In this review, we will be comparing R5 Meta and Concord, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KEF and KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF R5 Meta and KLH Concord first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KEF R5 Meta | KLH Concord |
|---|
| Brand | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 | KLH
United States · founded 1957 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Uni-Q driver | 12th Generation Uni-Q | — |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Vented dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Hybrid Aluminum | 2 x 6.5" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 52-28k Hz | 28-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 94 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-200 watts | up to 225 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 24.55kg / 54lbs | 20.45kg / 45lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 42-1/4" x 10-3/4" x 13-1/2"
1074.0 x 274.0 x 343.0mm | 40-3/8" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm |
|---|
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 R5 Meta is a 3-way design whereas the Concord 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 R5 MetaKLH Concord
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 R5 Meta |
KLH Concord |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
R5 Meta features a 1" Aluminum with MAT absorber Vented dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 5.25" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2700Hz. On the other hand, the Concord features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
R5 Meta has a frequency range of 52-28k Hz whereas Concord has a frequency range of 28-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Concord can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R5 Meta's min frequency of 52Hz.
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
R5 Meta is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Concord 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 R5 Meta can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. R5 Meta sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Concord's is rated at 94 dB. This 7 dB difference makes the KLH Concord a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF R5 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Concord can handle a max power of 225 watts RMS, whereas R5 Meta has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 25 watts less than the Concord.
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
R5 Meta features Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Concord has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KEF R5 Meta's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
KLH Concord's 5-Way post terminals
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 R5 Meta's and KLH Concord's external dimensions. KEF R5 Meta has external dimensions of 1074.0 x 274.0 x 343.0mm (42-1/4-inch x 10-3/4-inch x 13-1/2-inch) whereas KLH Concord has external dimensions of 1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm (40-3/8 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch).
KLH Concord is 62mm narrower and 48mm shorter than KEF R5 Meta but it is also 37mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KEF R5 Meta and KLH Concord in scale.
Comparison image of KEF R5 Meta and KLH Concord 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 R5 Meta is approximately 939.8cm2 / 145.7inch2 and base area of the KLH Concord is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The R5 Meta requires 17% more surface area than the Concord 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 R5 Meta weighs 24.55kg / 54lbs and the KLH Concord weighs 20.45kg / 45lbs. This makes the R5 Meta 20% heavier than the Concord.
Here is a comparison of how R5 Meta and Concord'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 R5 Meta?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of R5 Meta:
- R5 Meta
- Microfiber grille
- Plinth and spike accessories
- Port bungs
- User manual and warranty information
What's in the Box of KLH Concord?
Here are the items that come with the Concord:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet (w/ locking nut attached)
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Rubber feet
- Port plug
- Manual
- ATTENTION! note
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Max Input Power |
225 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
52 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1026mm
vs
1074mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
805cm2
vs
939cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1000USD
vs
3998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
KEF R5 Meta |
KLH Concord |
| Brand |
KEF |
KLH |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
15-200 watts |
up to 225 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
94 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.2 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
52-28k Hz |
28-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Hybrid Aluminum |
Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Vented dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
400Hz and 2700Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1074.0mm (42.3") |
1026.0mm (40.4") |
| Width |
274.0mm (10.8") |
212.0mm (8.3") |
| Depth |
343.0mm (13.5") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Weight |
24.55kg (54lbs) |
20.45kg (45lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black Gloss, White Gloss, Walnut |
Black |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 years |
10 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 years |
10 Years |
These sit in different price classes - KEF R5 Meta costs roughly 4x what KLH Concord 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 | B | KLH Concord digs deeper - 28Hz against 52Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | KLH Concord is more sensitive (94dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | KLH Concord is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 225W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | A | KEF R5 Meta: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | KLH Concord is cheaper - $1,000 against $3,998, about 75% less; arguably a different class. |
A KEF R5 Meta B KLH Concord
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?
KLH Concord is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take KEF R5 Meta if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 52Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, KLH Concord is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.