Short answer: the KEF Q Concerto Meta. It ranks #11 of 130 bookshelf speakers by sound quality; the Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 ranks #108.
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 Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 offers: The first design was a pretty good sounding speaker, the speaker was then outsourced to China and lost 1.5kg and was made with cheap parts and sounds much worse. Slightly rolled off in the treble by about 3dB Watch for: All current new ones sold today are the crap version.
Buy the KEF Q Concerto Meta if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 if the price matters more than sound quality.
The Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 is not a sound-quality pick. It sits near the bottom of the 130 bookshelf speakers; there are better options higher up.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| KEF Q Concerto Meta | Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,399.99 per pair | Discontinued |
| Ranked | #11 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #108 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| 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) | 11.7"H x 7.6"W x 10.9"D (296.0 x 194.0 x 278.0 mm) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.3 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) | 6 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 | 6.5" Kevlar cone woofer, 1" soft dome tweeter |
| Sensitivity | 84.2dB (measured average, Erin's Audio Corner) | 87dB |
| Weight | 20.9 lbs (9.5 kg) each | 12.1 lbs (5.5 kg) (good version), 9.9 lbs (4.5 kg) (bad version) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.32 | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.01 | - |
| Discontinued | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More top alternatives to KEF Q Concerto Meta:
- KEF Reference 1 Meta vs KEF Q Concerto Meta
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs March Audio Sointuva AWG
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs AsciLab C6B
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- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs KEF R3 Meta
Prices on this page were last checked September 14, 2026 at 1:47 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.
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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 AsciLab C6B
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs KEF R3
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs MoFi SourcePoint 8
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs March Audio Sointuva AWG
- KEF Q Concerto Meta vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- See all 34 comparisons
Wharfedale Diamond 9.1: Discontinued eBay
Pros: The first design was a pretty good sounding speaker, the speaker was then outsourced to China and lost 1.5kg and was made with cheap parts and sounds much worse. Slightly rolled off in the treble by about 3dB
Cons: All current new ones sold today are the crap version. Discontinued.
Full Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 review and specifications →
| Dimensions | 11.7"H x 7.6"W x 10.9"D (296.0 x 194.0 x 278.0 mm) |
|---|---|
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 6.5" Kevlar cone woofer, 1" soft dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 6 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 87dB |
| Weight | 12.1 lbs (5.5 kg) (good version), 9.9 lbs (4.5 kg) (bad version) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 vs Klipsch RP-600M
- Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 vs Triangle Borea BR03
- Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 vs Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator
- Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 vs B&W 805S
- Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 vs KEF Q350
- Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 vs Aperion Audio Verus V8B
- Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 vs Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2
- Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 vs Triad In-Room Gold LCR
- See all 25 comparisons