Short answer: the ELAC DF63. It ranks #27 of 56 floorstanding speakers by sound quality at $649; the KEF Q11 Meta ranks #36 and costs $1249.99, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
The case for the ELAC DF63: Three-driver floorstanding layout: two 6” dedicated midbase drivers plus a separate 6” mid-range driver (confirmed by measuring different driver impedance/inductance) and a 1” dome tweeter. The tradeoff: A genuine measured resonance around 200-300Hz (visible in frequency response, impedance, and group delay) causes an audible “droning” coloration on female vocals.
On the KEF Q11 Meta side: Three-way tower design with a coaxial layout: a 3/4” aluminum dome tweeter (with KEF’s Metamaterial Absorption Technology behind it) mounted at the center of a 4” mid-range, plus three 6.5” bass drivers. Set against that: Genuinely dark-sounding on raw on-axis measurement, and needs a typical room with sidewall reflections (within about 6 feet/2 meters) to sound properly neutral - in a large room with little sidewall interaction.
Buy the ELAC DF63. It ranks higher for sound quality than the KEF Q11 Meta and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| ELAC DF63 | KEF Q11 Meta | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $649.00 | $1,249.99 |
| Ranked | #27 of 56 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #36 of 56 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 29Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 29Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 71Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 60Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 43.1"H x 7.7"W x 10.6"D (1094.7 x 195.6 x 269.2 mm) | 43.8"H x 12.5"W x 15"D (1112.8 x 317.5 x 381.0 mm) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (3.4 ohms minimum, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal (3.2 ohms minimum, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | Two 6.5" Aramid Fiber woofer, 6.5" Aramid Fiber midrange, 1" Aluminum Dome tweeter | 25mm tweeter + dual 165mm drivers |
| Sensitivity | 86.6dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 88.6dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 58.2 lbs / 26.4 kg each | 106.9 lbs / 48.5 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, rear |
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- Polk Audio Reserve R700 vs Polk Reserve R500
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- Q Acoustics 5040 vs ELAC DF63
The Two Speakers In Full
ELAC DF63: $649.00 Amazon
Pros: Three-driver floorstanding layout: two 6” dedicated midbase drivers plus a separate 6” mid-range driver (confirmed by measuring different driver impedance/inductance) and a 1” dome tweeter, each woofer given its own stuffed chamber inside the cabinet. The dedicated midrange driver keeps distortion low even at higher output, avoiding the intermodulation grain typical of two-way bookshelf designs. The waveguide keeps high-frequency directivity well controlled, and overall horizontal directivity is good up to about 2kHz. Harmonic distortion looks good at both 86dB and 96dB, and multitone distortion stays below the reviewer’s 3% threshold. A shallow bass rolloff (F3 71Hz, F10 29Hz) lets it extend fairly low without a hard cutoff. Preferred by the reviewer over the similarly-priced Polk R500 (too much high-frequency narrowing, less neutral) and considered ahead of the Polk R700 as well.
Cons: A genuine measured resonance around 200-300Hz (visible in frequency response, impedance, and group delay) causes an audible “droning” coloration on female vocals. A mild peak around 10kHz makes shakers and similar high-frequency percussion jump too far forward in the mix; needed about 2dB of EQ to tame in testing. A dip in the 1-3kHz range gives the speaker a warm, slightly veiled character - the reviewer suspects the tweeter crossover point (around 2-3kHz) is set a bit high and could be lowered to fill this in. Directivity shows a noticeable handoff mismatch around 2.5kHz where the midrange driver hands off to the tweeter, though it’s minor at the -6dB point. Vertical directivity is narrower than horizontal, so listeners need to stay close to the tweeter axis. Low EPDR (about 1.5 ohms minimum) means a Class AB amplifier should be well-ventilated. Best positioned pointed directly at the listener and closer to the front wall - toeing it out into the room causes too much high-frequency rolloff.
Full ELAC DF63 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 29Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 71Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 43.1"H x 7.7"W x 10.6"D (1094.7 x 195.6 x 269.2 mm) |
| Drivers | Two 6.5" Aramid Fiber woofer, 6.5" Aramid Fiber midrange, 1" Aluminum Dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (3.4 ohms minimum, measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.6dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 58.2 lbs / 26.4 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
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KEF Q11 Meta: $1,249.99 Amazon
Pros: Three-way tower design with a coaxial layout: a 3/4” aluminum dome tweeter (with KEF’s Metamaterial Absorption Technology behind it) mounted at the center of a 4” mid-range, plus three 6.5” bass drivers. Extremely linear estimated in-room response when placed correctly, thanks to a deliberately declining on-axis response paired with well-controlled directivity - a technically sound design philosophy, even though it reads as “dark” in raw anechoic on-axis measurements. In-room bass extension to about 40-50Hz when placed near a wall, thanks to extended bass-shelf tuning. Sounds excellent whether pointed directly at the listener or toed out a full 30° parallel to the back wall - unusually flexible placement. More vertical listening leeway than standard non-coaxial two-way designs, thanks to the coincident tweeter/midrange. Distortion looks good at both 86dB and 96dB, and multitone distortion holds up well too. Comes with a plinth/outrigger kit for stability given its floorstanding height (about 43-44”).
Cons: Genuinely dark-sounding on raw on-axis measurement, and needs a typical room with sidewall reflections (within about 6 feet/2 meters) to sound properly neutral - in a large room with little sidewall interaction, it may sound too dull for some listeners. Must be placed close to a rear wall (about 1 foot) to get proper bass - pulling it out to the “standard” 3-foot audiophile recommendation causes bass output to drop off noticeably. Horizontal radiation of about ±50° is narrower than the reviewer’s preferred ±60°, giving a slightly less enveloping soundstage than some rivals. Notably darker than sibling KEF models in the same product family - measures 2-5dB less top-end energy than the R3 Meta and a few dB less than the Q Concerto Meta. Minor lingering resonances appear in burst decay measurements between 500Hz-1kHz. The tweeter shows some strain at very high output volumes, a limitation the reviewer notes is common even among more budget-friendly speakers generally.
Full KEF Q11 Meta review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 29Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 60Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 43.8"H x 12.5"W x 15"D (1112.8 x 317.5 x 381.0 mm) |
| Drivers | 25mm tweeter + dual 165mm drivers |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.2 ohms minimum, measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 88.6dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 106.9 lbs / 48.5 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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