Short answer: the Mission LX-3 MKII. It ranks #138 of 222 bookshelf speakers by sound quality (rated 3.6/5); the KEF Q3 Meta ranks #156 (rated 3.4/5).
The KEF Q3 Meta is the deeper-bass pick. Coaxial bookshelf speakers with very wide dispersion, punchy kick drums and bass tuning that works close to a wall. Its bass reaches about 52Hz before falling 3dB, against 67.4Hz for the Mission LX-3 MKII. The catch: Not well suited to high-output use: compression and strain in the 1-2kHz region emerge above about 90dB at 10 feet, so a high-output home theater setup isn’t the best application.
The case for the Mission LX-3 MKII: Large affordable standmount speakers with a 6.5 inch woofer, useful bass and easy to drive sensitivity. The catch: On-axis smoothness of 0.217 and predicted in-room smoothness of 0.344 reveal clear response unevenness, with a -0.46dB-per-octave downward tilt.
Buy the Mission LX-3 MKII. It is rated higher for sound quality than the KEF Q3 Meta.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Coaxial bookshelf speakers with very wide dispersion, punchy kick drums and bass tuning that works close to a wall.
Large affordable standmount speakers with a 6.5 inch woofer, useful bass and easy to drive sensitivity.
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Specifications Side By Side
| KEF Q3 Meta | Mission LX-3 MKII | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $764.97 per pair | £249 per pair |
| Ranked | #156 of 222 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #138 of 222 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 37Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 42.5Hz (derived from ASR on-axis curve, spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 52Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 67.4Hz (measured, ASR via spinorama.org) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3.7 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 8 ohms nominal, 4.1 ohms minimum |
| Sensitivity | 84.5dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner; 87dB manufacturer specified) | 88dB |
| Drivers | 165 mm (6.5 in.) aluminium cone woofer, 25 mm (1 in.) vented aluminium dome with MAT tweeter | 1” microfiber-dome tweeter, 6.5” composite-fiber woofer |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | - |
| Weight | 15.9 lbs (7.2 kg) | 18.5 lbs (8.4 kg) each |
| Dimensions | 14.1”H x 8.3”W x 12”D (357.0 x 210.0 x 305.0 mm) | 13.6H x 8.9W x 12.1D in |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.66 | 4.17 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.50 | 6.42 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
| Enclosure | - | 2-way, bass-reflex |
| Country | - | United Kingdom (design) |
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