In this review, we will be comparing Passif 50 and R3, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from PSB and KEF.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of PSB Passif 50 and KEF R3 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | PSB Passif 50 | KEF R3 |
|---|
| Brand | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Uni-Q driver | — | 12th Generation Uni-Q |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" cast aluminum basket, paper cone | 6.5" Hybrid aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-20k Hz | 52-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 Watts watts | 15-180 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 13.70kg / 30.1lbs | 13.55kg / 29.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 26" x 11" x 10"
660 × 280 × 254mm | 16-5/8" x 7-13/16" x 13-1/4"
423.0 x 199.0 x 337.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the PSB Passif 50 and KEF R3 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* |
PSB Passif 50 |
KEF R3 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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 Passif 50 is a 2-way design whereas the R3 is a 3-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.
PSB Passif 50KEF R3
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
PSB Passif 50 |
KEF R3 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Passif 50 features a 1" titanium dome with ferrofluid and neodymium magnet Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" cast aluminum basket, paper cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1800Hz. On the other hand, the R3 features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 1 x 6.5" Hybrid aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2900Hz.
Frequency Response
Passif 50 has a frequency range of 50-20k Hz whereas R3 has a frequency range of 52-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the Passif 50 can go slightly deeper then the R3's min frequency of 52Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
Passif 50 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the R3 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 87 dBdB.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
Passif 50 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas R3 has a max power handling value of 180 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the Passif 50.
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 Passif 50 and R3 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
PSB Passif 50's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
KEF R3 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 PSB Passif 50's and KEF R3's external dimensions. PSB Passif 50 has external dimensions of 660 × 280 × 254mm (26 x 11 x 10-inch) whereas KEF R3 has external dimensions of 423.0 x 199.0 x 337.0mm (16-5/8 x 7-13/16 x 13-1/4inch).
KEF R3 is 81mm narrower and 237mm shorter than PSB Passif 50 but it is also 83mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of PSB Passif 50 and KEF R3 in scale.
Comparison image of PSB Passif 50 and KEF R3 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 PSB Passif 50 is approximately 712.0cm2 / 110.4inch2 and base area of the KEF R3 is approximately 670.6cm2 / 103.9inch2. The Passif 50 requires 6% more surface area than the R3 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 PSB Passif 50 weighs 13.70kg / 30.1lbs and the KEF R3 weighs 13.55kg / 29.8lbs. This makes the Passif 50 1% heavier than the R3.
Here is a comparison of how Passif 50 and R3's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of KEF R3?
Here are the items that come with the R3:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 2 Foam port plugs
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- User Manual
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
180 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Minimum Impedance |
4 ohms
vs
3.2 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
50 Hz
vs
52 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
|
Passive Radiator |
one 8-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
423mm
vs
660mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
670cm2
vs
712cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2200USD
vs
2499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
PSB Passif 50 |
KEF R3 |
| Brand |
PSB |
KEF |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
30-200 Watts watts |
15-180 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
3.2 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
50-20k Hz |
52-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
cast aluminum basket, paper cone |
Hybrid aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
cast aluminum basket, paper cone |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
1800Hz |
400Hz and 2900Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
660.0mm (26") |
423.0mm (16.7") |
| Width |
280.0mm (11") |
199.0mm (7.8") |
| Depth |
254.0mm (10") |
337.0mm (13.3") |
| Weight |
13.70kg (30.1lbs) |
13.55kg (29.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
open-grain walnut veneer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Open-Grain Walnut |
Black Gloss, White Gloss, Walnut |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| 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 |
A generation apart: PSB Passif 50 is the newer design, against a 2018 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (50Hz vs 52Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | A | PSB Passif 50 is more sensitive (89dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | KEF R3 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 180W). |
| Size | depends | KEF R3 is easier to place; PSB Passif 50 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Passive Radiator vs Ported. |
| Expandability | depends | PSB Passif 50: bi-amping; KEF R3: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | KEF R3 is cheaper - $2,200 against $2,499, about 12% less. |
A PSB Passif 50 B KEF R3
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. In a large or open-plan room, PSB Passif 50 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, KEF R3 is the easier speaker to get right. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, PSB Passif 50 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.