A new Kef speaker? The Kef LS Luxe

[Timcognito]

The concept actually goes back about 50 years. Philips was already doing something very similar with their MFB (Motional Feedback) powered speakers, particularly the compact 22RH541. The idea was essentially the same: monitor the woofer's actual movement and use a feedback loop to correct its behavior in real time.

It was a remarkably forward-thinking design, but the electronics, sensors and manufacturing tolerances of the day simply weren't mature enough for it to become mainstream. With today's DSP, processing power and far better components, it's no surprise to see manufacturers revisiting the same basic principle.

I'd be very interested to see independent measurements of KEF's implementation and how much of a measurable benefit the feedback system actually delivers.

There is a white paper by KEF on page 4 of this thread

 

[Nopiano]

Just bla bla bla no measurement

Indeed, though it was very early today. We now have KEF’s white paper, which previous editions have been pretty dependable, even less favourable than some independent reviews.

 

[MattHooper]

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:

 

[AaronJ]

Why are the colors so boring? View attachment 548134

Have you stepped into a men’s clothing store recently? Boring colors of all shades of brown and grey are in right now.

 

[AaronJ]

I think you put your finger on something there.

Yes, it seems like there’s a sort of uncanny valley effect of where the KEF is not quite a sphere and not quite a box, almost as if it’s unsure what it wants to be.

I don’t get this same slightly offputting uncanny Valley effect from something like the deliberate egg shape of the Waveform Mach MC monitors I used to own:

View attachment 548173

I used to own quite a number of speakers and my kids just referred to these ones as “The Eggs.”

It’s because the KEF looks like a thumb. Very familiar but like people who have those oddly shaped bulbous end digits.

 

[kyuu]

Have you stepped into a men’s clothing store recently? Boring colors of all shades of brown and grey are in right now.

The answer as to why KEF makes them in these colors and the reason why the clothes are those colors are the same: they are what sell.

 

[mglobe]

Supports streaming via Ethernet and Qobuz and Tidal connect applications. So you could plug them in and control content with a phone or tablet. A clean and simple setup in a room where you don’t want all the cables and boxes we have in a standard audio system. Also has room correction capability, supports a sub,…. A pretty compelling set of features. Link below should show you the info I’ve quoted. Edit: It’s a file I found on the KEF website.

Fact sheet.

 

[kemmler3D]

Supports streaming via Ethernet and Qobuz and Tidal connect applications. So you could plug them in and control content with a phone or tablet. A clean and simple setup in a room where you don’t want all the cables and boxes we have in a standard audio system. Also has room correction capability, supports a sub,…. A pretty compelling set of features. Link below should show you the info I’ve quoted. Edit: It’s a file I found on the KEF website.

Fact sheet.

Room EQ!! One of the biggest missing features on the LS60 in my (and others') opinion. I wonder if this is a KEF Connect feature and they'll backport it, or does this new speaker really have that much more DSP power under the hood?

 

[MattHooper]

Now that I think about it, I am a bit surprised that they left out a phono stage with this speaker. I mean just given the number of audiophiles (and to a degree non-audiophiles) playing records. I wonder how much expense they would say leaving out a phono stage.

 

[mglobe]

Now that I think about it, I am a bit surprised that they left out a phono stage with this speaker. I mean just given the number of audiophiles (and to a degree non-audiophiles) playing records. I wonder how much expense they would say leaving out a phono stage.

It’s just a Waxwing away.

 

[Goldhamster916]

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.

 

[AM88]

They kinda remind me of some swans speakers that kinda looked like genelecs.

 

[Flaesh]

View attachment 548076 View attachment 548080View attachment 548081View attachment 548082

This is an idea for a stand!

 

[tmtomh]

I'm hoping by this point in the thread we can all agree that whether or not you like the shape/design of the enclosure, it's not just done to look a certain way and it's not dumb - it's that weird, rounded shape for the same reason Genelecs are weirdly rounded-looking (I say this as a very happy owner of a pair of 8351b's).

I'm not in the market for these but they seem great to me, and I have no trouble believing they are a real step up from the LS50. The change to a 6.5 inch driver for mid/bass is significant, as is the veco/servo bass thing, the bass extension, the reduced distortion, and the apparently impressive SPL capabiity. I also appreciate that their wired tether is optional if you don't care about source sample rates above 96kHz, and that it's essentially an entire stereo unto itself.

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 just watched this review a few minutes ago - in fact, it's the reason I came over here to ASR and searched to see if there was a thread on these speakers yet. Looking at the spin for these speakers (shared earlier in this thread), I'm impressed at how similar this reviewer's gated measurements were to the spin - he only shows 200Hz and up (because they're gated in-room measurements), but the curve looks essentially identical.

I do wish they came with some kind of room correction function from 300Hz downward, and I think the lack of a USB source input is just stupid. But these are minor quibbles, and I think some folks in this thread are being a little bit dismissive of how impressive these are.

 

[Pearljam5000]

 

[DavidMcRoy]

Kidding aside, I think it looks okay. I also love raw oysters, but I understand their lack of broad appeal.

 

[Marc v E]

I'm not in the market for these but they seem great to me, and I have no trouble believing they are a real step up from the LS50. (...)

I do wish they came with some kind of room correction function from 300Hz downward, and I think the lack of a USB source input is just stupid. But these are minor quibbles, and I think some folks in this thread are being a little bit dismissive of how impressive these are.

+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.

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

 

[Sokel]

???
GeneKef's ?

 

[dasherzx]

i did not read up on measurements and only glanced at the specs but this looks like just something for the devialet and hermes totting folks. nothing wrong there, id be happy if I got it in a lottery too.

 

[FLS3]

They're a *little* bit more decor friendly than similar Genelecs. I'm mostly interested in how they perform. Obviously I'm hoping to see amir's assessment.