New KEF LS50 Meta & LS50 Wireless II

[cutestory]

No they have the copper cones.

[Dusty Chalk]

Oh, okay (wipes brow, loses interest)

Still interested for my friend though, let me know if/when you decide to move on them.  Realize it’s a friend you don’t know, so no need for friend pricing, he’s just frugal enough to want used instead of new.

[tkam]

While I have enjoyed the LSX I have to say that the KEF software is atrocious.  It's probably some of the worst software I've had to deal with in the past 10 years.

[swt61]

On 10/1/2020 at 1:02 PM, cutestory said:

 

If I made a list of the gear that I just stare at and watch depreciate, I'd...maybe be able to start selling it? Ugh.

This is exactly why I started my new business...

T.I.C.E.

Terminating Incompatible Contemporary Equipment. 

All you need to do is package up that pesky, unused gear, and ship it to me for proper disposal. We are a zero landfill disposal business, so you need feel no guilt whatsoever.

[recstar24]

3 hours ago, tkam said:

While I have enjoyed the LSX I have to say that the KEF software is atrocious.  It's probably some of the worst software I've had to deal with in the past 10 years.

That appears to be one of the better developments with the new Kef wireless 2, in that they’ve completely redesigned a new app to replace the two apps I believe you had to use before.

[tkam]

You really only need to use the one app to set them up.  The stream app is entirely useless but it's easy enough to stream straight to them over Airplay, etc.

If the new app is truly better than that would remove the only real complaint I have with these (course the app is only for the new speakers).

[johnwmclean]

I like the wireless II’s a lot, the app is solid and very intuitive, the sound improvement is impressive, all aspects seem to have taken a performance leap.
My main gripe with the first generation beside the shitty app is treble harshness, which is more evident since the II’s arrived. I still like the old version though, it’s doing still doing duties in an upstairs system and sounds great.

Not a fan of the II’s matte finish... and titanium looked much better in photos.

 

[skullguise]

Both the new wireless and LS 50 meta look quite nice!  I think the LS 50 Meta with their new KC-62 Subwoofer would be a real nice & fun combo!

I had just picked up a pair of Q350's, but may look into that combo instead....overkill for my 3rd/test/play system, but this IS H-C....!

[recstar24]

great to hear. Still enjoying my shelly hand me down Kef I's.  They are in a basement digital rig and with the help of Jim's hand me down NAD m51 dac some of that treble harshness people report on appears to be mitigated to a certain extent in my situation. 

[MexicanDragon]

7 hours ago, recstar24 said:

great to hear. Still enjoying my shelly hand me down Kef I's.  They are in a basement digital rig and with the help of Jim's hand me down NAD m51 dac some of that treble harshness people report on appears to be mitigated to a certain extent in my situation. 

Bah... I should have bought those but I was trying to be "responsible." I need to stop that.

[recstar24]

59 minutes ago, MexicanDragon said:

Bah... I should have bought those but I was trying to be "responsible." I need to stop that.

My basement rig is essentially a HC hand me down sloppy seconds rig and it’s like amazing 

[MexicanDragon]

32 minutes ago, recstar24 said:

My basement rig is essentially a HC hand me down sloppy seconds rig and it’s like amazing 

Heh, I can look at my living room and office rigs.

Tkam, tkam, Colin, Colin/Doug, VPI, knucks, Jim, sherwood (or was it Posty?) Via Colin, Justin, Shelly, Jim again.

Oddly enough, some of it I even bought new! (Never use that crap, though.)

Edited March 5, 2021 by MexicanDragon

[n_maher]

42 minutes ago, recstar24 said:

My basement rig is essentially a HC hand me down sloppy seconds rig and it’s like amazing 

Same with my work rig, zero shame in that.

[swt61]

My movie rig is a complete hand me down, other than the TV.

[shellylh]

great to hear. Still enjoying my shelly hand me down Kef I's.  They are in a basement digital rig and with the help of Jim's hand me down NAD m51 dac some of that treble harshness people report on appears to be mitigated to a certain extent in my situation. 

Glad you are enjoying them!

[Aura]

i am really glad i didn't buy ls50 wireless in the past... very good chance i will try these at some point

https://us.kef.com/wireless/ls60/ls60-wireless.html

 

 

[n_maher]

I’ll be more than a little curious to get the hard-core (or semi hard core) audiophile opinion of how these work.  If they work as advertised and as intended, my read is that they’ll basically replace about 90% of the standard audio chain.  

Have a nice preamp? Don’t really need it any more.
Nice DAC?  Nope, don’t need that either.
Amp? Shit, what is the point of all those McIntosh lights anymore…

Brave new world if they work.

[morphsci]

1 hour ago, Aura said:

i am really glad i didn't buy ls50 wireless in the past... very good chance i will try these at some point

https://us.kef.com/wireless/ls60/ls60-wireless.html

 

 

 

13 minutes ago, n_maher said:

I’ll be more than a little curious to get the hard-core (or semi hard core) audiophile opinion of how these work.  If they work as advertised and as intended, my read is that they’ll basically replace about 90% of the standard audio chain.  

Have a nice preamp? Don’t really need it any more.
Nice DAC?  Nope, don’t need that either.
Amp? Shit, what is the point of all those McIntosh lights anymore…

Brave new world if they work.

Agree with both of the above. I believe the gra(e)y would work well in our new abode.

[Grahame]

Assuming the Hardware is up to snuff 

(and from the marketing it looks like it, see the 

Videos:  https://us.kef.com/wireless/ls60/ls60-wireless.html#attributevideos

and downloads: https://us.kef.com/wireless/ls60/ls60-wireless.html#attributedownloads

especially the white paper: https://us.kef.com/pub/media/ls60-content/LS60W_WP.pdf ) 

Then it's just a matter of "doing it in software" - and they seemed to have ticked all the boxes / major audio streaming services/protocols  at launch, 

rather  than*  *"coming soon"

so more "smart" speakers, than just active speakers .

 

The only danger being forced obsolescence, if they don't update the software, to force you to buy the next version - but maybe thats not an issue for their target market.

 

Interesting times.

 

 

[blessingx]

Sexy. No one tell Onkyo. 

[swt61]

I'm hoping that this type of smart speaker becomes much more standard and adopted by many speaker companies soon.

[shellylh]

On 5/16/2022 at 9:21 AM, Aura said:

i am really glad i didn't buy ls50 wireless in the past... very good chance i will try these at some point

https://us.kef.com/wireless/ls60/ls60-wireless.html

 

 

Oh man, these look amazing! 

[swt61]

I will volunteer to do a long term test/review for you, should you choose to purchase and have sent to me.

[skullguise]

Went to one of my local dealers today, got to listen to the LX-60's as well as the LSX II's.

The 60's are amazingly balanced top to bottom, very smooth yet detailed sounding; the bass is deep yet very tuneful I'd say.  Yet at times I thought it was still a little too polite...maybe TOO refined.....

The LSX II's were a little more bloomy in the mids; I actually heard more of the room & reverb on a couple recordings.  It may not have been as flat as the LS-60's tonally, but it was not glaring, and it sounded quite nice.

I think the LSX II's with the KC62 subwoofer (they have a line level output for subs I believe) would be an awesome pairing at about 1/2 the cost of the LS-60's.  But damn do those 60's look nice!

 

Edited August 6, 2022 by skullguise

[swt61]

There is a line level output for subs as well as digital processing to make it simple to integrate sub/s.

I haven't heard this setup yet, but the reviews are sure favorable. Smart speakers are the future, and KEF has a lot going for it in this game.