Power needed
19–225 W
per channel, into 4 ohms
To hit 95 dB peaks at 3 m from a pair of KEF Q11 Meta, you need at least 19 W a channel. More than 225 W is wasted here - that is all KEF rates the speaker to take.
Show the working
- 95 dB target at the seat
- +4.8 dB for 3.0 m of distance
- -3 dB for a stereo pair
- -84.0 dB effective sensitivity
- 3.0 dB taken off to convert the 4 ohm 2.83V rating to dB per watt
- 2 dB allowed for optimistic published sensitivity
- Published sensitivity 89 dB, used as 84.0 dB per watt.
Marantz Model 30 with the KEF Q11 Meta
Workable with care
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated to 4 ohms, but this speaker dips to 3.2. Fine at sane volume, tight if you push it hard.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Full Marantz Model 30 specs
·
Clear this amp
189 integrated amplifiers suit the KEF Q11 Meta
Also show the 57 we do not recommend
1
Workable with care
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated to 4 ohms, but this speaker dips to 3.2. Fine at sane volume, tight if you push it hard.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
2
Workable with care
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated to 4 ohms, but this speaker dips to 3.2. Fine at sane volume, tight if you push it hard.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (125 W to 250 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
3
Workable with care
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated to 4 ohms, but this speaker dips to 3.2. Fine at sane volume, tight if you push it hard.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (80 W to 150 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
4
Workable with care
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated to 4 ohms, but this speaker dips to 3.2. Fine at sane volume, tight if you push it hard.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (135 W to 250 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Sensible value pick against these speakers.
5
Workable with care
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated to 4 ohms, but this speaker dips to 3.2. Fine at sane volume, tight if you push it hard.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (70 W to 140 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
6
Workable with care
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated to 4 ohms, but this speaker dips to 3.2. Fine at sane volume, tight if you push it hard.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (70 W to 140 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
7
Workable with care
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated to 4 ohms, but this speaker dips to 3.2. Fine at sane volume, tight if you push it hard.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (75 W to 150 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
8
Workable with care
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated to 4 ohms, but this speaker dips to 3.2. Fine at sane volume, tight if you push it hard.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (80 W to 150 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
9
Excellent match
7 dB of headroom - enough, but at the modest end for this speaker, which takes up to 225 W.
Has a 4 ohm tap, which is exactly what this 4 ohm speaker wants. Taps: 4 / 8 ohm.
A valve amplifier makes the same power on each tap, so what matters is sensitivity - and at 84.0 dB this speaker is efficient enough that 100 W is comfortable.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
10
Good match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
No 4 ohm power rating on file. On a 4 ohm speaker dipping to 3.2 that is the figure that matters, so this one is unproven on the load.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
11
Workable with care
12 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated to 4 ohms, but this speaker dips to 3.2. Fine at sane volume, tight if you push it hard.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (150 W to 300 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
12
Workable with care
13 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it. Well above the 225 W the maker rates the speaker for, so keep an eye on the volume knob.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (200 W to 400 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
13
Workable with care
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated to 4 ohms, but this speaker dips to 3.2. Fine at sane volume, tight if you push it hard.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (110 W to 180 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
14
Excellent match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 3 ohms, comfortable with a 4 ohm speaker that dips to 3.2.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Well below the speakers - leaves money on the table, but nothing wrong with it.
15
Excellent match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (125 W to 250 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
16
Workable with care
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated to 4 ohms, but this speaker dips to 3.2. Fine at sane volume, tight if you push it hard.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (76 W to 135 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Sensible value pick against these speakers.
17
Good match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Rated at the same 150 W into 4 ohms as into 8 - the power supply runs out before the load does.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
18
Workable with care
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated to 4 ohms, but this speaker dips to 3.2. Fine at sane volume, tight if you push it hard.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (120 W to 200 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
19
Workable with care
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated to 4 ohms, but this speaker dips to 3.2. Fine at sane volume, tight if you push it hard.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
20
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (125 W to 250 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
Showing the best 20 of 189. Narrow it with the price range below, or a different budget split.
47 power amplifiers that would also drive them
Listed separately because they are not a complete system: a power amplifier has no volume control and no inputs to speak of, so you need a preamplifier or a streaming preamp as well. Worth it if you already own one, or if you want to buy the two halves separately.
1
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (160 W to 240 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
2
Good match
12 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (200 W to 320 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
3
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
No 4 ohm power rating on file. On a 4 ohm speaker dipping to 3.2 that is the figure that matters, so this one is unproven on the load.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
4
Workable with care
14 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it. Well above the 225 W the maker rates the speaker for, so keep an eye on the volume knob.
Rated down to 1 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (250 W to 450 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
5
Excellent match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 190 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
6
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
No 4 ohm power rating on file. On a 4 ohm speaker dipping to 3.2 that is the figure that matters, so this one is unproven on the load.
Sensible value pick against these speakers.
7
Workable with care
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated to 4 ohms, but this speaker dips to 3.2. Fine at sane volume, tight if you push it hard.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (150 W to 225 W).
Sensible value pick against these speakers.
8
Good match
12 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (150 W to 300 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
Were these amplifier recommendations useful?
It helps us tune the matching, and we read every comment.
Thanks. Anything you would add?
Optional, and it goes straight to the person who maintains this page.
Thanks - noted.
Sensitivity and impedance figures are the manufacturer's own. We read sensitivity as dB at 2.83 V/1 m and take 2 dB off it, because published figures run high. Treat the result as a well-founded starting point, not a measurement. Full KEF Q11 Meta specs.
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