Short answer: the LS50 Meta for the more technically accomplished design, the Super Denton for a genuinely different three-way alternative at a similar price. The LS50 Meta ranks #4 and the Super Denton ranks #19 out of 90 medium bookshelf speakers, for $100 more.
The LS50 Meta’s coincident Uni-Q driver delivers directivity few speakers at any price match. Independent ASR Klippel testing found very good directivity with on- and off-axis curves tracking closely, and a predicted in-room response called very close to ideal. Horizontal and vertical directivity both hold to about ±50 degrees at the -6dB point, keeping tonality consistent across roughly a 100-degree listening cone, and imaging stays tight even when the speakers are toed out, unlike most coincident designs. The tradeoff is output: multitone distortion crosses 3% at 96dB/1m, and ASR’s own testing found distortion climbing past 100% in the bass at that level, so roughly 88dB or below is the safer ceiling.
The Super Denton’s three-way layout takes a different path, offsetting a 2-inch midrange dome beside a centered 6.5-inch Kevlar woofer. That offset creates a real tradeoff: horizontal off-axis response is noticeably asymmetric, dropping as much as 8dB more to one side at wider angles, so Wharfedale’s own review recommends aiming the speakers straight at the listener rather than toeing them out. In exchange, its harmonic distortion looks good at both 86dB and 96dB with about 20dB of usable dynamic range before compression sets in near 102dB, and its estimated in-room response actually measured more linear than Wharfedale’s own pricier Linton 85.
Both speakers have a tonal dip worth knowing about. The LS50 Meta shows a 2-3dB scoop around 2-4kHz that a reviewer wanted to correct with about 2dB of EQ for lost vocal clarity, while the Super Denton has a broader 200-800Hz midrange scoop plus a separate upper-midrange scoop, both audible in direct ABX testing against a reference-neutral speaker, giving aggressive material a more subdued character.
Buy the LS50 Meta for its near-reference directivity and tight speaker-to-speaker matching, especially if you can catch it on sale near its frequent $1,000 price point.
Buy the Super Denton if you want a three-way alternative with strong in-room bass behavior near a wall, and don’t mind aiming it carefully due to its asymmetric off-axis response.
Want more options? Browse the full Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| KEF LS50 Meta | Wharfedale Super Denton | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,599.00 per pair | $1499 per pair |
| Ranked | #4 of 90 in Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers | #19 of 90 in Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 41Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 68Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 61Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 11.9”H x 7.9”W x 11”D (302 x 200 x 280.5 mm) | 14.2”H x 9.7”W x 10.8”D (360 x 246 x 275 mm) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (3.7 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) | 6 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 83dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner; 85dB manufacturer specified) | 86.6dB (measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 130 mm (5.25 in.) aluminium cone woofer, 25 mm (1 in.) vented aluminium dome with Metamaterial Absorption tweeter | 1” soft dome tweeter, 2” soft dome midrange, 6.5” woven Kevlar woofer |
| Weight | 17.2 lbs (7.8 kg) each | 20.3 lbs (9.2 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.74 | 5.9 (Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.88 | - |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
| Frequency Response | - | 52Hz - 20kHz (±3dB, manufacturer specified); -6dB to 40Hz |
| Crossover Frequency | - | 940Hz, 4.6kHz |
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The Two Speakers In Full
KEF LS50 Meta: $1,599.00 per pair Amazon Crutchfield eBay
Pros: Uni-Q concentric driver mounts a 1” vented aluminum dome tweeter at the center of a 5.25” aluminum cone woofer, rated 79Hz-20kHz+. Speaker-to-speaker matching measured tight at roughly 0.5dB deviation between the pair tested, versus 2-3dB seen on some other speakers: likely why imaging stayed so precise. Imaging stays tight and focused even toed out, unlike most coincident designs where toe-out typically diffuses the image, giving more of an oval-shaped soundstage than a hard rectangular boundary. Horizontal and vertical directivity both hold to about ±50° at the -6dB point, so tonality stays consistent across roughly a 100° listening cone. The extended bass shelf is deliberately tuned for near-wall/boundary placement rather than the usual “pull it 3 feet into the room” advice, playing lower without excess boominess when placed close to a wall. At its frequent sale price, well below list, called a no-brainer for a compact stand-mount speaker. Independent ASR Klippel measurements corroborate this: very good directivity with the on- and off-axis curves tracking closely, and a predicted in-room response the reviewer called “very close to ideal.”. Measured bass extension of 68Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 83dB.
Cons: F3 of 67Hz and F10 of 42Hz mean it doesn’t get much below 50Hz in-room; a subwoofer is recommended for real bass. A 2-3dB scoop around 2-4kHz shows up in both the listening window and sound power measurements, matching a subjectively noticed lack of attack and vocal clarity that the reviewer wanted to correct with about 2dB of EQ. An on-axis diffraction dip around 8kHz smooths out with about 15° of toe-out (typical for concentric designs, but still present at 0°). Distortion is elevated at low frequencies since the single 5.25” cone shares surface area with the tweeter housing, reducing effective radiating area; multitone distortion crosses the 3% threshold at 96dB/1m, making roughly 88dB or below the safer output ceiling. Moderate sensitivity (~83dB average) needed 2-3dB more amplifier gain than typical in testing. Adding a subwoofer at an 80Hz crossover only helps lower-midrange distortion, not the elevated distortion in the 1-2kHz and above-5kHz regions. ASR’s own Klippel testing found the same pattern in starker terms: THD is very good at 86dB SPL/1m but climbs past 100% in the bass at 96dB SPL/1m, confirming this is not a near-field speaker for high-output bass-heavy material. Cumulative spectral decay (waterfall) also shows a couple of resonances lingering in the 1-2kHz region.
Full KEF LS50 Meta review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 68Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 11.9”H x 7.9”W x 11”D (302 x 200 x 280.5 mm) |
| Drivers | 130 mm (5.25 in.) aluminium cone woofer, 25 mm (1 in.) vented aluminium dome with Metamaterial Absorption tweeter |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (3.7 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 83dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner; 85dB manufacturer specified) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.74 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.88 |
| Weight | 17.2 lbs (7.8 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner: Unveiling the KEF LS50 Meta: The Truth Behind the Hype More from Erin’s Audio Corner →
- Erin’s Audio Corner Website KEF LS50 Meta
- Audio Science Review KEF LS50 Meta More from Audio Science Review →
- GR-Research: KEF LS50 Meta! Worthy of HYPE? More from GR-Research →
- Erin’s Audio Corner: My Top Picks of 2023: Must-Haves Under $3000
- Erin’s Audio Corner Measurements (spinorama.org)
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- KEF LS50 Meta vs Ascend Sierra 1 v2
- KEF LS50 Meta vs Ascend Acoustics Luna V2 Mini-Monitor Ribbon
- KEF LS50 Meta vs Philharmonic Ceramic Mini
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Wharfedale Super Denton: $1499 per pair Crutchfield eBay
Pros: A 3-way design with a 1” soft dome tweeter, a 2” soft dome midrange offset to the side of a centered 6.5” woven Kevlar woofer: a more compact alternative to Wharfedale’s own Linton 85 with a similar overall character. Measured sensitivity around 86.6-87dB with on-axis linearity within about ±3dB. No cabinet or box resonances turned up in impedance testing, and there are no spike feet to install. Harmonic distortion looks good at both 86dB and 96dB, with about 20dB of usable dynamic range up to 96dB before compression starts to affect the midrange more noticeably near 102dB. Because bass rolls off starting around 60Hz, placing it closer to a wall (about 1-2 feet) than usual boosts low-end punch without the midbass bloat a deeper-extending speaker would get from the same placement. In the reviewer’s own comparison, its estimated in-room response actually measured more linear than the pricier Linton 85’s, despite being a bit less linear on-axis. Measured bass extension of 61Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 86.6dB.
Cons: A mid-range scoop from about 200-800Hz and a separate upper-midrange scoop were both audible in direct ABX comparison against a reference-neutral speaker, giving aggressive-sounding material a more subdued character. A resonance around 660-700Hz shows up in measurement, though the reviewer couldn’t reliably hear it with real music in his own blind-ish A/B testing. The offset tweeter-and-midrange layout makes horizontal off-axis response noticeably asymmetric (response drops as much as 8dB more to one side than the other at wider angles) so the reviewer recommends aiming the speakers directly at the listener (not toed out, which loses upper treble) and suggests sidewall absorption to control uneven reflections. Must be listened to with the grille on: measurements are noticeably worse with it off (wider 2-4kHz dip, extra treble bump). Horizontal soundstage width felt a bit narrower than the reviewer personally prefers, likely related to the same offset driver layout. Multitone distortion gets high in the midrange at 96dB/1m, a concern mainly in larger rooms where you’d need to play louder.
Full Wharfedale Super Denton review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 41Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 61Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Crossover Frequency | 940Hz, 4.6kHz |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 14.2”H x 9.7”W x 10.8”D (360 x 246 x 275 mm) |
| Drivers | 1” soft dome tweeter, 2” soft dome midrange, 6.5” woven Kevlar woofer |
| Frequency Response | 52Hz - 20kHz (±3dB, manufacturer specified); -6dB to 40Hz |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.6dB (measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.9 (Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 20.3 lbs (9.2 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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