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

I have owned, demoed, or trial loaned all of those listed except the B&W's. The SVS I did not get a proper session with..just a listen off to the side. 

Of the ones listed I would go R11 Meta. Though for $7k there are a lot of speakers at your disposal. Many great speakers & manufacturers have been listed all ready. With that said I do feel that the R11 Meta's are legit & not just an overpriced "mainstream" type speaker. Though a great deal of that money goes towards the expense of being mass marketed.  

For the money the Q11's are very good. The biggest difference I find between the Q & R series Meta's are the enclosures. I do feel there is a slight audible difference in tone of notes because of this difference. Only playing them side by side makes this known or gives you the ability to hear what I'm saying. I do think that the Q11's stick out in that series & are definitely worth the added cost over the Q7. I have owned the R3 Meta & I would say that played side by side to the Q11 the R3 sounds a little more refined, without that smidge of hollowness from the Q11 box. But overall the Q11 was more enjoyable. Fuller, deeper, full range fullness that the R3 with a sub couldn't quite achieve. Q11 will do well in close quarters..close front & side walls only improves the sound. 

Despite that most serious "audiophiles" would laugh at the Polk name those R700's are stupid good for the money. I grabbed a pair for $1800 & kept them for over a year I liked them so much. They scale well with better equipment. But you have to have the room or space for them or they will be unbearable at times. In my narrow rectangular room they over energized the space, boomy.. muddy, bright, & slight sibilance. With sidewalls beyond 6 to 8 feet & a couple feet behind them, keeping the tweeter under 95db around 9-10 feet away I truly enjoyed them. These speakers opened me up to a lot of jazz music. Meaning it made a genre I normally didn't listen to very enjoyable. The ring tweeter beams a bit in the higher frequency but I really liked the sound of it. My first ring tweeter. For the money & in the right room I think the R700 would surprise a lot of people. 

I purchased the Martin Logan XT B100 bookshelf when they 1st came to market. That tweeter is phenomenal. It can make certain instruments sound very realistic & dynamic. It really stands out for the price of these. I don't like the way it was implemented with the mid/bass driver & crossover linearity. Too hot for me. After I returned them I listened to the bigger floor standers. While I feel they were greatly superior to the bookie I couldn't get away from the thought that even if I could have afforded them at the time I wouldn't like it's sound signature long term. Too bright & extended up top for me. Adding DSP/PEQ made the little bookshelf better though. 

I can't comment much on the Pinnacle's but I do feel that they are better than one would think by just going off the SVS name. They are not as cheap as the Polk's but I think many people wouldn't consider the SVS right away because of the name & cost.  Many people here wouldn't be interested in any of these speakers on your list because of the manufacturers name. I'm a little more opened minded & feel that most speaker companies have the ability to throw a gem out there every once & awhile. Regardless of their makers pedigree. 

I'm not a snob when it comes to equipment & speakers. I don't have the financial resources like many in this forum. We have some members with insanely great &: expensive equipment. They could easily point you towards some phenomenal & lesser known to the masses speakers up to the $7k range. But I still think the R11 Meta's & SVS Pinnacle are worth a listen. I've bought & tried a lot of the hyped up mainstream stuff like the R3's, the Vela's, & Linton's. All very good when considering the price. The Vela JET tweeter is one of the few AMT/ribbon types that I could appreciate long term. Though sometimes in side by side comparison's I felt like this tweeter doesn't have the longer decay or trailing off in high frequencies...like more conventional tweeters. 

With $7k to spend one should be more open to looking outside the mainstream market. The last bookshelves I purchased are made by someone that's been around awhile but lesser known. Fritz speakers. My REV7 SE's are comparable in price to a lot of mainstream speakers but the quality of drivers & crossovers are a step up from what you get in mass marketed speakers. The Fritz midrange/vocals are great & kinda unique vs other box speakers. 

A lot of good speakers & builders were mentioned so I have nothing to add to that. . Nothing wrong with your list though. If I ever come across the Q11's for a great discount price I'll probably buy them & line the insides with no-rez or equivalent.  I would enjoy them for what they are then find something else to play with. This audio stuff is truly a journey for some of us. For me I don't think trying to find end game is my goal. I just like to try lots of different stuff. I can't do that in the higher end market though. If I spent 7 to $10k on speakers I would make sure I loved them & expect to hold them awhile. That's a lot of commitment for a person like myself. I'm never satisfied long term with anything outside of my wife, kids, & dogs. Dabbling in DIY has changed everything for me the last couple years. If you are up for it you should consider or look into DIY speakers. You really get your monies worth. 

Probably a lot more info & personal sharing then was asked. But I was in a chatty mood. I'm definitely interested in what you eventually end up choosing & why.   Good Luck. 

Has anyone listened to the Polk R700.  They have gotten some really good reviews, even product of the year.