KEF LS50 Wireless or LS50 + New Amp?

Cheap subwoofers aren't going to pair well with the LS50s. You need something capable of producing fast, accurate, tight bass. Cheap subs are always floppy, tuned port affairs with tubby, slow, sloppy bass.

 

Agree... better is always better but it comes at a price. I have a cheap sb-1000 by svs; it is sealed, and gently crossed-over at 50Hz. Music rarely goes below that, so it works ok. I have it really for movies.

 

That's a $500 sub. Not outrageously expensive, but certainly not "cheap", and a really good value. I thought you were talking about some $300 Klipsch p.o.s.

 

Thanks for your response, NYMets41! Your answer was exactly what I was looking for: a headphone geek with a carefully designed signal path making the switch t0 great(er) speakers. Thank you!

 

Check with Taylor at Goldprint Audio (here) in case any deals are available. He made it happen within our budget.

 

For anyone who has the LS50W, how are you integrating headphones? I have interest in these but I use headphones too and with a PC, turntable, and Bluetooth sources and no headphone input on board, I'm not sure how I get around that.

 

Matt, I am a big headphone fan but have not yet integrated. I have been enjoying the freedom so much that I have not even tried. I use Chord Hugo 2 with Beyerdynanic T1s and it is the highest quality I have experienced. Because of this high reference point, it was a struggle to find good speakers that were affordable. The LS50W fit nicely. I have not yet hooked up the Hugo 2 to the LS50's either. The definition from KEF with their built in DACs has left me with no hurry.

 

Thanks, I actually figured out a way around it with some of the hardware I own, should I choose to actually go this route.

I guess I'm just trying to decide if I feel the 50W's are worth the extra money that it's going to cost me as I actually already own the passive LS50's, the thing is I hook them up to a Soundblaster X7 which I imagine is pretty inadequate for a speaker of this quality. I guess I just can't know if the extra $800 or so that it's going to cost me to switch will be a worthwhile change in the end.

 

What are you guys using for multiple analog sources? I’m using a Rogue Sphinx as it has an incredible phono stage and have an SACD player (analog) going into it. Have used my Dragonfly Red DAC via usb and Roon for MQA as well, but prefer using the usb input on the LS50W with an ifi purifier 2. Have thought about using a vintage Marantz or Yamaha receiver with preouts as their phono stages are very good and I love the vintage vu meters. I hide my Rogue in my cabinet.

 

Well they make splitters like the ones linked below, but I guess it's just a decision of whether or not you think that is going to cause some kind of degradation. I've used those with other setups in the past and I can't say I noticed anything, but it's your call.

AudioQuest Hard RCA Splitter

 

Since this seems to be the thread that has evolved into connecting everything into the LS50W as part of the amp discussion, I will glom on to the discussion.

Got my LS50W's set up last night and immediately I noticed a couple connection related issues.
Doing a A/B from the Wireless input as a Room Endpoint vs the USB from my urendu, the direct wireless input was MUCH higher in volume compared to the USB. Not sure why this would be.

Since my hope is to start whittling down the pile of external boxes, I am going to enjoy trying different combinations so I am thinking of using the Rogue RP5 as a preamp that could handle Phono and maybe the Gumby to feed the KEFs. Of course that kinda kills the benefit of the wireless platform, but it does considerably shrink the heft of the big boxes (ARC Ref75, and LS27). The digital input to the speakers is very nice, but has me wondering if that multiunit magic shines through the KEF DSP engine.

 

Could the Roon volume setting need adjusting? I usually check the box for fixed volume for all of my endpoints, could this be one case where that wouldn't be the best idea? This is obvious though and I'm sure it occurred to you .

 

Thanks! Actually, I clicked "Enable" and didn't give it a second thought. I will take a look tonight. I've always had my endpoints set that way and I guess I pretty much forgot about it. Maybe I will use Roon's as the volume control on the KEF's is pretty sluggish, though tonight will start controlling it with my Harmony as the factory remote is pretty lousy.

 

I agree about the supplied remote - it was like an afterthought. Perhaps they envisioned people using the app? Either way, even if they could have made it out of metal (or some high-er quality plastic even) it would have been nicer.

 

I’m in the market for a new system in the $1500 - $2000 range and am considering the KEF LS50w. One of my concerns is resale value. I’m surprised my fiancé gave me the go ahead to buy a new system, so I imagine whatever I choose I’ll have to live with for at least 5-10 years. Will digital amps and DACs evolving so quickly I’m leery to spend so much money on an all in one system.

My other top contenders are either the Ascend Sierra I or II or LS50 passive paired with either an NAD C 316BEE or Music Hall A15.3.

Thoughts?

 

I had the NAD C 316BEE running the KEF LS50 for awhile and it wasn't that great. The LS50W are much, much better combo. In your budget range the LS50Ws are the way to go!

 

I think that's a legitimate concern, though I imagine you'll enjoy their sound for a good 5 years before feeling deprived of the latest advances. Besides possible lower resale value in the future, there's a higher risk of failure post-warranty with both the amp and dac inside the box.

 

That is a very good point. They only come with a 1 year warranty.. I just used my warranty on my Audioengine HD6 speakers (15 months after purchase) after discovering the left channel was almost 10dB lower than the right on digital inputs. I didn’t noticed until I put them on stands and got a wider soundstage which seemed skewed to the right - now I know why). A brand new pair will be delivered on Thursday after sending them in last Monday. Impressive turnaround.

Ascend is incredible responsive and offers a 7 year warranty and NAD has a solid track record in the A/B amplifier category.

I also worry that I may become obsessive over the DSP settings and feel the urge to be constantly tweaking them..

The reviews are impressive though. Tough decisions...

 

Have not had a chance to hear the wireless but will have to seek it out. I run a vinyl-only system, though, so the wireless doesn't make sense for my application.

My LS50s are driven by a Rega Elicit-R and it is a great match with lots of grunt. I don't use a sub.

 

More specifically, KEF has a 5 year warranty for passive speakers and a 1 year warranty for active speakers. Not cool to skimp on the warranty for the actives.

 

My LS-50W's came with a 5 year warranty. I can't imagine any comparably priced system sounding any better any time soon, so I'm not concerned about the resale value. I'm hoping these will last me for many years to come...

 

Hmm. Maybe the US market has a different warranty or maybe it has changed recently. I just checked the US KEF website.

 

I have a question for the LS50w users out there. Can the usb input accept data from a phone? Specifically an iPhone 8 with lightning camera adapter.

 

I just spoke with KEF Direct in the US about warranty. The passive parts of the LS50w have a 5 year warranty and the active parts have a one year warranty.

 

I've owned all three of your choices. If I could pick one based only on sound and not what I am suppose to like based on a huge amount of positive reviews or price point, then the Sierra 1 with the NrT tweeter upgrade is my choice. I'll give you a very brief breakdown of all 3:

Sierra 1 NrT -Detail, sparkle, clarity. If you are into highs then this speakers delivers. That said the mids and bass are also done well and are nice and tight, but there are better choices if warm, syrupy mids or big boomy bass are your thing. they image fine and create a good, sound stage.

Sierra 2 - The Raal tweeter and custom Sea's mid make this a special speaker. It shines when it come to female voices and that custom Sea's woofer can really put out some surprising tight bass. It's a very good speaker that hits a home run in many areas. I don;t think the sound stage is nearly as good as the NrT and it does not come close to the LS50. That said I prefer the NrT as it just handles the highs in a very spectacular manner.

LS50 - I've had this one for the last month and have been debating on keeping it or my fairly new ATC 11's (2.0) Bass is shockingly good, highs are nice but the problem is the ATC's kick major butt in this area (highs, clarity) so trying to compare the LS50 to the ATC is not really fair. The LS50 on its own sounds really good. If I had never heard the ATC's I would be very happy with the LS50. It images very well and creates a huge soundstage. The problem comes back to the ATC speakers I have. The LS50's when compared to them, sound like someone threw a towel over the LS50. That's not a knock on the LS50 but rather a compliment to the ATC's. I've struggled with this question myself....if I had only two choices...the LS50 and the Sierra 1 NrT which would I keep. I honestly think it would be the NrT! It does highs better than the LS50 and bass is a bit better for my tastes as it is nice and tight where the LS50 is a bit boomy, not sloppy mind you, but not really tight like the Sierra.