KEFs cordless speakers are an almost best window into the future of high-fidelity audio.Two to TangoThe British company has been making speakers considering that the early 1960s, but the vast majority of audiophiles understand KEF for its more recent designs. You can get them in many colors, however my review systems came in an elegant matte black with copper accents.Unlike the passive LS50 Meta speakers, which need a stereo amp to offer the juice, the LS50 Wireless II speakers are self-powered. Controls for all of the above can be changed with the included small black remote, or by dealing with the backlit touch controls on the top of the right speaker.New KEF SoundUnder the hood, the businesss engineers have spent a considerable amount of time ensuring that the LS50 Wireless II heartily exceed the original KEF wireless model that came out several years ago.The new speakers include what the business calls Metamaterial Absorption Technology, which according to KEF, enables the speakers to absorb up to 60 percent of the distortion-causing energy thats typically shown back into the speaker cabinet. Turn on the KEF LS50 Wireless II and you are welcomed by the most immersive, distortion-free noise youve most likely ever heard from speakers this size.
Audiophiles are an irritable bunch, particularly when it pertains to wireless speakers. In order to save area, cash, or time, audio companies will typically take the design of a bigger, more pricey gadget and dumb it down somewhat to make an item thats more available, and most likely better for the majority of us. Obviously, audio enthusiasts show up their noses at such compromises.Until I attempted the KEF LS50 Wireless II, I tended to agree with them. Even at the luxury, cord-cutting speakers just never ever matched their cabled equivalents. After a month listening to these brand-new KEFs play everything from Sheryl Crow to Stephen Colbert, Ive heard real evidence that amps and cables will eventually go the method of the dodo. KEFs wireless speakers are an almost ideal window into the future of high-fidelity audio.Two to TangoThe British business has actually been making speakers considering that the early 1960s, but the huge bulk of audiophiles understand KEF for its more current designs. The businesss proprietary Uni-Q motorists, which mount the tweeters concentrically within the midrange speaker, are its modern calling card. These flower-like motorists have moved the initial LS50 design to near-mythical levels of nerd appeal given that they launched in 2012 to celebrate KEFs 50th anniversary.The LS50 Wireless II has the same concentric chauffeur design as the original.
Picture: Kef Never fear, geeks: The new version of the LS50 looks the like the old one. Theyre rounded rectangles with a curved front that showcases the beautiful drivers. You can get them in many colors, but my evaluation units can be found in a sophisticated matte black with copper accents.Unlike the passive LS50 Meta speakers, which need a stereo amp to provide the juice, the LS50 Wireless II speakers are self-powered. Plug them into the wall, and to each other, and there are no external amps required.Even without devoted outboard hardware, the back of the right speaker has an array of inputs. Youll find an optical input, a coaxial cable television jack, a 3.5-mm mini-jack, and even an HDMI ARC port for TV– a rare function that makes them excellent for positioning in a living-room on either side of a screen. For totally cordless operation, you can combine a PC or phone with them utilizing Bluetooth, or include them to your Wi-Fi network for AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, or Roon streaming. Controls for all of the above can be changed with the consisted of little black remote, or by handling the backlit touch controls on the top of the ideal speaker.New KEF SoundUnder the hood, the companys engineers have actually invested a considerable quantity of time guaranteeing that the LS50 Wireless II heartily outperform the initial KEF cordless model that came out a number of years ago.The brand-new speakers include what the company calls Metamaterial Absorption Technology, which according to KEF, enables the speakers to take in approximately 60 percent of the distortion-causing energy thats usually shown back into the speaker cabinet. The maze-like structures of this material inside each speaker arent simple to style; it took a two-year research job with a company called Acoustic Metamaterials Group for the business to develop.The outcomes are less complicated to understand than the innovation itself. Turn on the KEF LS50 Wireless II and you are greeted by the most immersive, distortion-free sound youve probably ever spoken with speakers this size. They may look the same as their predecessors, however they absolutely sound better.The depth and width of the sound phase is substantially improved, thanks to that lower distortion down low. Each aspect of the music youre listening to inhabits a nearly three-dimensional place in the sound, enabling you to quickly dart focus in between them or to hear more clearly how they combine into the whole.Ive become consumed with Lucy Dacus brand-new track “Hot & & Heavy,” which develops from synthy pads to full-fledged dance rock over the very first minute. On the KEFs, the slow addition of instruments and layers pulls me through the song, as though Im able to see each aspect of the music through a sharp, clear lens. I can hear exactly where each of Dacus singing consistencies is sitting in the noise, the perfect edge the engineer got from the signal ever so somewhat misshaping when she sings her loudest.
