Short answer: the KEF Reference 1 Meta has been measured and ranked among bookshelf speakers; the B&W 805 D4 has not been independently measured yet, so until it is, this comes down to features and price.
The case for the B&W 805 D4: Two-way stand mount with a 25mm Diamond dome tweeter in a separate solid body housing and a 165mm Continuum cone mid/bass.
On the KEF Reference 1 Meta side: Meta technology places a Helmholtz-style resonator behind the tweeter to absorb rear-radiated resonance, and pair matching is within about ±0.5dB: unusually tight for a passive speaker.
On paper: The B&W 805 D4 is more sensitive, 88dB against 82.5dB, so it needs less amplifier power to play loud.
Buy the KEF Reference 1 Meta if you want a speaker whose sound quality has been measured and ranked.
Buy the B&W 805 D4 if you want higher sensitivity, and you can wait for measurements to confirm how it sounds.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| B&W 805 D4 | KEF Reference 1 Meta | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $10,000 per pair | $10000 per pair |
| Ranked | - | #3 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Drivers | 1” (25mm) Diamond dome tweeter, 6.5” (165mm) Continuum cone mid/bass | 165 mm (6.5 in.) aluminium cone woofer, 125 mm (5 in.) aluminium cone midrange, 25 mm (1 in.) aluminium dome with MAT tweeter |
| Frequency Response | 42Hz - 28kHz ±3dB (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Sensitivity | 88dB (2.83V/1m, manufacturer specified) | 82.5dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (4.6 ohms minimum) | 4 ohms nominal, 2.9 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Power Handling | 50-120W | - |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported | ported, rear |
| Dimensions | 440H x 240W x 373D mm | 17.3”H x 8.1”W x 16.6”D (439.4 x 205.7 x 421.6 mm) |
| Weight | 15.55 kg each | 40.1 lbs (18.2 kg) each |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 32Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | - | 52Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | - | 6.48 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | - | 8.29 |
| DIY Kit | - | No |
Prices on this page were last checked September 29, 2026 at 3:43 PM 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
B&W 805 D4: $10,000 per pair Bowers & Wilkins eBay
Older model: the B&W 805S (rated 2.8/5).
Pros: Two-way stand mount with a 25mm Diamond dome tweeter in a separate solid body housing and a 165mm Continuum cone mid/bass. B&W rates it at 42Hz to 28kHz (±3dB) and 88dB sensitivity with an 8 ohm nominal load. Four finishes.
Cons: No independent measurements yet, so its tonal balance and directivity can’t be compared with ranked speakers. At about four times the price of the 805S it replaces, it is a very expensive stand mount, and bass below 42Hz still calls for a subwoofer.
Full B&W 805 D4 review and specifications →
| Dimensions | 440H x 240W x 373D mm |
|---|---|
| Drivers | 1” (25mm) Diamond dome tweeter, 6.5” (165mm) Continuum cone mid/bass |
| Frequency Response | 42Hz - 28kHz ±3dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (4.6 ohms minimum) |
| Power Handling | 50-120W |
| Sensitivity | 88dB (2.83V/1m, manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 15.55 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- These figures are manufacturer-specified rather than independently measured.
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
KEF Reference 1 Meta: $10000 per pair KEF eBay
Pros: Meta technology places a Helmholtz-style resonator behind the tweeter to absorb rear-radiated resonance, and pair matching is within about ±0.5dB: unusually tight for a passive speaker. Sounds most neutral pointed straight on-axis rather than toed out, with no 5-8kHz harshness of the kind that plagues many speakers marketed as “detailed.” One of the most three-dimensional soundstages the reviewer has heard from a passive speaker, beaten only by $13,000+ active Xmachina Pulsar MK2 monitors (though this speaker’s tonality was preferred). Distortion stays below 1% down to about 70Hz at 86dB, and below 1% to ~150Hz / below 3% to ~70Hz even at 96dB. High-frequency response holds essentially flat as volume increases (no audible crossover or voice-coil compression) giving strong dynamic range up to its output limit (about 98dB at 3.5 meters before the woofer starts running out of excursion). All-passive design still measures ±1.5dB from 80Hz to 16kHz with zero DSP. Swappable dual-port system (long port for near-wall placement, short port for out-into-the-room placement with more bass extension) lets you tune bass behavior to where the speaker actually sits. Measured bass extension of 52Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 82.5dB.
Cons: At roughly $10000/pair, nearly four times the cost of the similarly-sized KEF R3. Radiation narrows from about ±60° in the midrange to ±50° at high frequency: tighter than the reviewer’s ~70° preference (though wider than the R3’s ~±40°); toeing the speakers out for more width sacrifices treble energy that then needs EQ to restore. Moderate-to-low sensitivity (measured 83-84dB) calls for a solid amplifier. In-room bass only extends to about 40Hz, so a subwoofer is worth adding for bass-heavy material at higher volumes or listening beyond 3-4 meters. Minor directivity mismatch around 2kHz shows up in measurements, likely a vertical diffraction effect that wasn’t fully explained. Bass port choice (long vs. short) meaningfully changes the sound depending on placement, so the wrong port for your room can leave the bass sounding off until you experiment.
Full KEF Reference 1 Meta review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 32Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 52Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 17.3”H x 8.1”W x 16.6”D (439.4 x 205.7 x 421.6 mm) |
| Drivers | 165 mm (6.5 in.) aluminium cone woofer, 125 mm (5 in.) aluminium cone midrange, 25 mm (1 in.) aluminium dome with MAT tweeter |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 2.9 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 82.5dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.48 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.29 |
| Weight | 40.1 lbs (18.2 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- KEF Reference 1 Meta vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- KEF Reference 1 Meta vs Perlisten S4b
- KEF Reference 1 Meta vs March Audio Sointuva AWG
- KEF Reference 1 Meta vs AsciLab C6B
- KEF Reference 1 Meta vs Audio First Cadentia 3
- KEF Reference 1 Meta vs Revel M106
- KEF Reference 1 Meta vs KEF R3 Meta
- KEF Reference 1 Meta vs KEF Q Concerto Meta
- See all 47 comparisons