Short answer: the KEF Reference 3 Meta. It ranks #18 of 228 floorstanding speakers by sound quality, rated 4.6/5, at $15,999.98; the TAD Evolution 2 ranks #44, rated 4.4/5, and costs $19,995, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
The KEF Reference 3 Meta is the deeper-bass choice. Highly accurate three way towers with a coaxial driver, smooth sound across the room and bass deep enough for most music. Its bass reaches about 42.2Hz before falling 3dB, against 58.6Hz for the TAD Evolution 2. Watch for: The only measurements are KEF’s own, not independently verified, and spinorama.org computes no preference score for them.
What the TAD Evolution 2 does well: A high end tower with a beryllium tweeter and a nearly flat, highly accurate balance, built for listeners who want neutral sound. Watch for: Its directivity-index standard deviation of 3.70 and predicted in-room smoothness of 0.25 are both unremarkable, not matching the excellent on-axis smoothness, and it’s priced at $19995/pair, sold only through a small dealer network, with one dealer showing it temporarily sold out.
Buy the KEF Reference 3 Meta. It is rated higher for sound quality than the TAD Evolution 2 and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Passive Home rankings.
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Specifications Side By Side
| KEF Reference 3 Meta | TAD Evolution 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $15,999.98 per pair | $19,995 per pair |
| Ranked | #18 of 228 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #44 of 228 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Weight | 113.1 lbs (51.3 kg) | 70.5 lbs (32 kg) each |
| Drivers | Uni-Q: 125mm aluminium cone midrange, 25mm aluminium dome tweeter with MAT; 2x 165mm aluminium cone woofers | 1” beryllium dome tweeter (cast-aluminum waveguide), 2x 6.5” MACC-diaphragm woofers |
| Frequency Response | 43Hz-35kHz ±3dB (manufacturer specified) | - |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 42.2Hz (measured, KEF vendor data via spinorama.org) | 58.6Hz (measured, ASR via spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | about 31.1Hz (measured, KEF vendor data via spinorama.org) | 30.3Hz (derived, log-interpolated between spinorama.org -9dB/-12dB points) |
| Sensitivity | 86dB (2.83V/1m, manufacturer specified) | 87dB @ 2.83V/1m |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3.2 ohms minimum (manufacturer specified) | 6 ohms nominal, 4.5 ohms minimum |
| Recommended Power | 50-300W | - |
| Maximum SPL | 113.5dB (manufacturer specified) | - |
| Crossover Frequency | 450Hz, 2.1kHz | - |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported | - |
| Dimensions | 45.5”H x 8.1”W x 18.2”D (1155 x 205 x 462 mm) | 12.6”W x 42.7”H x 15.9”D (320 x 1085 x 405 mm) (1113mm tall with spikes) |
| Country | United Kingdom | Japan |
| Enclosure | - | 2.5-way, bass-reflex, SILENT laminated cabinet |
| Spinorama Preference Score | - | 5.55 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | - | 6.96 |
| DIY Kit | - | No |
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