Kef ls50

[zenpmd]

Who else is running this speaker? What do you think of it?

[djvitamind]

I absolutely love them. I got to hear them at the RMAF last year and was so impressed. I purchased them in October.

 

It's the first time in years that I've had a setup with no sub. I enjoy listening to them daily.

[zenpmd]

I have been impressed with their bass. The main thing I notice is a richness, and the mids.

[musicresearch]

I have had my LS50s for a couple of weeks and I'm thoroughly enjoying them. They have exceeded my expectations. (I am still fiddling with the placement, and although I bought them I have on my desk, I find they sound much better if I'm a couple of metres away. Which turns out to be a good way of getting me from my computer screen!)

I have found myself being impressed by how good old recordings sound (orchestral from the 50s, say), and it's making the flaws in more recent recordings pretty obvious. The electroacoustic works I have listened to sounds wonderful, and there is one composition in particular, from the 1970s, that is like a whole new experience on these speakers. All very good.

[DanRubin]

I too am thrilled with these puppies. I'm going to go out and see if I can retain what I love about these but get more weight with one the R-series floorstanders, but but I'm not sure it's a requirement.

[wgb113]

I've had mine for a few months now but found them a bit lacking for my taste in the bass dept. I brought in a cheap 8" sub from the bedroom setup and it's worked great at filling that 35-70Hz range in without upsetting everything above.

 

Bill

[zenpmd]

Does anyone find them a touch agressive on some recordings? Sometimes I wish I could soften them a little. Bill I know what you mean about bass - sometimes they pull it off, other things not so much. I think they can reproduce the bass, I have seen it on hardcore hip hop tracks, but with some other music, where the bass is more subtle, it just doesnt "pick it up" so much

[musicresearch]

I haven't found them harsh. They do bring out the flaws in poor recordings, but I have been listening to quite a few historical recordings (orchestras from the 1950s, say), and I rather like their honesty. Some of that era music really sounds very good on these speakers, in a ways that it doesn't on my headphones, or some other speakers I've tried.

[wgb113]

Does anyone find them a touch agressive on some recordings? Sometimes I wish I could soften them a little. Bill I know what you mean about bass - sometimes they pull it off, other things not so much. I think they can reproduce the bass, I have seen it on hardcore hip hop tracks, but with some other music, where the bass is more subtle, it just doesnt "pick it up" so much

 

I think it's recording dependent. They're not the most neutral speaker I've had but the voicing KEFs done with them I find acceptable.

 

On recordings with a lot of upper bass energy (above 80Hz) what they put out is very nice. In my room, below that, it falls off steeply.

 

Same goes with the top end. They're neutral enough to reveal a harsh sounding mix but I don't find them to apply that type of sound signature to everything across the board. I've been listening to a lot of 50s-60s jazz, Miles Davis in particular, on vinyl and there are times when his trumpet seems aggressive or rather "blatty" but that's also how I've heard trumpets occasionally sound in person depending where you're at in relation to the trumpet and how it's being played.

 

I think it may be that low-end extension that has them sounding off-balance for you. You might want to experiment with toe-in and treating first reflection points if possible and see if that helps.

 

Bill

[shawndo]

I got a pair a few months ago. At first it felt like they were lacking in bass so I got a subwoofer, since that is a typical recommendation for these speakers. Then I figured out this whole integer mode thing and all of a sudden I had too much bass. I kept my subwoofer, but in retrospect I may not have needed it.

[wgb113]

I got a pair a few months ago. At first it felt like they were lacking in bass so I got a subwoofer, since that is a typical recommendation for these speakers. Then I figured out this whole integer mode thing and all of a sudden I had too much bass. I kept my subwoofer, but in retrospect I may not have needed it.

 

I find their bass lacking regardless of source.

 

Bill

[jazzy1]

Recommended amps for the LS50?

[goldendarko]

I'm running mine with the Peachtree Audio NovaPre preamplifier & Peachtree Audio 220 Watt Power Amp and I think it is a great combo. I'm also using a REL T-7 sub to fill out the bottom end.

[jazzy1]

Well I just bought a pair of these this morning. Right now I still have them connected to my ~30 year old Yamaha integrated amp (50w) and they sound great.

[goldendarko]

Yeah, they can be powered by 50w but they would still benefit from more power, I think 100w is the lowest I would go with an 85db sensitivity speaker. My 220w amp gives me plenty of power to spare.

[wgb113]

I'm using them with my McIntosh MA6300 Integrated amp to great success with it's 100W. Previously I had them paired with a Parasound Halo A23 & Benchmark DAC2 HGC but found that combo on the thin/harsh/bright side of things.

 

Bill

[goldendarko]

I've always wanted a McIntosh amp, too expensive for me now though. How do you like the MA6300? I was recently looking at the MC275le (I Think it was called, I hate names with letter-number combos like that)

[wgb113]

I've always wanted a McIntosh amp, too expensive for me now though. How do you like the MA6300? I was recently looking at the MC275le (I Think it was called, I hate names with letter-number combos like that)

 

I like it a lot. It's got most of the features I wanted, looks the part, and most importantly it sounds really good with the LS50s in my room.

 

Bill