q950's and Definitive BP-9060's external dimensions. 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) whereas Definitive BP-9060 has external dimensions of 1132.0 x 281.0 x 351.0mm ( 44-9/16 x 11-1/16 x 13-13/16inch) .
KEF Q950 is 15mm shorter and 36mm less deeper than Definitive BP-9060 but it is also 81mm 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 Q950 is approximately 1140.3cm2 / 176.7inch2 and base area of the Definitive BP-9060 is approximately 986.3cm2 / 152.9inch2. The Q950 requires 16% more surface area than the BP-9060 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.