KEF is well-known for their highly functional speakers and sound systems. The company has been running for decades now, and their products have only gotten better. The KEF LS50 wireless speaker is one of their best products yet. This review will cover all the crucial aspects of this wireless sound system.
The KEF LS50 Wireless is a compact speaker that is well-known for its high-quality sounds and flexibility. It was released as the wireless version of the 2013 KEF LS50. The speaker is designed with the patented Uni-Q technology that improves the quality and loudness of the sound. The speaker comes in multiple colours and is small enough to go with any home aesthetics.
Sound Quality
The KEF LS50 wireless speakers are made with state-of-the-art technology. They produce clear sound with no resonance, sound radiation, coloration or cabinet vibration. The Uni-Q technology used to make the sound system allows it to create a highly detailed 3D sound image. With this product, you will be able to enjoy a multidimensional sound experience.
Unlike many other speakers on the market, this one is designed with crossover timing correction. This means that high and low frequencies will get to your ears at the same time. In other words, the sound produced by these speakers is highly accurate. It is also worth noting that the sound will be produced in the same way in all rooms and not in a single spot.
Still on sound quality, the system uses a standard RJ45 termination that improves the bandwidth. In addition, it helps to improve the performance headroom and block noise. This way, you will consistently enjoy high-quality sound.
The KEF LS50 wireless speaker is developed to produce clear and accurate sound. It uses Uni-Q technology to filter out noise and resonance. With this sound system, you will get to enjoy three dimensional sound that is set to your preferences. Through the app, you can even set the mood of the room so that the sound is made to match the prevailing mood. The system also uses RJ45 termination to improve the bandwidth, and this has a major impact on the quality of sound produced.
With this system, high and low frequencies will reach your ears at the same time. Many other sound systems have a small sweet spot where the sound is accurate. That is not the case with the LS50 Wireless speakers. The sound will be accurate in all rooms.
Setting up
The system is quite easy to set up. You don’t even need to follow the instructions in the user manual, especially if you have set up a sound system before. That being said, the instructions are well-written and simple to follow. You can connect your device to the sound system through a USB cable, Ethernet or Bluetooth 4.0. It is worth noting that the resolution drops slightly when you connect it via Bluetooth.
The Bluetooth connection is compatible with Android 2.3 and iOS 6.0 and above. The USB connectivity is compatible with Windows 7 and Mac OSX 10.6 and above.
You will need to download the custom KEF app in order to use the system conveniently. Through the app, you will be able to set the system to your preferences. Under settings, you will find three tabs. One is for the default settings, another is labeled ‘basic’, and the third is labeled ‘expert’.
In the basic settings, you will be able to set details such as the size of the room and the distance to the wall. The LS50 sound system is also designed to adjust to the prevailing conditions in the room. You can set the room condition on a scale in order to get the best sound type. The scale ranges from ‘damped’ to ‘very lively’.
In the expert settings, you will be able to adjust the level of bass and other similar details. You can choose to stream songs directly from TIDAL or Spotify Connect, both of which can be accessed directly on the app.
It is important to note that the app only works with Android 4.1 and iOS 7.0 and above.
Design
These speakers have an elegant look and feel. The system is only 5.25 inches big and is designed with several different colors. The woofer itself is red, blue and gold while the piano gloss cabinet can be silver, white or black. To reduce vibration, the cabinets are braced on the inside. They are also made to be highly sturdy. The woofers are housed in curved baffles that are made with high levels of precision. Each LS50 wireless speaker has two amplifiers. One is meant for the tweeter, and the other is meant for the woofer. In each channel, you will get 230 watts of power. The woofer is slightly more than 5 inches high, and it is housed in a curved baffle. It comes in red, blue and gold colors. The system can blend easily with any interior design, especially since it doesn’t come with a lot of clutter.
The Smartphone App
The sound system is set through the LS50 smartphone app. This app is highly intuitive and has a minimalist user interface. Through the app, you can set the level of sub out low-pass frequency and other details that will customize your experience. The app can work on Android and iPhone devices.
You can also stream music directly through the app as it has Spotify Connect and TIDAL services. It is worth noting that you will still have to pay for the streaming services.
The system is simple to set up, even without following the instructions in the user manual. If necessary, you can use the guide in the LS50 app. The instructions are clearly written and will quickly walk you through the setup process. It is necessary to first download the LS50 app. It works on both Android and iPhone devices.
Connectivity
The sound system can be connected to your devices through a USB cable, Ethernet or Bluetooth. For the USB cable, you will have to use a Windows 7 device or a Mac OSX 10.6 device. Of course, versions above those two will work as well. You should note that the system works with USB type B cable. Bluetooth connectivity works with Android 2.3 and iOS 6.0 and above. In addition, you can use Bluetooth to connect your laptop or computer to the sound system.
Also, you can use Wi-Fi to connect your smartphone, computer or tablet to the KEF LS50 sound system. Wi-Fi can also be used to connect NAS with DLNA controller or server.
For your TV, CD player, Blu-ray player, game console and set-top box, you can use the Optical option. It also has an RCA Analog option that allows you to connect it to your smartphone, tablet or music player. Your subwoofer can also be connected to the KEF LS50 sound system through the Subwoofer Out option. Unfortunately, some functions are not available when you use the speakers in AUX and Optical modes. Nevertheless, the sound system is designed to connect to almost all devices in the home.
Supports Many Common Routers
The sound system also supports most common routers. The router will need to have WPA2 security protocol. WPA encryption is likely to cause several issues since it is an old security protocol. You might have to read through the user manual of your router to understand how you should configure the security protocol. Also, you should go through the KEF LS50 user manual to see how you can use the router with your KEF LS50 sound system.
Streaming
The LS50 Wireless speaker can play music directly from the app. The LS50 smartphone app has built-in Spotify Connect and TIDAL, and these can be used to stream songs directly from the internet. You will still need to pay for your subscription to the TIDAL service. You can choose to pay $9.99 to enjoy music at 320kbps or pay $19.99 for the Tidal HiFi membership. The main difference between Tidal and Spotify Connect is the fact that Tidal offers CD quality music while Spotify Connect offers compressed music formats such as OGG.
Spotify Connect can be used for free, although you will not get to enjoy the 320kbps streaming option. To use the streaming service, you will need to open the Spotify app on your device, play a song and select the LS50 Wireless from the ‘Devices Available’. One advantage of Spotify Connect is their huge music library. Also, the service offers deluxe versions whenever a notable album launches. Being a strong brand, Spotify occasionally wins exclusive rights to popular artists.
User Experience
Sometimes, your KEF LS50 Wireless speaker may malfunction for an unknown reason. In this case, you will need to reset the speakers by running a factory reset. Resetting your LS50 speakers is a simple process. You only need to push a small pin through the reset button and hold till the blinking light stabilizes.
The same process will help to set up the speakers on a new network. The process will clear all your Wi-Fi network settings and all memory of connected Bluetooth devices. The EQ settings will also reverse to ‘Freespace’ and ‘Stand ‘modes.
Pros of the KEF LS50 Wireless Speaker
The KEF LS50 Wireless speakers are designed precisely and are almost flawless. However, there are a few minor aspects of the speaker that you need to know. One of them is the lack of a visible input indicator upfront. Also, the sound quality is slightly affected when you connect it via Bluetooth. This is because it causes a small drop in the resolution.
Bottom Line
The LS50 Wireless speaker is a high-quality product and can easily blend with all home aesthetics. It delivers sounds of high quality and comes with a wide range of functions. You can set the sound to your preferences on the KEF smartphone app. If you are looking for a compact speaker, this is the best product you can find.