Customer Ratings & Reviews

I did a lot of research for a music centric system for my living room in a 20x25 ft condo, open layout into kitchen. Critical listening spot is about 8-9 ft from tv/stereo wall. The Q1's in Walnut have a nice look to them. A bit more character than the black to me. I think KEF heard customers and included magnetic grills this time. I keep them off when listening, you should too. My goals were all in under 2k all components to get started. I auditioned Polk XT20(boosted base, muddy mids, shallow soundstage), Sony SS-CS5M2 (very crisp, shallow soundstage, decent vocal/instrument separation) and these KEF Q1 Metas. Amplifier/Power needed for 4 ohms: I initially drove these using a 70watt Denon AVR high end from mid-2000's using pure direct. The imaging, soundstage and separation were leagues ahead of the others. Felt like the people and instruments were in the room, wider, deeper, more realistic. This was driven source-wise from a Wiim Ultra using Spotify Connect lossless, Amazon Unlimited lossless and CD via optical. They just didn't feel as punchy and tight as they should have. Being 4 ohm rated, they demand power to really open up and old AVR wasn't quite doing it. Kept reading about Fosi V3 monoblocks (get 1 power supply per amp, not splitter). Technical reviews noted their low noise/distortion, real world RMS power that could drive these at a low price to high performance level. All I can say is WOW, they opened up the performance of these even more. Tight, clean, crisp, unveiled, quick power. The lower frequency range really came alive. So the core was there. Subwoofer to help: These have a nice punchy lower end when driven properly, but being bookshelves benefit from handing off low frequencies to a subwoofer. Luckily I came across a James 10" emb1000 600w sub from mid-2000s. The Wiim passes over 80hz and below (THX standard that felt right). Another WOW! The depth, fullness, richness was there all the way down. Sources/Streamers/DACs to pair: If you go down the rabbit hole further, you will be looking for different sonic flavors or just one you prefer. This ranges from crisp, accurate, analytical listening provided by the digital to analog converters in most receivers/integrated amps or streamers (like the Wiim Ultra). Others chase the next level like holographic soundstage and vintage sound that's warm, rich, soft around the edges, less fatiguing. I did too. The Fosi V3 delivered power, Wiim Ultra delivered the source/pre-amp function, then I added an external DAC and RCA a/B switch to try Fiio K13 R2R DAC. Why? R2R dacs (resistor ladder vs. Delta/Sigma chip) are known for that warm, realistic, organic sound with even better soundstage if done right. The K13 delivered!!! Another WOW! For a budget build, I cannot believe how well this has done. VERY wide, deep, soundstage, clear, warm vibe you can listen to for hours. KEF's ability to provide both a precise and expansive sound in the sweet spot along with a room filling capability is really impressive and can't be touched in this price range I feel. I don't even want to listen to the LS50 Metas or I might spend another $1000 lol. I did find an eq profile recommendation to tweak the Q1's toward the LS50 sound profile and I do feel it made it just a little more elevated in vocals and airy on top. Summary: Buy them! Be sure to power them with 100watts ++ amp at 4 ohms to really open them up. I feel they are perfect for near or mid-field listening alone at lower listening levels (up to 70-75db), get a good, quick musical sub and you're good to 90+db if you want it. Hope this helps others.

These KEF speakers sound amazing! They are really far superior than I expected. I was on the fence about buying this model or the Q Concerto Meta ($1000 a pair) since they have a dedicated bass woofer. But these are amazing because they have a significant amount of bass surprisingly since they are relatively smaller bookshelf type speakers. I was considering buying a subwoofer, but I really don't even need to with how much bass these produce. I am extremely happy with them. I did so many hours of research trying to figure out if my Sony receiver had enough power to power these since they require more power than the previous Q150 model, and they definitely have enough power. No concerns over here even listening at extremely loud levels. Sometimes I am worried I'm bothering the neighbors since the bass is so much it can rattle the floor. The two main things I use them for are either House music, or watching movies. And they work amazing for both. I decided to purchase a 3rd speaker for a center channel speaker for when watching movies and tv shows, and its worth every penny. I highly highly recommend buying a 3rd center speaker for tv and movies as all of the dialogue will come out of the center speaker. When listening to music I just put my Sony receiver into 2 channel music mode and it works great. I decided to buy the wood color for my center speaker and it looks amazing as it matches my wood tv stand. The 2 black speakers also look great. Best Buy delivery was amazing, they delivered very fast and made everything a breeze. I also feel safer having expensive and delicate items delivered through them instead of Amazon. I believe they arrived in only 2 or 3 days. Very fast. Also the room I use them in is very large, 30 feet by 30 feet and the sound is very crisp and fills the space easily. Highly recommend.

Got a pair of the walnut color refurbished that are BEAUTIFUL. The tone is perfect and has worked excellently paired with my Q6. I truly don't think anything beats these dollar for dollar. Not many downsides, only issue was they didn't come with speaker grilles but it was open box so not a huge issue. Everything else was awesome. Have it driven by my onkyo NR7100. Dirac calibration shows these best buy open box speakers match exactly with the new Q1s I bought as well, so no worries for quality or anything. 10/10 would recommend, especially if open box

The Kef Q1 Meta Bookshelf speakers provided a huge boost to my home audio system. I primarily use them for tv and movies, but they have also been incredible for music.

I was looking for a rear surround speaker, Best Buy representative recommended these to go with my cinema 30 Great choice ! All,around good bookshelf speaker

Can’t believe what comes out of this little speaker, I do have it hooked up with a subwoofer and the detail and precise sound is revealing,?dialed in with Dirac ART , sounds so good I got a second pair, get them befor the end of March sale ends

Bought these for my desk setup after trying all of the compact speakers in store. These blew me away with how detailed they are and the bass is perfect for my small space.

Returned a set from another well known brand. KEF is a brand I hadn’t heard of before, figured I’d take a chance - glad I did. These are clear, powerful, and just sound amazing (compared to the previous brand/purchase). Very glad I took a chance, I’m am so happy with these speakers! You will not be disappointed.

Quality of sound is amazing. The speakers are working great with my new marantz cinema 50 receiver.

If the q1 metas are mid tier i can only imagine what kefs high tier would sound like. Very clear dialouge, fantastic transitions.

Though small in size these have pretty good clean and deep sounding bass. It's not bass you can feel but you can certainly hear it well. The midrange is not as full sounding as others but is very clear and clean as well. They are a bit rolled at the top but not in a bad way...it actually helps to keep things from sounding too harsh. They do not take up much space and the finish is very acceptable for this price range. For a small room and\or compact system, I think they are a great fit!

After researching for weeks, I chose the KEF Q1 Meta, and I’m glad I did. Paired with a WiiM Amp, these speakers completely changed how I experience music. The biggest surprise wasn’t the volume or bass—it was the imaging and instrument separation. The speakers seem to disappear, with vocals locked in the center and instruments clearly placed across the soundstage. I found myself hearing details in familiar songs that I’d never noticed before. The sound is natural, balanced, and easy to listen to for hours without becoming fatiguing. The build quality and finish are excellent, and they look fantastic on speaker stands. If you’re looking for accurate, engaging sound with outstanding stereo imaging, I highly recommend the KEF Q1 Meta. They have exceeded my expectations and feel like speakers I’ll enjoy for many years.

Powering these through a Yamaha S-301 amp, and they sing! Very, very good sound from these speakers. They produce enough sound to fill a 12'x17' living room. Honestly you could probably get away with not using a sub, however a sub will round out the sound. Music coming through them is crystal clear and very well defined and balanced coming from a bookshelf speaker. I listened to acoustic, classic rock, blues, jazz, using vinyl, cd and streaming and all of it sounded really good. I am very pleased with these speakers and can highly recommend them to whomever is looking for really good sound at an affordable price, at $399 a pair, it's one heck of a good deal.

I have been pleasantly impressed by how well balanced the sound is on the speakers. The highs are very clear but not overly bright. The bass is solid and does not distort into the mids and highs. I connected the speakers to a 1977 Technics receiver that was probably meant to drive at minimum 10 inch speakers. This is the 3rd different brand I try pairing with the receiver and the KEF handles extremely well and way beyond expectations.

I am using these for left and right, along with a KEF center channel. They sound great, I really believe you need a bright sounding tweeter for movies, I am very happy with purchase. I had to downsize my home theater set up and these fit perfectly. I would highly recommend. Plus, I got them on sale for $300 off, that was icing on the cake.

They sound great for their size and price, I purchased mine for $399. The sound stage is very broad which is great in a bedroom.

Powerful and clear speakers on the smaller side. Can easily fill a small-medium room by themselves. I would recommend these speakers especially if you can get them on sale like i did.

I got these to use as rear surrounds. I have KEF R3 Meta for left and right fronts and R6 meta for center so i was able to compare them side by side and they are not in that league at all. For the price and size i think are great. They just dont have the 3D soundstage the R Meta’s have. Great clarity, not much depth or soundstage. My only complaint with them would be the magnetic cloth grill. If someone (kids) were to “poke” them the grill wouldnt offer much protection. Overall they look great and aound great for the price range and i dont see how someone wouldnt be happy with them.

Really happy with these speakers! The sound is super clear with nice detail and a solid amount of bass for their size. Music feels more open and natural compared to my old setup. They also look great — clean and modern. Definitely worth it if you want quality sound without going overboard.

I purchased these and an AVR in December while they were on sale to replace a higher end soundbar in our family room. It is a BIG jump, in clarity and in how much you will enjoy the experience. They are wonderful for hearing individual instruments in my classical music, and I can still enjoy them even if I'm across the room from where they are pointed. I agree with other that they could use a subwoofer to really maximize their utility for movies, but these speakers still generate a more pleasant bass than my soundbar did. If you can stomach the added cost of an amp / AVR, I think you'll be as satisfied with their value as I am.