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Rear port and bookshelf (KEF LSX II LT)

Nacho man

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Jan 7, 2025
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Hi,

I’m new to the forum, but I’ve been reading and enjoying this awesome community for a long time.

I’m a musician who usually listens to music on my studio monitors in my home studio setup. Recently, I decided I want to start listening to music in the living room as well, so I tested a pair of KEF LSX II LT speakers.

I have to say that I love their sound, look, and the convenience of having an all-in-one solution. However, the only reasonable place to put them in my living room is on a bookshelf. Unfortunately, this placement dramatically affects the sound quality, resulting in boomy bass, muddy low mids, and an overall compromised listening experience.

I’ve tried using the EQ in the KEF Connect app, but it doesn’t help enough to resolve the issue.

I was considering the idea of using port plugs to control the bass, but the manufacturer doesn’t seem to mention this possibility.

Any help, advice, or support would be greatly appreciated.
 
I was considering the idea of using port plugs to control the bass, but the manufacturer doesn’t seem to mention this possibility.
It doesn't hurt to try, and you can just temporarily stuff something in the port to block it.

The manufacturer has chosen and optimized either a sealed or ported design so in general, changing it will degrade performance. But there's a chance that it's not optimized for your particular situation.
 
I've tried this on a different pair of speakers and did the measurements to verify. The negative effects of the placement are mitigated just a little bit, I expect it will improve maybe around 20% of your issues. Here's another idea: is there not a possibility to attached speaker mounts to the wall or to the bookshelfs that will allow you to hand the speakers further away from the wall?
 
It doesn't hurt to try, and you can just temporarily stuff something in the port to block it.

The manufacturer has chosen and optimized either a sealed or ported design so in general, changing it will degrade performance. But there's a chance that it's not optimized for your particular situation.
Ok, I will give it a try. Thanks!
 
I've tried this on a different pair of speakers and did the measurements to verify. The negative effects of the placement are mitigated just a little bit, I expect it will improve maybe around 20% of your issues. Here's another idea: is there not a possibility to attached speaker mounts to the wall or to the bookshelfs that will allow you to hand the speakers further away from the wall?
Yes, I reached the same conclusion, but the aesthetics also suffer and seem to matter A LOT. According to my technical advisor (my wife), these little green speakers integrate beautifully with the rest of the items on the bookshelf.
Using stands would also be an option... if there weren’t little kids around. Fortunately..:), that’s not the case.

A really challenging issue!
 
If you get stands that can be filled with sand (or steel bearings or some other similarly heavy material) and securely attach the speakers to the stands there shouldn't be an issue with the little ones. Unless you're just concerned with them being low enough to the ground to be within reach? Using wall-mount brackets would seem to be a good resolution.

But yeah, having them in the bookshelf is unavoidably going to result in the issues you're experiencing. It's probable the bookshelf itself is resonating as well as providing way too much bass reinforcement.
 
What about using a software like REW to measure at the listening position and then eq accordingly to the results?
and would a front ported speaker help on this issue?
Thanks!
 
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this is in the official KEF web site.....?¿?¿¿¿
 
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