KEF LS50 Meta vs KEF R3 Meta. Which one?

[Good Vibes]

Btw, having owned both the LS50 & R3, if I were to be in the market for a new speakers, I would be looking at the Ascilab C6B. Might be of interest to you.

 

[Mike_Trueman]

Btw, having owned both the LS50 & R3, if I were to be in the market for a new speakers, I would be looking at the Ascilab C6B. Might be of interest to you.

In EU they are back in stock end this year early next year.

 

[Rev]

I owned both at the same time and I 100% preferred the LS50’s. In my experience, the LS50’s had a wider soundstage and an impressive, crystal clear, holographic imaging which the R3’s did not. After a few months of direct A/B testing it was an easy decision for me, I sold the R3’s and bought a subwoofer. I was quite disappointed with the R3’s, they looked good but just didn’t do it for me.

My room was 15 x 13ft room.

Did you have trouble integrating a subwoofer to the ls50s?

I have concerns that if I buy the ls50s I would want more and ultimately should’ve purchased the R3 Metas.

 

[Mike_Trueman]

Just buy the KEF R3 speakers if you like the KEF sound.
Did you allready bought that M1 amplifier?

 

[Rev]

Just buy the KEF R3 speakers if you like the KEF sound.
Did you allready bought that M1 amplifier?

I haven’t purchased the m1 amp yet. Looking to buy speaker and amp

 

[KenMasters]

Did you have trouble integrating a subwoofer to the ls50s?

I have concerns that if I buy the ls50s I would want more and ultimately should’ve purchased the R3 Metas.

To my mind the key to getting good bass with the LS50s is to use subs with a high crossover. For this purpose you want two subs up front flanking the LS50s to avoid localisation.

I can't comment on the R3s since I don't own them, but I would imagine they would be easier, more flexible speakers to integrate given they're more capable.

 

[Heinrich]

To my mind the key to getting good bass with the LS50s is to use subs with a high crossover…

I always wondered why not so few owners praise the stereo imaging of the LS50 especially in contrast to the R3. In the data there‘s nothing. The curved front won‘t do too much, and measurement shows a lack of effect, a dB here or there. Some setups have reflecting surfaces close to the speakers also.

What might be the ‚magic‘ involved here? I don‘t reject the experience as sighted, hence irrelevant. But, from my perspective, there‘s something to be revealed, not originating in the shape, which reiterated, is a visual feature alone.

 

[terryforsythe]

I agree with those that recommend getting the LS60s.

 

[Good Vibes]

Did you have trouble integrating a subwoofer to the ls50s?

I have concerns that if I buy the ls50s I would want more and ultimately should’ve purchased the R3 Metas.

Wanting more seems to be a never ending problem with this hobby.

I found integrating a subwoofer a difficult task but mainly because my listening position was in a bass null and not the fault of the LS50’s. If you were able to integrate your sub and LSX’s, you be able to do it with the LS50’s.

I have owned 5 pairs of speakers with the R3’s being the most expensive but they were absolutely my least favourite. Some folk love them and some people don’t like them at all. After buying the LS50’s, I really enjoyed their vivid, holographic imaging but wanted more bass. In comparison, the R3’s had more bass weight, a narrow soundstage, I found the imaging to be disappointing and the sound generally didn’t engage me. I appreciate this reply is as helpful to you as a chocolate teapot but what you enjoy is totally personal to you and it will very much be a case of trial and error.

Good luck lol

 

[Rev]

Wanting more seems to be a never ending problem with this hobby.

I found integrating a subwoofer a difficult task but mainly because my listening position was in a bass null and not the fault of the LS50’s. If you were able to integrate your sub and LSX’s, you be able to do it with the LS50’s.

I have owned 5 pairs of speakers with the R3’s being the most expensive but they were absolutely my least favourite. Some folk love them and some people don’t like them at all. After buying the LS50’s, I really enjoyed their vivid, holographic imaging but wanted more bass. In comparison, the R3’s had more bass weight, a narrow soundstage, I found the imaging to be disappointing and the sound generally didn’t engage me. I appreciate this reply is as helpful to you as a chocolate teapot but what you enjoy is totally personal to you and it will very much be a case of trial and error.

Good luck lol

Really appreciate your response! I think I’m leaning towards the LS50s and integrate the KC62 In the mix. I think the KEF LS series does an incredible job with imaging. I just want to make the feel more whole when listening to music and not so much at the front. I think the LS50s can achieve that.

Unless there’s more opinions that think otherwise!

 

[tw 2022]

what no one here has brought up : this is all "picking nits" in the grand scheme of the hobby.. the ls50 is a fine choice , as is the r3... I just listened to the r3 metas for the first time a few days ago... very transparent and a decent soundstage (hard to tell how good at a store).. i've never heard the ls50 in person , but I did hear the q1's the other day as well (along with the q meta concerto's).. the q1's sounded smaller and weren't *nearly* as refined as the concertos or r3's, the ls50 should be more refined than the q1's by a decent margin, but they will probably sound "smaller"(than the r3's) at distance...

 

[DavidF]

Just an old man's two cents - I’m currently running KEF R3 Metas paired with a set of REL T/5x subs, driven by a Parasound P6 preamp and A23+ power amp—and the sound is absolutely spot-on. I’ve owned the LS50s in the past and they’re very good, but they just don’t quite measure up to the R3 Metas.

 

[Everett T]

With the current sale price, I'd get the R5, same price as the R3 with the same foot print.

 

[meracus]

I haven’t purchased the m1 amp yet. Looking to buy speaker and amp

Still maintain , an ls60 would be an end game for you . You will never look at another hi-fi system again for years to come
A pair of speakers … 2 power cords … the end
You get 6 dacs / 6 amps / a streamer / d to a / a to d wireless , small footprint / 4 time the surface area of the subs / more spl / great looks / zero cable …

 

[Heinrich]

Objective data tells, there is no relevant difference between R3 and LS50, except for a vastly differing output capability, especially if intermodulation is considered to be relevant. If one sees the LS50 a a jubilee product, in praise of the quite severely limited LS3/5 which was never intended for home use by any means, the picture gets new facets. High end buffs pay prices from the moon for the latter, only to get a „real“ specimen which is guaranteed to be degraded by time and decomposed plastics. Back in the day it was, presumably, the least costly path to a „reference“, approved system … while completely misunderstanding the thingy’s purpose.

Two problems: how is the benefit of LS50 described in less obscured terms—„imaging“, and how is the speakers’ contribution to that quality represented in the data?

 

[fritobugger]

I feel like the LS50 struggle once you get beyond near/mid field. The R3 would be my choice. That said, the recommendation for the LS60 is a good one if you are find with all of your eggs in one basket.

 

[Rev]

I feel like the LS50 struggle once you get beyond near/mid field. The R3 would be my choice. That said, the recommendation for the LS60 is a good one if you are find with all of your eggs in one basket.

I would love to upgrade to the LS60 But it’s a little out of my price range. I think the R3 Metas are at the end of my budget tbh!

 

[fritobugger]

I would love to upgrade to the LS60 But it’s a little out of my price range. I think the R3 Metas are at the end of my budget tbh!

The R3 Meta are very good speakers. I would be happy to run them.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

I have the LS 50 Meta and run them with two SVS SB 2000's. in a 12' x 12' listening room. The subs are crossed over at 150 hz using Dirac DLBC running on a mini computer. It's basically a 2 x 2 configuration with each sub within 24" of the main speaker. The amp is a kit version of the Purifi Eigentact I assembled from components. I've never heard the R3s, but the Ls 50's do sound great. I also have uBacch audio for windows running as a plug in which makes the imaging absolutely spectacular.

Even so, I do hear dynamic limitations with the system. For the most part it's fine unless I really want to crank it. Problem is, there are times when I really do want to crank it, and when I try everything just kind of flattens out and it starts sounding like a big, old transistor radio. Perhaps that's the IMD in the midrange making itself known. In any case, what I find after living with LS 50's in both OG and Meta versions is that both of them need subs to sound full range, but when supplied with something like the big 12" woofers of the SB 2000s both speakers image spectacularly, and have extremely flat in room response. But both have a definite volume constraint that a lot of people will from time to time chafe at.

That's why I am ultimately looking at relegating the Metas to surround sound duty and replacing them at some point in the near future with either Asci A6bs, LS60s, or Mesanovic CDM 65's. Haven't made my mind up yet on which of those three speakers is the superior choice, but all three are now selling at nearly identical price points, and all have reasonable footprints, and all appear to be a major step up from LS 50 Metas.

 

[Jiraya369]

I think the way the LS50's were hyped by the media many of us expected.. well, world beaters out of a single 5.25" coax driver while in reality we all have our own idea of what a world beater is and those little LS50's never had a chance to live up to everybody's expectations.

what other speaker in this price range is a point source that is ideal for close listening? have you seen where people put these speakers? They usually sit very close.

Hyped and for a good reason. Better things exist but they all have different pros and cons. It's a game of balancing and having the media hype a good speaker is better than one that is horrendous.