Active Kef LS50

[DarwinOSX]

At least as good and not as obvious. 

[Fridolin]

Does anybody know, how many Bluetooth connections the LS50w can remember?

 

I recently added my AppleTV via Bluetooth, but since then my MacBook Pro can't connect via Bluetooth any more. I then deleted the connection in the Mac's Bluetooth settings and tried to re-add the Mac. But it can't reestablish the connection to the LS50w (connection rejected).

 

Can i reset the LS50w's internal Bluetooth memory or delete one connection? 

[Guido Del Giudice]

silly question perhaps but I just ordered a set of LS50W ...

 

Can I connect the USB output of my Aurallc Aries mini streamer to the USB input of the Kefs?

[DarwinOSX]

2 hours ago, Guido Del Giudice said:

silly question perhaps but I just ordered a set of LS50W ...

 

Can I connect the USB output of my Aurallc Aries mini streamer to the USB input of the Kefs?

 

Yes alot of people do that.  Or Roon has a direct connect if you use Roon.

[canali]

question:

i've also got a pair of kef ls50w that i'm about to setup in my living room.

also just got in the sonictransporter i5.

 

i hear that many people are now selling their microrendu due to roon being in the kefs.

 

but a question: my sonictransporter i5/MR is on my kitchen table...i'm about to get in a blue sound pulse mini.

would the MR still be useful here if i'm feeding Tidal to it with the sonictransporter?

[DarwinOSX]

I'm not sure if you mean to the Kef or the Pulse. 

You don't need it for Roon for the Kef.

[camott]

14 minutes ago, canali said:

question:

i've also got a pair of kef ls50w that i'm about to setup in my living room.

also just got in the sonictransporter i5.

 

i hear that many people are now selling their microrendu due to roon being in the kefs.

 

but a question: my sonictransporter i5/MR is on my kitchen table...i'm about to get in a blue sound pulse mini.

would the MR still be useful here if i'm feeding Tidal to it with the sonictransporter?

 

If you want to create a group zone in Roon that combines the Kef's in your Living Room with the BS Pulse in your kitchen so that they play the same music then you need an endpoint like MR. The LS50W's are not RAAT compliant. I have *exactly* the same setup - Kef's in LR and Pulse mini in kitchen - and this is (unfortunately) the only reason I have kept using an Allo USBridge endpoint in front of the LS50W's. I love being able to stream/control same music in my kitchen and living room (with dining room in between) a the same time - great for casual events or dinner time or in general.

[DarwinOSX]

Good point.  I also have two paired Sonos Ones in the bedroom and I can't combine their zone with the Kefs in the living  room.  I don't care that much but it would have been nice.

[camott]

Yeah, I have another endpoint in my family room and I don't care about grouping that one. Likewise, no need for grouping bedrooms with other rooms. It's just the grouping of kitchen and LR in my open concept main floor that is a huge bonus ... 

[Jonny]

On 17/11/2017 at 2:40 AM, shoom said:

 

·         Yup Me too

 

Sounded a little lacking in body to my ears after Kef's latest FW Update.

 

Then I noticed that Roon needed upgrading to 274. 

 

Restarted Roon and had another play.

 

With 274 its back to glorious.

 

BTW I much prefer Roon over wired Ethernet to USB connection with SMS200.

 

A juicier sound IMHO.

 

Really? I've tried wireless and wired ethernet with Roon and I get a much better sound with just Optical out of MacPro in Exclusive Mode into the Kef's. Highs are way smoother and a more relaxed sound overall. 

 

[canali]

3 hours ago, Jonny said:

 

Really? I've tried wireless and wired ethernet with Roon and I get a much better sound with just Optical out of MacPro in Exclusive Mode into the Kef's. Highs are way smoother and a more relaxed sound overall. 

 

thanks for the replies, guys....so i guess i'll keep the MR.

 

per toslink optical, anyone have $$$ ones here? i don't wish to open the 'wormhole' of cables, but i just got the amazon bluerigger toslink optical (for audio out from lg oled tv into kef ls50w)

https://www.amazon.ca/BlueRigger-Digital-Optical-Audio-Toslink/dp/B005LJQMZC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515685107&sr=8-1&keywords=bluerigger+toslink

...but my audiophile snot friend sniffed at that...he instead has the $$$US200 wireworld 'supernova7'....https://store.wireworldcable.com/products/supernova-toslink-optical-audio-cables?variant=950544899

 

however, i'm wary of audio diffs for decently made digital cables...i've read that for digital cables that they're all pretty much 'dumb pipes'..whether they be hdmi or toslink...see cnet below

https://www.cnet.com/news/when-are-expensive-cables-worth-it/

 

this all said, i did invest in the ifi spdif purifier

https://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/accessory-spdif-ipurifier/

 

 

[DarwinOSX]

I'm using one from Blue jeans cables.  I bet it's every bit as good as the $200 one.

https://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/digital-audio/

[DarwinOSX]

Sonore just announced MQA support...

Sounds like just the first decode.

http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2018/01/mqa-support-comes-to-sonore-streamers/

 

[saintintn]

What are you guys using for multiple analog sources?  I’m using a Rogue Sphinx amp as it has an incredible phono stage and have my turntable and 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.

[Jonny]

1 hour ago, saintintn said:

What are you guys using for multiple analog sources?  I’m using a Rogue Sphinx amp as it has an incredible phono stage and have my turntable and 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.

 

How do you use a Dragon Fly red DAC with the Kef's? into the Kef's RCA inputs? 

[saintintn]

Yes, into RCA input.  You use Dragonfly for MQA decoding from Tidal. It's an MQA Renderer.

[Jonny]

23 minutes ago, saintintn said:

Yes, into RCA input.  You use Dragonfly for MQA decoding from Tidal. It's an MQA Renderer.

 

Cool, I might have to try a Dragonfly one day but I'm tempted to go all out and get a Bluesound Node 2. What's your source when you use the iFi purifier? I tried the Intona USB isolator with the laptop as a source and also a Aries mini but was never really happy with the sound. At the moment I'm using iPhone Roon end point which sounds excellent. 

[DarwinOSX]

I’ve used a Meridian Explorer 2 into the ex’s poets and it’s a full MQA decoder unlike the Dragonfly. I use an optical  purifier from the optical to my tv which has an Apple TV connected by HDMI. Provides a little cleaner sound and detail.

Did you see Darkos article on the Node 2 and the KEFs?  I’m thinking of trying that too. 

 

https://darko.audio/

[Guido Del Giudice]

After having read the reports about sound quality using the RCA inputs and an external DAC on these speakers I tried it myself and am pleasantly surprised by the results. 

I am using a heavily modified Yulong DA8 DAC and definitely feel there is an improvement in detail retrieval and overall sound quality compared to using the USB input on these speakers.

I have no idea why this is the case, especially bearing in mind that the RCA analog inputs are resampled by the internal DAC of the speakers...

[erniejade]

I use my lumin d1 rca out that has a built in dac. I bounce between that and my turntable 

[saintintn]

I’m using a Mac Mini via USB from Roon.

 

I think the rca analog is just as strong as the other connections, if not stronger.

 

I tried streaming via AirPlay to my toslink connected 3rd gen Apple TV.  It was quite underwhelming. Now that Roon connects wirelessly to the LS50W’s, that’s the way to go, IMHO. 

[DarwinOSX]

My 4K ATV is attached to my Samsung JS9000's One connect box by HDMI and the one connect box connect to the Kefs by a Blue jeans optical cable.

Prior to the Roon/Kef integration I initially did Roon via Airplay to the Apple TV.  An ifi purifier cleaned up the SQ a little through optical.  Then I used both a sonic transport and an all US Bridge to the USB of the Kefs which improved sound further.  But the direct Roon integration sounds better and eliminates several boxes.

If only the Kefs were auto-switching on inputs it would be perfect but it's not the end fo the world to change sources manually.

[Pinnacle]

Hi All,

 

I have two RCA cable to 3.5mm jack, but both none work when I plugged into the headphone jack my Iphone and laptop. Is it the RCA input or Aux function are defective? TIll now, I am still using the default software version that came with the speaker.

 

Thanks.

[Pinnacle]

On 1/27/2018 at 7:37 PM, Pinnacle said:

Hi All,

 

I have two RCA cable to 3.5mm jack, but both none work when I plugged into the headphone jack my Iphone and laptop. Is it the RCA input or Aux function are defective? TIll now, I am still using the default software version that came with the speaker.

 

Thanks.

 

Hi Guys, any advise on this? My RCA cables work with the other speaker so it aint the issue with RCA cable. No sound on Aux mode. Does this mean my speaker/RCA inputs is defective? Or I need to update the software or update certain configurations If so, I would like to replace it within the warranty period? Thanks.

 

Regards,
David

[Guido Del Giudice]