Short answer: the KEF Q1 Meta. Both are rated 3.6/5 for sound quality (#65 and #61 of 179 bookshelf speakers), and the KEF Q1 Meta costs $399.99 against $1,039.98 for the MartinLogan Motion B10, and with sound quality even, the cheaper one is the better buy.
The KEF Q1 Meta is the deeper-bass choice. Compact bookshelf speakers with a coaxial driver, an absorber behind the tweeter, an even tonal balance and respectable bass for the size. Its bass reaches about 65.1Hz before falling 3dB, against 74.7Hz for the MartinLogan Motion B10. The tradeoff: The only measurements are KEF’s own, not independently verified, and spinorama.org computes no preference score for them because the data is truncated at low frequencies.
What the MartinLogan Motion B10 does well: Easy to drive bookshelf speakers with a large folded motion tweeter whose off axis output closely tracks the direct sound. The catch: On-axis deviation of 0.669dB is rough for the price, with a pronounced +0.32dB per octave upward tilt giving it a notably bright balance, and predicted in-room smoothness of just 0.16, the roughest of any speaker measured here.
Buy the KEF Q1 Meta. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $639.99 less than the MartinLogan Motion B10.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Passive Home rankings.
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Specifications Side By Side
| KEF Q1 Meta | MartinLogan Motion B10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $399.99 per pair | $1,039.98 per pair |
| Ranked | #65 of 179 in Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers | #61 of 179 in Medium Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Drivers | Uni-Q: 130mm (5.25”) aluminium cone woofer, 25mm (1”) vented aluminium dome tweeter with MAT | 1” x 1.4” Gen2 Obsidian Folded Motion tweeter, 5.5” woven fiberglass midrange |
| Frequency Response | 51Hz-20kHz ±3dB (manufacturer specified) | - |
| Sensitivity | 86dB (2.83V/1m, manufacturer specified) | 92dB |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3.2 ohms minimum (manufacturer specified) | 5 ohms nominal |
| Recommended Power | 10-150W | - |
| Maximum SPL | 108dB (manufacturer specified) | - |
| Crossover Frequency | 2.1kHz | - |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported | - |
| Dimensions | 11.9”H x 7.1”W x 10.9”D (302 x 180 x 277 mm) | 12.5H x 7W x 9.75D in |
| Weight | 13.4 lbs (6.1 kg) each | 14.6 lbs (6.6 kg) each |
| Cabinet Color | Satin Black, Satin White, Walnut | - |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 65.1Hz (measured, KEF vendor data via spinorama.org) | 74.7Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner via spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | about 43.4Hz (measured, KEF vendor data via spinorama.org) | 56.1Hz (derived, log-interpolated between spinorama.org -9dB/-12dB points) |
| Enclosure | - | Rear-ported, 2-way |
| Country | - | United States (design) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | - | 4.01 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | - | 6.76 |
| DIY Kit | - | No |
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