In this review, we will be comparing R11 and Q950, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by KEF.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF R11 and KEF Q950 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KEF R11 | KEF Q950 |
|---|
| Brand | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Uni-Q driver | 12th Generation Uni-Q | 11th Generation Uni-Q |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1.5" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum | 2 x 8.0" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 46-28k Hz | 44-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-300 watts | 15-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 37.70kg / 82.9lbs | 20.68kg / 45.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 51-3/16" x 12-1/4" x 15-5/16"
1301.0 x 312.0 x 389.0mm | 43-15/16" x 14-1/4" x 12-3/8"
1117.0 x 362.0 x 315.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the KEF R11 and KEF Q950 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 |
KEF Q950 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
(* 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that R11 is a 3-way design whereas the Q950 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.
KEF R11KEF Q950
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
KEF R11 |
KEF Q950 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.5-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8.0-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 Q950 features a 1.5" vented aluminum Dome Tweeter and 2 x 8.0" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
R11 has a frequency range of 46-28k Hz whereas Q950 has a frequency range of 44-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 44Hz, the Q950 can go slightly deeper then the R11's min frequency of 46Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
R11 and Q950 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. R11 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Q950's is at 91 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the KEF Q950 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
R11 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Q950 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the R11.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
R11 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Q950 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KEF R11's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
R11 has a rear firing port whereas Q950 has a front firing ports. KEF Q950's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to KEF R11 with its rear-firing port.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be 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 KEF Q950'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 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).
KEF Q950 is 184mm shorter and 74mm less deeper than KEF R11 but it is also 50mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KEF R11 and KEF Q950 in scale.
Comparison image of KEF R11 and KEF Q950 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 R11 is approximately 1213.7cm2 / 188.1inch2 and base area of the KEF Q950 is approximately 1140.3cm2 / 176.7inch2. The R11 requires 6% more surface area than the Q950 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 KEF Q950 weighs 20.68kg / 45.5lbs. This makes the R11 82% heavier than the Q950.
Here is a comparison of how R11 and Q950'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 loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Foam port plugs
- 4 Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- Wrench
- Hex-key
- User Manual
- Warranty Information
What's in the Box of KEF Q950?
Here are the items that come with the Q950:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 2 Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes
- 6 Screws
- 6 Washers
- 4 Rubber inserts
- Hex-key
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
|
Uni-Q Driver |
12th Generation
vs
11th Generation
|
Newer generation Driver |
 Number of Woofers |
4
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
8.0 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
44 Hz
vs
46 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Passive Radiator |
2 x 8-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Height |
1117mm
vs
1301mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1140cm2
vs
1213cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2200USD
vs
6000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
KEF R11 |
KEF Q950 |
| Brand |
KEF |
KEF |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
15-300 watts |
15-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.2 ohms |
3.2 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
46-28k Hz |
44-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
Hybrid Aluminum |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.5" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
400Hz and 2900Hz |
2200Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1301.0mm (51.2") |
1117.0mm (44") |
| Width |
312.0mm (12.3") |
362.0mm (14.3") |
| Depth |
389.0mm (15.3") |
315.0mm (12.4") |
| Weight |
37.70kg (82.9lbs) |
20.68kg (45.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black Gloss, White Gloss, Walnut |
Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - KEF R11 costs roughly 2.7x what KEF Q950 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (46Hz vs 44Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 91dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | A | KEF R11 takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | depends | KEF R11: bi-amping; KEF Q950: Atmos drivers. |
| Price | B | KEF Q950 is cheaper - $2,200 against $6,000, about 63% less; arguably a different class. |
A KEF R11 B KEF Q950
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
KEF R11 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 2.7x the price. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - KEF Q950 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the KEF R11 appeals to you. Match it to your room: we rate KEF R11 the better fit for a very large room, and KEF Q950 for a mid-size room. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $3,800 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.