Short answer: the Polk Reserve R500. It ranks #37 of 74 floorstanding speakers by sound quality, rated 4.2/5, at $1,259.98; the KEF Q11 Meta ranks #44, rated 4.0/5, and costs $2,499.98, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
Buy the Polk Reserve R500. It is rated higher for sound quality than the KEF Q11 Meta and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.
Want more options? Browse the full Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Polk Reserve R500 | KEF Q11 Meta | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,259.98 per pair | $2,499.98 per pair |
| Ranked | #37 of 74 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #44 of 74 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 33Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 29Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 51Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 60Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 40.3”H x 6.8”W x 12.4”D (1023.6 x 172.7 x 315 mm) | 43.8”H x 12.5”W x 15”D (1112.8 x 317.5 x 381.0 mm) |
| Impedance | 4.1 ohms minimum above 80Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 8 ohms nominal per manufacturer) | 4 ohms nominal (3.2 ohms minimum, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.2dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 88.6dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | Two 5.25” Turbine Cone woofer, 1” Pinnacle Ring Radiator tweeter | 25mm tweeter + dual 165mm drivers |
| Weight | 39.2 lbs (17.8 kg) each | 106.9 lbs (48.5 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, rear |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.86 | 6.72 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.44 | 8.03 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
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- Revel F226Be vs Polk Reserve R500
- KEF Reference 203 vs Polk Reserve R500
- JBL HDI-3800 vs Polk Reserve R500
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The Two Speakers In Full
Polk Reserve R500: $1,259.98 per pair Amazon eBay
Pros: Dual 5.25” midwoofers paired with a ring radiator tweeter in a floorstanding tower design. Surprisingly neutral overall compared to Polk’s smaller bookshelf models: notably more even-handed than the brighter-sounding R200 the reviewer tested previously. Good linearity on-axis, within about -3/+2dB. Sensitivity close to 86dB, easily driven to adequate levels in a small-to-medium room with a 100W-capable amplifier. Takes very well to EQ: a single band of correction (about a 2dB cut around 4-5kHz) resolves the main tonal issue and transforms the sound. Dynamic range and compression performance is solidly “medium,” holding up fine through about 20dB of level increase before higher-frequency and bass output start to taper at extreme volumes. Measured bass extension of 51Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 86.2dB.
Cons: A bump around 4-6kHz gives a “shouty,” mildly sibilant quality in the lower treble. Counterintuitively, toeing the speaker out to reduce brightness makes this worse rather than better, since the ring-radiator tweeter’s directivity narrows rapidly above about 6-7kHz: pointed on-axis retains enough top-end air to balance the bump, but toed away that air drops off and the shoutiness stands out more. Bass is adequate for its 5.25” woofers but lacks real weight below about 40-50Hz; a subwoofer is still needed for movies and bass-heavy music. A cabinet resonance around 160-170Hz subtracts from rather than adds boom to the mid-bass region. Vertical listening window is fairly narrow: sitting more than about 10-20° above or below the tweeter axis causes a suckout in the 2-5kHz range, reducing clarity and attack. Multitone distortion ramps up noticeably around 1kHz, and crossing over to a subwoofer at 80Hz doesn’t meaningfully reduce it: likely a surround-related effect rather than excursion-related. Without applying corrective EQ, the reviewer says the 4-6kHz brightness would make it harder to live with day to day.
Full Polk Reserve R500 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 33Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 51Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 40.3”H x 6.8”W x 12.4”D (1023.6 x 172.7 x 315 mm) |
| Drivers | Two 5.25” Turbine Cone woofer, 1” Pinnacle Ring Radiator tweeter |
| Impedance | 4.1 ohms minimum above 80Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 8 ohms nominal per manufacturer) |
| Sensitivity | 86.2dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.86 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.44 |
| Weight | 39.2 lbs (17.8 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
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KEF Q11 Meta: $2,499.98 per pair Amazon eBay
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