KEF’s New Wireless Bookshelf Speakers Are Modern Marvels

KEFs wireless speakers are a nearly perfect window into the future of high-fidelity audio.Two to TangoThe British business has been making speakers given that the early 1960s, however the huge bulk of audiophiles know KEF for its more current designs. You can get them in numerous 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 adjusted with the included small black remote, or by managing the backlit touch controls on the top of the ideal speaker.New KEF SoundUnder the hood, the businesss engineers have invested a significant amount of time making sure that the LS50 Wireless II heartily exceed the original 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, permits the speakers to absorb up to 60 percent of the distortion-causing energy thats generally shown back into the speaker cabinet. Turn on the KEF LS50 Wireless II and you are greeted by the most immersive, distortion-free sound youve probably ever heard from speakers this size.

Audiophiles are a prickly lot, especially when it pertains to wireless speakers. In order to conserve cash, space, or time, audio companies will frequently take the design of a larger, more pricey gadget and dumb it down slightly to make an item thats more available, and probably better for many of us. Naturally, audio enthusiasts show up their noses at such compromises.Until I tried the KEF LS50 Wireless II, I tended to concur with them. Even at the luxury, cord-cutting speakers simply never matched their cabled equivalents. After a month listening to these brand-new KEFs play everything from Sheryl Crow to Stephen Colbert, Ive heard real proof that amps and cable televisions will ultimately go the method of the dodo. KEFs wireless speakers are a nearly ideal window into the future of high-fidelity audio.Two to TangoThe British business has actually been making speakers given that the early 1960s, but the huge bulk of audiophiles understand KEF for its more current styles. The businesss exclusive Uni-Q motorists, which install the tweeters concentrically within the midrange speaker, are its modern-day calling card. These flower-like chauffeurs have propelled the initial LS50 model to near-mythical levels of nerd appeal considering that they introduced in 2012 to celebrate KEFs 50th anniversary.The LS50 Wireless II has the very same concentric driver design as the initial.
Photograph: Kef Never fear, geeks: The brand-new version of the LS50 looks the very same as the old one. Theyre rounded rectangular shapes with a curved front that showcases the beautiful chauffeurs. You can get them in numerous colors, but my evaluation units can be found in an elegant matte black with copper accents.Unlike the passive LS50 Meta speakers, which require 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 discover an optical input, a coaxial cable television jack, a 3.5-mm mini-jack, and even an HDMI ARC port for TV– an uncommon feature that makes them exceptional for placement in a living-room on either side of a screen. For totally wireless operation, you can combine a PC or phone with them utilizing 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 handling the backlit touch controls on the top of the ideal speaker.New KEF SoundUnder the hood, the businesss engineers have spent a significant amount of time guaranteeing that the LS50 Wireless II heartily surpass the initial KEF cordless design that came out several years ago.The new speakers include what the company calls Metamaterial Absorption Technology, which according to KEF, enables the speakers to take in up to 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 design; it took a two-year research project with a company called Acoustic Metamaterials Group (AMG) for the company to develop.The results are less made complex 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 exact same as their predecessors, but they absolutely sound better.The depth and width of the sound phase is significantly improved, thanks to that lower distortion down low. Each element of the music youre listening to inhabits an almost three-dimensional location in the sound, permitting you do easily dart focus between them or to hear more plainly how they integrate into the whole.Ive become consumed with Lucy Dacus new track “Hot & & Heavy,” which builds from synthy pads to full-fledged dance rock over the 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 vocal harmonies is being in the sound, the perfect edge the engineer obtained from the signal ever so slightly misshaping when she sings her loudest.