KEF Q150 Review: A Step Ahead in Premium-Quality Audio System

KEF Q150 Review: Almost every audio company out there is experiencing some form of disparagement from their users. You’ll always find people who aren’t satisfied with speakers or amps produced by a particular company.

A few months ago, for instance, we embarked on searching for the best bookshelf speakers that could deliver more detail and clearer sound quality. Our key objective was to acquire a pair of bookshelf speakers that not only sound great but also serve as a multichannel home theater setup or a centerpiece of a stereo music system.

So, we asked some music enthusiasts for their opinion and read more than a dozen reviews for different models and brands. We noticed KEF Q150 was popping up most of the times, but it certainly has its fair share of criticism.

The more common complain we heard about KEF speakers is that they’re way more expensive than the Q Acoustics 3020i. If you’ve been avoiding KEF for costing an arm and a leg, we believe it’s about time you reconsidered your decision.

To be honest, KEF Q150B Q150 Bookshelf Speakers have their limitations even when compared side-by-side with other units like the Chanel I.4 and the Klipsch RP-600M.

However, throughout our testing, we found a couple of features that set these speakers ahead of the competition, thus justifying their relatively higher price tag. Continue reading this kef q150 review to find out why the KEF Q150B Q150 Bookshelf Speakers are worth their cost.

KEF Q150 Review And Overview

KEF Q150B Q150 Bookshelf Speakers (Pair, Black): Who Should Get This Pair?

Do you enjoy listening to music? Are you willing to put up with a tad more complexity in the setup than with regular multi-room wireless speakers or Bluetooth speakers? Finally, do you have a little more cash to spend on the bookshelf speaker set?

If you’ve answered YES to the above questions, then the KEF Q150B Q150 Bookshelf Speakers are for you. Our panelists universally preferred this black pair over all other sub-$500 competitors.

These attractive speakers are superior in aspects like soundstage, detail, bass response, and vocal clarity. The new high-quality audio system creates an extensive soundstage with pinpoint imaging.

Furthermore, KEF has complemented this black set with a corresponding center channel as well as add-on Atmos speaker. You can choose to use these speakers as part of a stereo music system if you wish.

Alternatively, you can use them in a KEF Q Series home theater system as left- and right-channel speakers. We didn’t like the fact that the speakers come without grilles though, but you can get magnetic grills at an affordable cost.

Features & Benefits of KEF Q150B Q150 Bookshelf Speakers (Pair, Black)

The award-winning KEF Q150B Q150 speaker packs a great deal of KEF technology into its compact unit to make such a big impression. Featuring a new cabinet with sleek finishes, the KEF Q150 stands out from the crowd due to the following integrated components:

World renowned Uni-Q technology

Being the latest iteration of KEF’s prized Q Series, the Q150B Q150 speaker uses an enhanced Uni-Q driver array to create effect and level up treble frequencies. This KEF’s signature innovation involves positioning the 1-inch tweeter inside the 5.25-inch acoustic midrange cone.

Placing the treble unit in the middle of the woofer helps create a single point source for sound across the frequency range. This results in a broader, more detailed, and more accurate bass that offers remarkable stereo within a listening area.

In the real world, voices and instruments emerge from a single point. Therefore, KEF’s driver is designed to better imitate this effect than a regular two-driver system.

KEF Trademark Tangerine Waveguide

Further enhancing the Uni-Q’s wide dispersal is KEF’S tangerine waveguide that rests atop the tweeter dome for optimized sound output. As the Uni-Q driver is positioned at the center of the cabinet, the speakers record an optimized resolution sonic image.

KEF’s designers strived to cut down any likelihood for standing waves and minimize resonance within the enclosed space. The low frequency port has been made to face the rear in order to condense the audibility of midrange leakage.

As a result, the speaker set churns out more refined music sound in comparison to other cheaper models. You’ll be able to enjoy your music for longer hours without your ears getting fatigued.

Overhauled Treble

The KEF Q150B Q150 speaker set has been equipped with a new dampened loading system that significantly minimizes distortion, providing a more detailed, smoother top-end. KEF’s tangerine waveguide system plays a crucial role in assisting the treble to integrate easily with the mid-range.

The new, improved treble delivers perfectly timed frequencies to ensure greater accuracy and a more three-dimensional soundstage. Launched in 2017, the tweeter of this speaker set has been dampened in the bass-reflex cabinet, while the array has been repositioned at the center of the cabinet for improved clarity.

We recommend getting high-end speaker stands for use with these bookshelf speakers. The stands provide a stable platform without vibrations for improved sound.

CFD Port Design

While testing the KEF Q150B Q150, we were utterly impressed by the port’s Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) design. The port itself has been mounted at the rear of the speaker, positioned over easy-spin gold binding posts, enabling you to set up the speakers easily with exposed speaker wire.

For improved clarity, the CFD port design helps slash down the audibility of the midrange leakage via the port. As far as geometry goes, KEF engineers have tuned the ports so that turbulence at higher levels is considerably minimized.

Cutting down turbulence at higher levels results in the reduction of port noise and minimized LF compression. With proper set up, this speaker set can be incredible, to say the least. It has a wonderful imaging and soundstage, not so different from a real sport.  

Z-Flex Surround

KEF’s Q150B Q150 speaker set consists of an aluminum woofer cone with Z-Flex surround that prevents distortion. Constructed with lightweight-yet-rigid aluminum, the woofer unit delivers fast response in linear motion.  

Its ability to deliver fast response in linear helps achieve low distortion levels and life-like dynamics. In all actuality, KEF has developed these speakers using the same great technologies and concepts as those found in their high-end Blade speakers.

The Q150B Q150 speaker offers great attention to detail. The Z-Flex woofer surround gives you superior control over the cone, making it a seamless process to blend with the treble unit and enjoy a more even and unswerving sound.

Aesthetics & Design

Our KEF Q150B review cannot be complete without touching on aesthetics and design. This speaker set is aesthetically gorgeous. It has clean lines with visually-appealing Uni-Q design, whereby both mid/bass cone and twitter are concentric.

In terms of design, the Q150B Q150 speaker set has a sleek design since the bass port has been positioned at the rear. Although the speakers are relatively large, they’re not visually bothersome and won’t take up your big real estate or space.

Well, they’re just a bit larger than what I had earlier envisioned, but they aren’t gonna occupy so big a space. The Q150B Q150 speaker set is a classic speaker set that you can use for quality stereo in your room or as part of a superior AV system.

Pros

• Pair of quality speakers for music or home theater
• Tweeter and woofer are mounted in a concentric manner to create a single point source of sound
• Uni-Q drive array for a natural sound stage
• Dampened loading system for reduced distortion and improved treble
• 1-inch vented aluminum dome tweeter with waveguide
• Good frequency response of 51-28,000 Hz (±3 dB)
• Base-reflex cabinet with CFD rear-firing port for accurate musical bass
• Lightweight at 12.3 lbs each
• 5 years’ warranty

Cons

• Not quite good in larger rooms due to the limitations of the driver
• Not an analytical speaker. I mean, it only emphasizes on rich sound quality and enjoyability, leaving just about every other feature out
• At over $600, this speaker set is not ideal for buyers on a budget

Final Thought

The KEF Q150B Q150 Bookshelf Speaker set impressed us, and has remained our favorite-sounding bookshelf speaker to date. These speakers punch far above their weight and we’re smitten every time we put them to use.

Nevertheless, there are a few things that never impressed us, one of these being its higher price tag than the competing brands. At $600, we think this is somehow exaggerated.

Yeah, the two speakers are definitely functional and deliver an excellent value, but this price is actually way beyond what most customers expect.

Another quibble we have with this speaker set is its sound, especially in the upper midrange. It lacks the same energy or presence as what you get from the likes of UB5.

Anyways, the KEF Q150B Q150 Bookshelf Speakers are stellar performers in small-medium rooms. They’re absolutely one of the best options in today’s red-hot bookshelf market.

That said, we recommend using this speaker set with speaker stand for better placement flexibility. You might want to use the Sanus SF26 steel stands with these speakers so that you won’t be limited to your shelf space or table. Hope from this KEF Q150 Review you get the full specification.