Short answer: the KEF Blade Two Meta if sound quality matters most, the Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower if price matters most. The KEF Blade Two Meta ranks #2 of 71 floorstanding speakers at $28000. The Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower ranks #6 at $5698, $22302 cheaper.
What the Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower offers: A RAAL 70-20xram ribbon tweeter and dual SEAS Excel aluminum woofers in a 3-way, 4-driver bamboo tower measure a genuine 38.7Hz extension point with a nearly flat on axis slope of 0.05dB per octave, among the best measured towers in this batch. The bass alignment Q of 0.62 keeps the low end well damped rather than peaky. Backed by a 7 year parts and labor warranty and hand assembled in Orange County, California, with each pair matched within +/-1.5dB. Watch for: Listening window smoothness measures a moderate 0.40 and on axis deviation runs 0.286dB average, both trailing the tighter figures posted by some of the passive AsciLab and Ascend bookshelf models in this same batch. At $5,698/pair it is Ascend’s most expensive tower, well above the Titan dome tweeter version of the same cabinet. The manufacturer’s own claimed sensitivity (87.5dB) runs nearly 1.5dB higher than the independently measured average (86.1dB), worth accounting for when matching an amplifier.
What the KEF Blade Two Meta offers: True point-source coaxial design (four 6.5in mid-bass drivers flanking a coincident mid/tweeter) with matched ~50 degree horizontal and vertical dispersion, unusual for a multi-driver speaker. Fully rounded, edgeless cabinet eliminates baffle diffraction. Frequency response holds within about 2.5dB across the listening window. Extremely low harmonic and multitone distortion even at 96dB, with under 0.5dB of compression at full output, rivaling the Reference 1 Meta and JBL 4367 in dynamic range. Reviewer described the imaging and soundstage depth as revealing recording details other speakers he tested (PS Audio FR10, MoFi SourcePoint 8, Neumann KH80) masked. Available in any custom finish at no extra charge. Watch for: 2dB dip and slight resonance around 200Hz, also visible in KEF white paper and likely cabinet-related. Bass rolls off fairly quickly below its 31Hz F3. Horizontal dispersion (~50 degrees) is narrower than the reviewer preferred 70-80 degrees; benefits from toeing out 10-20 degrees to open soundstage without losing image focus. Needs a separate power amp, not AVR-friendly.
Buy the Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower if the price is the priority over sound quality, or the KEF Blade Two Meta if sound quality is the priority over the price.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower | KEF Blade Two Meta | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5,698 per pair | $28000 per pair only sold in stores |
| Ranked | #6 of 71 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #2 of 71 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Enclosure | ported | - |
| Drivers | RAAL 70-20xram ribbon tweeter, 6" SEAS Excel Curv midrange (sealed sub-chamber), 2x 6" SEAS Excel aluminum woofers | 4 x 165 mm (6.5 in.) aluminium cone, force cancelling woofers, 125 mm (5 in.) aluminium cone midrange, 25 mm (1 in.) aluminium dome with MAT tweeter |
| Dimensions | 43"H x 7.5"W x 10.5"D (1092 x 190 x 267 mm) | 46.6"H x 13.5"W x 14.8"D (1183.6 x 342.9 x 375.9 mm) |
| Weight | 56 lbs (25.4 kg) each | 79.4 lbs (36 kg) each |
| Sensitivity | 87.5dB @ 2.83V/1m anechoic (manufacturer) | 86.8dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal | 4 ohms nominal (3.3 ohms minimum, measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Power Handling | 400W continuous, 600W peak | - |
| Frequency Response | 36-27,000Hz +/-3dB anechoic (manufacturer) | - |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 38.7Hz (measured, spinorama.org vendor data) | 31Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 28.5Hz (measured, spinorama.org vendor data) | 26Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Warranty | 7 years parts and labor | - |
| Country | United States | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.36 | 6.25 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.81 | 7.37 |
| Woofer Cabinet | - | ported, rear |
Related Speaker Comparisons
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- GR-Research NX-Treme vs KEF Blade Two Meta
- KEF Blade Two Meta vs MoFi SourcePoint V10 Master Edition
- KEF Blade Two Meta vs MoFi SourcePoint 888
- Radiant Acoustics Clarity 66 vs KEF Blade Two Meta
- KEF Blade Two Meta vs JBL HDI-3800
Prices on this page were last checked September 16, 2026 at 12:41 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower: $5,698 per pair Ascend Acoustics eBay
Pros: A RAAL 70-20xram ribbon tweeter and dual SEAS Excel aluminum woofers in a 3-way, 4-driver bamboo tower measure a genuine 38.7Hz extension point with a nearly flat on axis slope of 0.05dB per octave, among the best measured towers in this batch. The bass alignment Q of 0.62 keeps the low end well damped rather than peaky. Backed by a 7 year parts and labor warranty and hand assembled in Orange County, California, with each pair matched within +/-1.5dB. Measured bass extension of 38.7Hz (-3dB).
Cons: Listening window smoothness measures a moderate 0.40 and on axis deviation runs 0.286dB average, both trailing the tighter figures posted by some of the passive AsciLab and Ascend bookshelf models in this same batch. At $5,698/pair it is Ascend’s most expensive tower, well above the Titan dome tweeter version of the same cabinet. The manufacturer’s own claimed sensitivity (87.5dB) runs nearly 1.5dB higher than the independently measured average (86.1dB), worth accounting for when matching an amplifier.
Full Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 28.5Hz (measured, spinorama.org vendor data) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 38.7Hz (measured, spinorama.org vendor data) |
| Country | United States |
| Dimensions | 43"H x 7.5"W x 10.5"D (1092 x 190 x 267 mm) |
| Drivers | RAAL 70-20xram ribbon tweeter, 6" SEAS Excel Curv midrange (sealed sub-chamber), 2x 6" SEAS Excel aluminum woofers |
| Enclosure | ported |
| Frequency Response | 36-27,000Hz +/-3dB anechoic (manufacturer) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal |
| Power Handling | 400W continuous, 600W peak |
| Sensitivity | 87.5dB @ 2.83V/1m anechoic (manufacturer) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.36 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.81 |
| Warranty | 7 years parts and labor |
| Weight | 56 lbs (25.4 kg) each |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower vs JBL HDI-3800
- Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower vs Radiant Acoustics Clarity 66
- Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower vs MoFi SourcePoint 888
- Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower vs Revel F328Be
- Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower vs MoFi SourcePoint V10 Master Edition
- Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower vs Revel F226Be
- Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower vs JBL 4367
- Ascend Acoustics ELX Ribbon Tower vs Revel F228Be
- See all 24 comparisons
KEF Blade Two Meta: $28000 per pair only sold in stores eBay
Pros: True point-source coaxial design (four 6.5in mid-bass drivers flanking a coincident mid/tweeter) with matched ~50 degree horizontal and vertical dispersion, unusual for a multi-driver speaker. Fully rounded, edgeless cabinet eliminates baffle diffraction. Frequency response holds within about 2.5dB across the listening window. Extremely low harmonic and multitone distortion even at 96dB, with under 0.5dB of compression at full output, rivaling the Reference 1 Meta and JBL 4367 in dynamic range. Reviewer described the imaging and soundstage depth as revealing recording details other speakers he tested (PS Audio FR10, MoFi SourcePoint 8, Neumann KH80) masked. Available in any custom finish at no extra charge. Measured bass extension of 31Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 86.8dB.
Cons: 2dB dip and slight resonance around 200Hz, also visible in KEF white paper and likely cabinet-related. Bass rolls off fairly quickly below its 31Hz F3. Horizontal dispersion (~50 degrees) is narrower than the reviewer preferred 70-80 degrees; benefits from toeing out 10-20 degrees to open soundstage without losing image focus. Needs a separate power amp, not AVR-friendly.
Full KEF Blade Two Meta review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 26Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 31Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 46.6"H x 13.5"W x 14.8"D (1183.6 x 342.9 x 375.9 mm) |
| Drivers | 4 x 165 mm (6.5 in.) aluminium cone, force cancelling woofers, 125 mm (5 in.) aluminium cone midrange, 25 mm (1 in.) aluminium dome with MAT tweeter |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.3 ohms minimum, measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.8dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.25 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.37 |
| Weight | 79.4 lbs (36 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- KEF Blade Two Meta vs GR-Research NX-Treme
- KEF Blade Two Meta vs MoFi SourcePoint V10 Master Edition
- KEF Blade Two Meta vs MoFi SourcePoint 888
- KEF Blade Two Meta vs Radiant Acoustics Clarity 66
- KEF Blade Two Meta vs JBL HDI-3800
- KEF Blade Two Meta vs Revel F328Be
- KEF Blade Two Meta vs KEF R5 Meta
- KEF Blade Two Meta vs KEF R5
- See all 35 comparisons