Short answer: the KEF Q Concerto Meta. It ranks #11 of 130 bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $1399.99; the Technics SB-C700 ranks #58 and costs $1699, 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. 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. Watch for: 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.
What the Technics SB-C700 offers: Distinctive coincident “Phase Precision Driver”: a 1.9cm dome tweeter mounted at the exact acoustic center of a 16cm flat-diaphragm carbon-fiber/honeycomb-sandwich woofer, giving true point-source geometry. Directivity is unusually symmetric front-to-back and top-to-bottom (both horizontal and vertical average exactly 60°) and spdi_stddev (3.09) is tight for the passive-large tier. Die-cast aluminum chassis and a high-gloss convex “Entasis form” cabinet with side panels up to 42mm thick for extra rigidity. Watch for: 85dB sensitivity paired with a 4-ohm nominal impedance wants a fairly capable amplifier. Bass extension is shallow relative to its 6.5”-class woofer at -3dB (85.0Hz), though it reaches a more usable 40.5Hz at -10dB - a fairly steep low-end rolloff shape once past the reference band. At $1,699.99/pair, some in the ASR community have questioned the value proposition against similarly-measuring alternatives at lower prices.
Buy the KEF Q Concerto Meta. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Technics SB-C700 and costs less, which settles it without a real tradeoff to make.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| KEF Q Concerto Meta | Technics SB-C700 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,399.99 per pair | $1,699.99 per pair |
| Ranked | #11 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #58 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 40.5Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 53Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 85.0Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Dimensions | 16.3"H x 8.3"W x 12.4"D (414 x 210.8 x 315 mm) | 8.7" x 13.2" x 11.3" (220 x 336 x 286 mm) each |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.3 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) | 4 ohms |
| 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 | Coaxial "Phase Precision Driver": 1.9cm dome tweeter + 16cm flat-diaphragm woofer |
| Sensitivity | 84.2dB (measured average, Erin's Audio Corner) | 85dB (2.83V/1m) |
| Weight | 20.9 lbs (9.5 kg) each | 18.7 lbs (8.5 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | Bass reflex |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.32 | 4.20 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.01 | 6.33 |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More top alternatives to KEF Q Concerto Meta:
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs Perlisten S4b
- KEF Reference 1 Meta vs KEF Q Concerto Meta
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs March Audio Sointuva AWG
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs AsciLab C6B
Prices on this page were last checked September 16, 2026 at 12:41 AM 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.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
KEF Q Concerto Meta: $1,399.99 per pair Amazon Crutchfield eBay
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. Measured bass extension of 53Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 84.2dB.
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) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.32 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.01 |
| Weight | 20.9 lbs (9.5 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner: HiFi Perfection? KEF CONCERTO META Delivers! More from Erin’s Audio Corner →
- 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
- Erin’s Audio Corner Measurements (spinorama.org)
- 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 Revel M106
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs Audio First Cadentia 3
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs AsciLab C6B
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs KEF R3
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs Buchardt Audio E50
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs MoFi SourcePoint 8
- See all 66 comparisons
Technics SB-C700: $1,699.99 per pair Value Electronics USA Tube Audio eBay
Pros: Distinctive coincident “Phase Precision Driver”: a 1.9cm dome tweeter mounted at the exact acoustic center of a 16cm flat-diaphragm carbon-fiber/honeycomb-sandwich woofer, giving true point-source geometry. Directivity is unusually symmetric front-to-back and top-to-bottom (both horizontal and vertical average exactly 60°) and spdi_stddev (3.09) is tight for the passive-large tier. Die-cast aluminum chassis and a high-gloss convex “Entasis form” cabinet with side panels up to 42mm thick for extra rigidity. Measured bass extension of 85.0Hz (-3dB).
Cons: 85dB sensitivity paired with a 4-ohm nominal impedance wants a fairly capable amplifier. Bass extension is shallow relative to its 6.5”-class woofer at -3dB (85.0Hz), though it reaches a more usable 40.5Hz at -10dB - a fairly steep low-end rolloff shape once past the reference band. At $1,699.99/pair, some in the ASR community have questioned the value proposition against similarly-measuring alternatives at lower prices.
Full Technics SB-C700 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 40.5Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 85.0Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Dimensions | 8.7" x 13.2" x 11.3" (220 x 336 x 286 mm) each |
| Drivers | Coaxial "Phase Precision Driver": 1.9cm dome tweeter + 16cm flat-diaphragm woofer |
| Impedance | 4 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 85dB (2.83V/1m) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.20 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.33 |
| Weight | 18.7 lbs (8.5 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | Bass reflex |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Technics SB-C700 vs Definitive Technology Demand D11
- Technics SB-C700 vs Dynaudio Contour 20i
- Technics SB-C700 vs Yamaha NS-800A
- Technics SB-C700 vs ELAC DBR62
- Technics SB-C700 vs ELAC Uni-Fi Reference UBR62
- Technics SB-C700 vs Revel Concerta2 M16
- Technics SB-C700 vs JBL HDI-1600
- Technics SB-C700 vs Klipsch RP-600M II
- See all 13 comparisons