Short answer: the KEF Q Concerto Meta. It ranks #11 of 84 bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $1399.99; the Focal Aria 906 ranks #62 and costs $2199, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the KEF Q Concerto Meta offers: Really good in-room neutrality with consistent horizontal directivity from seat to seat. Watch for: Radiation pattern measures about ±50°, narrower than the reviewer’s preferred ±60° for a stronger sense of envelopment.
What the Focal Aria 906 offers: CEA2034 spinorama shows very flat bass response, with the reviewer rating overall performance “good.” Predicted in-room response is almost perfect prior to 1kHz. Watch for: 3dB dip around 2.8khz.
Buy the KEF Q Concerto Meta. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Focal Aria 906 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| KEF Q Concerto Meta | Focal Aria 906 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,399.99 | $2,199.00 used, Discontinued |
| Ranked | #11 of 84 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #62 of 84 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 47Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 53Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 63Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 16.3"H x 8.3"W x 12.4"D (414 x 210.8 x 315 mm) | 15.4"H x 8.9"W x 11"D (390.0 x 225.0 x 280.0 mm) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.3 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal (4.8 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 165 mm (6.5 in.) hybrid aluminium cone woofer, 100 mm (4 in.) aluminium cone midrange, 19 mm (0.75 in.) vented aluminium dome with MAT tweeter | 26mm tweeter + 165mm mid-woofer |
| Sensitivity | 84.2dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 86.5dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 20.9 lbs / 9.5 kg each | 39.9 lbs / 18.1 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, front |
| Discontinued | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- AsciLab C6B vs KEF R3 Meta
- KEF R3 Meta vs ELAC DBR62
- KEF R3 Meta vs Polk R200
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs MoFi SourcePoint 8
- Wharfedale Linton 85 vs Focal Aria 906
The Two Speakers In Full
KEF Q Concerto Meta: $1,399.99 Amazon Crutchfield
Pros: Really good in-room neutrality with consistent horizontal directivity from seat to seat. Directivity holds remarkably steady from lower treble into upper treble, where many similarly-priced speakers narrow sharply as frequency rises - one of the reviewer’s top 10 picks under $1,500.
Cons: Radiation pattern measures about ±50°, narrower than the reviewer’s preferred ±60° for a stronger sense of envelopment. Needs to be pointed closer to on-axis rather than heavily toed out - combined with its rolled-off, shelved-down top end, too much toe-out makes it sound noticeably dark.
Full KEF Q Concerto Meta review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 53Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 16.3"H x 8.3"W x 12.4"D (414 x 210.8 x 315 mm) |
| Drivers | 165 mm (6.5 in.) hybrid aluminium cone woofer, 100 mm (4 in.) aluminium cone midrange, 19 mm (0.75 in.) vented aluminium dome with MAT tweeter |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.3 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 84.2dB (measured average, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 20.9 lbs / 9.5 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
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- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner: HiFi Perfection? KEF CONCERTO META Delivers!
- Erin’s Audio Corner Website KEF Q Concerto Meta
- Erin’s Audio Corner: I Tested 250 Speakers So You Don’t Have To!
- Erin’s Audio Corner: HiFi Perfection? KEF CONCERTO META Delivers!
- Erin’s Audio Corner: My Absolute Favorite Products of 2024 Revealed
- Reddit Search for KEF Q Concerto Meta Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs KEF R3 Meta
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs Wharfedale Aura 2
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs AsciLab C6B
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs MoFi SourcePoint 8
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs March Audio Sointuva AWG
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs Wharfedale Super Linton
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs GR-Research NX-Bravo
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs MoFi SourcePoint 10
- See all 14 comparisons
Focal Aria 906: $2,199.00 used, Discontinued Amazon
Pros: CEA2034 spinorama shows very flat bass response, with the reviewer rating overall performance “good.” Predicted in-room response is almost perfect prior to 1kHz. Horizontal dispersion of about ±60 degrees is good and stays even out to about -12dB before getting erratic. Woofer distortion is quite low at 86dB SPL/1m.
Cons: 3dB dip around 2.8khz. Some resonance around 800hz, small directivity error around 7khz. A dip in the upper midrange also shows up in the predicted in-room response. Distortion becomes problematic at 96dB SPL/1m, with a notable peak around 1.3-1.5kHz alongside broader midrange elevation. Discontinued.
Full Focal Aria 906 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 47Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 63Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 15.4"H x 8.9"W x 11"D (390.0 x 225.0 x 280.0 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 26mm tweeter + 165mm mid-woofer |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (4.8 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.5dB (measured average, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 39.9 lbs / 18.1 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons