KEF LS50 Bookshelf Speaker Review

[digitalfrost]

That's less than I paid for them used

 

[Sancus]

Oddly enough over the holidays they were even cheaper in Canada. 900 CAD or approximately 680 USD.

The LS50W are much cheaper in Canada too. $2000 CAD or $1500 USD, which is $500-$1000 cheaper than in the US. Considering you get the DSP improvements like better bass, plus wireless capabilities, it's quite a bargain. You'll spend that much or more on your own electronics anyways, likely.

 

[mhardy6647]

I apologize if this is not allowed and/or it's just not the place*, but I just happened to notice at audioasylum that the LS50 (i.e., the unpowered morph) is on sale, again, for $899 US (in the US).

https://www.shop.us.kef.com/catalog...&utm_campaign=EMAIL-VDayAnnouncement-02032020

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* In either such case, please delete & accept my prospective apologies.

 

[hardisj]

I apologize if this is not allowed and/or it's just not the place*, but I just happened to notice at audioasylum that the LS50 (i.e., the unpowered morph) is on sale, again, for $899 US (in the US).

https://www.shop.us.kef.com/catalog/product/view/id/1143/s/ls50-mini-monitor-speaker-pair/category/94/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=LS50 Mini Monitor Speaker Pair&utm_campaign=EMAIL-VDayAnnouncement-02032020

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* In either such case, please delete & accept my prospective apologies.

I posted about it a few up. Pretty dang good deal, though!

 

[mhardy6647]

I posted about it a few up. Pretty dang good deal, though!

ooops, sorry about that! I looked, but obviously I didn't look hard enough!

 

[sweetchaos]

Currently, LS50 is $900CAD ($677USD equivalent) in Canada...if you're willing to drive across the border.

That's the same price as BlackFriday last year, so I'd say it's the lowest in the last 6 months.
Also, it was on sale for $900CAD on amazon.ca from Nov4-Dec31, 2019, then went back up to it's regular price.

Cheers!

 

[laurelkurt]

The LS50W are much cheaper in Canada too. $2000 CAD or $1500 USD, which is $500-$1000 cheaper than in the US. Considering you get the DSP improvements like better bass, plus wireless capabilities, it's quite a bargain. You'll spend that much or more on your own electronics anyways, likely.

I own the LS50Ws and like them, but if you expect to stream to them or run them wirelessly you may be very disappointed. KefStream app is terrible at best and their wi-fi reception is pretty bad also. I can stream to my TV, BD player, & laptops in the same room with zero problems. As a powered speaker with DSP and bass management they're great. They sometimes work with DLNA UPnP and sometimes fail to show up at all in Audirvana. I do love how they sound through the wired inputs and their ability to have several different EQ/bass management Xover points/phase profiles that you can cycle through, adjust, or compare with a tablet or phone controller.

 

[Doodski]

Here is a LS 50 for $798.00
https://www.visions.ca/product-deta...ers_black?categoryId=160&sku=LS50ABLK-OPENBOX

 

[sweetchaos]

Here is a LS 50 for $798.00
https://www.visions.ca/product-deta...ers_black?categoryId=160&sku=LS50ABLK-OPENBOX

Open-box. Cheaper of course. But Visions allows negotiations, so you can negotiate a new one for the same price as that price most likely.

 

[hardisj]

FWIW, I updated my new site with my old test data of the raw LS50 drive unit.

https://erinsaudiocorner.com/drive-units/kef-ls50-drive-unit/

 

[seamon]

The Kef LS50 pimp exists btw. Not sure if people are interested but I tried it and it changed the speakers completely. They sound so much better now.

 

[digitalfrost]

Good to see you here @seamon

 

[seamon]

Some measurements
LS 50 Pimp

LS50 Pimp with room correction DSP

LS50 Pimp DSP w/ sub vs 83dB target curve

 

[thewas]

Here are moving microphone measurements of my PC/desktop (at monitor stands behind my desk) LS50 setup without and with EQ, since I EQ them I didn't do the Tonfeile pimp:

Here are windowed measurements of the same setup which show that this method nicely linearise the direct sound above the modal region:

 

[QMuse]

Here are moving microphone measurements of my PC/desktop (at monitor stands behind my desk) LS50 setup without and with EQ, since I EQ them I didn't do the Tonfeile pimp:

View attachment 51071

Here are windowed measurements of the same setup which show that this method nicely linearise the direct sound above the modal region:

View attachment 51073

Nicely done EQ job!

Which tool did you use? Which smoothing was applied with those graphs, 1/6?

 

[thewas]

Thank you, I used just REW for everything which nowadays I even prefer to my Acourate FIR corrections.
Smoothing at above graphs is 1/6, but I used variable smoothing when creating the filters.

 

[QMuse]

Thank you, I used just REW for everything which nowadays I even prefer to my Acourate FIR corrections.
Smoothing at above graphs is 1/6, but I used variable smoothing when creating the filters.

I do the same.

Afterwards I import REW filters into rePhase to make some minor magnitude corrections and some phase corrections (passive XO phase compensation and some minor phase linearisation).

 

[thewas]

Here are is also a minimalistic but quite effective 6 PEQ filter that considers both direct on axis sound, early reflections and the estimated in-room response (lower plots are with EQ:

Filter  1: ON  PK       Fc   65.00 Hz  Gain   4.00 dB  Q  1.500
Filter  2: ON  PK       Fc   160.0 Hz  Gain  -1.00 dB  Q  3.000
Filter  3: ON  PK       Fc   530.0 Hz  Gain   1.50 dB  Q  3.000
Filter  4: ON  PK       Fc   800.0 Hz  Gain  -1.50 dB  Q  3.000
Filter  5: ON  PK       Fc    1600 Hz  Gain   2.00 dB  Q  5.000
Filter  6: ON  PK       Fc    4300 Hz  Gain  -3.00 dB  Q  1.000

Please consider including the appropriate pre-amp gain of -4 dB to avoid clipping.

 

[thewas]

Due to their smooth directivity the LS50 can be EQed to much even higher perfection, so equalizing the listening window smoothes thus also the predicted in-room response nicely:

(upper curves are LW and PIR without and the graphically offsetted by -10 dB curves are LW and PIR with my 8 PEQs).

Please feel free to contact me if you need the filter coefficients.

 

[QMuse]

Due to their smooth directivity the LS50 can be EQed to much even higher perfection, so equalizing the listening window smoothes thus also the predicted in-room response nicely:

View attachment 53807
(upper curves are LW and PIR without and the graphically offsetted by -10 dB curves are LW and PIR with my EQ).

This one would be my favorite choice.