positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/kef-ls50-wireless-loudspeakers/

Launched last Dec.
Wireless, the way of the future?
Not cheap, however.

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My dining room system currently is without an amp. I've been looking at a second hand Naim Supernait2 to go with my Epos ES14 speakers and Chord 2Qute DAC, but the seller is unsure if he wants to sell. I use valves and vinyl in the main system, so happy to have something plug and play simple for the family to use in the dining room. My brother in Hong Kong uses the passive LS50s in his very small apartment and loves them. Has anyone here got the wireless version and how do the rate them compared to separates? At $2600 they seem like very good value for money.

Hi David they are very good but not as good as the passives with a separate amp imho

But you might like them as we all hear differently 😉

Manager & Product specialist at Rapallo AV & HI-FI

Many thanks Deano, much appreciated :-)

Thanks Owen. I finally had the opportunity to buy the Naim Supernait2, so will be stick with the Epos ES14s for now. The Naim is much more universally appealing than ones I've had in the past. It still has Naim's traditional slightly dark sounding rolled off treble, but it is much more refined sounding and the rhythm aspect is fantastic as expected. The desire to play album after album is overwhelming and while it can't come close to the valves & vinyl system, the shortfalls are compensated for with it's much superior rhythmic ability.

www.listeningpost.co.nz/Specials/Speaker-Clearance-Sales/Paradigm-Shift-A2-Powered-Speakers-__I.62527__C.179666__N.26801

For the money, at about one-quarter of the price, these are pretty amazing. We just added a $100 aftermarket Bluetooth device so the kid could use his other sources, if memory serves.

For many music consumers, loudspeakers like the KEF LSD50 Wireless are the future:

- An active loudspeaker with in-built amplification
- Separately amplified drivers, a tweeter + woofer
- Wireless or wired digital input
- Active crossover in the digital domain
- in-built 24/192 DAC
- In-built DSP room response tailoring (via KEF smartphone app).

Great soundstage, imaging, detailing, they say.

US$2,200
NZ$2,499 - 2,999

Quite a system package for the price.
All you need is a source component/s.





See also - darko.audio/2016/12/kef-ls50-wireless-review-dars-product-of-the-year-2016/

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Better than Sonus Faber Guarneri Evolutions (US$24,000), says Steve Huff:

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KEF LS50 Wireless 'Nocturne' active Loudspeaker System:

A special-edition, the LS50 Wireless 'Nocturne' by the Marcel Wanders design studio.
(US&300 additional.)



Glows in the dark!

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KEF unveils a new & improved LS50 Collection.....

KEF LS50 Wireless II (US$2,500/pair, available 11 Oct.)

- Matt paint finishes - Carbon Black, Titanium Grey, Mineral White & a Crimson Red Special Edition.
- New 100W class A/B amplifier for the tweeter and a 280W class D amplifier for the mid/bass driver.
- HDMI eARC (24bit/192kHz) which replaces the original USB Audio input.
- Ethernet (24bit/384kHz, DSD256, and MQA), Toslink (24bit/96kHz), Coax (24bit/192kHz) inputs
- AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, ROON Ready (coming soon), UPnP Compatible, and Bluetooth 4.2, wireless inputs
- Support for Spotify Connect, Tidal, Amazon Music, Qobuz, Deezer, QQ Music via QPlay, and Internet Radio
- Left and right speakers connect via WiFi with 24bit/96kHz resolution or can be connected with supplied interspeaker (Ethernet) cable for 24bit/192kHz resolution.



KEF LS50 Meta (US$1,500/pair, available 22 Sept.)

- Matt paint finishes - Carbon Black, Titanium Grey, Mineral White & a Royal Blue Special Edition



Wireless & Meta models common features:

- S2 matching floor stands (US450/pair)
- 'Revolutionary Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT)...with super capacity to absorb 99% of the unwanted sound radiating from the rear of the driver'.
- 'New cone neck decoupler and motor system'.
- Off-set flexible bass port
- A low diffraction curved baffle & rigid cross bracing with constrained layer damping.


See KEF webpage.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Ha wow very cool. I heard the older model & was impressed. Not enough to let my 35 year old Kef Reference 102's go though

Steve Guttenberg AUDIOPHILIAC is more than impressed, he reckons the new KEF LS50 Meta (passive version) sounds... "so much better!".

" So much more transparent, clear, open, dynamic... A mega-improvement! "

" It sounds like an open-baffle speaker. "

" This is a break-through product. "

Low bass also seems to be improved.

However, he has one caveat, the increased 'resolution' can be a bit unforgiving on poor material.

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John DARKO gives a more detailed account of the improvements & software operation of the new KEF LS50 Wireless II.

Including the new KEF Connect app - " it's brilliant! "

And why this 'audiophile quality' active loudspeaker challenges why many serious listeners would need to bother with passive loudspeakers & matching to separate amplifiers.

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I'm hoping to get a pair as soon as they arrive in NZ.

Making your world a better place, by staying at home most of the time.

Hey clothears - the passive Meta or the Wireless II?

What appeals to you about these speakers & where/how will you use them?

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The Wireless II is the one I want in mineral white with the marching stands.

I’ve be interested in coaxial drivers for ages dating back to my original home theatre system in the late 90’s which used Tannoy 638 and 602 speakers, both featuring such drivers.

In recent years the LS50 caught my eye, but I had several vintage drivers to experiment with and lack of disposable funds to purchase them (LS50).

But now I’ve moved on from that and want to de-clutter my workroom.

For some reason the wireless version wasn’t on my radar until I saw Steve Guttenbergs comparison of the original passive LS50 against the original wireless version. I think he said that the wireless version was a better option unless you carefully paired the passive version with a suitable amp.

Then last week he reviewed the Meta version and mentioned the new wireless version.

I’ve since watched John Darko and Andrew Robinson reviewing the LS50W2 and it really ticks the boxes for me.

Stock of the new speaker is due in country at the end of October according to the Christchurch retailer Magnumsound.

Time to list some equipment on TradeMe.

Making your world a better place, by staying at home most of the time.

John Atkinson (STEREOPHILE) is a LS50 (passive) owner & has "used my LS50s as the primary reference for my reviews of standmounted loudspeakers".

JA reviews the KEF LS50 Meta (16 Dec '20):

" ...the LS50 gave a palpable "reach-out-and-touch" soundstage... it presents a more transparent window into the recorded soundstage without compromising the ability to communicate the music's message. Highly recommended. "



(Driver x-section showing the new 'META' rear absorptive disc.)

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Magnum Sound and Vision, Christchurch, have the new LS50s in stock, $2490 for passive and $4199 for wireless.

Old model (non-Meta) discounted, might be a worth considering.

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Dec 17, 2020 21:39:49 GMT 12 Owen Y said:

Old model (non-Meta) discounted, might be a worth considering.

I’ve been waiting for discounts to appear on the old model, but haven’t seen them happen yet.  Still $1599 at Magnum, which has been their full retail for quite a while.  Though have seen one retailer listing them for circa $1900.  

AV World, Auckland also have new models in stock - same price as Magnum, but no longer list the old model.

Not sure, but I think only the Wireless models with active amplification in-built, have DSP tonal EQ facility.

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So I got my speakers mid November.

Because I don’t have a music server and I also want to use them as PC Speakers, I purchased a Topping D10S USB/SPDIF converter to set the speakers up.

I love the sound of these speakers, and everything I’ve heard about them has been confirmed by my listening to them.

Whether streaming Spotify over Ethernet or playing FLACs via my PC over SPIDIF, I really enjoy the presentation of the sound.

I’m shit at describing sound and so many reviewers have already discussed them with generally positive comments.

If you have ever considered buying these, I strongly recommend that you audition a pair.

Mine are keepers.

Making your world a better place, by staying at home most of the time.

You got the Wireless II, as you had previously indicated, clothears?

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Dec 25, 2020 20:33:44 GMT 12 Owen Y said:

You got the Wireless II, as you had previously indicated, clothears?

Yes

Making your world a better place, by staying at home most of the time.

ZERO FIDELITY (Shane) has not, to date, been totally enthusiastic about KEF LS50 (passive) loudspeakers.

With this new KEF LS50 Meta model, he is convinced. He feels that he is finally able to "connect...on an emotional level" with these loudspeakers.

" A great, well-rounded performer...so technically accomplished & enjoyable to listen to. "

" The imaging on the LS50 Meta is just insane! "

" True studio monitor levels of transparency...treble is resolving, yet at the same time very approachable. "

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I thought this GR-Research U-Tube analysis of the KEF LS50 Meta was particularly interesting. Existing owners might be well advised not to watch! An obvious cheap-skate problem was found - an iron cored inductor and electrolytic capacitor in the low pass crossover section - to which unfortunately there is no simple solution (too little room for larger components) apart from an outboard crossover or buying the active version. The link is . If this doesn't work for you Google, "GR-Research; KEF LS50 Meta" and it should come up. It is certainly worthy of a watch.

Jul 14, 2023 12:18:38 GMT 12 peter0c said:

I thought this GR-Research U-Tube analysis of the KEF LS50 Meta was particularly interesting. Existing owners might be well advised not to watch! An obvious cheap-skate problem was found - an iron cored inductor and electrolytic capacitor in the low pass crossover section - to which unfortunately there is no simple solution (too little room for larger components) apart from an outboard crossover or buying the active version.

Thanks Peter, the link worked fine.

A good and fun analysis;- I like the guy!

Wonder what he'd make known of the LS60's, if he had a chance.

I thought that they were possibly a tad bass light, albeit in a rather large space, rooms connecting, at The Sound Store, Newmarket.

Still, I preferred them to the KEF - R7 Meta outside them. I also heard Devialets that day, in a smaller room. Withholding judgement!

Certainly the bass freq specs are better for the LS60, and they sounded much more cohesive as well. 

In a more modest room, well, I'd like to hear them again.

Regards;- Ross.

I don't doubt that the KEF LS50 Meta and it's predecessor are very good bookshelf speakers. As I've commented elsewhere on DL, when the original LS50 became available everyone swooned but when the Meta version became available nearly all reviewers referred to the huge improvements to the hitherto unknown and unremarked upon problems with the original. Hype. The Auckland Audio Society recently compared the LS50 Meta with a Coincident Technology Invictus and a home made pair of bookshelf speakers based on a design by Troels Gravesen (http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/T14.htm) which uses a SEAS T14YCR-P 4 1/2 inch bass unit and a Hiquphon OW1 soft dome tweeter. (This is essentially an improved ProAc SC1 and the version demonstrated had curved sides and an outboard crossover featuring air-cored inductors, fancy caps and resistors and a lower port tuning than the original). Suffice it to say that there was 100% consensus amongst AAS listeners that the home grown pair of bookshelves were vastly superior to the KEF LS Meta and even more superior to the Coincidents which were lacking in bass. If there is a moral to the story it is don't believe the Manufacturer's claim of technological developments, reviewers hype and if the proffered speakers seem relatively cheap, that could be because some of the hidden components are also on the cheap side.