KEF LS50 & LS50W - Why the huge price difference

[BillG]

Once you go battery for the power amp

I wasn't talking about powering your amp with a battery, but rather a CCA or RPi...

 

[JJB70]

In principle I'd prefer a pair of wireless system speakers, but for various reasons (cost compared to a similar passive set up, distribution of wall power sockets) it just doesn't seem to be working for me However, the amps I'm looking at all have very good wireless functionality for taking signals from smart devices etc which is probably what I really want.

 

[Ron Texas]

Both the LS50 and LS50W do have a somewhat limited maximum output of 106db. Many studio monitors will play louder without stress. A sub helps.

 

[jhaider]

Depending upon the client-server package being used, it can be a bit involved to configure - that's why my preferred streaming protocol is Chromecast. But, lots of skills? I don't find that to be true - Then again, I've got a master's in Computer Science...

As soon as you write "client-server package" you've lost most of the music-loving population.

It's too bad KEF doesn't have a sister brand they can use to save face. Consider the example of Paradigm PW and MartinLogan Unison/Forte. Paradigm underspecified PW products, relying on a half-baked streaming protocol with low adoption and large incompatibilities. They were able to fix their mistake by including standard Airplay on the MartinLogan equivalents. Now PW is on cut-price closeout, but Unison/Forte are able to maintain pricing.

 

[BillG]

As soon as you write "client-server package" you've lost most of the music-loving population.

Yeah, I'm using CS nomenclature there. Streaming apps then...

 

[simbloke]

So if KEF fixed their "mistake" and used AirPlay I'd need an iPhone and a new NAS. Thanks but I think I'll stick with DLNA.

 

[Julf]

So if KEF fixed their "mistake" and used AirPlay I'd need an iPhone and a new NAS. Thanks but I think I'll stick with DLNA.

Indeed. Annoying that for almost anything, there are two "standards" - a proper industry standard, and an Apple one.

 

[BillG]

Indeed. Annoying that for almost anything, there are two "standards" - a proper industry standard, and an Apple one.

There's more than two standards for streaming audio; somewhat unfortunately, I might add, as I view the situation as a mess: there's DLNA, Google Cast, Apple AirPlay, Yamaha MusicCast, Denon HEOS, DTS Play-Fi, Bluesound BluOS, and now WISA has appeared on the market recently. And I've probably left some out.

I would have included Bluetooth as well, but I'm specifically referring to protocols that are capable of streaming lossless with what I just listed.

I suspect a number of them are just a DLNA variant, but you know, high end audio has to be "special" in order to attract the gullible...

By the way, DLNA is available on numerous Net enabled televisions - it's capable of streaming video as well. So, KEF's engineers are correct when they state it's the most widely used streaming protocol. However, given Google’s influence, I suspect their Cast standard is on its way to usurping that with the Chromecast Built-in branding a lot of manufacturers are utilizing now.

 

[BillG]

So if KEF fixed their "mistake" and used AirPlay I'd need an iPhone and a new NAS. Thanks but I think I'll stick with DLNA.

DLNA tends to be used as a default in conjunction with whatever additional protocols manufacturers bake into their streaming products. So, it's unlikely KEF would have excluded it with an AirPlay based product...

 

[Totoro]

Yeah, I'm using CS nomenclature there. Streaming apps then...

What dlna server do you like? I wasn’t super keen on plex when I tried it, so I’m still using Logitech media server with squeezeboxes and ipads with iPeng on them.

 

[BillG]

What dlna server do you like? I wasn’t super keen on plex when I tried it, so I’m still using Logitech media server with squeezeboxes and ipads with iPeng on them.

Emby, because it's attractive and user-friendly. However, I use with a Chromecast, but it does have DLNA capability as well...

https://emby.media/

A screenshot of it running on my Android tablet:

 

[Totoro]

Emby, because it's attractive and user-friendly. However, I use with a Chromecast, but it does have DLNA capability as well...

https://emby.media/

A screenshot of it running on my Android tablet:

View attachment 32940

Thanks! I’ll try it.

 

[BillG]

Thanks! I’ll try it.

You're welcome...

 

[Totoro]

Thanks! I’ll try it.

You're welcome...

One of the things I really like about this place is people sharing stuff like this.

 

[Erik]

Frequency response graphs of LS50 (top) and LS50W (bottom).

Source: HiFi Test magazine.

 

[Ron Texas]

@Erik matching the passives to the actives with EQ is trivial.

 

[Juhazi]

@Erik matching the passives to the actives with EQ is trivial.

But the funny thing is, that most users of passive speakers love analog path and hate dsp/EQ

 

[Julf]

But the funny thing is, that most users of passive speakers love analog path and hate dsp/EQ

They might love them as a concept, but do you think they could pick out a pure analog path vs. a DSP route (with similar parameters) in a blind test?

 

[Ron Texas]

But the funny thing is, that most users of passive speakers love analog path and hate dsp/EQ

Well, they wouldn't have analogue path with the actives, for sure.

 

[JJB70]

I think that speakers are like a lot of things in that execution is critical. I think the arguments supporting active speakers as a superior solution are valid but I also think that passive speakers can perform superbly well.