Short answer: the Revel F228Be, if you are buying new. The Revel F208 ranks higher than the KEF Q11 Meta (#27 vs #103 of 188 floorstanding speakers) but is discontinued; its replacement, the Revel F228Be, is rated 4.5/5 at $11,000 and is still sold new.
What the KEF Q11 Meta does well: Three-way tower design with a coaxial layout: a 3/4” aluminum dome tweeter (with KEF’s Metamaterial Absorption Technology behind it) mounted at the center of a 4” mid-range, plus three 6.5” bass drivers. Watch for: Genuinely dark-sounding on raw on-axis measurement, and needs a typical room with sidewall reflections (within about 6 feet/2 meters) to sound properly neutral: in a large room with little sidewall interaction, it may sound too dull for some listeners.
The Revel F208 is the better-sounding, deeper-bass choice. CEA2034 spinorama shows a fairly even on-axis response with sensitivity matching spec at ~87-88dB. Its bass reaches about 47Hz before falling 3dB, against 60Hz for the KEF Q11 Meta. The tradeoff: Some directivity error and tweeter-response ripple right at the 2.2kHz crossover point.
Buy the Revel F228Be, the replacement for the discontinued Revel F208; it is rated higher for sound quality than the KEF Q11 Meta.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| KEF Q11 Meta | Revel F208 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,499.98 per pair | $4,800 per pair used, Discontinued |
| Ranked | #103 of 188 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #27 of 188 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 29Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 24Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 60Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 47Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Drivers | 25mm tweeter + dual 165mm drivers | Dual 8” (20 cm) Aluminum Cone, Cast-frame Woofers, 5.25” (13.3 cm) Aluminum Cone, Cast-frame Midrange, 1” (2.5 cm) Aluminum Tweeter with Acoustic Lens Waveguide |
| Weight | 106.9 lbs (48.5 kg) | 79.4 lbs (36 kg) each |
| Sensitivity | 88.6dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 88.2dB (measured by Audio Science Review; 88.5dB manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.2 ohms minimum, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 8 ohms nominal, 3.5 ohms minimum (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 43.8”H x 12.5”W x 15”D (1112.8 x 317.5 x 381.0 mm) | 46.6”H x 13.5”W x 14.8”D (1183.6 x 342.9 x 375.9 mm) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, front |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.72 | 6.35 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.03 | 7.67 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Revel F208:
- KEF Blade Two Meta vs Revel F208
- MoFi SourcePoint V10 Master Edition vs Revel F208
- Revel F208 vs MoFi SourcePoint 888
- Revel F208 vs Revel F328Be
- KEF R5 Meta vs Revel F208
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The Two Speakers In Full
KEF Q11 Meta: $2,499.98 per pair Amazon eBay
Same family: the KEF Q1 Meta (smallest bookshelf, rated 3.6/5), the KEF Q4 Meta (bookshelf, estimated 3.4/5), the KEF Q3 Meta (bookshelf, rated 3.4/5), the KEF Q Concerto Meta (largest bookshelf, rated 4.6/5), the KEF Q7 Meta (smaller floorstanding, ranked lower, estimated 3.5/5) and the KEF Q6 Meta (center, rated 3.9/5).
Pros: Three-way tower design with a coaxial layout: a 3/4” aluminum dome tweeter (with KEF’s Metamaterial Absorption Technology behind it) mounted at the center of a 4” mid-range, plus three 6.5” bass drivers. Extremely linear estimated in-room response when placed correctly, thanks to a deliberately declining on-axis response paired with well-controlled directivity: a technically sound design philosophy, even though it reads as “dark” in raw anechoic on-axis measurements. In-room bass extension to about 40-50Hz when placed near a wall, thanks to extended bass-shelf tuning. Sounds excellent whether pointed directly at the listener or toed out a full 30° parallel to the back wall: unusually flexible placement. More vertical listening leeway than standard non-coaxial two-way designs, thanks to the coincident tweeter/midrange. Distortion looks good at both 86dB and 96dB, and multitone distortion holds up well too. Comes with a plinth/outrigger kit for stability given its floorstanding height (about 43-44”). Measured bass extension of 60Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 88.6dB.
Cons: Genuinely dark-sounding on raw on-axis measurement, and needs a typical room with sidewall reflections (within about 6 feet/2 meters) to sound properly neutral: in a large room with little sidewall interaction, it may sound too dull for some listeners. Must be placed close to a rear wall (about 1 foot) to get proper bass: pulling it out to the “standard” 3-foot audiophile recommendation causes bass output to drop off noticeably. Horizontal radiation of about ±50° is narrower than the reviewer’s preferred ±60°, giving a slightly less enveloping soundstage than some rivals. Notably darker than sibling KEF models in the same product family: measures 2-5dB less top-end energy than the R3 Meta and a few dB less than the Q Concerto Meta. Minor lingering resonances appear in burst decay measurements between 500Hz-1kHz. The tweeter shows some strain at very high output volumes, a limitation the reviewer notes is common even among more budget-friendly speakers generally.
Full KEF Q11 Meta review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 29Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 60Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 43.8”H x 12.5”W x 15”D (1112.8 x 317.5 x 381.0 mm) |
| Drivers | 25mm tweeter + dual 165mm drivers |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.2 ohms minimum, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 88.6dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.72 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.03 |
| Weight | 106.9 lbs (48.5 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Revel F208: $4,800 per pair used Discontinued eBay
Newer model: the Revel F228Be, ranked lower, rated 4.5/5.
Same family: the Revel M105 (smaller bookshelf, rated 4.2/5), the Revel M106 (larger bookshelf, rated 4.6/5), the Revel F206 (smaller floorstanding, ranked lower, rated 4.5/5), the Revel Performa3 C205 (smaller center, rated 4.1/5) and the Revel Performa3 C208 (larger center, rated 4/5).
Pros: CEA2034 spinorama shows a fairly even on-axis response with sensitivity matching spec at ~87-88dB. Predicted in-room response is a smooth, textbook-quality downward slope that should translate well to most rooms without correction. Early reflections sum so cleanly with the direct sound that side-wall absorption isn’t recommended: it would work against the speaker’s naturally well-integrated off-axis behavior. Distortion stays below 0.5% from 100Hz up at 96dB/1m, with all distortion components falling below audible threshold above 200Hz. Very wide horizontal directivity of about ±75 degrees. Measured performance was judged very close to Revel’s own flagship Salon2, and Revel’s speakers (including this one) are developed using Harman’s double-blind listening test methodology. Preference score of 7.4 (7.7 with a subwoofer added). Measured bass extension of 47Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 88.2dB.
Cons: Some directivity error and tweeter-response ripple right at the 2.2kHz crossover point. A notable on-axis dip at about 4kHz, attributed to probable cabinet diffraction. Cumulative spectral decay (waterfall) shows an unexplained resonance around 4-5kHz that the reviewer couldn’t pin down a clear cause for. Vertical directivity shows narrowband interference nulls just above and below the tweeter axis (roughly 2-3kHz), typical of a non-coaxial tower with vertically separated drivers, so listening height matters more than it would with a coincident design. Minimum impedance dips to 3.4 ohms, calling for a robust, high-current amplifier. Distortion climbs substantially below about 80-100Hz (up to ~5% in the deep bass) when driven hard, an excursion-limited trade-off typical of towers at high output. Isolating the woofers alone shows their usable range ending around 500-700Hz at the crossover, with somewhat elevated (though still low in absolute terms) 2nd/3rd harmonic distortion in the 100-300Hz region. Discontinued.
Full Revel F208 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 24Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 47Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 46.6”H x 13.5”W x 14.8”D (1183.6 x 342.9 x 375.9 mm) |
| Drivers | Dual 8” (20 cm) Aluminum Cone, Cast-frame Woofers, 5.25” (13.3 cm) Aluminum Cone, Cast-frame Midrange, 1” (2.5 cm) Aluminum Tweeter with Acoustic Lens Waveguide |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal, 3.5 ohms minimum (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Sensitivity | 88.2dB (measured by Audio Science Review; 88.5dB manufacturer specified) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.35 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.67 |
| Weight | 79.4 lbs (36 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons