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

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.

DYI, only way I would go at this price point, if not able to do all the work then look into kits. 

 

Rick

I went to Best Buy this morning to listen to the R11, Q11, Martin Logan and B&W.  It’s not an ideal setup.  Some speakers are spaced too wide apart.  The amplification probably not the most ideal either.  Of all the speakers, I actually like the Q11 the best.  It has the best balance - warm and musical sounding.  The bass is better than the R11.  The R11 seems sort of lean especially the mid bass - a bit analytical.  The Martin Logan and the B&W sound hifi-ish.  They have a tipped up treble that may cause listening fatigue.

Will go back for more listening.

Anything from Tyler Acoustics will outperform most speakers on your list. Same for Philharmonic’s BMR speakers. 
 

Then there are DIY options that are even better values, like the SB Acoustics Sasandu TX, that’ll make most on your list sound like Best Buy Bluetooth junk in comparison.