B&W 705s3 vs Kef Meta R3

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.

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. 

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.

Just chiming in to add that the magnolia setups cannot be trusted. I honestly can’t believe that many high end brands even sell their stuff through Best Buy. 
 

Maybe occasionally you have one that’s setup properly and the employee is passionate about audio. More likely you’ll get a guy who’s working in the microwave section from 9-4 and then finishing up his shift at the magnolia. 
 

last time I went, the employee hooked up their low budget phone via an aux cable to the headphone jack to play music for me off regular YouTube. I’m also not sure what hardware they use to switch between dozens of Amps and speakers, but that has to have a negative impact on the signal chain. Best Buy is honestly best avoided to audition anything with intent to buy. 

The B&Ws are mfgr rated at 88db @ 8 ohms; the KEFs 87db @ 4 ohms.  Were they or the other pair you auditioned level matched for comparison?  It wouldn't hurt to bring your own SPL meter into any serious listening comparison.  Generally, the lower the listening volume, the more dramatic the sensitivity benefit

Assuming so, these are large, long established & reputable brands with big R&D budgets.  If any of their products at any above mass-market prices ever sound like there is something truly wrong, there probably is.  Now, I don't mean "the LS50s have almost no 20 hz bass" - I mean when they fail to meet reasonable expectations.  You're doing the store a service by pointing it out.  It's not just a potential wiring issue - the component(s) being auditioned could be faulty.

Well then. Guess I will keep them...my Paradigms. Happy day.

@b_limo 

KEF speakers are anything but dull, in fact they might be considered analytical and or bright by some. I just replaced my KEF Reference 5’s with Sonus Farber’s to tame some of the brightness in my system.

All the best.

@b_limo Your experience at Best Buy matches mine. B&W outshines KEF at my Best Buy too. I’ve lived with 2 sets of KEF speakers a 1 set of B&W. Like AudioTroy, I also question Best Buy’s receiver pairings. And, I wonder about the switching and cabling situation. That said, OCD Mikey recorded a similar outcome at an audio dealership.

The 705s3 are one of the best sounding of the B&W's.  As far as I am concerned, the KEF R3 Meta are just awful sounding - lacking dynamics, excitement, and frequency extension.

Consider going back to Best Buy and examine the wire terminations for yourself. Are both pairs of speakers connected to similar or the same source components? Keep in mind, everyone is trying to persuade or sell you a pair of speakers. If you live in a large city, go to another BB, check out the terminations, and audition the same speakers. Ideally, audition the speakers using the same amp etc. Remember, play music that you are very familiar with during each audition. 

Go to the Kef FB Page and see what buyers of the R3 Meta's think of them. I can tell you they are much loved speakers.

I personally own the Reference 5 (non meta) and can tell you the Uni-Q tweeter is the highlight on this speaker, detail, clarity and wide dispersion.

Don't judge Kef on your 1 bad experience.

Mark

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.

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 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. 

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.

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

I had the same experience with Kef at Best Buy on several demos (reference 3, blade 2). Lack of detail in the upper mids and highs…. Went to a dealer to hear the Blade 2 and thought they sounded the same with a lack of detail. I have crossed Kef off my list after my demos. 

Troy, most definitely bro.  This post had me stumped.  I think you might have been correct about the wiring.  I'll report back.

I have the 703 S2 that I got for next to nothing.  I just couldn't figure out why such a difference

I know what you mean about magnolia vs a good stereo shop.  

Anyways, thanks about the connection idea.  I'll report back 

the Metas aren’t muffled at all, you cant judge anything at best buy they don’t know how to setup anything. it is possible the bi-wire knob wasn’t tightened so you might have had no tweeter at all. also add many low resolution electronics poor source quality and usually poor wiring and a switching systems.

Please go to a good specialty retailor hooked up to a high quality integrated amplifier with a high quality source and then judge them for your self.

https://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2023/05/05/kef-r3-meta-speaker-review-juicy-beats/

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/kef-r3-meta

we can guaranty you will have a very different opinion.

also many people find the B&Ws too bright.

Dave and Troy

Audio intellect NJ

Kef dealer