In this review, we will be comparing R11 and HDI-3800, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KEF and JBL. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF R11 and JBL HDI-3800 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
KEF R11 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 5" Midrange
- 4 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer
- 46-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:15-300watts
- Weight:37.70kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1301.0" x 12-1/4" x 15-5/16"( 1301.0 x 312.0 x 389.0mm )
JBL HDI-3800 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 3 x 8" Aluminum Woofer
- 37-30k Hz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:25-300watts
- Weight:38.08kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1143.0" x 11-15/16" x 16-9/16"( 1143.0 x 304.0 x 421.0mm )
What size room are the KEF R11 and JBL HDI-3800 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 |
JBL HDI-3800 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 R11 and JBL HDI-3800 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 R11 is a 3-way design whereas the HDI-3800 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 R11 |
JBL HDI-3800 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 8-inch
|
R11 features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter , a 5" Midrange and 4 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2900Hz. On the other hand, the HDI-3800 features a 1" Tweeter and 3 x 8" Aluminum Woofer .
Frequency Response
R11 has a frequency range of 46-28k Hz whereas HDI-3800 has a frequency range of 37-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 37Hz, the HDI-3800 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R11'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
R11 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the HDI-3800 which has a nominal impedance of 4 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 HDI-3800 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. R11 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the HDI-3800's is rated at 92 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the JBL HDI-3800 a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF R11, 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
Both R11 and HDI-3800 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
KEF R11's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both R11 and HDI-3800 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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's and JBL HDI-3800's external dimensions. KEF R11 has external dimensions of 1301.0 x 312.0 x 389.0mm ( 51-3/16 x 12-1/4 x 15-5/16inch) whereas JBL HDI-3800 has external dimensions of 1143.0 x 304.0 x 421.0mm ( 45 x 11-15/16 x 16-9/16inch) .
JBL HDI-3800 is 8mm narrower and 158mm shorter than KEF R11 but it is also 32mm deeper.
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 is approximately 1213.7cm2 / 188.1inch2 and base area of the JBL HDI-3800 is approximately 1279.8cm2 / 198.4inch2. The R11 requires 5% less surface area than the HDI-3800 which gives it a small advantage 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 R11 weighs 37.70kg / 82.9lbs and the JBL HDI-3800 weighs 38.08kg / 83.8lbs. This makes the HDI-3800 1% heavier than the R11.
Here is a comparison of how R11 and HDI-3800'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 R11?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of R11:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille2 Foam port plugs4 Outrigger feet4 Spikes4 Protective discs4 Screws4 WashersWrenchHex-keyUser ManualWarranty Information
What's in the Box of JBL HDI-3800?
Here are the items that come with the HDI-3800:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)4 Spike feetOwners Manual