The KEF LS50 Wireless – CES 2017
I’ve never been a huge fan of the excess bulk and space necessary to push audio to its best form of self. KEF is pushing hard to provide a reasonable solve for this dilemma with the release of a new wireless version of the hugely popular LS50 monitor.
Officially announced around October of this year, the UK-based company has wasted no time quickly following up the big intro with a quick trio of colors to help spruce up your place. Now at CES, a trio of matching stands are coming to market to help complete the well coordinated look of the I-Do-Everything solution.
A well executed demo from KEF’s Marketing, eCommerce, and Brand Relations Manager Dipinjeet Sehdev, really drove home how much the top-selling product has really evolved. The new wireless is more than the LS50, more than a pair of computer speakers and even more than the company’s own X300A all-in-one. The symbolism of a remote table adorned with an Amazon Dot, Apple TV and turntable was not lost on attendees. Dipin started with simply calling his track request into the air (as the Amazon Echo operates) and bluetooth delivered tunes as well as the weather upon demand. Vinyl pumped out the jams to the analog inputs for even more versatility as everything from DNLA to USB was compatible on the digital side of things. Even the optical input on the back panel could be utilized for a simplistic setup for gaming and TV viewing.
But the topside view of application is only the surface. The internal amplification is hyper tuned to work in perfect harmony with the cabinet and drivers and the accompanying DSP offers realistic and practical options for fine tuning the device to the environment you place it in. The controller app offers up simple sliders for common (but critical) variables like “How far is the speaker from a wall” or “Is the speaker on a desk”.
Technical specifications don’t run shy either. The wireless LS50 has individual power supplies for each speaker paired with independent amplifiers for each driver (30w class A/B for tweeter and 200W class D for mids). As one might expect, DAC capabilities run up to 24/192 and bluetooth hits 4.0 and aptX. There is even a subwoofer output for those who want to go that route. Its all there, the necessary bits needed to have two speakers without all the hubbub of a rack taking up space in the middle. The LS50 Wireless is on sale now and will set you back $2,199 for the system. If you want to complete the look, the new matching stands are an additional $400 (the included remote also corresponds with the loudspeakers color scheme).
A wonderful speaker made into a marvelous system. In high-end terms? A real bargain.
No news for those of us who can’t stand the garish orange and blue drivers, eh?
Hey KEF… how about silver, gray, or black drivers in a black box? You know, like any other company in the world would do. I just took my LS50’s out of the living room – can’t stand the ‘Halloween’ look any more.
Blue drivers with a black box aren’t bad at all. Thats what I got.
How does this compare to the Audioengine HD6?
That’s a great question. Haven’t heard them side-by-side just yet.
That’s easy. The Audio engine isn’t even close and neither are the Vanatoo’s. I tried the audioengine and bought the Vanatoos.
There isa. reason the Kef costs so much more and that is the internals and the matching of the internals to the speaker. They also have much more power which helps with a fuller richer sound.
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