In this review, we will be comparing R11 Meta 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 R11 Meta and Definitive BP-9060 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
KEF R11 Meta Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 12th Generation Uni-Q Driver
- 1" Vented dome Tweeter
- 5" Midrange
- 4 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer
- 46-28 Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:15-300watts
- Weight:36.59kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1296.0" x 12-1/4" x 15-1/8"( 1296.0 x 312.0 x 385.0mm )
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 R11 Meta 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 R11 Meta |
Definitive BP-9060 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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 R11 Meta 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
Both R11 Meta and BP-9060 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
KEF R11 Meta |
Definitive BP-9060 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
3 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 10-inch
|
R11 Meta features a 1" Aluminum with MAT absorber Vented dome Tweeter , a 5" Midrange and 4 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 330Hz and 2500Hz. 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
R11 Meta has a frequency range of 46-28 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 R11 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
Impedance and Sensitivity
R11 Meta is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the BP-9060 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 R11 Meta can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. R11 Meta sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the BP-9060's is rated at 92 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Definitive BP-9060 a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF R11 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.
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
R11 Meta features Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. BP-9060 has a 5-Way post, RCA which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KEF R11 Meta's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Definitive BP-9060's 5-Way post, RCA terminals
KEF R11 Meta 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 R11 Meta's and Definitive BP-9060's external dimensions. KEF R11 Meta has external dimensions of 1296.0 x 312.0 x 385.0mm ( 51-inch x 12-1/4-inch x 15-1/8-inch) 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 R11 Meta is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 31mm wider, 164mm taller and 34mm deeper than Definitive BP-9060.
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 R11 Meta is approximately 1201.2cm2 / 186.2inch2 and base area of the Definitive BP-9060 is approximately 986.3cm2 / 152.9inch2. The R11 Meta requires 22% more surface area than the BP-9060 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.