What reasonable amp with Kef ls50s?

45 w at 8 ohm is ok, but that Marantz only delivers 60 w at 4 ohm which might be an issue with LS50s. It’s all depends on how loud you listen.

KEF LS50s impedance curve:



They’ll require double power at those frequencies where impedance drops to 4 Ohm

 

The Yamaha AS-2000 pairing was the best I heard them in my house. If I were looking at these again, I’d be looking at 100+ watts/channel and a warm-ish/laid back amp, as the LS50’s can be a little hard.

The AS-2000 has some sort of issue with the power supply, so maybe an 1100 if in budget.

 

You need 2 things:
1) Amp with 50 wpc and dedicated sub out
2) Small subwoofer

I recommend splurging on a Marantz PM7000N, more of a future proof device with all the streaming built in...I hate buying stuff twice....like I did buying the HD-AMP1 last year, which I love but haven't found a good streamer to go with it yet. My HD-AMP1 drives my LS50s to uncomfortable levels while using a sub...you don't need a sub crossover though, just a volume controlled subout. Small sub doesn't matter the brand, Klipsch is best bang for your buck.

or

Keep what you got and Just Add Scotch, still the best auditory improvement one can make.

 

This is why I'm looking into a used original Parasound HALO Integrated. Right now I'm testing out a Marantz PM7000N, but I feel like I can do better for the money.

I only have Q150's now but I plan to upgrade to the LS50's in the future.

 

I paired Kef ls50 with rogue audio sphinx with excellent result. its a 100w hybrid design.

 

proceed with caution unless you have heard the pairing and liked it.
my view after several experiences is that the halo + ls50 sounds cold and slightly metallic at worst.
my suggestion would be a yamaha integrated if it must be solid state.

 

That's intresting as KEF themselves use Parasounds to audition their units at shows.

How do you think they would pair with my current Marantz PM7000N?

I'm also looking at the Outlaw RR2160

 

it is interesting and that is where i heard them , 5 years running at axpona. cold edge like the lunar landscape, even the blades had this sound. they tend to favor brute force over refinement for filling larger conference rooms.
the marantz amps should sound great with the ls50s. i picked the yamaha because they have more power. deals are out there .
however they do sound their best with tube amplification if that is something you can consider. i had the 50s driven by a 20 watt raven audio amp and the sound was incredible.

 

Line Magnetic LM 508 works well

 

Agree that you may want more power. I'm a fan of the newer Yamahas for inexpensive, solid performance. I run a R-N303 (100 wpc) with my KEF Q150 speakers. The KEFs seem appreciative of the extra power.

 

I had a 6006 and bought the 8006 from Accessories for Less. The LS50s flubbed out a bit when the 6006 but not with the 8006. I'm liking the the 8006.

 

Those speakers are very inefficient: 85 dB sensitivity. If they run true-to-form even that is exaggerated and more probably 83-84. A 45watt amp like yours ain't gonna make those speakers sound very good. You're not really going to get any kind of audiophile experience with that combo. You'd get a better sounding system with a 3watt tube amp for $170 from Tube Depot and more efficient speakers like $160 Klipsch R15 speakers (big difference between watts from valves vs watts from A/B or D class amps). The main problem in your setup is those terribly inefficient speakers paired with low watt output amp. They're very good speakers from what I have read, but they're 4 ohm and quite inefficient and are gonna need a lot of watts from any amp. You really need 90+db sensitivity speakers to put the amp you have to good use - the more efficient speakers will make better use of the 45 watts you have. If you're gonna keep speakers because that's your new purchase and now trying to pair with a proper amp, there are lots of choices out there. Get an amp with sufficient watts.

 

Cambridge has some nice 80-100 watt A/B Class amps under $1,000. If I needed watts that's what I'd do. But I'm kinda changing direction and getting a lower wattage but excellent amp paired with more efficient speakers. The Rega Brio can be had new for $900 or open box for around $825. That is a really excellent amp. Pair it with a set of efficient speakers and it will sound excellent.

In your case you need a really good amp with a lotta watts. Maybe a Cambridge CXA80 rated at 80W RMS into 8 Ohms, 120W RMS into 4 Ohms. Has a DAC if you need one, digital inputs. If I needed a DAC and digital inputs I would have snatched a Cambridge. You can find them for $699. That's a steal. I think the Cambridge paired with your speakers would be an excellent system.

 

I beg to differ with you Sir~!

Even the Raven Audio Nighthawk MK3 will blow those speakers through the wall with our 20 tube watts. You will not be able to even turn it up past noon or 1 o'clock if you have a room larger than 20x30 or so. Given the room to breath those speakers will sing with that, our entry level integrated tube amp. And in a smallish room like 15x19 or similar, it is a match made in heaven. More than enough power for those LS50's. We in fact have well over a dozen customers with this setup, many eventually went to larger or more high quality speakers within the first year or so, so I think there are probably less than two dozen of these systems left that I am aware of.

The Raven Audio Avian Series integrateds will make a Cambridge or Yamaha 200wpc amp sound like a cheap toy. We in fact actually guarantee that statement to be true. The Nighthawk MK2, an older version has thoroughly outperformed a set of McIntosh 300wpc monoblocks owned by Steve Huff a couple of years back, and he wrote about this back then. Tube amps, especially Raven ones will easily outperform 200+ watt solid state and 500+ watt digital amps every day of the week, all the time, every time.

 

Raven Dave. I got no disagreement with you. I was talking about SS Class A/B amps. Certainly not a Class A valve amp. I'm listening to a $199 3 watt TubeCube 7 now and it sounds much superior to a Rega Brio I just bought. Valves are just a completely different animal.

Now just to be fair, that Audio Nighthawk MK3 is a $2,995 piece of gear. The Cambridge SS amp I mentioned is $699. Rega Brio $900. My little TubeCube 3 watt 3 valve gem $199. Your $2,995 amp sure as heck should outperform them all

 

I have had the LS50s for a few months paired with a pm8004. Sounded great at low to moderate levels, loved them! The LS 50s were 6-7ft apart, and i was sitting 7ft away in a rather open space.
I have had tried also the pm5004 before the 8004. There's quite a difference between the two in refinement, dynamics/transients, imaging.

 

I have paired my LS50’s with a Myryad t40 (50w per channel). It’s fine. Sounds and feels powerful enough. If it sounds ok, it is ok.

 

According to John Darko, the best amp for the LS50 is the one inside the LS50 Wireless. But even if this is true, I suspect many would struggle to be locked in with the same amp and internal DAC making upgrades impossible.

I love my LS50W’s but sometimes I think about getting a pair of passives LS50’s to experiment with other amps.

 

Atoll has a 50 watter for about $500US. The best amp i've heard anywhere near that price regardless of technology.

 

Small room at moderate levels, no probs. Big room and loud music, 45wpc won't be getting you ¨there¨. I've heard those are a bitch to drive.

 

$799

 

Really ? It's that much in Canada.
Still a steal, imo.

 

Atoll, interesting. wonder how much the bigger watters cost.

 

Favorite amp with LS50s currently is a 10-15W Hood Class A (Nobsound NS-02g). Runs very hot, like 120 deg. But sound is just incredible. My Marantz (PM7005) does 80W @ 4 ohms, but Class A sounds so good with these speakers. I only listen at up to 70db, so if you listen louder, you might want more Class A. Preamp is a Schiit SYS passive, inputs are a TT15S1 w Clearaudio Wood and Parks Audio Puffin preamp at 40 - 44db gain, and a CD player to Schiit Modi 3 Multibit DAC.

 

I ended up purchased the Atoll100, ( 100wpc ) for my second system after demoing the 50 for about a month. Loved the 50 very much but the room/garage is quite large- 28'x24'x10' so I thought a 100wpc would be more appropriate. This replaced a 100wpc Unico tube amp, ( $4300 ).
The 100 was $1500 CDN, not sure what that will work out to in the U.S. Very well made French amps, imo.
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