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KEF R7 vs KEF R11 Comparison

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KEF R7

Passive Floor-standing | 48-28k Hz

KEF R7
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KEF R11

Passive Floor-standing | 46-28k Hz

KEF R11
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KEF R7 KEF R7
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KEF R11 KEF R11
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KEF R7
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KEF R11
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KEF R7 vs KEF R11 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing R7 and R11, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by KEF

Let's have a brief look at the main features of KEF R7 and KEF R11 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 )

KEF R11 Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 1" Dome Tweeter
  • 5" Midrange
  • 4 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer
  • 5" Midrange
  • 46-28k Hz Frequency Response
  • 90 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 8ohms
  • Power Range:15-300watts
  • Weight:37.70kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1301.0" x 12-1/4" x 15-5/16"( 1301.0 x 312.0 x 389.0mm )

R7 and R11 are members of KEF's R series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

KEF R Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
KEF R3
  
Bookshelf 52-28k Hz 87 dB8Ω 1 x 6.5"
KEF R7
Floor-standing 48-28k Hz 88 dB8Ω 2 x 6.5"
KEF R11
Floor-standing 46-28k Hz 90 dB8Ω 4 x 6.5"
KEF R5
  
Floor-standing 58-28k Hz 87 dB8Ω 2 x 5.25"
KEF R2c
  
Center Channel 74-28k Hz 87 dB8Ω 2 x 5.25"

What size room are the KEF R7 and KEF R11 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 KEF R11
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.)

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the KEF R7 and KEF R11 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.


**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Drivers

Both R7 and R11 are 3-way speakers.

Driver KEF R7 KEF R11
Driver Setup 3-way 3-way
Tweeter 1-inch 1-inch
Midrange 1 x 5-inch 1 x 5-inch
Woofer 2 x 6.5-inch 4 x 6.5-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 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.

Frequency Response

R7 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz whereas R11 has a frequency range of 46-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 46Hz, the R11 can go slightly deeper then 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

R7
R11
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

KEF R7
KEF R11
Min
Average
Max

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 and R11 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. R7 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the R11's is at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the KEF R11 a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF R7, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Floor-standing Speakers

R7
R11
Min
Average
Max

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 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas R7 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS , 50 watts less than the R11.

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

Both R7 and R11 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.

KEF R7 Terminals
KEF R7's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

KEF R11 Terminals
KEF R11's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both R7 and R11 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 KEF R11'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 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) .

Below you can see the front view size comparison of KEF R7 and KEF R11 in scale.

KEF R7 vs KEF R11 Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of KEF R7 and KEF R11 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 KEF R11 is approximately 1213.7cm2 / 188.1inch2. The R7 requires 36% less surface area than the R11 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 R7 weighs 31.40kg / 69.1lbs and the KEF R11 weighs 37.70kg / 82.9lbs. This makes the R11 20% heavier than the R7.

Here is a comparison of how R7 and R11's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.

Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
KEF R7
KEF R11
Min
Average
Max

What's in the Box of KEF R7?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of R7:
  • 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 R11?

    Here are the items that come with the 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

  • Reasons to choose KEF R7 over KEF R11
    Base Surface Area 778cm2 vs 1213cm2 Takes less floor space
    Price per pair* 4500USD vs 6000USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

    Reasons to choose KEF R11 over KEF R7

    Max Input Power 300 watts vs 250 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
    Sensitivity 90 dB vs 88 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
    Number of Woofers 4 vs 2 More woofers
    Low Frequency Response 46 Hz vs 48 Hz Generates deeper bass
    KEF R7 vs KEF R11 Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General KEF R7 KEF R11
    Brand KEF KEF
    Speaker Type Floor-standing speaker Floor-standing speaker
    Power Range 15-250 watts 15-300 watts
    Sensitivity 88 dB 90 dB
    Impedance 8 ohms 8 ohms
    Impedance 3.2 ohms 3.2 ohms
    Frequency Response 48-28k Hz 46-28k Hz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 2 4
    Woofer Size 6.5" 6.5"
    Woofer Composition Hybrid Aluminum Hybrid Aluminum
    Woofer Surround Material Rubber Rubber
    Tweeter Size 1" 1"
    Tweeter Type Dome Dome
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver 5" 5"
    Crossover Frequency 400Hz and 2900Hz 400Hz and 2900Hz
    Firing Direction rear rear
    Physical Specs
    Height 1301.0mm (51.2") 1301.0mm (51.2")
    Width 200.0mm (7.9") 312.0mm (12.3")
    Depth 389.0mm (15.3") 389.0mm (15.3")
    Weight 31.40kg (69.1lbs) 37.70kg (82.9lbs)
    Enclosure Bass Reflex Bass Reflex
    Finish MDF/Lacquer MDF/Lacquer
    Available Colors Black Gloss, White Gloss, Walnut Black Gloss, White Gloss, Walnut
    Grille Yes Yes
    Moisture Resistancy No No
    Connections
    Biamp Inputs Yes Yes
    Other
    Parts Warranty 5 Years 5 Years
    Labor Warranty 5 Years 5 Years

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