It's two in the morning and I'm sitting alone in my study, my eyes closed and goosebumps running down my body. I'm listening to Mikrokosmos by Marián Varga and I feel like the Maestro has descended from heaven and is playing right in front of me, just for me. I hear and literally feel his fingers, yellow from tens of thousands of cigarettes, touching the individual keys on his Hammonds. Marián is playing for me from Tidal in the best quality possible, because after three minutes of listening to Spotify I realized that on the KEF LS50 Wireless It's like driving a Ferrari through the countryside.
I know very well that the introduction to the article should look different, but I actually wrote those few lines above at two in the morning with goosebumps from what I hear. Now it's morning, another day and I have toonethe possibility of everything somehow coming outchat and take a look at the latest active reviews with you speakers from KEF, which are labeled LS50 Wireless II. Thanks to the current situation in the world, we waited almost a year for them, but as you can probably guess, it was worth it.
Let's start with the design itself, which I don't need to introduce much to those who have dealt with the previous generation. The first and second generation of LS50 speakers Wireless You can really tell just by looking at a few details. Pro the others, it is necessary to mention right from the start that these are really large boxes with dimensions of 305 x 200 x 311 mm and a weight of twenty kilograms. I do not suppose that someone would build speakers for 65 thousand crowns for a paper table from Ikea, but it is still important to mention that the speakers take up a really large space and are very massive. As you can see in the photos and in the context of the 27″ iMac and Apple Pro The 32" diagonal XDR display will not lose its dimensions, quite the opposite. So you need to keep in mind that you need to give them space and a quality base, either in the form of special stands or solid furniture.
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You can choose from four colors that change not only the color of the box itself, but also the drivers. The speakers are not only massive, but also give this impression without a trace, and at first glance you can see the precision of workmanship and materials that are destined to provide the best acoustic experience imaginable in this price category. Of course, there are rubber feet to mitigate resonance.ance, which is also taken care of by the weight of the speakers themselves, which is a respectable 20 kilograms. All theonewhich and controls can be found as usual on the right speaker. It offers a touch screen, with which we can change the volume, sound source and of course also turn it off or on. In the speaker package, in addition to the speakers themselves, instructions and other relevant literature, you will find a pair of power cables. Each speaker is connected separately to the socket, using a quality cable and I recommend using of course miniminimum surge protection. In addition, the package also includes Audio The Ethernet cable, which is among the higher quality ones, is not a problem to buy an even higher league from KEF, for around €130. This connects the left and right speakers. There is also a wireless control, which, in my opinion, could have a more modern and visually higher quality design, given the design of the speakers and their price.
If I ever said about a speaker that it could be connected to practically anything, I have to take it back, because the KEF LS50 Wireless II. are pushing the boundaries towardsoneactivities to a whole new level. Let's first look at the physical ports. These include HDMI, Digital Optical Input, COAX, AUX, Ethernet for connecting via audio cable, USB (for service only), Ethernet for connecting the left and right speakers and output to the subwoofer. As for wireless options, there is of course no shortage of AirPlay 2 Google ChromePart, DLNA, Roon and Bluetooth 4.2. Streaming services are then supported Spotify connect, Tidal connect, Amazon Music, Qobuz, Deezer, QQ Music, TheInternet Radio and A podcast that can be used to stream audio directly from the app to the speaker.
Pro You can use either a wired connection to your Mac or a wireless connection to control the speakers and play music. Unfortunately, when it comes to wired connections, it's a bit of a pain, because the iMac basically only offers a classic 3,5mm jack konewhich has not been equipped with a digital camera for several years audio koneThe only way to connect speakers to the iMac using a cable is through the Ethernet port, with one cable running from the iMac to the router, in my case to the AirPort and the other of AirSpeaker port. Thanks to this, everything works in ideal quality. Another option is to use a wireless connection, preferably using AirPlay 2.
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Control is then done using a remote control, or using a Mac or iPhone. Pro iOS KEF has a new KEF connect application, in which the speakers are paired and set up to provide the most perfect sound. The application is connected to Tidal, Spotify and so on and music can be played from these streaming services directly via KEF connect, through which it is also possible to control the speakers. Everything is very simple and clear and you only need one application for all control and playback of music. Within the KEF connect application, it is also possible to set and thus fine-tune the sound quality, both using a classic equalizer and by setting the properties of the speakers with respect to their location or the input through which you play music into them.
A sound you can't tear yourself away from!
The first thing that is important to mention is the fact that within the first second you will understand what you have to feed the speakers with. Forget standard streaming services like Apple Music or Spotify, the difference compared to Tidal or a FLAC recording is really noticeable to everyone, even at the first listen. I personally have been using it for listening ever since I bought the KEF LS50 Wireless II was purchased exclusively by Tidal and sometimes I have to make an exception for some particularly domestic albums and unfortunately also play Spotify. However, everything that is stated in the following lines presents listening to music in the highest possible quality, which is offered by Tidal Master. The speakers can offer a volume of 108 decibels at a distance of one meter from the speakers, while a taking off airliner reaches a volume of 120 decibels. Even at almost maxAt maximum volume, the sound is still very good quality, but it is a volume at which it is definitely audible.chat you don't want to. At a volume that is still bearable for your ears, i.e. 85 decibels, the speakers have a frequency range of 40 Hz - 47 kHz, a range that is higher than the range of human hearing. Whatever you can hear, the speakers can reproduce.
What does this mean in practice? The first thing that literally took my breath away is that if you maintain the ideal triangle between you, the right and left speakers, the sound will play in the middle. Yes, it is like that with all better speakers, but here you feel that the speakers are really in the middle and both channels blend in your head as perfectly as if you have very good headphones. What should be in the middle is in the middle and what should be heard from the sides is heard from the sides, which makes you feel like you are at a concert that is playing just for you and while the voice Billie you hear Eilish exactly in the middle, the instruments are then spread out in front of you in perfect symmetry from the center.
Then, when you play Pink Floyd's Time in the remastered version from 2001, which takes the quadraphonic recording to a whole new level, the band literally falls apart on your table and David Gilmour's voice gives you goosebumps again. Individual notes can stand out in their full range and you literally and figuratively feel not only studio for millions of dollars, in which the song received its final mastering, but especially the craftsmanship of the gentlemen who recorded the song. Everything is so incredibly honest that you slowly but surely begin to realize how huge the difference is between honest music and what often reaches the top of various charts. I myself am very sorry about this, because apart from things like Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Marián Varga or, for example, Uriah Heep, I mainly listen to Rap. And even if in the context of the greats I named, someone may laugh, I love Yzomandias and, for example, Melanž/Rolls is, for me, after 20 years of listening to Czech rap, the best thing that has ever been created here. However, the difference in the quality of the recording compared to the aforementioned greats is so huge that even though I love the song, Niktendův's voice is rather laughable compared to what Roger Waters can perform. I don't want to compare a Czech rapper to one of the greatest musicians of all time, what I mean is that if a song is brilliantly recorded and the musician has put perfect craftsmanship into it, then the result is completely beyond reality and will truly send chills down your spine.
The speakers are extremely balanced and highlight how the recording was recorded, which immediately reveals the quality of the artist's production itself. Of course, you can influence the balance of the reproduction via the equalizer, but I personally prefer to hear the music the way the artist recorded it. For its size and the fact that this is a 2.0 setup, i.e. a setup without a subwoofer, the bass is at a very good level, which can be improved even further by adding an additional subwoofer. The amplifier with a high-performance amplifier helps to reproduce the bass very well.onem 280 watts for the bass component and 100 watts for the treble and midrange.
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Then when you play a new movie or even just a movie trailer, you will literally have goosebumps. Of course, the speakers do not play on some kind of 3D sound simulation, but what they can reproduce is so detailed and so atmospheric that it will take your breath away. If the movie is well-sounded, which most of them are on Netflix, then I guarantee you that you have never experienced anything quite like it in stereo speakers in this price range. One of the best technically processed new products available is Drive to Survive, which as a big F1 fan I have watched from A to Z. Nevertheless, we played the whole series again on the computer with KEF speakers, just to enjoy the incredible sounds that are in the series and to enjoy some moments again and better. Of course, if someone buys similar speakers for their office, it is likely that they have some kind of super home theater next to the TV, but I currently do not have one due to moving, so I enjoyed listening on 100%.
However, I have one funny thing that bothers me about the KEF LS 50.Wireless II is annoying. I no longer play music in the background of my work and I don't listen to it just as a backdrop to make it enjoyable to work. The music is so perfect that I simply perceive it much more than I would like even in situations where it is only supposed to be the background. The speaker setup is very immersive and the brain will sooner or later start to focus on the quality of the reproduction much more than on the work itself.
An investment you can't go wrong with
KEF represents one of the best solutions available in its price range. Even if we ignore the possibilities ofoneactivities and other gadgets that the speakers can do, then the sound itself is worth every single penny that the KEF LS50 Wireless II is worth it and in my case, worth every single day I waited for them. The detailed rendering of all the tones will force you to stop doing what you are doing from time to time and start focusing on the music. It is presented at a level that I have not yet had the opportunity to hear from classic active 2.0 speakers priced up to 80 thousand crowns. So if you are looking for a way to add quality sound to your office,ancIf you are looking for a living room or bedroom, for example, and you are not afraid of a price tag approaching 67 crowns, then the KEF LS000 is the Wireless II is a great and for me the best possible choice. I have been waiting for them for a long time and I am glad that they are available.oneI will definitely have it in my office where it will last for many years. I can't think of anything that anyone could come up with in this price range that I could say is so amazing that it's worth replacing. When you decide to buy a piece like this, it is undoubtedly an investment for the long term and therefore I understand that everyone will consider it very carefully. However, in this case, you can't go wrong if you decide to buy the KEF LS50 Wireless II to acquire.
I'm pretty sure it's David Gilmour singing in Time. 😉
Otherwise, great speaker. I'm totally thinking about them along with the KEF KC62. Now I have a fairly large column speaker.
You are absolutely right :-) sorry and corrected. Otherwise, I believe you won't make a mistake, for me this is really the best thing I've had the opportunity to hear in this price category and we'll review the KC62 :) so I'm not buying it, but the guys from Perfect Things will send it to me for a test.
I have A's. How much better are they than the ones? Otherwise, KEF has absolutely terrible support and their app is evil. But they play beautifully. Yeah :)
I'm sad about it 😔 I know the speakers, or rather their passive brothers, so yes, I know they play great... But unfortunately, it shows how little is enough for people to be happy these days... At least I'm glad that the reviewer rejected Spotify outright, but still... LS50 in version Wireless they don't even have the option of a connection other than digital, and by the nature of active speakers they can't get sound of sufficient quality to write such a laudatory review about it. And even if the small amplifier in those boxes could somehow miraculously really play as it should, the digital form of the content would still immediately execute the sound. And it doesn't matter from what source, even if it was a beautiful turntable, the sound would still have to be digitized (de-modulated) first so that the boxes could play it, if they don't have any analog connection option... And as the author describes the connection, it is clear that the entire content travels to the speakers via data packets via a router (UDP Stream???) and there, like sorry, but there's no such thing as quality reproduction at all 😂 unfortunately, that's the way it is these days. People have degraded and consume music with a demand for quantity instead of quality. I would be very interested to know if the man who wrote this review has ever really heard a quality performance of music, but I'm afraid not, because then this article would never have been possible.
Hello Michal, you are right that the music is digital and that is what the speakers are meant for. However, it is really very important to realize here that the review is about the given price category and also the given category as such and they really excel in it.
Hmm... funny. Yes, they are good boxes, but you can buy better classic ones at that price
to the amplifier. The author has probably never heard of boxes for, say, 300. classic columns are classic columns.
I'm terribly sorry, but the review reflects the price and category, so I don't understand what boxes for 300 thousand have to do with it.... I don't even understand what passive crates have to do with it... It's like if you reviewed a Skoda Superb and I told you you're an idiot because you've never sat in a Ferrari or a Bentley….
you write how it is worth every penny, surely it should be heard that there are equally good/better alternatives. eg passive speaker for 36, amplifier for 30. the whole article looks like a paid advertisement. (and if you haven't heard the real high-end line-up, it has a telling value as a review on eureka. for every plug, there's one where someone discovered a new world and got chills down their spines :D)
I don't want to offend you, Honzo, but to be completely honest, did you notice the product category I'm evaluating? Yes, it's definitely a motorcycle that has a better horsepower to weight ratio than a car... that's what you're talking about. I'm talking about active speakers that will offer you what they offer for 75 thousand. You're comparing it to something that I, for example, absolutely don't want to deal with and I don't want to connect an amplifier and other things to a Mac and then passive speakers. Proalways take into account what is in the article, not what is your idea of what the alternative is... because then you end up comparing a motorbike and a car... both go from point A to point B, just in a different way...
Of course Jane, high-end with boxes for 30k. Obviously an expert :-D
Na iPhone I have 6s via ext DAC on Apple Music Digital Master quality for some titles Apple.
Although I have a subscription to Tidal Master , it probably won't be necessary in the future.