In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by KEF. KEF R5 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the R3 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF R5 and KEF R3 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KEF R5 | KEF R3 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Uni-Q driver | 12th Generation Uni-Q | 12th Generation Uni-Q |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Hybrid Aluminum | 6.5" Hybrid aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 58-28k Hz | 52-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-200 watts | 15-180 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 27.30kg / 60.1lbs | 13.55kg / 29.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 42-3/8" x 10-3/4" x 13-13/16"
1077.0 x 274.0 x 351.0mm | 16-5/8" x 7-13/16" x 13-1/4"
423.0 x 199.0 x 337.0mm |
|---|
R5 and R3 are members of KEF's R series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the KEF R5 and KEF R3 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 |
KEF R3 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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.
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Drivers
Both R5 and R3 are 3-way speakers.
KEF R5KEF R3
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 |
KEF R3 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
R5 features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 5.25" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2900Hz. On the other hand, the R3 features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 1 x 6.5" Hybrid aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2900Hz.
Frequency Response
R5 has a frequency range of 58-28k Hz whereas R3 has a frequency range of 52-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 52Hz, the R3 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R5's min frequency of 58Hz.
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 and R3 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 87 dB.
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.
R5 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas R3 has a max power handling value of 180 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the R5.
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 and R3 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
KEF R5's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both R5 and R3 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.
KEF R5 Port
KEF R3 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 R5's and KEF R3's external dimensions. KEF R5 has external dimensions of 1077.0 x 274.0 x 351.0mm (42-3/8 x 10-3/4 x 13-13/16inch) whereas KEF R3 has external dimensions of 423.0 x 199.0 x 337.0mm (16-5/8 x 7-13/16 x 13-1/4inch).
KEF R5 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 75mm wider, 654mm taller and 14mm deeper than KEF R3.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KEF R5 and KEF R3 in scale.
Comparison image of KEF R5 and KEF R3 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 is approximately 961.7cm2 / 149.1inch2 and base area of the KEF R3 is approximately 670.6cm2 / 103.9inch2. The R5 requires 43% more surface area than the R3 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of KEF R5?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of R5:
- 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 R3?
Here are the items that come with the R3:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 2 Foam port plugs
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- User Manual
- Warranty Information