KEF Q11 Meta
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
91/100
Build Quality
85/100
Value for Money
96/100
With commanding scale and controlled bass, the KEF Q11 Meta brings muscular three-way authority to music without sacrificing refinement. HiFi News admired its smooth, grain-free treble, resolved midrange and deeply staged presentation, while Erin’s Audio Corner found superb imaging and impressive in-room performance. It is a warm, involving floorstander with exceptional value credentials.
Pros
Weighty, rhythmically precise bass stays controlled rather than bloated.
Smooth, grain-free treble and a well-resolved midrange support fatigue-free listening.
Superb imaging, good soundstage depth and convincing large-scale dynamics.
Performance is widely considered exceptional for the price.
Cons
Bass weight diminishes noticeably when the speakers are positioned well away from the front wall.
Its warm, darker tonal balance may sound insufficiently bright in large rooms with few sidewall reflections.
Trumpet can occasionally sound strident, and the tweeter shows some limitation at extreme playback levels.
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 91/100
Reviews find the Q11 Meta unusually large-scale and engaging for its asking price, combining substantial bass weight with a clear, well-resolved presentation. Its character is slightly warm or dark rather than overtly bright, and careful placement near a wall is important for the fullest low-end balance.
Bass
94/100
HiFi News heard prominent, rhythmically convincing lows that avoided bloat, while Erin's Audio Corner found the bass very good with strong in-room extension. The speaker needs to stay relatively close to a wall for its fullest bass response; moving it well into the room noticeably reduces low-frequency weight.
Mid
90/100
HiFi News describes a well-resolved midrange, with vocal and instrumental details clearly exposed in the mix. Erin's Audio Corner notes extra energy through the lower-midrange, giving the speaker a warmer, darker tonal balance rather than a lean presentation.
Treble
88/100
The treble is widely described as smooth, grain-free and free from fatigue, supporting long and easy listening. HiFi News did hear occasional stridency on trumpet, while Erin's measurements and comments suggest the tweeter becomes less comfortable at very high output.
Soundstage Imaging
91/100
HiFi News reports convincing depth, sharply delineated instruments and superb staging on well-recorded material. Erin's Audio Corner likewise found imaging superb and the radiation pattern pleasantly broad, although the stage was not as expansive as the widest-dispersing designs.
Dynamics
89/100
HiFi News heard real vigour and involvement on demanding electronic music, with the speaker conveying the scale needed for a larger room. Erin's Audio Corner found dynamic range generally strong, but noted some tweeter-related limitation at the highest playback levels.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
85/100
The Q11 Meta uses a substantial triple-woofer cabinet with outriggers, a supplied plinth and rubber feet, and reviewers consider its styling clean and modern despite the conventional box-like form. Review coverage says less about cabinet resonance, crossover execution, terminal quality or long-term durability.
Value for Money
96/100
At roughly $2,100 per pair in the US, Erin's Audio Corner considered the Q11 Meta an easy speaker to live with and enthusiastically endorsed its performance at the price. HiFi News goes further, saying it outperforms its price point and calling it a hi-fi bargain.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
Specifications
- Design
- Three-way bass reflex
- Drive units
- Uni-Q Driver Array: HF: 19 mm (0.75 in.) vented aluminium dome with MAT MF: 100 mm (4 in.) aluminium cone LF: 3 x 165 mm (6.5 in.) hybrid aluminium cone
- Frequency range (-6dB)
- 37 Hz - 20 kHz
- Typical in-room bass response (-6dB)
- 26 Hz
- Frequency response (±3dB)
- 44 Hz - 20 kHz
- Crossover frequency
- 480 Hz, 2.7 kHz
- Amplifier requirements
- 15 - 225 W
- Sensitivity (2.83V/1m)
- 89 dB
- Harmonic distortion (90dB, 1m)
- <2% 29 Hz and above <1% 31 Hz - 20 kHz
- Maximum output
- 113 dB
- Impedance
- 4 Ω (min. 3.2 Ω)
- Weight *
- 22.5 kg (49.6 lbs.)
- Dimension (H x W x D) with terminal *
- 1061 x 210 x 380 mm (41.8 x 8.3 x 15.0 in.)
- Dimension (H x W x D) with terminal with Plinth *
- 1112 x 317 x 380 mm (43.8 x 12.5 x 15.0 in.)
- Finishes
- Satin Black / Satin White / Walnut
Manufacturer's Description — KEF
Flagship 3-way floorstanding speaker
Introducing the Q11 Meta HiFi speaker, the largest, most powerful model in the Q Series collection. Our flagship 3-way floorstanding speaker is designed for immersive performance in larger rooms and home theatres. Equipped with a 12th generation Uni-Q driver array with MAT™ technology, along with three 6.5" hybrid aluminum bass drivers, it delivers music and movies with refined detail, powerful bass, and uncompromising depth.
Metamaterial Absorption Technology
Revolutionary technology that can absorb 99% of the unwanted noise from the rear of the driver for pure and natural sound.
12th Generation Uni-Q®
Acts as a single point source to disperse sound more evenly for an immersive and cohesive soundstage with better clarity.
3-way Speaker Design
Ensures precise separation of high, mid, and low frequencies for exceptional detail and clarity, bringing music and movies to life.
Deep and Clean Bass
Hybrid aluminium bass drivers with greater driver excursion for tight, deep, controlled bass.
Home Theatre made Versatile
Mix and match with other Q Series speakers and KEF subwoofers for a versatile home theatre experience that transports you to the heart of the action.
Refined Crossover
Developed using over 1000 measurements in an anechoic chamber, ensures precise signal path for best possible performance.
Magnetic Grilles
Complementary colour-matched grilles offer the perfect balance between driver protection and aesthetics.
What is in the box
- Q11 Meta
- Magnetic grilles
- Plinth and rubber feet
- Port bungs
- User manual and warranty information
Verified Dealers
Online Dealers
All Dealers
Zoom out the map to see more dealers
Authorized dealers for KEF Q11 Meta
- 2C Stereo — in-store — Washington, District of Columbia, United States (website)
- A 10 Audio Room 4 Music — in-store — Amsterdam Nieuw-West, Noord-Holland, Netherlands (website)
- Abt Electronics — online and in-store — Glenview, Illinois, United States (website)
- Accessories 4 less — online and in-store — Apopka, Florida, United States (website)
- Acoustica — online and in-store — Chester, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Acton Gate Audio — online and in-store — Cymru, United Kingdom (website)
- Ahead Stereo — in-store — Los Angeles, California, United States (website)
- Alen Audio — in-store — Extramurs, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (website)
- Alex Audio Video — in-store — Sofia, Sofia City Province, Bulgaria (website)
- All Elite Audio — online and in-store — Perry Hall, Maryland, United States (website)
and 295 more verified dealers