Better but is it worth $1500 ? 🤔 - KEF LS50 Meta Speaker Review
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- KEF LS50 speakers have been incredible speakers both in my journey and many of my audiophile friends'. Now the KEF LS50 Meta is the new and improved version of the original and it is clearly better but is it worth it?
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Technics SB-C700 makes these KEFs sound like it was made by an amateur.
Please try the reference 1 i really want to know how good they are i have the r300 with hegel h80 and want to know if the upgrade is worth it! Bye the way your reviews are superb!!!
@@Lifestylecoach602 With the Kef Reference 1 you are in a different price range right away, but a great monitor, I myself had the reference 3. Grtz Phil
hi. thanks for your great review Jay. could you advise a good cable for ls50 meta
Hi Jay! Which would you suggest LS50 Meta, R3 or R5? Thanks
I had a pair of original LS50. Loved but sold them when I bought the original LS50 Wireless. After 10 months, the left channel amps failed (common problem with 1st gen LS50W). After repair, I sold my LS50W and bought a pair of the LS50 Meta. About the only difference I notice between the three sets is the Metas are less bright on the high end after 50-ish hours. That's a good thing! I'm sticking with these for a few years. Make sure you drive them with a powerful amp (I use an Avantone Pro CLA-200) and you'll like what you hear.
So it is great that Kef offers the Meta at the same price as the LS 50. 👍
I agree but it still isn't cheap. I think they're just trying to make you think it is.
I paid $980 for my brand new LS50’s in 2019…I love them so I’m good. Good, honest review.
I bought the Kef LS50 Wireless ii with Meta as a secondary system because the passive LS 50s are hard to drive and I didn't want the Hassel of finding an amp or integrated for them. I also bought two T5I's for them, and in my opinion the wireless II are fantastic. I like using a secondary cd player I have with them. They sound better with it than with Tidal.
Hi Jay. To get the best out of the speakers, amplifier matching is critical. Also sound absorbent material around the speakers is necessary. For analogue i am using the Eastern Electric Minimax phono stage pre-amp. The Audiolab 8200Q line level preamplifier and the Rotel RB-1582MK2 Stereo power amplifier (200 watts /channel continuous into 8 ohms.) My room is 26 feet long by 15 feet wide by 8 feet high. I have no problem filling the room with very loud music from the Metas.
Rob so you installed acoustic tile around the Kef LS50? I have just bought a used pair with about 200 hours in them. I really like the sound but after about 40 minutes of listening I am starting to get ear fatigue. I would like to know if I could install some sound absorbing tile around them and would it help take some of the edge off.
@@marshallhughes4514 My rectangular room is also a home theatre.. I have a pair of heavy velvet curtains which open and close in front of the screen. The side walls are covered with thick curtains, which i can open to reveal some of the wall. The floor is covered with thick carpet. The back wall is bare in the centre. No treatment to the ceiling. I listen to music using cross-talk cancellation. I sit about 20 ft from the speakers. If you pair them with the right amplification, there is no metallic hardness.
I’ve had a Cambridge CXA81 amp and q350s for the last couple weeks and absolutely love my first experience with KEF speakers. It’s just magical, 3D like sound with many recordings. Got em paired with a SVS sb-1000 pro sealed sub.
I’m currently on the fence about returning my speakers and getting LS50 Meta instead. Its twice as expensive for maybe a 10% marginal improvement - and since these are my first decent speakers, it’s hard to know whether it’ll be worth it.
I appreciate your rants buddy. Keep them up. :) Thanks for your inspiration. I'll be doing a LS50 review and Meta Reviews soon. And wanted to spy on my favorite compition. Thanks for all your amazing videos. Love all of what you produced, and have made purchases based on your recommendations. I rarely see things that are wrong.
Great video Jay! Though I couldn't stop laughing at those dramatic hand movements. 😂
I approve this message.
Sounds like the majority of the issues you have with the original speaker can be resolved with tonal controls or an EQ as well.
Good lighting and clean video. You should do a video on your camera and lighting setup.
Thanks for saving me some coin!💰
I drive my original LS-50's with a 200 watt OTL tube amp, and they're stunning. Think I'll keep 'em.
So, obviously you don't agree with Steve Guttenberg that they're *much* better. ;-)
@M PiRe: "Stating that there is no benefit in doing so is wrong" -Where did I state that? I didn't. Whatsoever.
I just may upgrade at some point in the future, who knows. I need to listen to the Metas first before I decide if they're worth the extra cost to *me,* first. I value Jay's opinion here, and that was what my comment was directed towards. His opinion on the performance jump is much different than Guttenberg's.
"Audiophiles are a funny lot" -Agreed. ;-)
12 pairs of ls50 that's a cry for help. You need a audio intervention m8 😂😂😂
😂😂😂
I love how you say that the differences are small unlike some reviewers who act like it's a night and day difference.... You say the upper mid range is less sharp, but does that mean it's more laid back? I like good upper mid range energy
Would these or the older ones work with a tube amp like the Wellsenton R8?
Would love to see a review of the LS50 Wireless 2 with the new subwoofer.
Well, Jay just published a review of the new subwoofer with the LS50 Metas...
The combo seems *very* good!
All jury is out on 'meta' being responsible for the changes. They changed the crossover to drop the upper mids and lift the tweeter by around 2dB - they are now voiced closer to R Series.
Personally I found that more 'hi-fi' and less real. All the things that audiophiles love - enhanced detail, shimmer, air - yes you'll get more but I think the original is more true.
@M Pi I did - £450 :)
Agreed. The metas are souless... All that happened was they stopped making the 11th gen based ls50 drivers and has to shift to the 12th gen. So rather than just admitting that they added a 5 cent bb maze placebo.
If there was ever a need to dampen that back wave of the range between 3 and 8k you lost the hardware lottery.
The improvements you're really hearing are just the improved gen 12 Uni Q and the sealed suspension system ported from the 3001SEs which should have been there all along.
You can hear the consistency of the 3001SEs at higher volumes while other kefs would get harsh as air would leak from between the woofer and the tweeter.
@@linkeddevices That's certainly interesting. I have a Meta driver on my bench. It doesn't appear to have a removable tweeter like with previous models. The tweeter appears to be glued in, as well as the Meta maze. They don't come apart for repair.
Did Kef change the crossover? Yes, they did. And now the Meta’s are what the LS50 should be, a real successor of the LS 3/5a. Forget the LS50 and buy the LS50 Meta. This is the one that you can live with.
Nice video. I’m putting the LS50s on my list.
Just picked up a pair of original LS50'S new boxed for £549. First listen was hit and miss with different musical genres, and rather than 'chuck the towel in' and return I sold my mediocre amp and grabbed a bargain NAD 356bee with onboard DAC and 80watts per channel and whole different ball game! Have my wharfedale sub in the background just picking up the lower frequencies. Amazing sound! Grabbed the amp for £250 off Fleebay and over the moon, read the NAD had a warmer sound and thought would work well and is very much the case.
100% agree. Quality source, recordings and cables etc and you'll be revisiting your entire music collection and drooling...... well I am anyway 😊👌🙏
I order the new SVS BS 1000 pro sub woofer to use with my original KEF LS 50 and i now already it's gonna be great and much cheaper than the new KC62 sub woofer from KEF. SVS is also small enough for me.
Listening to this review I’ve realized the lord had made dynaudio bookshelf’s because of kef lf50😂
Jay, good advice. Tube preamp and good power amp. 👍 maybe a little room treatment .
Need at least 500 hours of break. I’m hoping to have mine ready to go in 2022!
By the time my brain will agree with its sound.
And listen Tick Tock tracks. After this amount of hours everythin would sound OK. LMAO
Ooh I see the link you shared above. Thank you
What a comprehensive review again🙏🏼 I wonder how these Metas sound with the H390. Powerwise they would be comparable to the Wireless 2 with that amp.
They sound good!
Overkill??
@@hclandscapes Never 😊
It would be nice to hear your opinion on LS50 *Meta* vs *Fyne* *F500* 🤔
That would be good material for next time 🌬️
That would be a great one!
Just save a little bit and buy the Fyne 501. You will never go back. Thanks!
@@pattiepats that costs almost 2x As much As the f500
@@krisztianpinter115 Yah you're right. Sorry about that, I've focus too much on the Kef LS 50 plus the amp which cost a lot to run. Which makes me decide to buy the Fyne 501. I'm running it using Cambridge Audio CXA80 that connects to my computer via usb. It's better to test it side by side on the shop after COVID. I don't have a subwoofer yet but I'm looking for REL T7i vs SVS SB 2000 Pro. For music listening.
@@pattiepats 😰😨😱
More money more pain 💸😭
I'd like to hear Jay's opinion🕵️
Thanks Jay ,
I just got in some NoRez sheets in from GR-Research and I wonder if people used this to alighn the inside of the LS50 if that would help also. This NoRez stuff material and backard board is solid and hefty ! Thanks again Jay
My H90 works really well with the ls50 Meta's
Great video Jay!
These speakers sound great and good advice!!
The double wide stand behind you? Can you tell me the brand and model. Thanks... love the videos.
LS50 Meta - LS50 Wireless II - Dynaudio Special 40
Which one should I get?? Price difference and active/passive factor apart.
If you want to relax into the music Dynaudio. If it’s sheer excitement KEF imho.
A lot of people don't realize that smaller speakers generally make more power per decibel than large speakers.
Ah you mean ... less power needed for the same sound pressure? Yeah ... but the extra power goes into ... deep bass.
@@realitykicksin8755 sorry I meant take more power than larger ones. Not make more power. Sorry for the typo and confusion. Yes smaller speakers tend to need more power per decibel than larger ones. But ultimately I care about sound quality over sensitivity.
Resubscribed. Good concise review. Beautiful room and production!
I use my Black edition LS50s with smooth sounding Musical Fidelity amps and J-fet preamp. They sound very refined. I'll stick with them, but they do need the REL subs.
Wonder what Grandpa Sean makes of the Metas?
Hazzah!
ZF review out today🧐
Looks like he saved his reputation 😉
Grandpa,how dare you🤬
The mid and treble on LS50 meta is even more transparent than R5, with the right synergy amp. As you may know, KEF was bought by a HK company thirty years ago. So, we HKers enjoy the best in class showroom and KEF power the LS50 meta with Soulution 330. According to KEF, the potential of LS50 meta can be unleashed by both hi-end and high fidelity amp. Yes, unparalleled pricing but this is the mind game from KEF
I bought the royal blue and Jay is right about the synergy beteeen Hegel and KEF. My Hegel H390 powers both Magico A1😍 and KEF LS50 Meta in HT bypass power amp mode
Auralic Aries G2.1/Jay’s Audio CDT2 MKII/Rega planar 10 with Apheta MC 3
Auralic->Singxer SU-6 DDC
DAC: Holo Audio May L2
Preamp: YTAudio HK 拾
And H390
R3 or LS50 Meta? What do you think? Great Video!
Depends on the price you can get the R3...if only 10-20% more than the LS50 meta, then R3 are a good buy. If R3 are >50% more than LS50, then sub+LS50 becomes a better value.
I enjoy your reviews. I own some of your favorites as well. Was wondering if you've ever heard or reviewed Tetra Speakers? They are a Canadian company and I rarely see any reviews in the States. Since you're in Canada I would think you may have heard them. Did the store you worked at carry them. Thanks for your time.
Jay,do you prefer these over Elac Carina???
Thanks for this review. Do these speakers (either of them but I'm mainly thinking LS50s) pair ok/well with the Bluesound Powernode 2i? Any thoughts very gratefully received.
"I hope I'll be able to afford one pair of LS50's in my lifetime.."
"I've owned at least 12 pairs.."
😵
Robin respect. Be smart about it. He didn’t just buy them full price. He bought on the second hand market and sold them again, so he didn’t make any losses what so ever. The Hi-Fi market is evolving so fast, just buy at the right time and you can save so so much money. Good luck dude
I had flipped more than 4 pairs like him. Some guys really hate them and sell them for cheap. Once jumped in they are easy to sell at any point due to their hype. I made atleast 500 bucks flipping the four pairs I had on ebay. They are ok speakers imo.
How do these compare to the ELAC Carina bookshelf speakers?
Hey. Enjoy your channel.
Question: Are you keeping the Denon 110 pieces?
Thank you. :)
Hi Jay! Nice review - how would you compare the ls50s with the buchardt s400s if you include a sub with the ls50s? I'm into imaging and soundstage and tonal accuracy. Want to use them as near fields. I prefer the active version for both of them - dont care about the price difference (they cost the same if you include the kef sub)
I really have to listen to the Meta's. Lockdown, everything closed...
My vintage 1983 MOSFET Tandberg (used since then every day, never any issue) delivers 98W/ch into 2 Ohms, 213W/Ch peak into 4 Ohms.
so there should be no problem driving the Kef.
Do you think an AVR like the denon x4500h with audyssey roomcorrection will make them near identical?
I have mk 1 Black Edition LS50s too 👍driven by a 20W class A, Musical Fidelity A1 on my office desk, 70cm to my ears so dB level not an issue. Bargain £400 when the Metas came out owner upgraded.
And here I was concerned whether my CXA81 a/b amp could handle them. (80 watt @ 8 ohm) … I rarely turn the dial past 11 o’clock on my q350s , so I imagine it’ll be fine.
I own both Q350 and Meta. The Q350 is way more efficient, so you'll have to turn up the volume quite a bit to get the same volume level from Meta. I would guess that your 11 o'clock will become 1-2 o'clock.@@AdamsBrew78
Hi naveen here from india plz plz plz help me choose between ls50 meta or kef R3 .here in india it's almost impossible to get a audition of these speakers.my room size is 15×15 . Which is better speakers between two sound wise.my only concern is sound .plz plz plz answer which will to choose between them🙏
I have a Pass Labs Aleph 3 (35 w/pc single ended class A) amplifier that I love. Could you please give your thoughts on pairing the LS50 Meta with this amp?
Hello, would you add it to naim xs2?
I currently own legacy LS50 wireless. Are you aware of an upgrade path via better streamer or DAC or if it is futile given internal DSP?
If you sent analog to it wouldn't the internal be bypassed?
love these speakers
'Small improvements' with a large impact on listening. The Meta just measures better in every sense. I own the OG LS50 and Im thinking of an upgrade to the Metas after I borrowed my brother in law's Metas for a week. Huge. Just huge. Makes me hate my LS50. Its that different.
can you tell me your opinion if it is worth to upgrade to Metas ?
@@sebanambrus9265 1000000%
Is the KEF LS50 Meta better than Klipsch RP-8000F (1st version) in terms of detail, imaging, separation, sound stage and most important - warm/non-fatiguing listening? Of course, except the bass quantity, I have a subwoofer. If not, then maybe I shouldn't sell my RP-8000F for the KEF's?
The LS-50 is not suited for a budget or entry level system, the impedance drops to below 4 ohms at certain frequencies and the nominal over all impedance is closer to 4 ohms than the specified 8 ohms. But if you have the budget for better amplification and don’t want to spend as much on speakers they are worth the consideration.
Another factor in my case was the limited space that I had for speakers plus I thought they were aesthetically pleasing in my setting. Even brand new they’ve been a bargain for a few years, bought mine for about $750 US or roughly half the price of the Meta. The money I saved was put into better amplification than I had originally planned for (and probably a better match for the LS50).
@M Pi Correct. Minimum $6000 amp to make these sing
@@GovPXB 8k minimum $$$
Blend a good sub, a right sized REL in a not too small space, to the original LS50, that will cure the harshness and you will hardly want anything else. If you have a tiny room, sorry, it's really hard to tame its quirks.
Cheapest amp that sounds good with these?
I'm thinking of hooking 2 up to an Onyko 125w p/ch home theater system.. I don't really wanna go down the amplifier rabbit hole if possible! ✊😙
Little things Meta!
OT : I would love it if y'all Young Guns YT Reviewers (you know who you are) would get into analog vinyl LP/Turntable reviews and how amps' phono inputs compare. Seems like only old guys (Mikey) still do that !?
How do the ls50 meta compare to the Dynaudio heritage? $1500 vs $7000
Can you recommend a small compact amp to drive the Meta (small room)? I'm thinking of the PS Audio Sprout or a Rega Brio. But I have no way of auditioning. Thank you.
I have my metas paired with my Brio and love it so far, only had them for a couple of weeks
I have the Kef ls50w connected to my pc, and I love the way how they sound. Meanwhile my Kef R3's connected to a Denon AVR-X6400h sounds lifeless, not musical or as engaging like my ls50w.
Would if help if I use the pre out from my receiver and connect them to a Hegel amp?
No Offenes, but yea I guess everything would help and better the sound in this scenario. My advice: connect a decent power amp to the preouts of your receiver (xtz edge a300 for example). Night and day. Take care
What about the matching with the Willsenton R8?
Hi, thanks a lot for the great video. May i ask which ampli would you recommend in the 1K€/$ range? Not much interested in dac or phono. Eventually a sub. Thanks 😊
@M Pi I call bs, imo many amps are overpriced as f*ck
@M Pi oh. Well what would you suggest for this price then?
@M Pi agreed and I believe $8k plus is just the beginning sweet spot
if you don't have a amp yet. used hegels are pretty decent
You should watch your videos. One minute you’re saying no difference or subtle then you said it’s way better, then you say you should probably just get regular LS50. The worst of all is that say the same thing over and over like 4 times.
First. That is all. Please continue with the stellar content 👌
I need to get out and hear these
Please share the site where I can buy the LS50s cheaper
Is that a Denafrips amp and Pre amp i see?
How do the pair with Cambridge Audio cxa81
i agree 100%
Ironically have my KEF LS50 never sounded better than now, paired with the Vincent SV-200 a 35 watt hybrid amp - go figure that out!
Looking for suggestions in amplifiers to go with the Meta's at sub 1000 USD!
Help
How do they compare with the elac bs 403s?
Which amp for this? Is naim uniti atom enough?
The KEF ls50 meta in what sense is it better can you describe it, if it's a tuning thing you could do that with the other kef what do the Frequency charts and impedance chart show the meta doesn't affect the tweeter it effects of main driver
Hi. Thank you so much. Are th Metas easyer to drive? Thanks
@@mattmackay2973 Thanks but No. Had the Ls 50 for 4 years and they are hard to drive... I would like to use tube amps and I was never convinced I could get away with it on the original Ls 50s. Just lacked substance and big dynamics never shy of bass though even with weak amps.
@@mattmackay2973 Sorry but I disagree. I own both a ayon and a Vtl amplifier. Each between 5 and 7 k. Neither do they fit anything nor drive anything to satisfaction...
@@mattmackay2973 ,, On the money👍 I’ll be uploading a few videos to my channel in the next few days showing the ls50 & various other speakers on a vintage Radio Shack Japan STA 2500 100 watts, China Marantz Amp1 35watts & China Yaqin MC-13s Tube Amp 35watts to show the kef’s are easy to turn & blow your ears on different class amps too👍 These “experts” certainly do “Sell” for their commissions., ..BTW.. My 20+ year old Boston Acoustics VR-M60’s put the kef ls50’s to shame & I’d bet do the same to the Meta’s.. At 1000 bucks back then, they still out do $2000 speakers easily...
On hindsight the real worth of the speaker is $500 !
Not sure if the META is worth the upgrade, maybe the TOTEM Sky is a better choice.
So I’m thinking LS50W second hand and one of those sweet new dacs that you have reviewed would be pretty sweet! Would they pair well with a tube pre or tube dac 🤔
@M Pi want something smoother
@@ryanchenoweth5673 ,, just buy the Meta’s as if you were listening to Jay, he said the word Smoother 7 times in 1 minute about them😂😂😂 And also said in that same 1 minute 4 times, that they were Cleaner too🤣🤣 Watch again....
@@meutubedou I am wanting to add tubes somewhere to make them more towards the smoother, rolled off highs, holographic direction 👌
@@ryanchenoweth5673 , I’m going 2B uploading a few vid’s to my channel soon to show the ls50’s & various other speakers on 3 different amps., 1 being a 35watts china Yaqin MC-13s Tube amplifier, another a 35watt marantz Amp1.. And even different class..You do NOT need lots of current or massive power for the kef ls50’s to blow you out of the room nor spend 3000bucks on an amp! .. That’s just snake oil talk.. 👍 Just like wire having 2B thicker than 2 inches to hook to the back bananas or thru pins of an amp that has 14gauge wire in it! People don’t use commonsense.. Just look at any wiring in most expensive amps.. Not much bigger than others.. Even the copper is just the same but they’ll use coded wording to make it sound like exotic amazon copper hand spun😂😂😂 Keep an eye out.. I’m going to show how easy it is to build adjustable speakers stands too in 2 hours.. Best2You..Yes, the Kef’s can get holographic with tubes & a mojo or D90👍 But my 20 yr. old Boston acoustics VR-M60”s put the kef’s to shame..,
So basically you're telling me the original Ls50 for 600$ CAD is a steal?
They definietly are, also got mine for about 650€ and there is no way the metas are worth double the price
@M Pi you can get along with less expensive gear. I use my LS50 with a 10 year old Denon amp which was top of the line back then and with its high current circuitry it drives them very well and I only paid 350€ for it (I think Msrp was 1500€). They probably scale better with even higher end gear but I think my setup is already up there in terms of sound quality
@M Pi I believe you won’t really hear them sing until you supply a minimum $6k amp
Guys the problem here is not how expensive the amplifier is but how many amperes delivers (the flow of current not watts). Watts are going to be the same at a given volume (spl in dB). However given the low impedance in some areas of the LS50 you need an amp capable of driving 4 ohms loads consistently. That is why the current measured in amperes is what we need look for among some other things. For example the NAD C 275BEE rated at 150 watts per channels actually delivers 190 watts per channel sustained at .003 % of total distortion 20Hz to 20,000Hz; flat frequency response from 20Hz to -0.6 dB at 100,000Hz delivering 39 amperes for 10 milliseconds measured by HiFi News. Almost no amp delivers that amount of current at any price. For instance the Parasound JC5 with the rating of 400 watts per channel only delivers about 35 amperes measured by the same person with the same equipment. The NAD C 275BEE cost $1,400 and measures better almost in every category than amps costing 5,000, 10,000 even 20,000 dollars... So understanding the engineering of the circuits in a piece of gear and the needs of the circuits inside a speaker is far more valuable and important than throwing money at it...
I have the old Kef LS50's an the Hegel H80. Which dac would you recommend to smoothe out the sound a little?
Most Effective Technology Available
I see what you did there
Can you suggest a NAD amplifier for the meta ? Is the c326bee enough ?
You’re going to need a minimum $6k amp to make these babies sing AFTER you thoroughly break them in
Is the hegel h80 can drive the metas in its full potential?
When Steve had his rave review of KEF LS50 Meta Speakers and his night and day difference between them and the originals I was a bit skeptical that these meta material is able to make that great leap forward in the sound quality. The other reviewers more or less do share the conclusions Jay did that an improvement actually is there but is subtle and not easy to discern which is more plausible given the cabinet and drivers are almost the same. Is this meta thing an add to re brand an aging product as new?
@M Pi I might be your father and didn't insult anybody. Your Kef site suggestion is not the most independent source of information.The reviewers are. Most of Kef LS50 fans after 10 years expected more dramatic improvements which are there but subtle.Life is short, be happy and kind with yourself and others because this is a hobby of enjoyment and well being. PS. Gratitude to Kef that kept the price the same and didn't go the greedy way..
I’m sorry but this review sounds like someone waited until the night before to write a paper in college and just kind found their way through it.
Try watching some camera video angle tips on youtube
The Meta or R3? 🧐
@@mattmackay2973 the reason I am asking is because you can get used R3 for the same money as new Meta...
I think it's funny that cheapaudioman has a distaste for the kef ls50 after so much hype. 😄
The LS50s are fantastic studio monitors for music production. They are not for Audiophile audio in my opinion
No its not worth it. There are better active speaker solutions. Because you buy speakers and next thing you upgrade your amp ... because you start thinking "it does not get the most out of it".
Little things meta....
What a waist of time reviewing these metas, why not just jump to the wireless 2, where kef added the 100 watt class a amplification for the tweeter and 270 watt class d amplification for the mids and lows. I own them , listening to them the way kef intended you to hear their ls50s. Oh did I forget to mention this was per speaker with dac and bluetooth also !! Why waist yours and our time repeating how you feel about the ls50 when you know the wireless 2 exists 🤔
This video comparison just proves some other viewers are just con sales people!🤔🤔🤫🙄😉😇 I believe the ultra small difference evaluation compared to the claimed huge differences claimed by the people that probably can't even hear over 10,000 Hertz!🤭🤭🤭🤔🤯 If that much!
Time to move on and away from KEF. I had a love hate relationship that ended in apathy. Very specific market ear for them.
I agree
KEF is one of the very few audio companies that keeps an active R&D department on their payroll. Love 'em, or hate 'em, their innovations help push their competitors into creating better products.
@@Diatonic5th Pitted with those that don't farm out their R and D, KEF has made few sound signature advances which is why so many buy them and immediately put them back up for sale.
@@FlyGuy457 kef has the toughest time because they are basically the apple or Nintendo of hi fi so they also target casuals who have no idea how much they're missing out with their Sony avr or whatever. the LS50s respond to much more power and a class ab Amp enough that kef had to prove it by releasing a fool proof version where the tweeter is powered by a class ab Amp and the woofer a 200watt class d even though the speaker is only rated up to 100 watts.
that's still not the whole story though, the ls50 itself was a gimmick and was voiced specifically to sound like an updated ls3 5s to emphasize smoothness.
the reason why they needed to do this was actually because the original Uni Q patent expired so they created a completely different Uni Q based on the tangerine waveguide which is now larger more prominent with a much lower crossover point.
the last classic Uni Q was the XQ series, the first new Uni Q which is obvious by the clear line of sight from the widest angle allowing the tweeter to clear both he woofer and its surround was actually the 300X/SE series which were 3 products all three entirely defined from scratch as if it were one system but would actually serve as the prototype to all new kef. the 300X SE sealed center (the first time they designed a mono speaker entirely from scratch that had its own custom drivers cabinet design and everything ended up being the basis to the sealed pod on the blade..
the 3001/SEs went several variants, the final variant sounds better than the ls50s especially paired with the htb2 sub and became the basis to the ls50s, which is why for such a compact speaker it had the same low xover point and port tuning as the ls50s at 2.2khz and 54hz port. they just made it larger to had me more bass but the voicing is identical.
The 3001SEs mains and center also feature the same rear fins as the Uni Q in the Blades pod. it's no coincidence that the 300#/se are the only speakers that look pretty much exactly the same as the pod to the Blade.
the htb2 was the first to use their new hybrid woofer and a 1 to 1 passive radiator which was then ported to the new Q which was sealed and had a 1 to 1 passive to active driver design.
and even the htb2 is still being made but just more cheaply and is now called the T2 slimline sub.
without all the marketing the jarring shift from the IQ series to the R series and the new cheaper Q series would have been way too jarring since it isn't necessarily better. the classic Uni Q uses the. outer rim of the woofer as a waveguide which allowed the tweeter to sound completely merged with the woofer, the new Uni Q fires completely clear which was good in some ways since it allowed them to perfect the new tweeter with the Uni waveguide they call the tangerine waveguide since kef just really like putting what's on the outside in the middle of the other thing a lot. the 300X/SE was perfected, ported to the ls50 and the Blade so any doubts anyone would have would be quelled since the ls50 "sounds different because it's meant to sound like a reboot of the ls3 5s" and if that doesn't work "the ls50 is like the middle section to the Blade" which it isn't at all.
if anything the 3001SEs if you managed to score the final variant and matching pair sound more like the pod to the Blade than the ls50s.
then again, they stopped making 11th gen drivers and had to change the ls50 again to the updated 12th gen driver so suddenly the story changed and the voicing is just meant to be flat now and sound nothing like the original purpose that was voiced to sound like the ls3 5as, now they're just voiced flat... and they say "the frequency response is now 30 percent smother" which is a completely arbitrary number, you can't quantify smoother, that's the coastline paradox. but they could have made the ls5o ruler flat if they wanted to. the 3001SE center had a rule flag response. but if that isn't enough it's about the Mets tech now.... so it's not really the ls50 se, it's just recycling the cabinet design, replacing the custom driver with a generic 12th gen driver which sure measures a bit better according to their measurements they cared to measure but it's not really better, but that's where the Meta tech comes in to further convince people to accept that the difference must be better.
@@linkeddevices I disagree. Do you happen to work in the industry or are you in R&D for an electronics company? I ask because those are the only people who have this notion.
Too bright still?
ni mama barri
The question is, is this just a re-voice? Is the Meta piece of plastic smoke 💨 and mirrors?
Let us see them do the blind tests. Audiophiles talk with so much authority. Let us see when it comes to the test and put them in their zone of reality ;) In a blind test a £100 DAC is yet to be told apart from a £1000 DAC as being better.
@@afborro All LS50s sound the same 😀
@M Pi They had been selling for $1000 - $1200 street price so $1500 plus extra sales is very nice. Measurements show a re-voice independent of high frequency meta absorption. Millennial? Come on you can at least try for a proper insult.
@@afborro if you cant hear the difference between the OG LS50 and LS50 Meta which MEASURES DIFFERENT, good for you then. You just saved yourself a few coins with that wet ears of yours. Dacs are not the same as speakers, period.