Short answer: the Polk Signature Elite ES20. It ranks #119 of 222 bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 3.7/5, at $398.98; the KEF Q3 Meta ranks #156, rated 3.4/5, and costs $764.97, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
Why pick the KEF Q3 Meta: Coaxial bookshelf speakers with very wide dispersion, punchy kick drums and bass tuning that works close to a wall. Watch for: 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 Polk Signature Elite ES20 is the better-sounding choice. Large, efficient bookshelf speakers with unusually deep bass for the price and wide horizontal coverage. Watch for: Predicted in-room smoothness of 0.238 and directivity-index consistency of 3.81 are average rather than class-leading.
Buy the Polk Signature Elite ES20. It is rated higher for sound quality than the KEF Q3 Meta and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Passive Home rankings.
Coaxial bookshelf speakers with very wide dispersion, punchy kick drums and bass tuning that works close to a wall.
Large, efficient bookshelf speakers with unusually deep bass for the price and wide horizontal coverage.
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Specifications Side By Side
| KEF Q3 Meta | Polk Signature Elite ES20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $764.97 per pair | $398.98 per pair |
| Ranked | #156 of 222 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #119 of 222 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 37Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 38.6Hz (derived, log-interpolated between spinorama.org -9dB/-12dB points) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 52Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 55.7Hz (measured, ASR via spinorama.org) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3.7 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4/8-ohm compatible |
| Sensitivity | 84.5dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner; 87dB manufacturer specified) | 86dB |
| Drivers | 165 mm (6.5 in.) aluminium cone woofer, 25 mm (1 in.) vented aluminium dome with MAT tweeter | 1” Terylene dome tweeter, 6.5” polypropylene woofer |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | - |
| Weight | 15.9 lbs (7.2 kg) | 17 lbs (7.7 kg) each |
| Dimensions | 14.1”H x 8.3”W x 12”D (357.0 x 210.0 x 305.0 mm) | 14.8H x 8.5W x 13.8D in |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.66 | 4.49 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.50 | 6.44 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
| Enclosure | - | 2-way, Power Port bass-reflex |
| Country | - | United States (design) |
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