In this review, we will be comparing Q950 and R700, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KEF and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF Q950 and Polk R700 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 )
Polk R700 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer
- 6.5" Midrange
- 38-38k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:50-300watts
- Weight:35.90kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1143.8" x 12.6" x 16.9"( 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm )
What size room are the KEF Q950 and Polk R700 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 |
Polk R700 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* 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 Polk R700 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 Q950 is a 2-way design whereas the R700 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 |
Polk R700 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.5-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.0-inch
|
2 x 8-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 R700 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
Q950 has a frequency range of 44-28k Hz whereas R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the R700 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
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
Q950 and R700 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Q950 sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the R700's is at 88 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the KEF Q950 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R700, 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 R700.
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
R700 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Q950 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Q950 has a front firing port whereas R700 has a bottom firing ports. KEF Q950's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Polk R700 with its rear-firing port.
Polk R700 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 Q950's and Polk R700'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 Polk R700 has external dimensions of 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm ( 45 x 12.6 x 16.9inch) .
KEF Q950 is 26.8mm shorter and 113.3mm less deeper than Polk R700 but it is also 41.3mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KEF Q950 and Polk R700 in scale.
Comparison image of KEF Q950 and Polk R700 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 Q950 is approximately 1140.3cm2 / 176.7inch2 and base area of the Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2. The Q950 requires 17% less surface area than the R700 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.