B&W 705s3 vs Kef Meta R3

The Bowers has a 10db peak @ 10khz according to Stereophile's measurement.  The Kef has minimal peaking with a smooth "audiophile" downslope in ASR's measurement.  I couldn't find both speaker measurements in either site.

BB has a generous return policy so it is usually safe to bring a product home and try it. Sometimes room acoustics will align with a rooms natural peaks and valleys to offer a uniquely pleasant tonal balance. never say never. 

Given the ineptitude shown by salespeople at our local BB its entirely likely the tweeters in the speakers you were auditioning were fried. I can't say of course that this is a universal problem with certainty, but I'd say the odds are likely. Locally, they are completely clueless.

I too had a similar experience at Magnolia/BB only I didn't think the KEF sounded bad just that B&W and KEF have totally different sound signatures. The B&W put a spotlight on the treble, making them sound very open, detailed, and sparkly. The KEF put a spotlight on the midrange making instruments and vocals sound bigger and more full. Upper register details where less up front but still there. I was there to listen to KEF so I started with those and found them to be very balanced and detailed. When we switched to B&W they sounded very bright by comparison. They level of apparent detail was cool and they sounded very good but compared to KEF were less coherent, lacked midrange presence and were too bright for me. As others have noted, the set up left a lot to be desired. Speakers were placed on a long high shelf, placing the speakers way too high, very wide, and too close to the wall. I was actually surprised by how good everything sounded considering the compromised set up. KEF R3 Meta sounded HUGE in that room and yes, veiled compared to the BW.