A new Kef speaker? The Kef LS Luxe

[mhardy6647]

View attachment 548266

that right there is awesome.
Also, one of these Luxes could double as a fine headphone holder.

 

[Miguelón]

I think comparing this KEF with Neumann or Genelec lacks many features that KEF has:
Steaming, HDMi, Toslink…
In terms only focusing onsound quality maybe.

I had LSX II and returned, IMO the lack of a proper PEQ doesn't worth.

I should connect them by coaxial to my WiiM Ultra, but this gave them the value of a medium quality 4 inch speakers.

For 4000€ they are close to 8341 pair, I would pay the extra money for the Genelec's SAM system.

POST EDITED: we should wait for measurements but I have doubts that they reach the 8341 linearity.

 

[AA63]

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That is hysterical.

 

[Miguelón]

So I wrote a two pages in depth analysis of the Luxe on the KEF Reddit forum page (a major social media platform) to add some perspective since basically all of the posts wheren’t any deeper than some flavor of ,,ugh look at this new ugly expensive egg from KEF“. My post was removed by the moderators without any reason. It took me two hours to write. Probably wasn’t superficial enough for that eco system. Never again.

Have you published here?

 

[terryforsythe]

For 4000€ they are close to 8341 pair, I would pay the extra money for the Genelec's SAM system.

Good point. I would like to see a review with a full suite of test data comparing the KEF LS Luxe to the Genelec 8341A. Amir and/or Erin, is that something you can provide???

 

[Goldhamster916]

I think my summary after thinking about them for an other day is:

at moderate volumes and with some wall reinforcement they are a almost full range true point source with excellent driver, outstanding dispersion, flat FR and almost no diffraction. I think these characteristics are fantastic. Bass was the biggest weakness of similar designs and they managed to mitigate this issue to a significant extend, just not enough if you want to listen loud and/or far away. Problem still is that it is a two way so I expect some multitone distortion problems at higher volumes, but independent measurements will tell. Maybe a bit disappointing that they didn’t went for a cardioid blade in that form factor but apart from that it’s awesome for what it is in my opinion, especially considering the form factor. They are barely any bigger than the LS 50.

Subjectively as a owner of the LS 50 meta and the reference 1 meta and also having listened to Dutch and Dutch’s and genelec I seriously consider selling my reference 1 meta for these. As far as I was able to evaluate, for me the LS 50 meta midrange/treble can compete with any of those, and the added bass of the luxe might enable me to cross them over at a similar frequency than the reference 1 meta in my small room while saving ~5k and having less distracting speakers next to my cherished Oled.

 

[Miguelón]

Good point. I would like to see a review with a full suite of test data comparing the KEF LS Luxe to the Genelec 8341A. Amir and/or Erin, is that something you can provide???

Amir reviewed 8341 here

Genelec 8341A SAM™ Studio Monitor Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Genelec 8341A SAM™ Studio Monitor (powered speaker). It is on kind loan from a member. Despite its small size, this is an expensive monitor, costing US $5,900 for a pair. Of course you get amplification as part of the package. The 8341 is an...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Don't known instrumental reviews of LS Luxe

 

[Miguelón]

I think my summary after thinking about them for an other day is:

at moderate volumes and with some wall reinforcement they are a almost full range true point source with excellent driver, outstanding dispersion, flat FR and almost no diffraction. I think these characteristics are fantastic. Bass was the biggest weakness of similar designs and they managed to mitigate this issue to a significant extend, just not enough if you want to listen loud and/or far away. Problem still is that it is a three way so I expect some multitone distortion problems at higher volumes, but independent measurements will tell. Maybe a bit disappointing that they didn’t went for a cardioid blade in that form factor but apart from that it’s awesome for what it is in my opinion.

Subjectively as a owner of the LS 50 meta and the reference 1 meta and also have listened to Dutch and Dutch’s and genelec I seriously consider selling my reference 1 meta for these. For me the LS 50 meta midrange/treble can compete with any of those and the added bass of the luxe might enable me to cross them over at a similar frequency than the reference 1 meta in my small room while saving ~5k and having less distracting speakers next to my cherished Oled.

Don't see anything offensive or inadequate, many times the Reddit auto moderator delete posts out of topic.

Recently I searched PWM (a kind of modulation in some OLED paneld), and all posts containing "temporal dithering" were removed.

 

[killdozzer]

How exactly would you make these cardioid if you wanted to? Would it basically be the same principle like on the ascilab C6C where the side woofers cancel out the side waves? or would the Coax/different crossover frequencies cause any issues with that approach? Not sure how cardioid works exactly so curious what you think.

Personally, I didn't go that far. I just thought to leave it as whatever it is in Blades. Just in a compact version.

I do believe it's vibration canceling.

 

[Goldhamster916]

Good point. I would like to see a review with a full suite of test data comparing the KEF LS Luxe to the Genelec 8341A. Amir and/or Erin, is that something you can provide???

Would love to see that, for me the purchase decision will be between genelec 8331/41 and the Luxe. Doesent necessarily have to be a comparison, Independent klippel measurements and than comparing those on spinorama might be enough. I tried to compare the distortion measurements of the luxe from their white paper to the genelec 8331 measurements from Erin but had trouble reading those since both use different parameter. I would say the Luxe is somewhat lower distortion in the bass but I am not 100 percent sure.

 

[LiveTek]

Genelec doesn't have models with consistent failures that are posted here, so its an easy choice for me.

 

[Goldhamster916]

Don't see anything offensive or inadequate, many times the Reddit auto moderator delete posts out of topic.

Recently I searched PWM (a kind of modulation in some OLED paneld), and all posts containing "temporal dithering" were removed.

My post on Reddit was way longer than this summary here. The moderators removed it because the ,,depth of the post just after the speakers launch raises questions about its validity“ .

 

[samysound]

Still no option for grill covers?

 

[kemmler3D]

How exactly would you make these cardioid if you wanted to? Would it basically be the same principle like on the ascilab C6C where the side woofers cancel out the side waves? or would the Coax/different crossover frequencies cause any issues with that approach? Not sure how cardioid works exactly so curious what you think.

As far as I know to make a speaker cardioid you need tuned slots or extra drivers on the side to generate an out of phase wave that cancels the sound on the sides and back of the speaker.

There's no reason you can't do this with a coaxial speaker, but it would tend to be disadvantageous with a coax, because cancelling the sound effectively uses up some of the SPL of the speaker, and coax drivers also give up some cone area for the tweeter, so it's a bit of a double whammy.

 

[tmtomh]

+1.
Kef does mention eq under Kef Connect integration. As far as I understand it's subwoofer integration, bass and treble roll off and eq against desk reflections.

View attachment 548269

https://images.salsify.com/image/upload/s--3dv0Hd7p--/myoxbujcbvrsfpjkmrph.pdf

Yes, and it’s a very good feature, especially since each speaker has a sub output, allowing for a true-stereo two-sub configuration.

It would be nice if the bundled EQ were supplemented with true room correction in the bass region, but I guess KEF doesn’t want to get into customer support for that (not to mention the mic aspect).

 

[mhardy6647]

One last aesthetic comment (not offered as facetiously as my previous ones):
This particular image, posted earlier in this thread...

Put me to mind of the so-called "Googie style" of the 1950s and early 1960s. Admittedly, the dominant motifs of Googie style were angular, but there were relatively sinuous, if not gratuitous, curves, too! The boomerang was a strong influence!

Maybe the LS Luxe's muse was more Guernica than Googie, though...

 

[terryforsythe]

I just thought to leave it as whatever it is in Blades. Just in a compact version.

I also would like to see something like that in a bookshelf form (the LS60 is like that, but it is a floor stander). Maybe something like the LS Luxe or LS50 Wireless with two 165mm (6.5") woofers, one on each side. Obviously it would be bigger, though.

 

[Miguelón]

Would love to see that, for me the purchase decision will be between genelec 8331/41 and the Luxe. Doesent necessarily have to be a comparison, Independent klippel measurements and than comparing those on spinorama might be enough. I tried to compare the distortion measurements of the luxe from their white paper to the genelec 8331 measurements from Erin but had trouble reading those since both use different parameter. I would say the Luxe is somewhat lower distortion in the bass but I am not 100 percent sure.

Not comparable to 8331 because low extensión, the natural contender would be 8341.

Genelec SAM monitors are way over the accuracy intended by KEF, the question is if non professional public need that degree of on axis precision.

Personaly I move a lot form sweet spot, a couple of room modes half corrected is enough to me. KEF LS 50 with mini DSP and a sub will do the job.

But if ever want to spend hours of music in face of my monitors, to me the 8341 are the way to go.

Specially for classical music, phase and frequency correction change the whole experience.

 

[Jazigo]

Review with some impressions and some basic measurements.

I find the recording comparisons interesting. He plays a reference track and then the sound as recorded from the speakers.
Very often there’s obvious audible differences with some of the coloured speakers he reviews. I heard very little difference between the reference track, and as played through the KEFs, in those supplied recordings:

I watched this with big anticipation, but I must admit I came away from it a bit befuddled. While it seems impressively clean, I kind of felt that the speaker lacked some 'bite' when compared against the source. Almost like the speaker could not keep up with the source.

Thinking out loud: Is this a downside of the VECO? Maybe the speaker/coil now have become "bandwidth" limited due to the feedback?

 

[kemmler3D]

I watched this with big anticipation, but I must admit I came away from it a bit befuddled. While it seems impressively clean, I kind of felt that the speaker lacked some 'bite' when compared against the source. Almost like the speaker could not keep up with the source.

Thinking out loud: Is this a downside of the VECO? Maybe the speaker/coil now have become "bandwidth" limited due to the feedback?

I would look more at the fact that this is an in-room recording, it's amazing that it sounds as close to the source as it does from that POV. There is some muffling of the sound compared to the source, but "bite" is something that should not be expected to be preserved in this situation. The best we can do is listen for major tonal variations or distortion in this format. As far as that goes I hear nothing obvious.