See video linked above for subjective and objective analysis. I have provided a brief transcript below.
A very slim design that doesn’t call attention to itself. A subwoofer is not entirely necessary as the response of this speaker has an anechoic F3 of ~23Hz. Though, if one wants to add a subwoofer(s) then you can do so easily with the subwoofer outputs. Combined with providing a plethora of inputs from HDMI to wireless streaming, these factors make the LS60 a huge leap forward from typical “soundbar replacement” speakers.
Neutral speaker at any position. Though, aiming the speaker off-axis by 10-20° is recommended (as is the case with coincident/coaxial designs, in general). This smooths the HF diffraction ~9kHz which otherwise can sound like some top-end “shimmer/sparkle” is missing from instruments such as cymbals and shakers, etc. You do not have to sit in the perfect spot to get great tonality; you can be off axis by as much as 50° and still enjoy the same overall tonality (but not stereo imaging thanks to time/level differences, a problem with stereo listening itself).
The bass below 200Hz is slightly elevated which can result in a perceived bass bump in the listening position. I found this to be a bit too much when I had the speakers placed near the wall behind them. The KEF Connect app allowed me to resolve that by adjusting the “wall mode” to about -3dB and using the bass in “extended” mode which was a great compromise to get full 20Hz to 20kHz sound.
Output seems limited to about 96dB/1m (anechoic) for a single speaker. In my listening in my room at approximately 10 feet listening distance I found I was volume limited to 100-105dB (depending on source). This should be adequate for most but if you have a very large room with further seating distance than this you may find yourself wanting additional output. Or you may not. Use an SPL meter to determine your volume needs if this is a concern for you. You may find you don’t listen as loud as you think.
Overall the design allows for a truly full-range speaker that negates the need for a separate subwoofer (at sane output levels) and integrates into any living room without yelling “I’m a speaker, look at me!” the way many other options do. The overall floorspace these consume is less than that of most bookshelf speakers with stands; the latter rarely achieve response below 50Hz.
