KEF LS50 Wireless II (Pair, Titanium Grey)

Please review this hefty price when the whole world is otherwise.

problem with scanning QR, but once it worked they worked!

I tried this unit as it fulfilled three criterions: Powered , Small Form factor, and pleasant aesthetics. I fell in love with how they looked and the build quality was top of the line. The sound when combined with the Kef KC 62 was amazing. Loved it. The issue I had was as follows: Within 2 weeks of testing, there were 3-4 incidences of loud crackle/pop sound followed by the speaker going into error mode ( power led flashing) . I had the speaker setup as wireless primary / secondary. My typical usage was airplay / kef app + amazon music. I do have another wireless sounder in the same room, perhaps it's an interference issue. But at 4500 dollars ( with Kef KC62 + stands ) , I wanted something that was flawless. I am talking to customer support and they are responsive enough for now, and seeing if replacing the LS50ii may solve the issue ( wondering if the unit is defective). .. If I find another unit, I will revise this review. Overall, wanted to keep it , loved many things about it, but not sure why it has this type of issues at this price point.

I bought these to double as hifi speakers and computer speakers for my home office Windows PC. They do sound great, and work really well with high-res streaming services like Tidal. But not so good as computer speakers. You are limited to a 3.5mm analog cable or an optical cable. The analog cable is not great since it forces the signal through 3 signal conversions (computer DAC, speaker ADC and speaker DAC). And the optical connection is limited to 24-bit/96kbps, even though the speakers support 24/192. The older generation of these speakers supported a USB connection, which would resolve these limitations. But for some reason the wireless ii version removed that option. Also there’s a setting for the speakers to automatically turn on when they sense a signal from the optical connection (which is how I ultimately connected them to my PC). But they don’t turn on. I have to do it manually with the remote or by pressing a button on the speaker. So 4 stars from me, than 5.

I know this is overkill for the desk but I spend so many hours here I wanted the best. It came down to these KEF Wireless 2 speakers or a pair of Genelec speaker monitors. I wasn’t sure if the KEF would perform well in a near-field application but they image great and are not fatiguing. They are a great value for the money and connectivity is handled through the master speaker on one side. The KEF app can control our Tidal and Qubus music through the LS50 and our LS60 speakers in the living room. We use Roon to manage all of our music and it drives the KEF and Sonos speakers with ease. The iPad M4 allows us to easily access lossless music through the house and we like it better than Sonos. What great speakers!!!!

I've owned a small recording studio and so I'm familiar with great sound quality using near field studio monitors. I bought these plus the matching stands for our living room on the basis of generally excellent reviews. I was skeptical about the amount of bass that the small 5" drivers could put out as well as about how much wide dispersion of the mid and high frequencies they could deliver. In our case here, which is a problematic square shaped room with a low ceiling, we have them about 10' apart about 2' out from the wall and they sound EXCELLENT pretty much everywhere in the room as well as throughout the house. Of course the frequency balance is optimal and just stunning in a listening position midway between the speakers and in the center of the room, and at the sofa which is against the opposite wall from the speakers the room shape acts like a bass trap and attenuates the low end a bit. But overall, they sound fantastic, can get loud enough for loud music, and were worth the price. Plus the stands look awesome.