Short answer: the KEF Reference 3 Meta. Both are rated 4.6/5 for sound quality (#18 and #13 of 228 floorstanding speakers), and the KEF Reference 3 Meta costs $15,999.98 against $82,000 for the Magico S5 2024, and with sound quality even, the cheaper one is the better buy.
The Magico S5 2024 is the deeper-bass option. Ultra high end floorstanding speakers with exceptionally accurate sound and bass deep enough that most music needs no subwoofer. Its bass reaches about 37Hz before falling 3dB, against 42.2Hz for the KEF Reference 3 Meta. The catch: At $41000 per pair it is one of the most expensive speakers we list, and it is sold only through Magico dealers.
What the KEF Reference 3 Meta does well: Highly accurate three way towers with a coaxial driver, smooth sound across the room and bass deep enough for most music. The catch: The only measurements are KEF’s own, not independently verified, and spinorama.org computes no preference score for them.
Buy the KEF Reference 3 Meta. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $66,000.02 less than the Magico S5 2024.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Prices on this page were last checked November 7, 2026 at 7:34 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Magico S5 2024 | KEF Reference 3 Meta | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $82,000 per pair | $15,999.98 per pair |
| Ranked | #13 of 228 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #18 of 228 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Enclosure | Curved aluminum | - |
| Drivers | Two 10” graphene Nano-Tec woofers; 6” graphene Nano-Tec midrange; 28mm diamond-coated beryllium tweeter | Uni-Q: 125mm aluminium cone midrange, 25mm aluminium dome tweeter with MAT; 2x 165mm aluminium cone woofers |
| Sensitivity | 88dB (manufacturer specified) | 86dB (2.83V/1m, manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal | 4 ohms nominal, 3.2 ohms minimum (manufacturer specified) |
| Power Handling | 50-1000W recommended amplifier power | - |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz-50kHz (manufacturer, in-room) | 43Hz-35kHz ±3dB (manufacturer specified) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 37Hz (measured, manufacturer data on spinorama.org) | 42.2Hz (measured, KEF vendor data via spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | approximately 20.8Hz (measured, manufacturer data on spinorama.org) | about 31.1Hz (measured, KEF vendor data via spinorama.org) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 7.35 | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.52 | - |
| Dimensions | 48”H x 19.1”W x 19.3”D (1220 x 485 x 490 mm) | 45.5”H x 8.1”W x 18.2”D (1155 x 205 x 462 mm) |
| Weight | 260.1 lbs (118 kg) each | 113.1 lbs (51.3 kg) |
| DIY Kit | No | - |
| Recommended Power | - | 50-300W |
| Maximum SPL | - | 113.5dB (manufacturer specified) |
| Crossover Frequency | - | 450Hz, 2.1kHz |
| Woofer Cabinet | - | ported |
| Country | - | United Kingdom |
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