Battle of the affordables


Here are the candidates.  They all got very good reviews online.

1. Polk R700 - $2.1K

2. KEF Q11 Meta - $2.5K

3. Martin Logan XTF-100 - $4.5K

4. SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle - $5K

5. B&W 703 S3 - $6K

6. KEF R11 Meta - $7K

Which one would you pick?

andy2

The Harbeth C7ES-XD!  They disappear and deliver extremely good response for $4800 new. Most musically adept speaker I’ve ever owned. 

I really like the SVS but based on some online reviews there may be sibilance issues.  Looking at some of the measurement, there is a peak at around 4k - 5Khz, which is usually the main cause for sibilance.

From your list, it all comes down to the R11 Meta and the Pinnacle. You should definitely audition both—either in a shop or, preferably, at home. Take room size into consideration (especially for Pinnacle): if your room is under 3,000 - 3,500 cubic feet, consider their smaller siblings instead.