KEF’s New Wireless Bookshelf Speakers Are Modern Marvels
Audiophiles are a prickly bunch, specifically when it comes to cordless speakers. KEFs cordless speakers are a nearly best window into the future of high-fidelity audio.Two to TangoThe British business has been making speakers considering that the early 1960s, however the large majority of audiophiles know KEF for its more recent designs. The businesss proprietary Uni-Q drivers, which install the tweeters concentrically within the midrange speaker, are its contemporary calling card.
Picture: Kef Never fear, nerds: The new version of the LS50 looks the like the old one. Theyre rounded rectangles with a curved front that showcases the gorgeous motorists. You can get them in many colors, but my review units came in a sophisticated 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. 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 ideal speaker has a smorgasbord of inputs. Youll discover an optical input, a coaxial cable jack, a 3.5-mm mini-jack, and even an HDMI ARC port for TV– a rare function that makes them exceptional for placement in a living-room on either side of a screen. For fully wireless operation, you can pair a PC or phone with them using Bluetooth, or add them to your Wi-Fi network for AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, or Roon streaming. Controls for all of the above can be adjusted with the included small black remote, or by managing the backlit touch controls on the top of the right speaker.New KEF SoundUnder the hood, the companys engineers have actually invested a substantial quantity of time guaranteeing that the LS50 Wireless II heartily outperform the initial KEF cordless model that came out several years ago.The brand-new speakers feature 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 generally shown back into the speaker cabinet. The maze-like structures of this material inside each speaker arent simple to design; it took a two-year research project with a company called Acoustic Metamaterials Group for the business 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 sound youve probably ever heard from speakers this size. They might look the like their predecessors, but they definitely sound better.The depth and width of the sound phase is substantially enhanced, thanks to that lower distortion down low. Each aspect of the music youre listening to inhabits an almost three-dimensional place in the noise, allowing you to quickly dart focus between them or to hear more clearly how they integrate into the whole.Ive become obsessed with Lucy Dacus brand-new track “Hot & & Heavy,” which develops from synthy pads to full-fledged dance rock over the first minute. On the KEFs, the slow addition of layers and instruments pulls me through the tune, 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 noise, the perfect edge the engineer got from the signal ever so a little misshaping when she sings her loudest.
KEFs wireless speakers are a nearly ideal window into the future of high-fidelity audio.Two to TangoThe British company has actually been making speakers since the early 1960s, but the large bulk of audiophiles understand KEF for its more recent designs. You can get them in lots of colors, however my evaluation systems came 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. Controls for all of the above can be changed with the included little black remote, or by handling the backlit touch controls on the top of the ideal speaker.New KEF SoundUnder the hood, the businesss engineers have actually invested a significant amount of time making sure that the LS50 Wireless II heartily exceed the initial KEF wireless model that came out a number of years ago.The brand-new speakers feature what the company calls Metamaterial Absorption Technology, which according to KEF, enables the speakers to absorb 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 welcomed by the most immersive, distortion-free noise youve most likely ever heard from speakers this size.