In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers. Wilson Audio Autobiography is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the R3 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wilson Audio Autobiography and KEF R3 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wilson Audio Autobiography | KEF R3 |
|---|
| Brand | Wilson Audio
United States · founded 1974 | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 |
|---|
| Design | 4-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Uni-Q driver | — | 12th Generation Uni-Q |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 7" | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 15" Paper pulp | 6.5" Hybrid aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 18-36k Hz | 52-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89.5 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | from 100 watts | 15-180 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 372.40kg / 819.3lbs | 13.55kg / 29.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 81-1/8" x 21-5/8" x 35-1/16"
2060.0 x 550.0 x 890.0mm | 16-5/8" x 7-13/16" x 13-1/4"
423.0 x 199.0 x 337.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wilson Audio Autobiography 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* |
Wilson Audio Autobiography |
KEF R3 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
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 Autobiography is a 4-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.
Wilson Audio AutobiographyKEF 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 |
Wilson Audio Autobiography |
KEF R3 |
|
Driver Setup
|
4-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 7-inch |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 15-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Autobiography features a 1" Doped silk fabric Dome Tweeter, a 7" Midrange and 1 x 15" Paper pulp Woofer. 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
Autobiography has a frequency range of 18-36k Hz whereas R3 has a frequency range of 52-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 18Hz, the Autobiography can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to 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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Impedance and Sensitivity
Autobiography is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the R3 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 Autobiography can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Autobiography sensitivity is rated at 89.5 dB and the R3's is rated at 87 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Wilson Audio Autobiography a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF R3, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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.
R3 can handle a max power of 180 watts RMS, whereas Autobiography has a max power handling value of watts RMS, 180 watts less than the R3.
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.
Wilson Audio Autobiography
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
R3 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Autobiography has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Autobiography and R3 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.
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 Wilson Audio Autobiography's and KEF R3's external dimensions. Wilson Audio Autobiography has external dimensions of 2060.0 x 550.0 x 890.0mm (81-1/8 x 21-5/8 x 35-1/16inch) 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).
Wilson Audio Autobiography is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 351mm wider, 1637mm taller and 553mm deeper than KEF R3.
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.
Wilson Audio Autobiography needs about 630% more floor or shelf area. Wilson Audio Autobiography is 553mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Wilson Audio Autobiography is 1637mm 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 Wilson Audio Autobiography is approximately 4895.0cm2 / 758.7inch2 and base area of the KEF R3 is approximately 670.6cm2 / 103.9inch2. The Autobiography requires 630% more surface area than the R3 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
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