Kef Ls50 Wireless Ii Price – Has there ever been a more successful and larger bookshelf speaker in the 21st century than KEF’s LS50? I doubt it. See what the LS50 and its descendants look like on SoundStage! Network.
, Doug Schneider concluded “The LS50 is nothing short of the best of a mini monitor, priced so that the audio-conscious can buy a pair—and they probably should.” The LS50 was named a Reference Stage and won at 2013 SoundStage! Network Product of the Year Award for outstanding value.
Kef Ls50 Wireless Ii Price
Four years later, KEF released a powerful version of the LS50 with Class-D and Class-AB amplifiers, DAC and network channel. The LS50 Wireless won a Reviewer’s Choice award when reviewed by Hans Wetzel for SoundStage! Installation, followed by 2017 SoundStage! Network Product of the Year Award for – you guessed it – excellent value.
Stands That Deliver
Last year, KEF released the LS50 Meta ($1499.99/pair, all prices USD) and the LS50 Wireless II ($2499.99/pair). Both models feature KEF’s new Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT), which KEF claims reduces distortion and discoloration. When Doug Schneider reviewed the LS50 Meta for
Last year it won the Critic’s Choice award, which was later named the Men’s Choice Award, and we were given the ultimate honor, the SoundStage of 2020! Hall of Fame Award for Network Product of the Year.
I’ve had a couple of LS50s for a few years and love them. Ever since the LS50 Wireless II was announced last fall, I’ve been obsessed with KEF for a review – in fact, these speakers are examples of
In hi-fi. But demand for the LS50WII has been through the roof, so it wasn’t until mid-May that a pair of LS50WII arrived at my home in Toronto.
Kef Ls50 Meta And Kef Ls50 Wireless Ii Announced
Like the other LS50s, the LS50 Wireless II has a circular faceplate; Smack-dab in the middle is KEF’s latest version of its Uni-Q driver array, with a 1″ aluminum dome tweeter atop a 5.25″ magnesium/aluminum alloy midrange woofer. On the back of each MDF cabinet is a lace-like bass port.
The cabinets have a matte finish, which is nicer to the eye and touch than the glossy ones on the LS50 Wireless. The LS50WII is available in four colors: Carbon Black, Mineral White, Titanium Gray and Crimson Red. The Uni-Q drivers on the Carbon Black and Mineral White models feature mid-range woofer cones and triple waveguides. On the Crimson Red model, the cone and waveguide are dark gray. For my review, KEF provided a pair of LS50WIIs with a Titanium Gray finish, red tint and waveguides.
Its exterior dimensions – 12″ H × 7.9″ W × 12.2″ D – are the same as the LS50 Wireless and slightly larger than the LS50 and LS50 Meta. The first speaker weighs 22.2 pounds, where all the connections and control electronics are; the second speaker weighs 20 pounds. By default, the primary speaker is used for the right channel, but you can change this setting in the Speaker Preferences menu in the KEF Connect app design.
The LS50WII features the same 12th generation Uni-Q driver as the LS50 Meta. The main difference between that driver and the 11th generation Uni-Q driver used in the original LS50 and LS50 Wireless is the tweeter’s Metamaterial Insertion Technology. A 3″ MAT disc on the back of the tweeter contains 30 tubes of different sizes and shapes that absorb sound energy back from the driver, so that it is not reflected from the interior surfaces of the cabinet and interfere with the front tweeter’s radiation.
Kef Ls50 Wireless Ii (white), Audio, Soundbars, Speakers & Amplifiers On Carousell
Like the original LS50 Wireless, the LS50WII has a powerful design with separate amplifiers for the midrange woofer and tweeter and a digital switch. The amplifiers in the new model are more powerful: a 280W class-D amplifier for the midrange woofer and a 100W class-AB amplifier for the tweeter. Amplifiers were rated at 200W and 30W in the LS50 Wireless. In the LS50WII, the midrange woofer is switched to the tweeter at 1.9 kHz.
In addition to providing digital transfer, the LS50WII’s digital signal processor (DSP) implements KEF’s Music Integrity Engine – a suite of custom DSP functions including phase correction, dynamic matching and compensation. room – can be controlled by the KEF Connect app. I explain these settings in detail in the setup and software section.
Along with the active design, the DSP allows the LS50WII to play louder and deeper than a comparable subwoofer. KEF claims a maximum SPL at 1m of 108dB for the LS50WII, but a value of 106dB for the LS50 Meta, which has the same driver and cabinet design. The LS50WII’s rated frequency response in standard bass mode is 48Hz–28kHz, ±3dB. For the LS50 Meter, it is 79Hz–28kHz, ±3dB.
On the LS50 Wireless, the first and second speakers must be connected to an Ethernet cable, which carries 24-bit/192kHz PCM audio. With the LS50 Wireless II, the first and second speakers can be connected wirelessly. They are paired at the factory, so you don’t have to worry about this in the setup. You can also connect the first and second speakers by running a 3m (9.8′) Ethernet cable between the P/S (first/second) ports on the rear panels of the speakers. The LS50WII supports 24/96 audio with a wireless connection and 24/192 when wired.
Kef Ls50 Wireless Review & Product Of The Year 2016
All the inputs are on the back of the main speaker, which also includes Bluetooth and Wi-Fi circuitry. Unlike the original LS50 Wireless, the LS50WII does not have a USB Type-B port for connecting a computer. On the top left of the jack group is an HDMI eARC port, labeled TV, on the right is a TosLink input, S/PDIF coaxial input and 1/8″ stereo analog input. On the right are the buttons for factory reset, reconnecting the first and second speakers, and Bluetooth pairing. On the second row is a P/S port, a subwoofer port (RCA female), a USB Type-A port for service, an Ethernet port for connecting a router and a three-pin IEC power input.
From left to right on the back of the second speaker are the P/S port, the subwoofer port, the USB service port, the P/S dual button and the IEC power input.
To control the LS50WII, you can use the touch panel on top of the main speaker, the integrated remote or the KEF Connect app. The touch panel has five buttons for power, cycling through inputs, mute, volume down and volume up. Above these buttons are indicator lights that show active input: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, TV (HDMI eARC), optical, coaxial or auxiliary (1/8″ analog).
The remote has power and mute buttons on the top and a four-way selector button on the bottom with volume and source scrolling functions. Below are three buttons for skipping, pausing and resuming tracks during network and Bluetooth playback.
The Ls50 Wireless Ii Are Kef’s Hi Fi Connected Speakers
However, most interactions with the LS50WII will work with the companion app, which has received a major update. The first generation LS50 Wireless has special applications for setup and music playback: KEF Control and KEF Stream. For the LS50WII, setup, control and music playback are integrated into one app: KEF Connect.
KEF Stream supports three streaming services: Spotify, Tidal and QQ Music (a popular streaming service in China). You can also stream music stored on your phone. All of this is possible with the LS50WII’s KEF Connect app, but KEF has included support for Amazon Music, Deezer and Qobuz. The LS50WII supports Apple AirPlay 2 and Chromecast Built-in, neither of which was available on the original. The LS50WII is Roon Angry (originally Roon Tested). The LS50W has Spotify Connect so you can stream to it from the Spotify app. The LS50WII adds Tidal Connect and QPlay, so you can stream directly to the speaker from Tidal’s and QQ Music apps.
Unlike the original LS50 Wireless, the LS50WII is capable of MQA Core decoding, allowing Tidal subscribers to play Masters content in up to 24/96 resolution. KEF has added DSD support, allowing the LS50WII to accept DSD256 via its network inputs. Maximum source resolution for the LS50WII is 32/384 PCM and DSD256 via Wi-Fi and Ethernet, 24/96 via TosLink and 24/192 via coaxial S/PDIF. All audio streams are converted to 24/96 PCM if the two speakers are connected wirelessly, or 24/192 if a wired connection is used between their P/S ports.
I placed the KEF LS50 Wireless II’s on top of a 28″ long Monoprice Monolith speaker standing on either side of an electric fireplace in our 1920’s townhouse. In that position they were 7′ apart. , 7′ from the sweet spot at our end entry. The back panels are 16″ from the back wall.
Kef Ls 50 Wireless Ii Review: Stereo Magazine
The LS50WII comes with the most basic Quick Start Guide I’ve ever seen. Three diagrams instruct you to connect the speakers to power outlets, wait for the Wi-Fi signal on the first speaker to flash white and red, and download the KEF Connect app from in Apple’s App Store or Google Play. That’s it.
Fortunately, the Android and iOS versions of KEF Connect are well designed. I think all users can get started by following the app’s instructions. But I think it’s worth downloading the 98-page user manual included
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