In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by KEF. KEF Reference 2 Meta is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Reference 3 Meta is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF Reference 2 Meta and KEF Reference 3 Meta first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KEF Reference 2 Meta | KEF Reference 3 Meta |
|---|
| Brand | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Uni-Q driver | 12th Generation Uni-Q | 12th Generation Uni-Q |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" aluminium dome with MAT | 1" aluminium dome with MAT |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" aluminium cone | 2 x 6.5" aluminium cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 80-35k Hz | 43-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 86 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-300 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.80kg / 50.2lbs | 51.30kg / 112.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 8.1" x 24.8" x 13.2"
205 x 630 x 335 mm | 47.5" x 12.7" x 18.4"
1207 x 323 x 467 mm |
|---|
Reference 2 Meta and Reference 3 Meta are members of KEF's Reference META series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
KEF Reference META Series
History
What size room are the KEF Reference 2 Meta and KEF Reference 3 Meta 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 Reference 2 Meta |
KEF Reference 3 Meta |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Bad |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Good |
(* 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 Reference 2 Meta and Reference 3 Meta are 3-way speakers.
KEF Reference 2 MetaKEF Reference 3 Meta
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 Reference 2 Meta |
KEF Reference 3 Meta |
|
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
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Reference 2 Meta features a 1" aluminium dome with MAT Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" aluminium cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 450Hz and 2100Hz. On the other hand, the Reference 3 Meta features a 1" aluminium dome with MAT Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" aluminium cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 450Hz and 2100Hz.
Frequency Response
Reference 2 Meta has a frequency range of 80-35k Hz whereas Reference 3 Meta has a frequency range of 43-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 43Hz, the Reference 3 Meta can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Reference 2 Meta's min frequency of 80Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel 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
Reference 2 Meta and Reference 3 Meta have the same Impedance of 4 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 86 dB.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Reference 2 Meta and the Reference 2 Meta can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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.
Reference 2 Meta and Reference 3 Meta have the same power range of 50-300 watts.
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 Reference 2 Meta and Reference 3 Meta features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
KEF Reference 2 Meta's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
KEF Reference 3 Meta's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
KEF Reference 3 Meta 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 Reference 2 Meta's and KEF Reference 3 Meta's external dimensions. KEF Reference 2 Meta has external dimensions of 205 x 630 x 335 mm (8.1 x 24.8 x 13.2 in) whereas KEF Reference 3 Meta has external dimensions of 1207 x 323 x 467 mm (47.5 x 12.7 x 18.4 in.).
KEF Reference 2 Meta is 1002mm shorter and 132mm less deeper than KEF Reference 3 Meta but it is also 307mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of KEF Reference 2 Meta and KEF Reference 3 Meta in scale.
Comparison image of KEF Reference 2 Meta and KEF Reference 3 Meta 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 Reference 2 Meta is approximately 2110.5cm2 / 327.1inch2 and base area of the KEF Reference 3 Meta is approximately 1508.4cm2 / 233.8inch2. The Reference 2 Meta requires 40% more surface area than the Reference 3 Meta which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.