In this review, we will be comparing R5 Meta and Ultra Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KEF and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF R5 Meta and SVS Ultra Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KEF R5 Meta | SVS Ultra Tower |
|---|
| Brand | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Uni-Q driver | 12th Generation Uni-Q | — |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Vented dome | 1.0" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | 2 x 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Hybrid Aluminum | 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 52-28k Hz | 28-32k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-200 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 24.55kg / 54lbs | 34.27kg / 75.4lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 45-5/8" x 13-15/16" x 17-1/2"
1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the KEF R5 Meta and SVS Ultra Tower 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 R5 Meta |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both R5 Meta and Ultra Tower are 3-way speakers.
KEF R5 MetaSVS Ultra Tower
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 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.0-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
2 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 8.0-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 Ultra Tower features a 1.0" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160HZ and 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
R5 Meta has a frequency range of 52-28k Hz whereas Ultra Tower has a frequency range of 28-32k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Ultra Tower 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 Ultra Tower 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 Ultra Tower's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the SVS Ultra Tower 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.
Ultra Tower can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas R5 Meta has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Ultra Tower.
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
Both R5 Meta and Ultra Tower features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
KEF R5 Meta's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
SVS Ultra Tower's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 SVS Ultra Tower'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 SVS Ultra Tower has external dimensions of 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm (45-5/8 x 13-15/16 x 17-1/2inch).
SVS Ultra Tower is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 81mm wider, 85mm taller and 102mm deeper than KEF R5 Meta.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KEF R5 Meta and SVS Ultra Tower in scale.
Comparison image of KEF R5 Meta and SVS Ultra Tower 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 SVS Ultra Tower is approximately 1579.8cm2 / 244.9inch2. The R5 Meta requires 41% less surface area than the Ultra Tower 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 R5 Meta weighs 24.55kg / 54lbs and the SVS Ultra Tower weighs 34.27kg / 75.4lbs. This makes the Ultra Tower 40% heavier than the R5 Meta.
Here is a comparison of how R5 Meta and Ultra Tower'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 SVS Ultra Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Ultra Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Cloth grille
- 2 Metal grilles
- Foam port plug
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Height |
1074mm
vs
1159mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
939cm2
vs
1579cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
88 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 |
8.0 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
52 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
32k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
2600USD
vs
3998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
KEF R5 Meta |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| Brand |
KEF |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
15-200 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.2 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
52-28k Hz |
28-32k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
Hybrid Aluminum |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.0" |
| Tweeter Type |
Vented dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
400Hz and 2700Hz |
160HZ and 2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1074.0mm (42.3") |
1159.0mm (45.6") |
| Width |
274.0mm (10.8") |
355.0mm (14") |
| Depth |
343.0mm (13.5") |
445.0mm (17.5") |
| Weight |
24.55kg (54lbs) |
34.27kg (75.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Oak veneer |
| Available Colors |
Black Gloss, White Gloss, Walnut |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: KEF R5 Meta is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | SVS Ultra Tower digs deeper - 28Hz against 52Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | SVS Ultra Tower is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | SVS Ultra Tower takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | KEF R5 Meta is easier to place; SVS Ultra Tower is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | KEF R5 Meta: bi-amping; SVS Ultra Tower: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | SVS Ultra Tower is cheaper - $2,600 against $3,998, about 35% less. |
A KEF R5 Meta B SVS Ultra Tower
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?
SVS Ultra Tower 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. In a large or open-plan room, SVS Ultra Tower has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, KEF R5 Meta is the easier speaker to get right.
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.