Short answer: the KEF LS60. It ranks #1 of 3 powered floorstanding speakers by sound quality at $5999.99; the B&O Beolab20 ranks #3 and costs $15000, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the KEF LS60 offers: Four 5.25” force-cancelling midwoofers (two per side) paired with a single concentric Uni-Q mid/tweeter (4” mid, 3/4” tweeter) for a true point-source above the bass. Watch for: Coincident driver design produces an on-axis diffraction dip around 9-10kHz (about 4-5dB) that can dull shimmer on cymbals and shakers; needs roughly 10-20° of toe-out to smooth it and widen the stereo image.
What the B&O Beolab20 offers: CEA2034 spinorama shows a nearly flat response down to 20Hz, unusual for this cabinet size. Watch for: Overpriced and not recommended. 5dB dip at 7khz.
Buy the KEF LS60. It ranks higher for sound quality than the B&O Beolab20 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| KEF LS60 | B&O Beolab20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5,999.99 | $15000 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #1 of 3 in Large Size Powered Floorstanding Speakers | #3 of 3 in Large Size Powered Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | <20Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | <20Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 23Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 20Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 42.9"H x 8.3"W x 15.5"D (1089.7 x 210.8 x 393.7 mm) | 15.5"W x 32.3"H x 12"D (393.7 x 820.4 x 304.8 mm) |
| Inputs | Wifi, Optical, Digital coaxial, RCA, HDMI, Ethernet | PowerLink (RJ45), RCA, TOSLINK optical, WiSA wireless |
| Drivers | 4 x 135 mm (5.25 in.) Uni-Core Force Cancelling Driver: woofers, 100 mm (4in.) aluminium cone midrange, 19 mm (0.75 in.) vented aluminium dome with Metamaterial Absorption Technology tweeter | 10" driver woofer, 5" driver midrange, 0.75" Acoustic Lens tweeter |
| Weight | 69 lbs / 31.3 kg each | 39.7 lbs / 18 kg each |
| App | Yes (KEF Connect) | Yes (B&O app) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (5.0 with SBC, AAC) | No |
| DSP | Yes (Music Integrity Engine) | Yes (Digital Sound Engine) |
| EQ | Yes (Normal and Expert modes, room adaptation) | Yes (Room adaptation: Free/Wall/Corner) |
| Frequency Response | 31Hz - 24kHz (±3dB) (Manufacturer specified) | 19.5Hz - 23.6kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Max SPL | 111dB @ 1m (pink noise) | 108dB @ 1m |
| Outputs | Subwoofer RCA | PowerLink, TOSLINK |
| Streaming Services | Yes (AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Roon Ready, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Amazon Music, Qobuz, Deezer) | - |
| Wifi | Yes (dual-band) | Yes (WiSA) |
| Output Power | 700W (500W LF Class D + 100W MF Class D + 100W HF Class AB) | 640W (160W tweeter + 160W midrange + 320W dual woofer) |
| Sensitivity | 97.7dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) | - |
| Discontinued | - | Yes |
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- JBL M2 Master Reference Monitor vs Genelec 8361A
- Buchardt A700 vs B&O Beolab20
- KEF LS60 vs Buchardt A700
The Two Speakers In Full
KEF LS60: $5,999.99 Amazon Crutchfield
Pros: Four 5.25” force-cancelling midwoofers (two per side) paired with a single concentric Uni-Q mid/tweeter (4” mid, 3/4” tweeter) for a true point-source above the bass. Extremely flat response, holding within about ±3dB from 20Hz to 20kHz in Extended mode. Horizontal directivity stays close to ±60° at the -6dB point and vertical directivity to about ±40°, with off-axis trend lines barely deviating from the on-axis curve even at 30° - unusually consistent tonality whether seated or standing. Distortion at both 86dB and 96dB/1m is dominated by second-order harmonics with third-order distortion very low; high-passing at 80Hz for a subwoofer barely changes the midrange distortion, pointing to a clean woofer motor. Extensive built-in connectivity (HDMI, TOSLINK, digital coax, analog RCA) plus onboard streaming (Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, Qobuz).
Cons: Coincident driver design produces an on-axis diffraction dip around 9-10kHz (about 4-5dB) that can dull shimmer on cymbals and shakers; needs roughly 10-20° of toe-out to smooth it and widen the stereo image. DSP limiting caps real-world output well under KEF’s claimed 111dB max SPL spec - measured closer to 99-102dB at 1 meter per speaker - and bass extension (F3 around 23Hz in Extended mode) shrinks at the loudest levels to protect the drivers. Small bass bump in Extended mode (roughly 1-2dB around 100Hz plus a 1.5-2dB shelf near 200Hz) that typically needs the app’s Wall Mode or placement changes to tame. Only basic bass/treble sliders and Wall Mode presets are available - no true parametric EQ bands for dialing out specific room modes. Each speaker weighs about 70-72 lbs, making solo stand-mounting awkward.
Full KEF LS60 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (KEF Connect) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | <20Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 23Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (5.0 with SBC, AAC) |
| DSP | Yes (Music Integrity Engine) |
| Dimensions | 42.9"H x 8.3"W x 15.5"D (1089.7 x 210.8 x 393.7 mm) |
| Drivers | 4 x 135 mm (5.25 in.) Uni-Core Force Cancelling Driver: woofers, 100 mm (4in.) aluminium cone midrange, 19 mm (0.75 in.) vented aluminium dome with Metamaterial Absorption Technology tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (Normal and Expert modes, room adaptation) |
| Frequency Response | 31Hz - 24kHz (±3dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | Wifi, Optical, Digital coaxial, RCA, HDMI, Ethernet |
| Max SPL | 111dB @ 1m (pink noise) |
| Output Power | 700W (500W LF Class D + 100W MF Class D + 100W HF Class AB) |
| Outputs | Subwoofer RCA |
| Sensitivity | 97.7dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Streaming Services | Yes (AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Roon Ready, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Amazon Music, Qobuz, Deezer) |
| Weight | 69 lbs / 31.3 kg each |
| Wifi | Yes (dual-band) |
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B&O Beolab20: $15000 Discontinued Bang-olufsen
Pros: CEA2034 spinorama shows a nearly flat response down to 20Hz, unusual for this cabinet size. Predicted in-room response looks even better than the on-axis curve, with a good downward slope. Distortion at 86dB SPL/1m is pretty good for the size.
Cons: Overpriced and not recommended. 5dB dip at 7khz. Messy vertical directivity - the reviewer recommends staying right at the tweeter axis. Distortion at 700hz. Resonance at 5khz. At 96dB SPL/1m, harmonics of an 800Hz resonance become more audible, with broad distortion elevation through the midrange. Discontinued.
Full B&O Beolab20 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (B&O app) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | <20Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 20Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bluetooth | No |
| DSP | Yes (Digital Sound Engine) |
| Dimensions | 15.5"W x 32.3"H x 12"D (393.7 x 820.4 x 304.8 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 10" driver woofer, 5" driver midrange, 0.75" Acoustic Lens tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (Room adaptation: Free/Wall/Corner) |
| Frequency Response | 19.5Hz - 23.6kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | PowerLink (RJ45), RCA, TOSLINK optical, WiSA wireless |
| Max SPL | 108dB @ 1m |
| Output Power | 640W (160W tweeter + 160W midrange + 320W dual woofer) |
| Outputs | PowerLink, TOSLINK |
| Weight | 39.7 lbs / 18 kg each |
| Wifi | Yes (WiSA) |
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