Short answer: the Revel Concerta2 F35. It ranks #18 of 56 floorstanding speakers by sound quality at $900; the KEF R11 Meta ranks #19 and costs $3499.99, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Revel Concerta2 F35 offers: Two-and-a-half-way, four-driver design: a 1” aluminum dome tweeter on a waveguide, a 5.25” mid-range, and dual 5.25” mid-bass drivers in a rear-ported cabinet. Watch for: F3 of 61Hz and F10 of 39Hz mean a subwoofer is needed for real bass extension.
What the KEF R11 Meta gets right: CEA2034 spinorama shows a generally flat on-axis response with good directivity and very deep bass extension (F10 of 30Hz). The catch: A dip around 1-1.2kHz on-axis is attributed to a diffraction effect, and shows up as a smaller dip in the predicted in-room response.
Buy the Revel Concerta2 F35. It ranks higher for sound quality than the KEF R11 Meta and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Revel Concerta2 F35 | KEF R11 Meta | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $900 | $3,499.99 |
| Ranked | #18 of 56 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #19 of 56 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 31Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 70Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 64Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 40.3"H x 8.4"W x 12.2"D (1023.6 x 213.4 x 309.9 mm) | 51"H x 12.2"W x 15.1"D (1295.4 x 309.9 x 383.5 mm) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (3.8 ohms minimum, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 89.4dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 90dB manufacturer specified) | 89.5dB |
| Drivers | 3x 5.25" deep anodized aluminum cone woofers, 1" Aluminum Tweeter | 4 x 165 mm (6.5 in.) hybrid aluminium cone woofers, 125 mm (5 in.) aluminium cone midrange, 25 mm (1 in.) vented aluminium dome with MAT tweeter |
| Weight | 41 lbs / 18.6 kg each | 80.5 lbs / 36.5 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | ported, rear |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Revel F208 vs Revel F206
- Arendal 1961 Tower vs PSB Imagine T65
- Revel F206 vs PSB Imagine T65
- Focal Chora 816 vs KEF R11 Meta
- KEF R11 Meta vs Emotiva Airmotiv T2+
The Two Speakers In Full
Revel Concerta2 F35: $900 Crutchfield
Pros: Two-and-a-half-way, four-driver design: a 1” aluminum dome tweeter on a waveguide, a 5.25” mid-range, and dual 5.25” mid-bass drivers in a rear-ported cabinet. Measured sensitivity of 89.4dB closely matches the 90dB spec, and distortion looks good at both 86dB and 96dB, holding up well even with a high-pass filter applied. At its sale price (around $900/pair, down from full retail), the reviewer calls it a “no-brainer,” undercutting comparable budget floorstanders like the ELAC DF63. Frequency response and directivity mismatches are largely EQ-able, since most of what shows up in measurements traces to physical tweeter/mid-range separation rather than a fundamental flaw. Compression is fairly well controlled for the price - about 1dB of loss around 100Hz under long-term compression, described as “par for the course” at this cost.
Cons: F3 of 61Hz and F10 of 39Hz mean a subwoofer is needed for real bass extension. A dip in the lower midrange/2-3kHz region reduces attack and detail, and a peak around 5kHz adds some edge and sibilance in the lower treble. A peak in off-axis energy around 3kHz reflects off sidewalls at roughly 60-70° off-axis and arrives louder than the direct sound - this specific issue can’t be fixed with EQ (boosting the direct sound would boost the stronger reflection too) and would need acoustic absorption to properly address, though the reviewer considers it a minor, optional fix at this price. A couple of minor resonances appear in the impedance plot, including one around 300Hz that may partly explain a subtle sense of vocal warmth noticed in listening, though it’s more likely room-related. Minimum impedance around 3.8 ohms. Short-term compression testing shows some increased distortion in the tweeter and higher-frequency compression at loud output.
Full Revel Concerta2 F35 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 70Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 40.3"H x 8.4"W x 12.2"D (1023.6 x 213.4 x 309.9 mm) |
| Drivers | 3x 5.25" deep anodized aluminum cone woofers, 1" Aluminum Tweeter |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (3.8 ohms minimum, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 89.4dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner; 90dB manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 41 lbs / 18.6 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
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- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Revel Concerta2 F35 vs Revel F206
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- Revel Concerta2 F35 vs JBL HDI-3600
- Revel Concerta2 F35 vs Revel F228Be
- Revel Concerta2 F35 vs Emotiva Airmotiv T2+
- Revel Concerta2 F35 vs Revel F208
- Revel Concerta2 F35 vs Focal Chora 816
- Revel Concerta2 F35 vs Polk Audio Reserve R700
- See all 25 comparisons
KEF R11 Meta: $3,499.99 Amazon
Pros: CEA2034 spinorama shows a generally flat on-axis response with good directivity and very deep bass extension (F10 of 30Hz). Predicted in-room response is very smooth aside from the small 1-1.5kHz dip. The coaxial Uni-Q driver gives excellent, symmetric vertical directivity, unusual for a tower speaker. Distortion is incredibly low even down to 30Hz at 86dB SPL/1m, and stays low even at 96dB and 102dB SPL/1m - the reviewer found essentially no audible tonality change across that whole output range.
Cons: A dip around 1-1.2kHz on-axis is attributed to a diffraction effect, and shows up as a smaller dip in the predicted in-room response. Horizontal beamwidth of about ±40 degrees is on the narrower side, though the transition from wide to constant directivity is smooth. Minimum impedance dips to 3.2 ohms around 580Hz, calling for an amplifier comfortable with a demanding load. 4-ohm nominal impedance overall.
Full KEF R11 Meta review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 31Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 64Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 51"H x 12.2"W x 15.1"D (1295.4 x 309.9 x 383.5 mm) |
| Drivers | 4 x 165 mm (6.5 in.) hybrid aluminium cone woofers, 125 mm (5 in.) aluminium cone midrange, 25 mm (1 in.) vented aluminium dome with MAT tweeter |
| Impedance | 4 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 89.5dB |
| Weight | 80.5 lbs / 36.5 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons