KEF LS50 Bookshelf Speaker Review

[ripmixburn]

How does my Anthem Room Correction via ARC Genesis look for my pair of LS50 speakers? It's a very challenging room I'll say but it does seem to clarify the presentation a lot. I'm using a PW Link so the sub is not discretely controllable, so it's treated as a full range setup. Maybe my sub volume is a tad loud, but it's hard to know what to set it at. I maxed up the correction upper freq but otherwise did not touch anything.

 

[peng]

In my opinion, if the "combined measurement (with level adjustment and bass management)" in the top graph is the uncorrected one then I would say AARC has a very easy job to do and the results would expectedly be very good.

That's assuming smoothing is not more than 1/12 and AARC's corrected curve is accurate so I would prefer to see some REW graphs that will show the actual corrected results.

 

[TheBatsEar]

Bought a pair for 665,42€ just now.

If they suck, i blame you lot!

 

[Xyrium]

Bought a pair for 665,42€ just now.

If they suck, i blame you lot!

Haha, I suppose you could do worse!

 

[Angsty]

Bought a pair for 665,42€ just now.

If they suck, i blame you lot!

If you hate them, you'll have no real problem selling them. I've had mine for nearly 4 years now; no regrets yet! Every time I improve the upstream equipment, I hear more of what they can do.

 

[TheBatsEar]

Didn't pay much, so i'm not mad if they don't blow my ATCs away.

Sadly, they only had the original color (gold driver, black satin front, black high gloss sides and back). Not a friend of that, there is a satin black edition (everyting satin black, including driver) and i may be able to get that pair for not much more.

Well, and i bought a Dirac license for my MiniDSP Flex, can't wait to get some time to play with it

 

[Angsty]

As I listen to my KEF LS50's right now, I reflect on how much a subwoofer can add. The LS50 doesn't really need a subwoofer to sound good, but it can benefit from more drive in the lower octaves. I purchased an inexpensive Klipsch subwoofer just over a year ago to add into the system and I generally prefer the system with the sub running, particularly when enjoying acoustic bass. KEF itself has some good options, too, of course.

 

[TheBatsEar]

Pro tip, use a room modelling tool like https://amcoustics.com/tools/amroc and pick your mains to sub XO point between room modes. Your ears will thank me later

This tool is depressing. My room sucks.

Spay painted my loudspeaker stands yesterday to colour match them to my LS50 since after optimising their EQ and positioning I really love them and use them in my main system again,

before
View attachment 88253

and after
View attachment 88254

I have the same stands in white. Nice.

 

[Xyrium]

I had ATC SCM11's as I was trying a bunch of studio monitors. However, the Focal Solo6be produced more of the audio spectrum to my ear, and the front port didn't seem to impact the sound; both which led to better integration with subs. I noticed that you have their bigger brother, so perhaps the SCM19s are better in this regard.

That said, the KEFs also roll off the LF. However, many people seem to have achieved success integrating them with subs.

BTW, I also had the SCM7s....those were a total no-go.

 

[TheBatsEar]

I had ATC SCM11's as I was trying a bunch of studio monitors. However, the Focal Solo6be produced more of the audio spectrum to my ear, and the front port didn't seem to impact the sound; both which led to better integration with subs. I noticed that you have their bigger brother, so perhaps the SCM19s are better in this regard.

That said, the KEFs also roll off the LF. However, many people seem to have achieved success integrating them with subs.

BTW, I also had the SCM7s....those were a total no-go.

Very happy with the SCM19v2, the best i have had in my humble abode so far. I appreciate their grand stereo illusion. However, it falls apart if i stand up and get my ear above tweeter height. I even slanted them a bit back to get a larger sweet spot, they are fine vertically down.
Since the LS50 have very nice dispersion, vertically up and down, i hope to get some better stereo illusion.
We will see.

The 19v2 seem to have thin, but precise bass and go really deep, but only if i'm sitting between them. In my listening armchair there is a big null and i have no deep bass whatsoever without a subwoofer. Even a pair of Focal Chorus 826V didn't rock me without subs. My room is a nightmare.

I would like to listen to the SCM7v2 maybe for the computer desk one day. Cheapest i have seen is 800€ a pair, a bit to much peyote for this old cojote. I'll get a pair if they are available for 500€ or so. Was there anything in particular you didn't like?


BTW, i have canceled the LS50 order (665,42€) before they shipped, so someone else might get lucky. Got a pair of Black Edition LS50 at Ebay for 580€ instead. Saved 85€ and got the better color. Check it out:

They look awesome! Can't wait!

 

[Kachda]

Very happy with the SCM19v2, the best i have had in my humble abode so far. I appreciate their grand stereo illusion. However, it falls apart if i stand up and get my ear above tweeter height. I even slanted them a bit back to get a larger sweet spot, they are fine vertically down.
Since the LS50 have very nice dispersion, vertically up and down, i hope to get some better stereo illusion.
We will see.

The 19v2 seem to have thin, but precise bass and go really deep, but only if i'm sitting between them. In my listening armchair there is a big null and i have no deep bass whatsoever without a subwoofer. Even a pair of Focal Chorus 826V didn't rock me without subs. My room is a nightmare.

I would like to listen to the SCM7v2 maybe for the computer desk one day. Cheapest i have seen is 800€ a pair, a bit to much peyote for this old cojote. I'll get a pair if they are available for 500€ or so. Was there anything in particular you didn't like?


BTW, i have canceled the LS50 order (665,42€) before they shipped, so someone else might get lucky. Got a pair of Black Edition LS50 at Ebay for 580€ instead. Saved 85€ and got the better color. Check it out:
View attachment 202298
View attachment 202299

They look awesome! Can't wait!
View attachment 202300

Holy Batman's ears

 

[D700]

@TheBatsEar I have the black on black and I will never give them back. They sound great, especially with my little Velodyne MicroVee in a 12 x 15 office. I'm doing a repaint and some sound treatment soon but the black/black is really nice kit.

 

[TheBatsEar]

I left some pictures of them there:

The kit we bought, our current setups

This one? https://global.sharp/sc/excite/1_bit/sub2B1.html Tell us about your room size, how loud you want to crank it, do you plan to use a subwoofer? And welcome :) I dont want to use a subwoofer and i' d like small sized speakers. I like details and big stereo image not to listen loud.

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Vacceo]

I left some pictures of them there:

The kit we bought, our current setups

This one? https://global.sharp/sc/excite/1_bit/sub2B1.html Tell us about your room size, how loud you want to crank it, do you plan to use a subwoofer? And welcome :) I dont want to use a subwoofer and i' d like small sized speakers. I like details and big stereo image not to listen loud.

www.audiosciencereview.com

Do you think the LS50 with a subwoofer could be a good substitute for a TV soundbar?

 

[TheBatsEar]

Do you think the LS50 with a subwoofer could be a good substitute for a TV soundbar?

I think the LS50, even without subwoofer, can beat any TV soundbar in everything except bass. The LS50 don't have deep bass, obviously, since they are small. But they have some bass and so voices sound good and full, music sounds almost complete. A sub would enhance the experience of course.

Best thing i like about them so far is that they are small, and they seem to emit a large bubble of stereo illusion. More so than my ATCs, which did the same, but only horizontally and down. Now the stereo illusion keeps working, even if i stand up

 

[Vacceo]

I think the LS50, even without subwoofer, can beat any TV soundbar in everything except bass. The LS50 don't have deep bass, obviously, since they are small. But they have some bass and so voices sound good and full, music sounds almost complete. A sub would enhance the experience of course.

Best thing i like about them so far is that they are small, and they seem to emit a large bubble of stereo illusion. More so than my ATCs, which did the same, but only horizontally and down. Now the stereo illusion keeps working, even if i stand up

I´m thinking about getting a couple metas (I was thinking passive in order to add room correction on an amp) for a little living room with a TV. There is no room for a full multichannel system, and it would be nice to substitute the ancient Sanyo all in one system for something probably a galaxy away in terms of quality.

 

[TheBatsEar]

I´m thinking about getting a couple metas (I was thinking passive in order to add room correction on an amp) for a little living room with a TV. There is no room for a full multichannel system, and it would be nice to substitute the ancient Sanyo all in one system for something probably a galaxy away in terms of quality.

I have a TV in between my LS50, not yet watched TV with them, but i suspect they do the deed. I suspect the Metas have the same stereo illusion bubble that i like about the non Metas. However, the non Metas are 700€ for the pair in Europe now. The Metas are double that.

I also own a multichannel Marantz NR1609, 7 channels, Atmos and all that, but i couldn't be arsed yet to sort out the cable situation in my living room.

I'll probably do it soon[TM].

 

[Vacceo]

The ones I tried long time ago were the LSX as PC speakers. Best stereo for a PC I have ever tried. Sure, not as monstrous as my seven kef IQ´s on the PC, but that is a different case.

 

[TheBatsEar]

The ones I tried long time ago were the LSX as PC speakers. Best stereo for a PC I have ever tried. Sure, not as monstrous as my seven kef IQ´s on the PC, but that is a different case.

Not to be nosey, but what is that "seven Kef IQs" case you are talking about?

 

[Vacceo]

Not to be nosey, but what is that "seven Kef IQs" case you are talking about?

There are two pc's at home. One uses an ancient Aiwa all in one, that's where I tried the Kef LSX to great results.

On the other hand, my pc is hooked to a Denon avr with seven Kef IQ speakers of difference kinds.