B&W 705s3 vs Kef Meta R3

James the kef blades are amazing what were the hooked up to?

I've heard KEF speakers, including early KEF 50s and they don't sound the way you described them. You should at least try more auditions elsewhere if possible.

I had KEF 201/2 for a couple years. Nothing muddy about them. Almost too detailed if that’s a thing. They were pretty awesome although fairly ruthless with less than stellar recordings. 

KEF has a lot of detail. More than most speakers and something some have said as being a negative on the KEF lineup. Though not as detailed as Beryllium or Zylon cone drivers that I have heard.

My old KEF LS50 META was more detailed than the Magnepan LRS+ but I liked the LRS+ more for the wall of sound effect.

I listened to both in my listening room.  They both sounded good but definitely needed a sub.  I didn’t keep either pair but they sounded clear and not muddy.  I went with Revel M126Be with the beryllium tweeters.  Running 2 subs too.  If I had to choose between the two based on just sound I preferred the B&W.