KEF Reference 5 vs. B&W 802 D3 speakers - which one better? your knowledges & opinions

Kentrent:  while it’s true that the R900 is a very good speaker and its tonal balance is similar to the Ref 5, there is indeed a significant difference between the two.  I have heard the Ref 3s against the R900s (they didn’t have the Ref 5s but it stands to reason the 3 and 5s are similar tonally and in resolution).  While they Reference and R series have a similar “voice”, the Reference offered significant improvements in resolution (detail), and clarity that was very easy to hear in comparison.

Speaking with a KEF representative and reading some of their literature on the Reference series, it would appear that some of the improvement in clarity is due to a significantly better coincident driver and crossover for the midrange and tweeter, and some is due to better (non resonant) cabinet construction. KEF are thoughtfully engineered speakers - you get what you pay for at each price point. 

I would actually suggest the gap is much wider in performance between the Reference series and the R series than it is between the Blade and the reference. I have done this exact comparison.  The Blade is 2x the reference in price.  As in all things - diminishing returns as you move up.  

Make sure you let them break in.  If you don’t love them after a few hundred hours, then you can consider what next.  But, I’d politely suggest it won’t be the speakers that will be your weak link.  

My $.02.
mgrif

Congrats from another KEF Ref owner (3’s in my case).  I, too, compared the KEFs against the B&Ws and while I really respect the engineering prowess behind B&W, I greatly preferred the KEFs. I was also considering Sonus Faber Olympica 3s, (very different sound, but I like classical music and some jazz and they’re easy on the ears - and very easy on the eyes)), but again preferred the KEFs.  

FWIW - I had a chance to compare the KEF Ref 3s against the KEF Blade 2s using the exact same system and cables - we just moved the speaker cables from one to the other.  Yes, the Blades were better, but they were a lot closer than you might expect considering the Blades 2s are 2x the price. Let your Ref 5s fully break in and run them with decent source and electronics and I think you’ll find you enjoy them very much.