These sit in different price classes - KEF R8 Meta costs roughly 2x what KEF Q8 Meta 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 | A | KEF R8 Meta digs deeper - 97Hz against 105Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (85dB vs 86dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | B | KEF Q8 Meta is cheaper - $900 against $1,800, about 50% less; arguably a different class. |
A KEF R8 Meta B KEF Q8 Meta
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?
KEF R8 Meta is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 100% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - KEF Q8 Meta looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the KEF R8 Meta appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 105Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper KEF Q8 Meta much easier to justify. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $900 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.