In this review, we will be comparing Reference 4 Meta and Kanta Center, two Passive Center Channel speakers from KEF and Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF Reference 4 Meta and Focal Kanta Center first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | KEF Reference 4 Meta | Focal Kanta Center |
|---|
| Brand | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 | Focal
France · founded 1979 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Uni-Q driver | 12th Generation Uni-Q | — |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" aluminium dome with MAT | 1.1" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 6.5" aluminium cone | 2 x 6.5" flax cone with TMD (Tuned Mass Damping) suspension |
|---|
| Frequency response | 48-35k Hz | 55-44k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-400 watts | 40-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 45.20kg / 99.4lbs | 18.00kg / 39.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 8.1" x 42.9" x 18.2"
205 x 1090 x 463 mm | 9-11/16" x 22-1/8" x 15-1/2"
247.0 x 562.0 x 394.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the KEF Reference 4 Meta and Focal Kanta Center 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 4 Meta |
Focal Kanta Center |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Bad |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Reference 4 Meta is a 3-way design whereas the Kanta Center 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.
KEF Reference 4 MetaFocal Kanta Center
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 4 Meta |
Focal Kanta Center |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Reference 4 Meta features a 1" aluminium dome with MAT Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 4 x 6.5" aluminium cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 450Hz and 2100Hz. On the other hand, the Kanta Center features a 1.1" IAL3 Beryllium Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" flax cone with TMD (Tuned Mass Damping) suspension Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2400 Hz.
Frequency Response
Reference 4 Meta has a frequency range of 48-35k Hz whereas Kanta Center has a frequency range of 55-44k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the Reference 4 Meta can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Kanta Center's min frequency of 55Hz.
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 4 Meta is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Kanta Center which has a nominal impedance of 8 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 Reference 4 Meta can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Reference 4 Meta sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Kanta Center's is rated at 92 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Focal Kanta Center a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF Reference 4 Meta, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
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 4 Meta can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS, whereas Kanta Center has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the Reference 4 Meta.
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
Reference 4 Meta features Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Kanta Center has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KEF Reference 4 Meta's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Focal Kanta Center's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Reference 4 Meta and Kanta Center 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
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 4 Meta's and Focal Kanta Center's external dimensions. KEF Reference 4 Meta has external dimensions of 205 x 1090 x 463 mm (8.1 x 42.9 x 18.2 in.) whereas Focal Kanta Center has external dimensions of 247.0 x 562.0 x 394.0mm (9-11/16inch x 22-1/8inch x 15-1/2inch).
Focal Kanta Center is 528mm narrower and 69mm less deeper than KEF Reference 4 Meta but it is also 42mm taller.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
KEF Reference 4 Meta needs about 128% more floor or shelf area. KEF Reference 4 Meta is 69mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Focal Kanta Center is 42mm taller.
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 4 Meta is approximately 5046.7cm2 / 782.2inch2 and base area of the Focal Kanta Center is approximately 2214.3cm2 / 343.2inch2. The Reference 4 Meta requires 128% more surface area than the Kanta Center which gives it a small disadvantage 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 Reference 4 Meta weighs 45.20kg / 99.4lbs and the Focal Kanta Center weighs 18.00kg / 39.6lbs. This makes the Reference 4 Meta 151% heavier than the Kanta Center.
Here is a comparison of how Reference 4 Meta and Kanta Center's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Center Channel class.
Weight
All Center Channel Speakers
What's in the Box of Focal Kanta Center?
Here are the items that come with the Kanta Center:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Slicone pads
- User Manual
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Number of Woofers |
4
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
48 Hz
vs
55 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
205mm
vs
247mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.5 ohms
vs
3.2 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 High Frequency Response |
44k Hz
vs
35k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
2214cm2
vs
5046cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3999USD
vs
8000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
KEF Reference 4 Meta |
Focal Kanta Center |
| Brand |
KEF |
Focal |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
50-400 watts |
40-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.2 ohms |
3.5 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
48-35k Hz |
55-44k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
aluminium cone |
flax cone with TMD (Tuned Mass Damping) suspension |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.1" |
| Tweeter Type |
aluminium dome with MAT |
Hard-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
450Hz and 2100Hz |
2400 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
205.0mm (8.1") |
247.0mm (9.7") |
| Width |
1090.0mm (42.9") |
562.0mm (22.1") |
| Depth |
463.0mm (18.2") |
394.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
45.20kg (99.4lbs) |
18.00kg (39.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
Multi-ply/Polymer/Veneer |
| Available Colors |
High-Gloss White/Blue, High-Gloss White/Champagne, High-Gloss Black/ Grey, High-Gloss Black/Copper, Satin Walnut/Silver |
High-Gloss Carrara White,High-Gloss Black/Deep Black,Matte Walnut/Dark Grey,Matte Walnut/Ivory |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - KEF Reference 4 Meta costs roughly 2x what Focal Kanta Center 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 Reference 4 Meta digs deeper - 48Hz against 55Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Focal Kanta Center is more sensitive (92dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Focal Kanta Center is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | KEF Reference 4 Meta takes more power (400W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Focal Kanta Center is easier to place; KEF Reference 4 Meta is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | A | KEF Reference 4 Meta: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Focal Kanta Center is cheaper - $3,999 against $8,000, about 50% less; arguably a different class. |
A KEF Reference 4 Meta B Focal Kanta Center
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 Reference 4 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 - Focal Kanta Center looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the KEF Reference 4 Meta appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 55Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Focal Kanta Center much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate KEF Reference 4 Meta the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and Focal Kanta Center for a small room and a mid-size room.
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.