any KEF LS50 WIRELESS 2 OWNERS here ????

I don't own them but considered these recently and then decided not to buy them. There are way too many issues reported with the electronics and this is the same pattern as what happened in the previous generation. There are issues with WiFi, HDMI, etc and the warranty is only limited to one year like 3 on other KEF speakers.
But if you are going to use them with a wired network and wired connection between the speaker and no HDMI then it seems the sound quality is really good.

I'm now considering the LS Meta with separates. Since this is for my WFH desk to listen to while working, I'm planning a laptop (Apple Music on mac) => Topping E50 DAC => Topping PA5 Amp => LS Meta stack for a new compact setup.
 
Any KEF LS50 wireless 2 owners on the forum ?
Looking to get an opinion/user review of sorts.
Cheers!!!
IIRC FM @OM_2K19 owns them.
You may confirm with him.

They are a really good package. A true all-in-one. Had them for a review of sorts last year.
No idea about long term ownership or issues highlighted above.

Cheers,
Raghu
 
Any KEF LS50 wireless 2 owners on the forum ?
Looking to get an opinion/user review of sorts.
Cheers!!!
I own a pair of those. Considering the lazy person I am, always looking for a single box solution, and they checked all my boxes. So far in the last six months, I haven't faced any issues, and they have been working seamlessly. What I like about them,
  1. Simplicity, hook the power cable, configure the WiFi, and you are ready to roll.
  2. The Native KEF Connect App is user-friendly and easy to use.
  3. Roon Ready out-of-the-box.
  4. Stereo Imaging is Unparallel; KEF nailed that.
  5. To my Ears, they appear colorless (I love that).
  6. They are not revealing but consistent.
  7. The bass is deep without any added resonance.
  8. Mids are pure and detailed.
  9. Vocals are clear and focused at all volumes.
  10. The high has good scale and texture.
Do audition them at Profx, and I am pretty much positive that you won't be disappointed. In the US, they come with a three-year warranty; here, as per ProFx, it's one year warranty, but as per KEF support, it's two years warranty.
 
To @AudioGugu and anyone else watching this thread:

I had these hosted in my living room for a review of sorts for 4 days.
Agree with all the points that @OM_2K19 has listed above, except #3 as I don't have Roon.
I'd break the experience down as below.

Setup and ease of use:
- two power cords and a WiFi connection gets you going
- app is very easy to use for setup

Connectivity:
- for streaming, nothing else is needed
- for HDD + player you have coax, optical, HDMI, and AUX; no usb though
- each speaker has dedicated sub out (if you choose to)
- HDMI allows for TV sound

Amplification and Drivers:
- 280W class D for LF/MF and 100W class A/B for HF (plenty)
- coaxial drivers, means it is almost a point source
- metamaterial is not marketing BS, it does make a difference; it does cut out the back wave 600Hz and up
- clean and effortless drive; you will hear every note in the content playing and in a nice way

Sound Quality and presentation:
- here is a caveat; you need to be sympathetic to KEF house sound (not everyone likes it)
- dead center imaging, great depth if positioned properly
- good bass standalone (augment with sub if needed)
- MF and vocals are superb; HF is not in your face
- again metamaterial does make a difference

Software and EQ:
- one app (unlike two before)
- decent preset EQ options
- app can control all streaming services

Cheers,
Raghu
 
I own a pair of those. Considering the lazy person I am, always looking for a single box solution, and they checked all my boxes. So far in the last six months, I haven't faced any issues, and they have been working seamlessly. What I like about them,
  1. Simplicity, hook the power cable, configure the WiFi, and you are ready to roll.
  2. The Native KEF Connect App is user-friendly and easy to use.
  3. Roon Ready out-of-the-box.
  4. Stereo Imaging is Unparallel; KEF nailed that.
  5. To my Ears, they appear colorless (I love that).
  6. They are not revealing but consistent.
  7. The bass is deep without any added resonance.
  8. Mids are pure and detailed.
  9. Vocals are clear and focused at all volumes.
  10. The high has good scale and texture.
Do audition them at Profx, and I am pretty much positive that you won't be disappointed. In the US, they come with a three-year warranty; here, as per ProFx, it's one year warranty, but as per KEF support, it's two years warranty.
Thanks @OM_2K19 appreciate your reply. I definitely plan to make a visit there some time this month.
 
To @AudioGugu and anyone else watching this thread:

I had these hosted in my living room for a review of sorts for 4 days.
Agree with all the points that @OM_2K19 has listed above, except #3 as I don't have Roon.
I'd break the experience down as below.

Setup and ease of use:
- two power cords and a WiFi connection gets you going
- app is very easy to use for setup

Connectivity:
- for streaming, nothing else is needed
- for HDD + player you have coax, optical, HDMI, and AUX; no usb though
- each speaker has dedicated sub out (if you choose to)
- HDMI allows for TV sound

Amplification and Drivers:
- 280W class D for LF/MF and 100W class A/B for HF (plenty)
- coaxial drivers, means it is almost a point source
- metamaterial is not marketing BS, it does make a difference; it does cut out the back wave 600Hz and up
- clean and effortless drive; you will hear every note in the content playing and in a nice way

Sound Quality and presentation:
- here is a caveat; you need to be sympathetic to KEF house sound (not everyone likes it)
- dead center imaging, great depth if positioned properly
- good bass standalone (augment with sub if needed)
- MF and vocals are superb; HF is not in your face
- again metamaterial does make a difference

Software and EQ:
- one app (unlike two before)
- decent preset EQ options
- app can control all streaming services

Cheers,
Raghu
Now you 2 have got me at the edge of my seat. I wish I can convince them for a home demo for the wireless 2s and the Meta. That would take out all the guess work. Fingers crossed
 
Try them at ProFx K.H. Road. Ask them to host them in a smaller demo room.
They usually have it in the front room which is too big.

Or bribe @OM_2K19 with beer (assuming he indulges in it) :D

Cheers,
Raghu
 
Three questions @raghupb and @OM_2K19 -
(1) Have you tried using the HDMI with TV? Is there a vocal preset to enhance audio for dialogue?
(2) What is your WiFi setup? I have read reviews online about WiFi dropouts
(3) In the case the electronics fail, can we use the speakers as passive?

Thanks
 
Three questions @raghupb and @OM_2K19 -
(1) Have you tried using the HDMI with TV? Is there a vocal preset to enhance audio for dialogue?
(2) What is your WiFi setup? I have read reviews online about WiFi dropouts
(3) In the case the electronics fail, can we use the speakers as passive?

Thanks
I had the speakers only for 4 days, so as I have said earlier, no idea about long term ownership.

HDMI via ARC from TV worked satisfactorily. The phantom center was there.
Did not explore too much on the TV sound part as I was more interested in its music/streaming capabilities.

Used both wired and WiFi. I have 2 ISPs, so did try WiFi from 2 different routers. Did not experience any issues or dropouts

On using them as passive speakers, my guess is NO. The "music integrity engine" and amps are coupled with the drivers.
You may want to contact KEF and get clarification.

Cheers,
Raghu
 
Three questions @raghupb and @OM_2K19 -
(1) Have you tried using the HDMI with TV? Is there a vocal preset to enhance audio for dialogue?
(2) What is your WiFi setup? I have read reviews online about WiFi dropouts
(3) In the case the electronics fail, can we use the speakers as passive?

Thanks
(1) Have you tried using the HDMI with TV? Is there a vocal preset to enhance audio for dialogue?

- Yes, I did hook them with my TV via ARC during the initial burn-in period. There is no Voice Preset; however, the vocal is crystal clear out of the box.

(2) What is your WiFi setup? I have read reviews online about WiFi dropouts

- They work seamlessly on both 2.4/5 GHz bands; the IP assignment at the time was a bit slow, but I was able to resolve this via status DHCP reservation.

(3) If the electronics fail, can we use the speakers as passive?

- KEF support assured me of the availability of the spare parts for the next 6/7 years, so I don't see any reason to run them as Passive Units.
 
Thank you @OM_2K19 and @raghupb. I checked out Kef LS Meta and LSW50 II, the price diff between the two is about 1.40L. I'm still inclined towards getting the Meta with a basic dac+amp for now and upgrading later to a better setup.
 
Thank you @OM_2K19 and @raghupb. I checked out Kef LS Meta and LSW50 II, the price diff between the two is about 1.40L. I'm still inclined towards getting the Meta with a basic dac+amp for now and upgrading later to a better setup.
I had the opportunity to hear both of these and definitely suggest going with Meta with a dac and amp. It definitely is better, unless you really don’t want to have another box.
 
I don't own them but considered these recently and then decided not to buy them. There are way too many issues reported with the electronics and this is the same pattern as what happened in the previous generation. There are issues with WiFi, HDMI, etc and the warranty is only limited to one year like 3 on other KEF speakers.
But if you are going to use them with a wired network and wired connection between the speaker and no HDMI then it seems the sound quality is really good.

I'm now considering the LS Meta with separates. Since this is for my WFH desk to listen to while working, I'm planning a laptop (Apple Music on mac) => Topping E50 DAC => Topping PA5 Amp => LS Meta stack for a new compact setup.
The ls50 meta wireless sounds really good, but like you mentioned if reliability is poor it’s of no use. Meta + sub is the real bargain
 
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Thank you @OM_2K19 and @raghupb. I checked out Kef LS Meta and LSW50 II, the price diff between the two is about 1.40L. I'm still inclined towards getting the Meta with a basic dac+amp for now and upgrading later to a better setup.
The price difference is now around 1.8L; KEF increased the price of LS W50II. My buddy paired LS 50 Meta with Hegel (>10K$) and compared it against's the active counterpart. If the former scores nine, the latter can easily score seven on a scale of 10 per him. The tweaking KEF has done with the electronics on LS W50II is exceptional. If you want comparable sound fidelity from a discrete system paired with LS Meta, you might have to shell out another 5-10K $ on DAC/Amplifier.
 
The price difference is now around 1.8L; KEF increased the price of LS W50II. My buddy paired LS 50 Meta with Hegel (>10K$) and compared it against's the active counterpart. If the former scores nine, the latter can easily score seven on a scale of 10 per him. The tweaking KEF has done with the electronics on LS W50II is exceptional. If you want comparable sound fidelity from a discrete system paired with LS Meta, you might have to shell out another 5-10K $ on DAC/Amplifier.
Kef is “meta” ing all of their line up. Reference metas came today https://uk.kef.com/products/reference-1-meta We don’t need meta material to reach the level of absorption in resonance that kef mentions. But traditional solutions need more damping material and larger area and they costs more to the company to give the same response.

It magically reduces their costs to produce the same sound which was achieved by other companies through other methods.

But from a consumer standpoint getting a speaker at ls50 meta which is technically better is hard.

There is no neutral coaxial with that flat response available at the price of ls50 metas.

End of the day not everyone needs flat and
 
Hi, I own a pair of the LS50W2, upgraded from a Naim 5i & Dynaudio Emit M20, mainly looking for a one box solution. I am extremely satisfied with the KEF's. I use the HDMI ARC and online streaming only and they answer to all of my needs and the best part they sound fantastic. The eq option lets you fine tune to your preference, I needed a -.5db correction at the high frequency as my room is not treated. The bass is fantastic, though I went on to add my REL sub after a couple of weeks, they play upwards of 60Hz and the sub integration is awesome. I love watching movies on this combo and for music if your placement is right, (which it took some time for me to get right), there is good stage depth, the image is spot on at most speaker placements. The depth comes in when you pull out your speakers from the rear wall, this is my observation to my room, will vary to each one's room.

(1) Have you tried using the HDMI with TV? Is there a vocal preset to enhance audio for dialogue?

You could create as many presets you require, on the app. There are no pre-defined presets, like, rock, pop, voice, etc.. You won't be complaining that there is no dialogue enhancer.
 
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