Dirac Live x KEF LS60 review

[Kal Rubinson]

How do you do that?
There’s no way to really interface with the LS60s except through the KEF Connect iPhone/iPad app, is there?
Or is there a way to connect using the USB port?
I’m a Mac user.

S/PDIF.

 

[Oddball]

One of the particularly intersting things Trinnov does (or tries to do) is that Speaker positions are "virtual" ... if the physical speaker is not in the correct position , Trinnov can (theoretically) reposition it....

This was reviewed in early Trinnov releases and reviews - before they moved to specialising in custom HT's (where the virtual positioning became more or less redundant!)

Sony seems to do something similar in their current generation AVR's

For many of us that have to live with a less than perfect listening room that doubles as loung/living etc... that feature would be very valuable - and it was included in the early days of Trinnov in Sherwood AVR's - at a reasonable price!

It really would be nice to see that feature licenced more broadly, potentially seperately from Trinnov's main AVP's....

Its main value is for the mass market where custom rooms are highly unusual... but Trinnov is no longer in that market.

I will need to do more digging around about Trinnov 3D processing. Some owners don't even think it helps much with correcting horizontal center under TV. I heard a system with this issue and definitively thought it helps. But my problem is a bit different as placement of the speakers is textbook vs MLP, but not symmetrical vs the whole room.

The pitch is that Trinnov could pick that up and try to expand the L soundstage (against the wall and windows) and shrink a bit R soundstage that is open to rest of the relatively large room. As noted really happy with ART so this is just me having too much time over the holidays . Trinnov has big downsides IMO such as no CEC, PC platform that is, well, prone to PC misbehaviour, as well as lack of ART. Waveforming is just not possible for my room, so would also likely take a hit there.

 

[Puddingbuks]

How do you do that?
There’s no way to really interface with the LS60s except through the KEF Connect iPhone/iPad app, is there?
Or is there a way to connect using the USB port?
I’m a Mac user.

You need an audio device which supports dirac like the bluesound node N130 from the topic starter. This device will enable you to measure and tweak with dirac and it has an output with a digital signal which you can connect to the LS60.

 

[quattro98]

How do you do that?
There’s no way to really interface with the LS60s except through the KEF Connect iPhone/iPad app, is there?
Or is there a way to connect using the USB port?
I’m a Mac user.

The Dirac is done upstream of the speaker. That could be via an audio component (such as the Bluesound Node or number of other receivers/processors) or a computer with a license (Mac or PC).

https://www.dirac.com/

 

[FletchAZ]

Gm everyone — first post here!
I’ve been a KEF LS60 owner for a bit over a year now. I really like these speakers, but I’ve always found them a little boomy in the midrange. My setup doesn’t help: the LS60s sit in my living room, which doubles as my listening space — hardwood floors, large windows, and not exactly the kind of place my wife would approve of acoustic panels .

Playing with the LS60’s built-in settings helped somewhat, but there was still something missing.

A few weeks ago, I decided to try the Bluesound Node (N130) with a Dirac Live license. Measuring the room was super easy, and after tweaking the target curve toward a proper Harman curve — wow. It’s like having completely new speakers. The boominess is almost gone, the overall presentation more relaxed yet sharper, like a curtain has been lifted. Voices are clearer and more natural — both for music and movies. Honestly, it took my LS60s from a 3.5/5 to a solid 5/5 in enjoyment.

I even added a KC62 sub to fill in the lowest end for movies, and the integration is seamless. I really wish KEF supported Dirac Live natively — I imagine a lot of LS60 owners are in the same situation.

A few drawbacks: the Node adds about 50 ms of delay, so lip-sync in movies isn’t perfect if you’re really watching for it (my wife doesn’t notice at all). Also, if you want to keep using your TV remote, the best setup is eARC from TV → Node → optical → LS60, letting the Node handle volume. I reprogrammed my LS60 remote to control the Node — works great once set up.

Overall, a bit pricey and takes some tinkering to dial in, but the payoff is absolutely worth it.
Curious — anyone else here using Dirac Live with the LS60 or a similar setup?

I am just lucky to have a closed rectangular room as my listening space. But to soften the impacts of hardwood floors and a 10-foot-high ceiling, I added some upholstered furniture and a couple of rugs, as well as a tall bookcase full of books, and my LS 60s and KC62 sub sound great to me and my semi-audiophile friends. Maybe ignorance is bliss, but my unscientific approach has been satisfying me and three discriminating listening groups who meet here for two-hour music sessions for the past eleven months. The red wine might be helping too!

 

[FletchAZ]

Perhaps I am just lucky to have a closed rectangular room as my listening space. To soften the impacts of hardwood floors and a 10-foot-high ceiling, I added some upholstered furniture and a couple of rugs, as well as a tall bookcase full of books, and my LS 60s and KC62 sub sound great to me and my semi-audiophile friends. Maybe ignorance is bliss, but my unscientific approach has been satisfying me and three discriminating listening groups who meet here for two-hour music sessions for the past eleven months. The red wine might be helping too!

 

[phoenixdogfan]

I'm thinking about buying a pair of used LS 60's but they are listed as "not working" with the problem being that "the reset button does not work, and they can not be connected to the KEF app, but they do pair with each other when connected." Has anyone ever seen this problem and know how easy (expensive) it might be to fix? Is it possible to get the speakers trans-shipped to a Kef USA repair center and have them repaired (at my expense, of course)? And are the electronics such that they would possibly work with analog input, with just the streaming part being in need of repair?

I know it's not a lot to go on, but there is probably someone who knows the schematics of that circuit like the back of their hand, possibly someone who's even encountered such a problem first hand and has some knowledge as to the most likely defect and fix.

Not asking for a guarantee here, just a best informed guess.

 

[Mr. Reeee]

I'm thinking about buying a pair of used LS 60's but they are listed as "not working" with the problem being that "the reset button does not work, and they can not be connected to the KEF app, but they do pair with each other when connected." Has anyone ever seen this problem and know how easy (expensive) it might be to fix? Is it possible to get the speakers trans-shipped to a Kef USA repair center and have them repaired (at my expense, of course)? And are the electronics such that they would possibly work with analog input, with just the streaming part being in need of repair?

I know it's not a lot to go on, but there is probably someone who knows the schematics of that circuit like the back of their hand, possibly someone who's even encountered such a problem first hand and has some knowledge as to the most likely defect and fix.

Not asking for a guarantee here, just a best informed guess.

From what you describe it sounds like a hard pass. AVOID!

The LS60s have numerous inputs, so there are plenty of options for connecting other sources.