I wouldn’t suggest kefs as floor standing speakers. They sound small, which doesn’t match the visual expectation. This doesn’t mean at all they are bad or not neutral. Actually they are very good. I am just saying that I would go for a floorstanding speaker with wider dispersion. (BTW I auditioned the R7 myself and went for revel’s)
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Focal Kanta 2 vs KEF R7 meta
- Thread starter underthetable
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Both of these speakers measure quite well. It will ultimately depend on your room. I have heard the Kanta 2's on several occasions in well set up rooms and have never thought they sound bright or harsh. I think they could in a bright sounding room. The KEF's that i've heard have never impressed me much but I have not heard the R7 Meta's. If these are available at the same price I would choose the Focals every time. But if their list price was a consideration then the KEF's are truly a bargain.
Funny as these are opposite statements based on opinions
Probably either a matter of taste / issues with rooms / personal earing tolerance threshold
I will comment on this as I actually own a pair of Kanta 2.
My previous speakers were bright/harsh (Magnat Quantum 759 totl).
Not a personal opinion as it is backed by many, many measurements (that I can share if needed).
Prior buying them, I auditioned kantas 2 in multiple occasions in different rooms.
They never sounded bright to me (at that point, it was an opinion as I did not have measurements).
My untreated room can be qualified as bright and reverberant (lots of bay windows, floor tiles, ...)
Since, I have dozens of measurements of the kantas in my rooms showing trebles are not elevated. I shared an example in another thread about Dirac and I can share some if needed.
I am not trying to advocate for them at all.
I am rather trying to stick to facts
And instead rebutting myths/opinions about harshness.
These one have indeed a wide directivity compared to other ones !
deprogrammed
Active Member
If a speaker gives you a headache you should see a Dr.
Figure 4 from the Stereophile review of the Kanta No 2 shows some directivity error which may be the cause of the fatiguing brightness I have experienced with Focal speakers, albeit an octave higher than I suggested in post 14 upthread.
I suspect that, to some extent, we all have different sensitivities to the various factors which affect the perceived quality of a loudspeaker. The real-world significance of the 5-9kHz off axis bump will depend on the room and may be benign in some circumstances. Hence my belief that an audition is always valuable before purchase.
Having been a little disobliging about Focal speakers, I should say I heard the Focal Aria Evo X No.3 at the Bristol show on Friday and didn’t find them fatiguing - I got Daft Punk fatigue before speaker fatigue anyway and the lush high gloss green finish would suit my living room perfectly.
Nice to see they remain fabriqué en France.
I suspect that, to some extent, we all have different sensitivities to the various factors which affect the perceived quality of a loudspeaker. The real-world significance of the 5-9kHz off axis bump will depend on the room and may be benign in some circumstances. Hence my belief that an audition is always valuable before purchase.
Having been a little disobliging about Focal speakers, I should say I heard the Focal Aria Evo X No.3 at the Bristol show on Friday and didn’t find them fatiguing - I got Daft Punk fatigue before speaker fatigue anyway and the lush high gloss green finish would suit my living room perfectly.
Nice to see they remain fabriqué en France.
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Previously, I owned a pair of KEF R11 speakers and have since upgraded to the Kanta 1 from Focal. While the KEF speakers exhibit slightly superior technical measurements, the most significant distinction between KEF and Focal lies in their sound dispersion characteristics.
KEF speakers offer a narrower directivity, making them an ideal choice for those who favor a concentrated soundstage with a distinct center. Conversely, Focal speakers present a broader directivity, catering to listeners who appreciate a spacious soundstage, thereby enhancing the listening experience with its expansive sound distribution.
Upon reflection, I discovered a preference for the broad directivity offered by Focal, particularly for its +60-degree range. This feature adds a subtle shimmer to the treble, which, although difficult to articulate, significantly enriches the audio experience.
In my experience, the Focal speakers stand out remarkably. They manage to avoid any hint of brightness, offering a neutral sound profile that is genuinely pleasing to the ear.
I also like their design
KEF speakers offer a narrower directivity, making them an ideal choice for those who favor a concentrated soundstage with a distinct center. Conversely, Focal speakers present a broader directivity, catering to listeners who appreciate a spacious soundstage, thereby enhancing the listening experience with its expansive sound distribution.
Upon reflection, I discovered a preference for the broad directivity offered by Focal, particularly for its +60-degree range. This feature adds a subtle shimmer to the treble, which, although difficult to articulate, significantly enriches the audio experience.
In my experience, the Focal speakers stand out remarkably. They manage to avoid any hint of brightness, offering a neutral sound profile that is genuinely pleasing to the ear.
I also like their design
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Hello Mauro, I want to upgrade my speakers recently, but I can't decide between f226be and r7 meta. Both speakers have excellent measurement results. Which one will perform better in a 15-square-meter room? Can you tell me which speakers from Revel you upgraded? Grateful.
Hello! I bought the performa f206. Both speakers are great. I would go for the Revels but both have smooth off axis performance and perform well even if they have side walls close to them.
My experience with a similar room size is that you really need some form of advanced room correction (Audissey XT32 or Dirac). This is my most important suggestion. Otherwise both will sound boomy and dark, with strong elevation roughly between 60 to 500 Hz and tiu will not get neutral sound..
Thank you for your reply! Yes, I am currently running dirac using my Arcam AV41.
If I wanted speakers with wider dispersion than KEF, I'd look at Revel. In 2024, looking at speakers with a directivity mismatch between the midrange and tweeter isn't a choice I would make.
have you thought about buying vivid Audio Speakers? Check soundstage network measurements! price is prohibitive but also revels f226be are very expensive. You need to like the look of them, though
Robert-Hifi
Member
How was the bass? The previous generation seemed to have a slightly soft low end and not the most impactful/punchy character down low.
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They didn’t strike me as soft in the bass, at least playing electronic music. They won’t reproduce the bottom octave of course but neither will any speaker of this size.
Kef R11 metaBut which one kicks more ass?
morethinkingcapacityneede
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I am also really considering the KEF Reference 3 (non-meta). If the right deal comes along...
I don't have experience with KEFs but for Kanta 2 you will need top amplification to get the best out of them, they are not at all easy to drive speakers (2.3ohms at 105Hz). So, add that to your budget, And if you can afford, rather go for Sopra 2s. For a 3-way floorstander which will not usually have added subwoofers, Sopras have the better and nicer bass. Kanta's design favor beauty over sound a bit.
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