KEF LS60 and WiiM Ultra?

[dako]

Since KEF is unlikely to implement room correction or PEQ for the LS60, I'm curious if anyone has experience using an external preamp or streamer with the LS60.

I'm considering connecting the WiiM Ultra's coaxial output to the LS60, while connecting the subwoofer to the Ultra. This would require using the Ultra as a preamp. Is that possible? Additionally, does the LS60 have an "Auto sense" feature for coaxial input?

 

[staticV3]

I'm considering connecting the WiiM Ultra's coaxial output to the LS60, while connecting the subwoofer to the Ultra. This would require using the Ultra as a preamp. Is that possible?

Yes.

Additionally, does the LS60 have an "Auto sense" feature for coaxial input?

You can make it so that the LS60 will wake up from standby as soon as you send audio to its Coax input:


Whether, when turned on, the LS60 will auto switch between inputs, I don't know.

The Ultra will, FWIW.

 

[Mnyb]

Yes and Yes I use the WiiM Pro + for this very purpose with my LS60 . I have made some use of the 10 band peq but not run the automatic room correction yet , I'm for the moment happy with my manual adjustments.

I use it with LMS so i actually just select the player in LMS and the WiiM wakes up and then the WiiM starts playing trough coax and the speaker wakes up

Nb it's a sligth delay between L&R speaker in wake up time , as the "master" speaker wakes up the other one.

 

[dako]

Yes.


You can make it so that the LS60 will wake up from standby as soon as you send audio to its Coax input:
View attachment 386424

Whether, when turned on, the LS60 will auto switch between inputs, I don't know.

The Ultra will, FWIW.

Great, thanks!

 

[dako]

Yes and Yes I use the WiiM Pro + for this very purpose with my LS60 . I have made some use of the 10 band peq but not run the automatic room correction yet , I'm for the moment happy with my manual adjustments.

I use it with LMS so i actually just select the player in LMS and the WiiM wakes up and then the WiiM starts playing trough coax and the speaker wakes up

Nb it's a sligth delay between L&R speaker in wake up time , as the "master" speaker wakes up the other one.

Are you satisfied with the LS60?

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Whether, when turned on, the LS60 will auto switch between inputs, I don't know.

I have my LS60 AutoSense set for Coax and it is switches on/off maintaining Coax as source. It is the only source I generally use but manual switching works, too.

 

[terryforsythe]

Since KEF is unlikely to implement room correction or PEQ for the LS60, I'm curious if anyone has experience using an external preamp or streamer with the LS60.

I'm considering connecting the WiiM Ultra's coaxial output to the LS60, while connecting the subwoofer to the Ultra. This would require using the Ultra as a preamp. Is that possible? Additionally, does the LS60 have an "Auto sense" feature for coaxial input?

Yes.

I have this:

WiiM Ultra --> Raspberry Pi w/ CamillaDSP --> MCHStreamer Kit --> LS60

 

[Moonbase]

Seams to a rather unbalanced budget. Rather like buying a brand new car then using a coat hanger as an aerial.

 

[Joffy1780]

Seams to a rather unbalanced budget. Rather like buying a brand new car then using a coat hanger as an aerial.

Do you think a more expensive digital pre-amp would be better? Just because it is more expensive?

 

[dako]

Seams to a rather unbalanced budget. Rather like buying a brand new car then using a coat hanger as an aerial.

I'm not quite sure what you're trying to say. I want to transfer data (1s and 0s) from one unit to another. Are you suggesting that more expensive streamers offer "better sound quality" when transmitting this data?

 

[Moonbase]

It think a comm

I'm not quite sure what you're trying to say. I want to transfer data (1s and 0s) from one unit to another. Are you suggesting that more expensive streamers offer "better sound quality" when transmitting this data?

Spending 4000-5000 dollars on speakers then pennies on other components such as open sources is not a balanced budget. I use Roon which has room correction built-in and a quality streaming software. No messing about with open source, just works.

 

[terryforsythe]

Seams to a rather unbalanced budget. Rather like buying a brand new car then using a coat hanger as an aerial.

Apparently you have never used CamillaDSP. The analogy you cite is way, way off target.

The KEF LS60s lack much in terms of DSP, but otherwise are very good speakers and, in my opinion, are a good value. For not a lot of money, relatively speaking, I have added very capable DSP; CamillaDSP is very powerful. It not only provides a virtually unlimited number of PEQs for each separate channel, but also convolution for each separate channel, mixing, filtering, etc.

Why waste a bunch of money on more expensive gear that is no more powerful, and perhaps even less powerful, than a Raspberry Pi running CamillaDSP?

By way of comparison, in my other system I have a miniDSP Flex HTx. It includes DACs, but I don't need external DACs with the LS60s - the LS60s have integrated DACs.

The Flex HTx has PEQs, but there are a finite number of them. With CamillaDSP, I can add as many PEQs as I want.

The Flex HTx probably is using convolution within DiracLive, but CamillaDSP lets me use my own convolution files, which I generate in REW. I actually prefer that over DiracLive when I am tuning for a specific listening position, which is the case for my LS60s - I have them in my office and always sit in the same location.

 

[terryforsythe]

Spending 4000-5000 dollars on speakers then pennies on other components such as open sources is not a balanced budget. I use Roon which has room correction built-in and a quality streaming software. No messing about with open source, just works.

I did not choose the Raspberry Pi due to a budget. I chose it so that I could run CamillaDSP in a compact and quiet form factor. The fact that it is inexpensive is just a bonus.

EDIT: I see Roon has updated its DSP since I last used it. Nonetheless, I don't know of any other product to use with my LS60s that will serve my needs as well as CamillaDSP, regardless of price.

Also, the longer you are in this forum the more you will realize that, with audio equipment, price and performance do not always correlate.

 

[Joffy1780]

It think a comm

Spending 4000-5000 dollars on speakers then pennies on other components such as open sources is not a balanced budget. I use Roon which has room correction built-in and a quality streaming software. No messing about with open source, just works.

No messing about with the Ultra either and you don't have to pay a subscription for the PEQ like you do with Roon. Or is paid-for EQ better than free EQ as well?

 

[Moonbase]

No messing about with the Ultra either and you don't have to pay a subscription for the PEQ like you do with Roon. Or is paid-for EQ better than free EQ as well?

A good stereo is not like an av system and peq will balance the bass without over eqing. I don’t pay a monthly subscription with Roon and profit from the many features available, so not just a streamer. I know many don’t like paying for good software but at the end of the day that’s what makes a good streamer.

 

[staticV3]

A good stereo is not like an av system and peq will balance the bass without over eqing. I don’t pay a monthly subscription with Roon and profit from the many features available, so not just a streamer. I know many don’t like paying for good software but at the end of the day that’s what makes a good streamer.

No part of the WiiM's software or hardware can possibly bottleneck the sound quality achievable with the LS60W.

It has the same PEQ that's available in Roon and is capable of bit-perfect audio transmission to the KEF, just like Roon.

 

[terryforsythe]

A good stereo is not like an av system and peq will balance the bass without over eqing. I don’t pay a monthly subscription with Roon and profit from the many features available, so not just a streamer. I know many don’t like paying for good software but at the end of the day that’s what makes a good streamer.

We get it, you are a Roon fanboy. That's fine. But, unless you have actually used CamillaDSP for a reasonable length of time, your criticizing my choice to use it is based on incorrect presumptions and ignorance on your part.

 

[kemmler3D]

Spending 4000-5000 dollars on speakers then pennies on other components such as open sources is not a balanced budget. I use Roon which has room correction built-in and a quality streaming software.

Well, it is, because a WiiM unit does the same thing. A balanced budget for a stereo isn't one where everything costs a comparable amount of money, it's one that puts money where it improves sound or functionality, and not elsewhere.

If you really like Roon's UX, or want a nicer box, or a different UI, it's fine to spend extra to get it. However, spending more on a streamer with a digital connection will improve sound quality by 0%, so a WiiM or even Rpi can "balance" the budget very well if you are OK with the WiiM features and interface.

I actually have a WiiM mini hooked up to my LS60s and it's fine and dandy.

 

[Moonbase]

No part of the WiiM's software or hardware can possibly bottleneck the sound quality achievable with the LS60W.

It has the same PEQ that's available in Roon and is capable of bit-perfect audio transmission to the KEF, just like Roon.

Seam to have missed the point that the software makes the streamer. For sure the wiiim the best non Roon streamer, but that tells you everything.
Room for example is certified against each end point. Some like NAD have struggled to make the standard in some cases. Gives you reassurance that you really might be getting something near bit perfect. .

 

[kemmler3D]

Seam to have missed the point that the software makes the streamer. For sure the wiiim the best non Roon streamer, but that tells you everything.
Room for example is certified against each end point. Some like NAD have struggled to make the standard in some cases. Gives you reassurance that you really might be getting something near bit perfect. .

If that's important to you then it's reasonable to spend more on it, although to be totally honest, I question the audible difference between bit-perfect digital audio and a stream that's been resampled or had a couple bits of digital gain applied one way or the other.

What makes Roon a good value for you doesn't make WiiM a poor value for someone else, though.