Best B&O speakers 2021: portable, hi-fi and wireless, Best Apple iPod alternatives 2021: budget and premium, Best waterproof speakers 2021: budget, portable, smart. Having a pair of both, KEF LSX is better price-performance IMHO. KEF… Support for DSD256 is also onboard this time, too, as is MQA decoding for the playback of compatible downloaded files and hi-res Tidal Masters. Roon is available via AirPlay or Chromecast but this is not how I listen to Roon. Musically, they sound very balanced with vocals and instrumentals especially satisfying. The LS50W uses a 5.25" Uni-Q driver capable of reaching down to 40Hz, combined with a built-in 192Khz/24bit DAC and 230W amplifier. With the new Roon update installed, KEF … The sub cut at 80 hz the signal to the kef so that the small cones can work free from distortion and reprosuce midrange frequency even clearer. The low-diffraction, curved baffle is precision modelled around the Uni-Q driver, while eye-catching heat sinks and colour-matched ports are located on the well-equipped rear. Each ‘path’ in the structure is a certain size and length and ‘tuned’ to absorb a specific range of frequencies. Today I bought a new pair of the KEF LS50 Wireless speakers for my study (10 x 13 x 12). The improvement in the sound is is a nice refinement in clarity, detail and effortless presentation. KEF LS50W Active Music System Roon Roon labs Core computing audio streaming digital audio music player streaming technology 0 comment(s) When we launched the LS50W Active Music System at the … You can even select your favourite source to wake up LS50 Wireless II whenever it comes on, allowing you immediate access to the best sound. We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices, Quick! Shouldn't every self respecting hi-fi system at the very least support aptX HD? Bass is good for a such a small speaker, but definitely won’t overwhelm you. These are going to replace my x300a's that I've used since they came out as my computer speakers. New York, Sound and functionality is Great! If KEF cared to make the absolute best speakers they could then they would simply support LDAC, which goes up to 24-bit 96kHz. Mids are cleaner-cut and bass more defined, their extra refinement making the originals sound a touch crude. And maybe there is not much difference from the bass of a good bookshelf as the Kef LS50W or Focal Shape respect to a small floorstanding speaker. They have been designed to squeeze even more performance out of the familiar chassis and Uni-Q driver arrangement through the introduction of a new KEF innovation called Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT). The brand-new dedicated KEF Connect app controls LS50 Wireless II on a day-to-day basis, including intuitive sound settings so you can tune the sound to your own personal tastes. It has also been implemented in the new KEF LS50 Meta passive speakers. Great sound, no strings attached. My 851n has aptx HD as well as my phone. In 2018, when KEF introduced its LSX speaker system – essentially a miniature version of the LS50 Wirelesses – it replaced the physical inter-speaker cable with a wireless connection that could play files (up to 24-bit/192kHz) across a maximum 24-bit/48kHz resolution. NY 10036. We looked at over 20 of the best high-end audio wireless speakers and the KEF LS50 W easily came out on top. Whatever source you’ve got, LS50 Wireless II is ready for it. I live in a small condo and have to be respectful of my neighbors so booming bass was not an option. Though it can supposedly support high bit rates it always sounded horribly compressed and dead. The extra space between her vocal and the strings is in relative contrast to the originals, where it sounds as though they're fighting against one another for attention. KEF has launched two new pairs of high-end bookshelf speakers -- the $1,500 LS50 Meta, and the $2,500 LS50 Wireless II, a powered alternative to the former. My workaround is the Optical connection. However, first impressions suggest it’s a positive replacement for the often-glitchy Stream app on the LS50 Wireless. 11/10/20, Posted on Dedicated 280W class D amplifiers power the mid/bass drivers, for room-filling, controlled sound up to 108db. The 12th generation of KEF’s patented Uni-Q is not only defined by MAT but also a reworked motor system, for which KEF has optimised its bespoke digital signal processing algorithm system. I personally preferred the tone and “meaty” nature of the LSX, especially on vocals, but do miss the clarity and transparency the LS50W … I have been with my LM219ia for almost 2 years, running into 1980's cornwalls. Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, I called on 1-16-21 so we will see how responsive they are. Owners of the LS50 Wireless may be wondering what’s new? — September 2020, What Hi-Fi? What Hi-Fi? "These sequels are among the most thrilling speaker systems we’ve heard." KEF LS50 Wireless. **, Subscribe to our newsletter to receive news, updates, free stuff and new releases by email. Again, great sound and a good app but please get the Roon Certification issues worked out. These speakers are the best for every room or situation, with styles to match any room preference. I plan to set up a dedicated 5.1 and stereo system in another room using Kef LS50Ws as the main speakers and I'm struggling to work out if it can be done. Visit our corporate site. That extra spaciousness isn’t at the expense of cohesiveness either – a hallmark quality of the Uni-Q driver’s tweeter-inside-the-mid/bass-cone design. These features mean that even the experienced hifi enthusiast will marvel at this exceptional loudspeaker’s ability. But, integrating Roon’s super-powerful data handling and playback capabilities with KEF’s LS50W … Despite ditching the USB Type-B computer connection, KEF has hardly shortchanged future owners in terms of connectivity, replacing it with an HDMI eARC socket to make it more TV-friendly. There is every bit of detail and you can follow the instruments and textures independently or take in the presentation as a whole live performance. The whole presentation has been opened out, that extra room not only filled with subtler, more precise detail, but also allowing for greater instrument separation that makes its delivery sound much less congested in comparison. The best way to experience the brilliance of LS50 Wireless II is up close and personal. The Less setting will get you closer to the voicing of the LS50 passive speaker and the More setting … For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Performance. Similar sharpness and attention to detail is evident as we switch to Peter Broderick's Moment, the piano sequence aching with meticulously written melody as the LS50 Wireless IIs more deftly define the start and finish of notes. In our review of the original LS50 Wirelesses, we noted their “clean and precise” manner and “neatly layered and nicely defined” soundstage. However, considering the design is based on the passive LS50s, one of the most recognisable and striking loudspeakers around, that familiarity is no bad thing. Out-of-the-box wireless compatibility with AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast and more, backed up with wired connections for your TV, turntable, CD player and games console. The LS50 Wirelesses launched in 2016 as an active speaker system take on KEF’s legendary passive LS50 speakers – a pair of wireless stereo speakers packed with built-in amplification and streaming smarts – and their impressive execution of this appealing concept earned them a five-star review and a What Hi-Fi… I know I won't be able to reach the musical quality of my active LS50w… KEF is clearly proud of the fact that its LS50 Wireless IIs are sequels to a product that we regarded highly enough to be our first What Hi-Fi? Though I was impressed with KEF support. I'm looking to feed some more power to my passive LS50 fronts in my 5.2.2 home theater living room environment. Our review sample only has access to an early version of the app, so some functionality – including music server discovery – isn’t available. The downside is the ARC functionality doesn’t work on my LG OLED TV. Highly recommended. I currently use Spotify and like that I can use my Apple Watch to control play/pause/skip track and volume. We play Mac Miller's What's The Use? The good news is they sound better and the app is better. I’ve been a fan of KEF for years now. The quality of the recording is everything, hi-res doesn't cure a bad recording. Review by JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. But not only are the new LS50 Wireless II speakers untethered, they also come with a new and improved app. The LS50W bass response is spec’d to 45 Hz (More), 50 Hz … The not so good news is that the LS50II is not Roon Certified. KEF’s flagship connected active speakers, the KEF LS50 Wireless, were introduced back in 2018. You can stream directly from the Spotify native app with Spotify Connect. I’ll give them a Mulligan on this one. I owned the original LS50W and sold them to upgrade to the new version. And yes I do have some hi-res files... waste of money. Another reviewer didn’t appreciate the power on and off tone, but I kinda like it. 12/16/20, Review by The considerable advancements KEF has made for this sequel are belied a little by the familiar aesthetic. The answer: pretty much everything. Basically the Standard setting is the flat, default bass response of the LS50W. Tidal is one of many streaming services directly accessible from the new KEF Connect app – you have Amazon Music, Qobuz, Deezer and Spotify, as well as internet radio and UPnP servers, at your fingertips too. Most accurate,immersive sound. This absorption technique has been used in other fields before, but this joint initiative with smart materials and acoustics company Acoustic Metamaterials Group marks its first application in a loudspeaker. Everything sounds alive, it doesn't sound like a stereo, there is life to a good recording, it makes me want to listen to more instrumental and less pop style electronic music because the instruments sound so real and dimensional. The name of KEF’s latest all-in-one system leaves no doubt as to their heritage. mac-pro-speaker, Posted on 5 STAR REVIEW – WHAT HI-FI? It reveals every detail of your favourite music, which you stream from any source thanks to wireless compatibility with AirPlay 2, Chromecast and more, Mid-band Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) at 90dB/1m, Extremely low distortion by driver motor redesign, Take a look at some related products from KEF, Frequency range (-6dB) measured at 85dB/1m, Frequency response (±3dB) measured at 85dB/1m, Network up to 384kHz/24bit Optical up to 96kHz/24bit, Wireless: all sources resampled to 96kHz/24bit PCM, MP3, M4A, AAC, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, WMA, LPCM and Ogg Vorbis, "The KEF LS50 Wireless II are a triumphant improvement upon the company’s previous stereo speakers, offering superb sound quality, an easy setup, and a wealth of connectivity options. I bought these secondarily as a sound bar alternative so a little disappointed ARC functionality wasn’t operational. 10/23/20, ** KEF reserves the right, in line with continuing research and development, to amend or change specifications. The -6dB (85dB/1m) frequency range for the LS50W is spec’d to 40 Hz (More), 43 Hz (Standard) and 46 Hz (Less). Disclaimer: KEF’s … I called and received a callback within an hour. Alongside it are coaxial (24-bit/192kHz), optical (24-bit/96kHz) and 3.5mm aux inputs and a subwoofer output – which round off the LS50 Wireless IIs' comprehensive spec sheet. Even beyond the flawless musical performance, LS50 Wireless II is a breeze to set up thanks to the KEF Connect app. And even when its stature is well-suited to the room… LS50 Wireless II is available in three matte finishes, carbon black, titanium grey, and mineral white, as well as a Crimson Red Special Edition. Hall of Fame entry – and it has every right to be. I chose the platinum version and I got to tell you they are beautiful. High expectations with the higher LS50W … When I go to Speaker Settings on the app (My Speakers -> KEF LS50W … The built-in amplifiers have been developed in-house by KEF. AWARDS 2020 - 'PRODUCT OF THE YEAR'. For its Meta iteration, KEF has elevated the LS50’s Uni-Q driver to a 12th Generation design that sports a ‘new cone neck decoupler’ and motor system plus the ‘tweeter gap … As good as the original is, the new version offers a worthwhile improvement. I sold my LS50W and bought the LSX. Award. The effect of MAT is clearly heard in the cleanliness of the treble, although the difference in purity can be heard across the frequency range. These are the #1 wireless speakers in our comparison table. The representative stated they were aware of the problem and would be pushing out a firmware update in about thirty days. KEF Control APP KEF Control makes setup easy with step-by-step instructions, letting you choose your source and adjust the EQ settings to match the room. Supreme Commander, Posted on For Every Room or Situation: Classy and chic, coupled with rich high-quality wireless sound.