Why KEF R5 Meta Speaker Is a Must-Have for Audiophiles with a Budget

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

If you would like to buy this speaker please consider the below affiliate link: howl.me/clq3SGUeClf Support the cause: Patreon: www.patreon.com/erinsaudiocorner Contribute via PayPal: www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=CLHSW4L9SBSLY A simple request: If any of you find yourselves shopping for anything sold by the retailers below please consider using my generic affiliate link. These can earn me a small commission which goes a long way toward helping me review items and make content. It is a great way you can help me continue doing what I enjoy doing without costing you anything extra. It is truly appreciated! Amazon: amzn.to/3v6i6ov Audio Advice: www.audioadvice.com/?referral=erins-audio-corner Best Buy: howl.me/ck2IPpcOp1h Crutchfield: shop-links.co/cgZmmT81jmh Newegg: howl.me/ck2IQg52L5b Samsung: howl.me/ck2IQ5qe16w Target: howl.me/ck2IRDNsIqn Thomann: www.thomann.de/de/index.html?offid=1&affid=2577 Emotiva: shorturl.at/pBEU9 Monoprice: bit.ly/3yAY6NH Arendal Sound: arendalsound.com/store/?refer=hardisj Purchases through these links can earn me a small commission - at no additional cost to you - and help me continue to provide the community with free content and reviews. Doesn't matter if it's a TV from Crutchfield, budget speakers from Audio Advice or a pair of socks from Amazon, just use the link above before you make your purchase. Thank you!

[@bbfoto7248]

Need to "Pin" this comment to the top, mate. ;)

[@budala1969]

Erin, what are you thoughts on coaxial speakers for Home Theatre applications in a dedicated acoustically treated room?

[@FOH3663]

KEF's engineering and execution just keep iterating better. One would think they'd love the idea of Erin sharing how well they measure, and why that matters.

[@matiaserp]

A shame KEF will not arrange to loan speakers to Erin and he has to buy and sell them himself with a loss... But excellent work, Erin, as usual. Thanks!

[@ognewb]

Right. Kef is really dropping the ball on this aspect. Free advertising for them really.

[@MrCommunistGen]

I wish I lived nearby. I'd probably buy the R5 Metas from him.

[@cremersalex]

He should take a Sharpie and write 'Erin had these' on the speakers so he can sell them for more.

[@Luke-qs2cg]

Kef generally makes all reviewers pay unless they are located near the factory or a warehouse. Most are reviewing them from audio shops, not from kef direct.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

They’ve actually loaned me quite a few in the past, but the problem seems to come down to availability for them. I did specifically ask for these a couple weeks ago. I guess they only have so many available for review purposes.

[@6mmBRA]

Thanks!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thank you very much!

[@6mmBRA]

@@ErinsAudioCorner your welcome, my pleasure. Aaron

[@NosEL34]

Yep, people shouldn't knock Best Buy. One of very few local audio (delears?) around. I've purchased KEF's, Martin Logan's, Polk's, my Linton's and even my SVS subwoofers thru them. My last amp (Arcam PA240, nice) i bought from there..as well as sound bars and AVR's in the past. They are dealers of many brands and just because they dont carry it in store if you call their online number they will try to get you what you want..matching other authorized dealers prices. Unless things changed in 2024. One pair of speakers i ordered from them last year came with Music Direct stickers on the box. They even carry Rotel, Spectral, Classe, & Mark Levinson. Only 2 week trial period though unless you are member. No questions asked or restock fee on returns. Their 2 year No Interest financing comes in handy as well. Great review as usual, KEF is knocking it outta the park lately. I'm sure someone will buy them but I'd return them to BB..i believe they truly don't give a squirt. Plus the next guy will get an Open Box discount 😉

[@MrCommunistGen]

Thanks Erin for going into all the extra details and explanations with this video!

[@DearSX]

pretty nice to get several of the new Kef speakers measured! Thanks Erin!

[@happyburial]

Thanks once again Erin for the amazing video!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@avnut5517]

Excellent review! The before and after trim ring protrusion measurements was very telling. Quite a surprise.

[@CC-xu2yz]

I would bet that I couldn't hear the difference or even care much if I could. Nice speakers though, as they should be at that price.

[@mgrmln]

Thanks once again! My LS50 Metas had their trim rings protruding a bit and I was able to push them in gently to get them to be flush. Didn’t even notice that!

[@timtrillwood5768]

Same with my Q550's love them!

[@bengleason508]

One of the nicest guys in Hifi.

[@pulDag]

Interesting findings on constant directivity thru high frequencies. Really enjoyed listening to you, Erin.

[@we8463]

I am a convert to Dual Concentric drivers! Love them! Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge with scientific data.

[@SteebMo]

I JUST got R7 Metas last week. I had the same concerns about sitting a bit above the tweeter, but they're so good off-axis that it doesn't mater, in fact I prefer to listen to them off-axis horizontally as well and get the added benefit of how well they interact with my side walls. I will say that I'm impressed with the bass extension on the R7s in my room coming from Monitor Audio Silver 300's, I haven't measured but subjectively sound solid into the high 30's.

[@JoshM7]

I have the R7s and I was impressed by their bass as well. I typically run subs, but when I first got them I decided to try them without subs and I left my subs off for a month because they were the first speakers to not have a swiss cheese bass if that makes sense. It didn't have any narrow nulls. At most it had a + - 3dB bass response down to 32Hz in my room which I never thought was possible from a pair of speakers without using subs. I think I've been though at least half a bakers dozen of speakers that have never been as smooth with bass as these Kef. Loudness Isn't what I was worried about with these since I use subs if I wanted to be loud there. But the bass is louder and lower than I expected from them.

[@roelvaneijndhoven718]

Got mine also about a month ago now. I listened to the R5 metas and thought they really lacked base and sounded a bit shallow. With the R7 metas, I was able to get the sound I was after, plus very good bass. I think so far that I will not need/get a sub to add to my system.

[@icehockeyhouse]

I am considering changing to the R5 or R7 from Silver 300s. What differences did you find between the Silver 300s and the R7s?

[@freddymcculloch6811]

What amp are you using? I either want to get the Hegel h390 or the Mcintosh 7200.

[@blueninjasix]

I have a small room 13' x 14' I just got a pair of R5 non meta for only £900 in an end of line deal and I love 'em. No boomy bass at all and enough treble to keep my elderly ears satisfied

[@georgiospapadopoulos2261]

How do they compare with the R3 Meta on stands if I pair either set with subwoofers ?

[@Zhiloreznik]

Had Q500 and was considering R5, but was worried about if the difference in sound will be noticable. Got R7 instead and the bass performance was jaw dropping as well as how much louder they get. I think for most people R7 a better purchase then getting R5 and a sub and struggle to get the integration correct, even though you might get better results. Also no space for a sub as well in a small apartment in the UK.

[@JJ-no2ob]

@zholoreznik -Thanks for posting this info. I’m trying to decide if the difference in price (1000.00 us) is worth it to get the R7 meta vs R5. I do use a sub currently but only with some of the music and then only to fill in for my listening room. I do prefer the titanium / red concentric driver offered with R7. Are you considering using a subwoofer in the future?

[@Zhiloreznik]

@@JJ-no2ob Living in the apartment limits my ability to go wild in regards to the bass output. If I eventually get to live in a house with dedicated listening space then yes! There is no replacement for displacement, for cars or for speakers in my experience. Good thing about a sub is that if you load the corner you might have less room mode and SBIR issues. If you crossover the speakers at 80Hz you can go much louder and cleaner.

[@IrenESorius]

Thank you ever so much Erin,, 👍🌟‍‍👍‍‍

[@flowindzsound5731]

I really like your videos, I learn a lot ! Thanks

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Happy to hear that!

[@brittmcgowan5545]

How would you compare them to the R3 meta? Since most people will add a sub why not just go with the R3 meta.

[@NisuUuno]

With the R3 you also need stands, so R5 is better in that regard too. Kefs own stands for the R3 are really expensive, 500 atleast

[@brittmcgowan5545]

@@NisuUuno Thanks! Even with the cost of the stands it's $2700 vs $4000 so R5s are still significantly more. With that savings you could buy 2 subs.

[@miskammon]

@@brittmcgowan5545 Lately it was the opposite with the older models. The R3 even without stands cost more. Might happen again with the Metas in a year or two.

[@NisuUuno]

@@brittmcgowan5545 in my country its 2200 euros for R3, 700 for stands. R5 is 3100 :P

[@Undee-or7sb]

Damn. Thank you mate. Pushed mine a little bit in!

[@carlbrown3634]

Great review Erin! Thanks for sharing.

[@evgenyzveniatsky3125]

Thank you for such a detailed reviews of different kinds of loudspeakers. It would be very revival to see your reviews of bigger loudspeakers with 15", 18" professional woofers, big horns with compression drivers - then you'll see virtually no compression at all, most cleaner, big and live sound instead of "perfectly flat" and lifeless small woofers and dome tweeters.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Check my reviews of the JBL M2 and JBL 4367.

[@Luke-qs2cg]

That infinity you just reviewed looks so good next to these for measurements

[@brooklynknightss]

Thanks for the review

[@steakhoux]

I still am happy with my R3 I bought 2020 for my desktop. I bet those R metas or R non metas sound and measure the same when using EQ. Differences are mostly due to the on axis response.

[@trevorbartram5473]

We've come to expect excellence from KEF & your measurements show the're deliverin'. I've just gone from 20+ year old modified Paradigm bookshelf speakers (with subwoofer) to Q-Acoustics floor standers. It has taken my music listening to another level. Bass is more tuneful & everything else is upgraded. I have never successfully integrated past subwoofers (Velodyne, Boston Acoustics) into my HiFi, these Q-Acoustics are so much better. Let's hope BB will take the KEFs back!

[@Dr_cHeNGo]

Which qacoustics floor stands did you buy? And are you still happy with them?

[@dennisliavas4463]

Hi Erin The trim should not be moving out during transport …

[@wswsn7396]

Thanks Erin for this review, the FR curve looks not as smooth or flat as R3 meta.

[@konstantinbelikov2926]

Erin, thanks a lot for your work. It is VERY helpful. Why not to pay attention to Spendor products. It is interesting from my point of view, as they use resonances as a part of engineering.

[@excalibour00]

Thanks for the review. How would you compare these with r3 metas + stand? Worth to pay extra for these considering it'll be paired with subs anyway?

[@DH-og5yr]

Almost always get the floor stander version of any speaker. Only exception you live in an older apartment and know you don’t like bass music

[@PhamNikita]

@@DH-og5yrwhy is that? I am thinking between r3 and r5 too. Does r5 have enough bass to skip sub?

[@Static_Age]

That Stanly Tuchi reference got me 😂

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

But, really, he does, doesn't he!?

[@Static_Age]

@@ErinsAudioCorner 100%

[@HungryEatNow]

What's the solution to our old floorstanders if you can't sell them...

[@rickc661]

strikes me - $4000 a pair is kinda ' big bucks' and well past my point of diminishing returns. ( as are my Meta 50's ). any spk / amp etc with that price should be very very good. just personal preference then.

[@6mmBRA]

Good timing. Was considering those.

[@foxgaming76yt24]

I assume by was, you mean you've ordered them already right after this ;)

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

It turns out We know where there's a nearly new pair in perfect condition for sale...

[@6mmBRA]

@@Douglas_Blake_579 I live in Oregon. No chance for me.

[@6mmBRA]

@@foxgaming76yt24 No, considering the R5 purchase in the near future. The timing of the evaluation was really good.

[@timtrillwood5768]

All of the trim rings on my Q550's were protruding, flushed them all up with the box!

[@davidweber8962]

You have discussed that a 60-or-so degree horizontal radiation pattern is your preference. Would toeing out a 50-degree speaker like this model about 10 degrees more than a 60-degree speaker yield about the same soundstage width/side-wall reflections? I suppose there would still be less “crossfiring” reflections. Also, I wonder if a speaker’s VERTICAL radiation pattern provides in any way a “taller” soundstage, or perhaps human hearing isn’t as sensitive to that compared to horizontal soundstage width.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I didn't mention it in this video, but yes, that does help. sometimes that can come at the cost of image precision but I didn't have that issue.

[@peterotremba8980]

^^^ Exactly what Erin said

[@TrueStereo-]

Thanks for the review. I have R10 non meta. A foot from the wall or against the wall measure really flat in my room sounds terrible and no soundstage or imaging. Does not sound clear and has a muffled sound. Three feet out in the room not as flat in high frequencies +-3-4 db bigger dips in mid and big dip in bass. Great imaging but needs a lot of eq and a sub to get rid on a big dip.

[@crazyelf1]

It seems that a very large number of KEF's speakers are strong across their line-up.

[@Standardkonto]

If you were sitting with your ears about 10" above the tweeter axis and at 15 degrees above it, then you were listening from a distance of 3 ft. My guess is that you need to recalibrate your intuition about angles. Admittedly you said "within 15 degrees". Might be something to consider though. :)

[@justbrowsing5279]

So I hate to ask for comparisons, but what is the argument for something like these over the R3s? What, if anything, do they do better for nearly double the price. I feel like floor standers with more woofers should produce more bass or somehow improved bass, but it seems like that often isn't the case even when the woofers are the same size as their standmount counterparts. Just having a hard time seeing why you would buy them at twice the price when you just need a sub anyway. Not being critical here, just legitimately trying to understand how the money translates to improved performance.

[@timball4892]

perhaps it is me but it sure seems that you raved about the R3 Meta and this review, although positive, is far less enthusiastic. I am soon add a pair of bookshelves to my system and continue to debate the R3 Meta vs Buchardt S400 Mk II. I almost made up my mind to do the R3's but this review has given me pause. Am I wrong? I am a recent subscriber and while I like to hear subjective opinions primarily the measurements help me understand a lot. Thanks!

[@foxgaming76yt24]

From what I can tell between measurements he has done, the R3 Meta is incredibly similar to the R5 Meta. The only real notable difference is in the compression, where the R5 Meta suffers less, but if let's say you cross this with a sub, it'll likely be a non issue.

[@chinmeysway]

i would just go w less ugly ones (so not kef?) and move on w life lol

[@mattholland315]

Great review Erin (as always). Would I be right in thinking that whilst you admire the engineering and measurements of these speakers, they somehow failed to excite you like the Wharfedale Aura 2 did?

[@chinmeysway]

wondering if there’s a benefit to choosing speakers NOT extending too low considering that maybe mates well w a sub or two better in certain set ups.

[@bbfoto7248]

As long as that trade-off in low end extension doesn't compromise the overall SPL capability or distortion of the entire system too much, it would be okay. However, I'd much rather have a pair of speakers that can easily reach down to a bit lower in frequency without any strain or power compression, and simply use proper crossovers to integrate them with the subwoofer(s). You don't want your main speakers to be at their limits while the subwoofer is just getting started. ;)

[@flash4973]

Great video as always, thanks man for the honesty. I was wondering if you had any plans on reviewing the css criton 2tdx tower ? I would be stoked to see what you would dig out about them

[@ryanlawson5768]

Not sure if this is possible to investigate, but I hear lots of reviewers praise different quality crossover components for adding sound stage depth/width/clarity etc. Basically saying that the more expensive the crossover components the better a speaker reproduces the source. I wonder if there is anything in measurements that show these differences that people hear. From what I gather watching your explanations on radiation width and directivity as it relates to the soundstage, I wonder if any changes in crossover component quality can result in changes to these measurements. Just a thought, but might be too time consuming to test.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I am cynical of them.

[@robertwang7825]

The thing is the Kef R3 Meta with S3 stands are just a few hundred less than the Kef R5 meta which does not need stands.

[@KASmonkeys]

Thank you ❤ really helpful

[@bartonbalint2053]

I would be interested in a KEF R5 (basic model, without META) review also in stereo mode...

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I reviewed that one a couple years ago.

[@mbvx7]

Man I would love to see you review the new Sonus Faber Sonetto III G2 3 way floor standers. close in price

[@marcodevos3565]

With a pretty BIG budget!!

[@avjake]

If you're in the market for $4K speakers, go for the LS60. Much better design, and the amps designed for each driver are included.

[@owl1327]

Graph annotations are helpful!

[@foxgaming76yt24]

Hey Erin, I'd like to ask, are you familiar with Gradient? I bring them up because, they're another well regarded brand that makes coaxial speakers, just maybe not as well known as KEFs. While I'm genuinely curious how all of their speakers measure, espescially their Revolution R-5As, realistically that isn't going to happen(unless........Gradient willingly sends a pair😳). Maybe you could measure the BS-1s, just a standard 2 way coax, with a passive radiator instead of a port like on the LS50. Who knows, they could end up being fantastic alternatives to those. Also, if you'd like an idea of how well Gradient knows their stuff, you could take a look at measurements done by Stereophile of an old(and I believe the first?) iteration of their Revolution speakers😉(just note that the original review had some weird impedance issues that caused a funky bass response, there's a revised article showing the newer measurements done on a different unit)

[@chinmeysway]

send him a pair!

[@foxgaming76yt24]

@@chinmeysway The BS-1s or the Revolutions? Although regardless, I don't have a pair to provide haha, but honestly, I'd love to own either one........

[@jedi-mic]

You should check the screws on the drivers I bet they're loose, all most speakers have loose screws even new ones, I bet you can turn them half a turn?? tighten them about 6 -8 newton meters and then do the test again the thing is the materials compress because they knew and then they lose their tension

[@vytautasbeliauskas8129]

Ok that Amplifier is good to use for that models speakers?

[@alternativemusicandbeyond6519]

Cerwin Vega has a new line of S0eakers,. Cerwin Vega separated from Gibson (Guitars) and I would think they want exposure so I believe they'd send you units to review.

[@Slagathor-kt9lw]

Love your channel. I’m sure there are a lot of consumers like me who would appreciate your opinion on “best speaker for the money”. My wife and I are building a house and I have a 16’x22’x12’ planned dedicated theater space. My wife has agreed on a $25K-29K budget for speakers. I’m planning on a 9.2.6 setup. With that budget which speaker brand would you suggest focusing on? With the research I have done I really like for Focal, JBL and Bowers and Wilkins.

[@Bob-Fields]

I have the KEF R11 non meta I bought a couple months ago on sale as retailers cleared out their inventory to make way for the new models. My impression lines up with what's presented in this video. TLDR: I love my KEFs My setup: Source: Roon DAC: MiniDSP SHD Amp: Peachtree Nova 220SE Speakers: KEF R11 non meta (forward firing - no toeing) Subwoofers: 2 Rhythmik E15SE Dedicated Room: 13x13 (Yes, I know, it's too small and square) Prior to the R11s I used LS50s When I first set up the R11 speakers, I listened with no subs and no DSP. I felt they were too subdued (in comparison to the LS50s) and measurements with REW showed pretty much the same behavior as what is present here for the R5... except for the midrange dip. Still miles ahead of the LS50s My room is pretty small and inches matter. The speakers are 17 inches from the front wall and 29.5 inches from the sides. Prior to futzing with measurements and adjustments I listened to the speakers and found them to be much better than the LS50s but I had trouble with imaging. They pulled content to the right. Time to settle these guys in: I made sure to place and measure all the speaker's positions in what would be their final configuration. Any toeing, other than face forward, only served to affect the sound in bad way. I played with distance from the wall to get the flattest response and settled at 17 inches. The bungs didn't make too much difference in the end. Time to measure: The FR graphs are similar to what Erin has (albeit I have no klippel). The midrange dip, as shown here, for the R11 was much more pronounced, though, in the range of 10 to 12db from 90hz to about 200. Yikes. That dip I assumed was because of my room and the speakers placement in relation to the front wall and no amount of EQ was going to fix it. Honestly, I was happy to see a similar dip here. The imaging, though, was a head scratcher. I measured the left and right speakers and they behaved similarly. OK. I EQd the slope of the HF roll off so that it was less steep than out of the box. Even though it's contraindicated I added a tiny amount of gain and matching Q to the 100Hz dip and recovered a couple db(just a little gain, otherwise it causes more trouble than it's worth). Since I have a MiniDSP I played around with the sub/speaker crossover and in the end I did something heretical. I high passed the main speakers at 100Hz with 12db slope and low passed the subs at 70hz with a 12 db slope. I listened to and measured several x-over points and slopes before I decided on the final values. It wasn't perfect but the midrange dip were much closer to flat that before and within what Erin measured. The imaging problem was slightly ameliorated but not by much. I didn't know what I was gonna do but as I had all the measurement gear out I measured other stuff and found that the timing was off between all the speakers. By using a ruler and eyeballing it, the speakers were as well placed as I could get them. Honestly the timings were only off by what amounts to less than 7 millimeters between all speakers combined. By correcting just one R11 for timing, the image snapped into place. WOW. OK so I made sure all the timing responses were as close to the reference speaker as I could get them with MinDSP and Bob's your uncle it fixed the imaging. I love my KEFs. PS: Edited for grammar and clarity

[@klauspeterpeter8278]

Himsir.....is kefr r7 meta and kefr 6 meta center good enoug for homecinema...

[@cantoon8616]

Forgive the noob question but is what I'm seeing that the speakers essentially have a built-in House Curve?

[@zigzagtx2778]

Thanks as always for your detailed reviews. I did notice on your website that the vertical globe graph is for a Sony tower. Any chance of fixing this?

[@theHerathrig]

Hi any chance you can review Revel Preforma series, the non BE versions?

[@Natan9000]

These vs ls60?

[@datdudeinred]

WOW Erin can hear a 1db difference from listening position. Man this dude has ears made up of diamonds. I wish Erin you build a DIY speaker of your own. Places like "Real world audio" would be a great place to start. & maybe you build one of his designs & measure it. Also erin when you say 60 you mean 30 each side right? I think ofc but still want to confirm

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

When a speaker is pretty much dead on then it's easier to spot a single minor flaw. I've built a couple of my own. They never look good. I suck at cabinetry/finishing. If you're referring to my preferred 60, I mean +/- 60.

[@cirwin4099]

I’m interested in the speakers. Still available?

[@MrRocktuga]

Erin, Have you considered including your real in-room responses along with the predicted ones? While every room is different on how it impacts low end, and placement of both the speakers and the listener adds up to those differences, I often find that the predicted in room response is useful, if you have any idea of what your room-gain is going to be. I would surely be _very,_ disappointed with _any_ loudspeaker above $500 if the in-room response would be as bad as it looks in the Klippel predicted responsesz as it (in a nutshell), it wouldn't have any significant bass output. Going back to John Atkinson's measurements, even if they lack the precision and definition of the Klippel, the combination of nearfield measurements with the response on the actual room where the loudspeakers were listened (as a pair) gives a more complete presentation of what it's possible in a regular room (and the dimensions and placement in that room are usually mentioned somewhere in the review itself). From the estimated in-room response for these loudspeakers, the bass would drop significantly below 110Hz, and it would be barely audible at 60Hz. If we measure _any_ real in-room response and it dropped that much, we would expect to be listening to a very small speaker, with one bass driver likely smaller than these 5 1/2 on a (relatively) large internal volume. That would be a very thin sounding speaker, since it's not uncommon for a loudspeaker to have relatively decent output in a room, at their stated -10 dB anechoic measurement. I'm confident that there are good reasons why that estimation is made the way it is, but room gain is a very real acoustical property, as mentioned in you great video where you explain how to predict it. 👍 I believe that Kef's quoted frequency range at -6 dB is much more indicative of real world bass performance, where the _actual_ -6 dB on the low end is likely we'll below that. Considering that many of your viewers are not necessarily aware of how room gain works, I strongly believe that these "estimated in-room response" may mislead some people. In the mid and high frequencies, I guess that "estimated response" is a good representation of what to expect in real rooms. But in the low end, it seems to relate a lot more with the anechoic data. But it's only a suggestion. 🙂

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I do occasionally. I don’t really do it much anymore because it’s more of a pain and I don’t think there’s a lot of benefit for my reviews to really have them these days unless there’s some rare exception

[@jamesmccaffrey1892]

$4K the trim rings should stay right where they are. Thanks for the review. great job.

[@rushgush]

they don’t, cuz they are just a press fit ring. no glue or screws.

[@rushgush]

that would be like saying. any car over 100k should never break down. think again lol

[@bbfoto7248]

@ErinsAudioCorner The profile photo that you show of the bloke sitting in the wood chair with the white background for your Speaker/Wall Distance example looks uncannily like a Props & Set Designer (Art Dept.) from L.A. that I used to work with extensively whose name is Walter Barnett. I'm pretty sure that is Walter just "sitting in" for a quick lighting test for the shoot. Walter worked extensively with fashion photographer Ellen von Unwerth who is famous for the original Guess Jeans and Victoria's Secret ads and billboards, among others. I might text Walter with a timestamped link at 14:21 to your video to see if it's him (he won't care about it being used, and it's probably an image from some photographer's royalty-free "stock image" library anyway). Cheers

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Man, that would be next-level amazing.

[@jsharp9735]

Why does the sourcepoint 8 horizontal dispersion loose its directivity at an angle vs the sourcepoint 10 horizontal dispersion at an angle ? I've noticed at angles on other coaxial drivers the horizontal dispersion stays the same, but not on the source point 8 ?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Can you be more specific? I believe the 8 stays pretty constant as well.

[@jsharp9735]

@@ErinsAudioCorner Look at the horizontal dispersion on the sourcepoint 8 on axis vs the 15 degree off axis. Then look at the horizontal dispersion of both on axis and off axis of the sourcepoint 10. The 8 starts to break up in the higher frequencies off axis and the 10 and other coaxial do not. I'm wondering why this is. Thanks for responding ! :)

[@bengleason508]

In a recent livestream Zero Fidelity said BBC style speakers and Totem speakers do well for Late night listening. These speakers are not sensitive speakers, do you know what characteristics these speakers have to excel at late night listening?

[@wormdevil]

Hi Erin -- thanks for the thorough review! I listened to both of your R3 meta and R5 meta reviews, I'm not sure which one measures better. Any thoughts, having heard & reviewed both of them? R5 meta seems to have slightly lower bass extension and maybe even a tiny bit better on the highest end, but R3 meta seems slightly more linear. I have the chance to get either at the same price, hence my questions. Thank you!

[@gtric1466]

Erin, As well as the R5 Meta measures. My understanding is metal cones don't quite have the texture and palpability of paper cones. Is that something that can be measured? This is something i can hear unless it's just psychoacoustics.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I've never heard those terms used to describe a metal cone driver. But, the truth is, those issues are down to the crossover. Metal cones have a stronger breakup than paper cones but they are also pushed a bit higher in frequency. The crossover should address these issues. If it doesn't then you will have resonances that is observable in the frequency response data (on and off-axis). Whether those resonances are audible is a different matter and depends on the amplitude and the width/narrowness.

[@gtric1466]

It's actually a texture to the sound only heard on paper woofers / mid-ranges. from what i am told. Like the softness of a kick drum pedal hitting the skin. I believe i hear it but like i said it can all be in my head. i always had paper drivers minus the tweeter. This is why i also stayed away from metal drivers.@@ErinsAudioCorner

[@ColocasiaCorm]

I’m surprised that these have the dynamic compression they do given they have more woofers

[@JulioCSolar]

How do they compare to the Mofi 888?

[@cirwin4099]

Still available?

[@unknownuser0006]

If you are into coax speakers then ask for a Sigberg Manta sample, I'm sure if you ask him at ASR he will send you a sample

[@peteleoni9665]

That would be a pretty good “listening” speaker. That smooth little 1k deficit will probably be liked. l probably couldn’t mix with it though.

[@MisterTwister222]

for 4k and that f3 of 70hz, id probably go for one of revels offerings

[@hclandscapes]

Great review, I’m really interested in this speaker as i really enjoyed the ls50 metas love the KEF meta sound. Placement would be an issue for me though, I don’t know how many people especially in the UK where I live could afford place these speakers 2 feet out into the room? My room is quite narrow and is about 12 feet deep by 16 foot wide. I currently have B&W 704s2 that are about 8 inches from the back wall and to my ears sound fine with no bass issues

[@bbfoto7248]

Erin mentioned that these R5 come with foam plugs to insert into to the ported vents which would be used in a "close wall" application. But the low end extension might suffer a bit when doing this (room dependent) and you'll probably want a subwoofer either way.

[@teknolojigundemi]

Orijinal R series price "The new R Series consists of the R11 ($2,499.99 each), R7 ($1,899.99 each) and R5 ($1,399.99 each) floor standers, the R3 ($1,999.99 pair) stand mount, the R2c ($1,199.99 each) center speaker and the R8a ($1,399.99 pair) " Significant price bump. İf we need subwoofer even with R5, meta , R3 Meta + REL T7x more reasonable?

[@bilentungul762]

"KEF R5 Meta" OR "Kef Q11 Meta" ?

[@chinmeysway]

don’t sell those too cheap friend. would love some comparisons on bookshelf v tower (seems tower is not much more impressive but sure it depends on bunch a thing).

[@darrenchase886]

We need more people like you and if you speaker were in a room called k rp-6 how is there spec double that it should only be by 3db thats just bs we know already that the speaker that already rates there speaker sensitivity so much it's bull s

[@alexyashchenko9846]

May be a naive question, but would an all-in-one product like a higher-end AVR (say, denon x8500ha) be enough to drive these or a similar product (r7 metas) without a dedicated amp?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Unless you require a lot of output that might stress all the channels on the AVR then you should be OK.

[@wallycunningham5090]

Well whoever buys these will have the most accurate data to use for digital response correction if they want!

[@michaelsegel8758]

Ok, I have to ask... This is more of a buy vs build question. At this price point... would you consider buying a pair of KEFs or building a DYI kit like CSS' higher end kits w upgraded crossovers? (There are other kits but I've seen a lot of videos of people praising them.) Its not a slam against the KEFs but if you don't mind the sweat equity, you could be getting better components. thx

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

KEF manufacturers their own coaxial drivers and are some of the best (if not *the* best) at it. CSS doesn't make a coaxial speaker. It's comparing apples to oranges, really.

[@michaelsegel8758]

@@ErinsAudioCorner Sorry, I get that and used them as an example. There are coax and full range examples as well. It was really the bulld vs buy question. I realize that KEF has patented some features of their drivers, but there are other coax options...

[@Hitsujiomeguruboken]

Hi Erin, Will you send you’re data of the R 5 Meta to Pierre Aubert? He is waiting…..

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I was under the impression he was unavailable for the time (per an email he sent me). I just sent the data over now.

[@danmar007]

Everyone has a budget!!

[@PeterPuno]

Hey Erin, what are your top 5 speakers of all time?

[@bbfoto7248]

@PeterPuno Erin has a few videos covering that...one older video, and one newer.

[@FRL2000]

I have the non meta version and they're keepers. With the r2c (a very nice sealed center) and a sub, they perform well with all types of music and TV for me. Not a standout that'll wow you, but never off putting The dispersion is amazing, as you note in your review. They also scale up well with better components. Build quality and WAF is high.

[@ChipHaven_Dan]

Hello. I'm really leaning towards buying the Kef R5 meta as i have listened them and nothing ,( like B&W, Q Acoustics concept 50, monitor audio) does not come even close in terms of sound, clarity and quality. In your opinion is there something else which i should listen before buying? Any other speakers to which i should give attention? And last part, in my country they are on sale at 1500 euro right now ..amazing price i would say. Thsnk you

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

If you like the R5 Meta then I say go with it. You might also consider the R7 or R11 Meta (for additional low end extension). Personally, if I wanted to use these without subwoofers then the R11 Meta is the better choice but if you have subwoofers then the R5 Meta is a good sweet spot. There really isn't anything else in this price range and marketplace that will sound like a KEF... other than another KEF. They are the only ones offering designs like this. If you went with something else you'd get a different sound. All that said, if you do wind up ordering either of these please consider using my affiliate link at Crutchfield below: howl.me/clq3SGUeClf

[@ChipHaven_Dan]

@@ErinsAudioCorner thank you very much for your time and explanations.You are the best as allways. I have a very good Svs subwoofer and also price is an aspect as the r11 meta are much more right now. I'll go with R5 meta. Thank you.

[@vmmotors1580]

How much Erin ????

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

$3600 if picked up locally. Huntsville Alabama area.

[@CC-xu2yz]

@@ErinsAudioCorner You take EBT?😉

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

@@CC-xu2yzin the words of 2 Chainz: "... swap EBT for cash like tradin' cards"

[@M_Tc]

I have the kef q150 How much u asking for these

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

$3600 local pickup. I could ship them but the cost would depend on where you are.

[@IHearEverythingDude]

Im considering r5 meta vs r7 meta. Any thoughts anyone?

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

Nice ... out of my price range but very nice. FWIW... I would never shell out of pocket just to test something I won't be using myself. Most of my deep dive stuff is done on customer equipment, giving me the chance to examine it and them the benefit of a few helpful tweaks.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Yeah, this is the last speaker I’ll be buying for a long time.

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

@@ErinsAudioCorner I would think so. I'm a little surprised you did it this time.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

@@Douglas_Blake_579honestly, it was practically an impulse buy. I was in my local one and saw they had these and thought "dang, I want to review these". I'd been trying for a while to get some of the other speakers directly from KEF but it seems hit and miss with what they can send me... or at least the marketing team here in the US can send me. So I bought these and hopefully can sell them. Taking a hit every now and again is OK. But my channel doesn't generate the kind of income to make this something I can do more than maybe a couple times a year.

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

@@ErinsAudioCorner I know what that's like ... I've spent a lot of money on what is turning into a self-funding hobby and there has to be a line someplace.

[@vmmotors1580]

Hi Erin

[@michaelwyckoff7593]

Yo Dizzle😊

[@timtodd22]

With the R3 Meta's you were recommending horizontal off-axis and compared on-axis and off-axis. Is on-axis better with the r5 meta or is it a negligible difference? With a sub in play: how much and what type of difference might one notice between the r3 meta and the r5 meta? Given the impedance performance, how does the amp / receiver one uses change how the r3 and / or the r5 performs if it does? Would a Yamaha rx-A8A be able to drive the meta r3, r5, r7, r11 speakers? It would be interesting to see how the r7 meta and the r11 meta differ as well (you would need to recoup some first though if you were to do that). Lots of questions based on lots of watching of your content. Thanks for your work! I love what you are bringing. :)

[@raducatalin7236]

In my contry they cost 2000 euros per pair....in Romania

[@AlexDavidChristian]

Even cheaper. 2000 pt r7 :D