In this review, we will be comparing R7 and Evoke 30, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KEF and Dynaudio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF R7 and Dynaudio Evoke 30 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
KEF R7 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 5" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer
- 48-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:15-250watts
- Weight:31.40kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1113.0" x 8" x 15-5/16"( 1113.0 x 200.0 x 389.0mm )
Dynaudio Evoke 30 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.1" Tweeter
- 2 x 5.5" Magnesium Silicate Polymer Woofer
- 40-23k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:up to 200watts
- Weight:15.50kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 928.0" x 10-5/8" x 13-1/2"( 928.0 x 180.0 x 343.0mm )
What size room are the KEF R7 and Dynaudio Evoke 30 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 R7 |
Dynaudio Evoke 30 |
| 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the KEF R7 and Dynaudio Evoke 30 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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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that R7 is a 3-way design whereas the Evoke 30 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 R7 |
Dynaudio Evoke 30 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
R7 features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter , a 5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2900Hz. On the other hand, the Evoke 30 features a 1.1" Tweeter and 2 x 5.5" Magnesium Silicate Polymer Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1200Hz and 2300Hz.
Frequency Response
R7 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz whereas Evoke 30 has a frequency range of 40-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the Evoke 30 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R7's min frequency of 48Hz.
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
R7 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Evoke 30 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 Evoke 30 can provide this impedance level.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 88 dBdB.
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.
R7 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Evoke 30 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the R7.
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
R7 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Evoke 30 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KEF R7's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Dynaudio Evoke 30's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both R7 and Evoke 30 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 R7's and Dynaudio Evoke 30's external dimensions. KEF R7 has external dimensions of 1113.0 x 200.0 x 389.0mm ( 43-13/16 x 8 x 15-5/16inch) whereas Dynaudio Evoke 30 has external dimensions of 928.0 x 180.0 x 343.0mm ( 36-1/2 x 10-5/8 x 13-1/2inch) .
KEF R7 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 20mm wider, 185mm taller and 46mm deeper than Dynaudio Evoke 30.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KEF R7 and Dynaudio Evoke 30 in scale.
Comparison image of KEF R7 and Dynaudio Evoke 30 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 R7 is approximately 778.0cm2 / 120.6inch2 and base area of the Dynaudio Evoke 30 is approximately 617.4cm2 / 95.7inch2. The R7 requires 26% more surface area than the Evoke 30 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.