KEF’s New Wireless Bookshelf Speakers Are Modern Marvels

Audiophiles are an irritable bunch, particularly when it pertains to cordless speakers. In order to conserve cash, time, or area, audio business will frequently take the design of a bigger, more expensive device and dumb it down somewhat to make a product thats more available, and probably much better for the majority of us. Obviously, audio lovers show up their noses at such compromises.Until I attempted the KEF LS50 Wireless II, I tended to agree with them. Even at the high end, cord-cutting speakers simply never ever matched their cabled counterparts. But after a month listening to these brand-new KEFs play everything from Sheryl Crow to Stephen Colbert, Ive heard real proof that cables and amps will ultimately go the way of the dodo. KEFs wireless speakers are a nearly perfect window into the future of high-fidelity audio.Two to TangoThe British business has actually been making speakers considering that the early 1960s, however the vast majority of audiophiles know KEF for its more recent styles. 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 model to near-mythical levels of nerd appeal given that they launched in 2012 to commemorate KEFs 50th anniversary.The LS50 Wireless II has the same concentric chauffeur style as the initial.
Picture: Kef Never fear, geeks: The new version of the LS50 looks the exact same as the old one. Theyre rounded rectangles with a curved front that showcases the beautiful chauffeurs. You can get them in lots of colors, however my review units was available in a stylish 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. Plug them into the wall, and to each other, and there are no external amps required.Even without dedicated outboard hardware, the back of the best speaker has an assortment of inputs. Youll find an optical input, a coax cable jack, a 3.5-mm mini-jack, and even an HDMI ARC port for TV– a rare function that makes them exceptional for positioning in a living space on either side of a screen. For totally cordless operation, you can match 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 dealing with the backlit touch controls on the top of the best speaker.New KEF SoundUnder the hood, the companys engineers have actually spent a substantial quantity of time making sure that the LS50 Wireless II heartily outshine the initial KEF cordless design that came out a number of years ago.The new speakers feature what the business calls Metamaterial Absorption Technology, which according to KEF, permits the speakers to take in up to 60 percent of the distortion-causing energy thats normally reflected back into the speaker cabinet. The maze-like structures of this material inside each speaker arent easy to style; it took a two-year research project with a company called Acoustic Metamaterials Group for the company to develop.The results are less complicated to understand than the innovation itself. Switch on the KEF LS50 Wireless II and you are welcomed by the most immersive, distortion-free noise youve probably ever heard from speakers this size. They might look the like their predecessors, but they absolutely sound better.The depth and width of the sound stage is considerably enhanced, thanks to that lower distortion down low. Each aspect of the music youre listening to occupies an almost three-dimensional place in the noise, allowing you to quickly dart focus in between them or to hear more clearly how they combine into the whole.Ive become obsessed with Lucy Dacus new track “Hot & & Heavy,” which builds from synthy pads to full-fledged dance rock over the very first minute. On the KEFs, the sluggish 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 harmonies is being in the sound, the perfect edge the engineer got from the signal ever so somewhat misshaping when she sings her loudest.

KEFs wireless speakers are a nearly best window into the future of high-fidelity audio.Two to TangoThe British company has actually been making speakers considering that the early 1960s, however the vast bulk of audiophiles understand KEF for its more current designs. You can get them in numerous colors, however my evaluation units came in an elegant matte black with copper accents.Unlike the passive LS50 Meta speakers, which require a stereo amp to provide the juice, the LS50 Wireless II speakers are self-powered. 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 right speaker.New KEF SoundUnder the hood, the businesss engineers have spent a considerable amount of time making sure that the LS50 Wireless II heartily outperform the initial KEF wireless design that came out numerous years ago.The brand-new speakers feature what the company calls Metamaterial Absorption Technology, which according to KEF, allows the speakers to take in up to 60 percent of the distortion-causing energy thats generally reflected back into the speaker cabinet. Turn on the KEF LS50 Wireless II and you are greeted by the most immersive, distortion-free noise youve most likely ever heard from speakers this size.