Kef ls50
- Thread starter nirodha
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I have listened to the ESL63 and it does remind me of the LS50s in that they both need subs and they might now play as loud as you would like, specially with rock and roll.
Aren't Quads open in back? And don't they emit identical response off of both sides of the panel? They may be "point source" in a technical sense, but I would think a single or concentric driver box speaker like the KEF in question would, in practice, behave much more like a small two way than like a Quad.
Tim
Tim
I will get today some decent stands for the LS50, they are sitting on top of digest-sized TAS magazines, and try other placement options. These are intended for my office setup, but I am glad I tried them with the main rig, who said speaker technology was stagnant!
I know my LS50s aren't even close to being broken in yet, but I think I may be starting to come to terms with them. They do have a point they can't be pushed past, and it may come sooner than you like. Rock and Roll will get you to that point quicker than jazz, but you can find it with jazz also. I may need to move these speakers even further into the room to see if that helps, but I'm really not a fan of near-field listening. The LS50s are very quick and clean, but they are also lean which adds to the "clean" that you hear-or at least I think it does. Kept within their limits (dynamic envelope), these are really good speakers with a lot of finesse and elegance. They will not rock your house down, nor will they play dynamic music at levels some would describe as "live" and do it without distortion setting in. And because these speakers are so clean when they aren't being pushed/stressed, you will hear any distortion immediately and know that all isn't right in your little world.
When I first hooked up the LS50s, I was wondering if the cleanliness I was hearing was a lack of enclosure noise compared to my 150 lb (each) Def Tech speakers or if it was a lack of information that made other frequencies stand out more (like the midrange and treble for instance). Using subs fills in the bottom two octaves that are basically MIA, but there is still a leanness above 80 Hz because a driver this small can only move so much air. I'm up in the air about them now after last night's listening session. I will say that I listened to the 45 RPM LP Stan Meets Chet last night which arrived yesterday from Music Direct and it sounded fabulous. This is the first time I have heard this LP so I have no point of reference of hearing it with my big speakers.
When I first hooked up the LS50s, I was wondering if the cleanliness I was hearing was a lack of enclosure noise compared to my 150 lb (each) Def Tech speakers or if it was a lack of information that made other frequencies stand out more (like the midrange and treble for instance). Using subs fills in the bottom two octaves that are basically MIA, but there is still a leanness above 80 Hz because a driver this small can only move so much air. I'm up in the air about them now after last night's listening session. I will say that I listened to the 45 RPM LP Stan Meets Chet last night which arrived yesterday from Music Direct and it sounded fabulous. This is the first time I have heard this LP so I have no point of reference of hearing it with my big speakers.
mep
I am with you on the LS50. Within their dynamic limitations, they are as good as any speaker one may have heard. Don't push them too hard. It is not really a matter of SPL, they can play loud, it is that past a certain point, I would put that above 95 dB they are no longer startling, they are merely good. Past 100 dB at 3 meter in a medium room ... You asking for much more they may have been designed for. I have not lived with them long enough to make a defintive asessment . Suffice to say, they will keep me happy until I get to a dedicated room.
I disagree with you however about the mass issue. While rigidity doesn't always equate mass. An heavy enclosure has the potential to kill unwanted vibration. As a matter of fact the "quietest" speakers I have heard are heavy, very heavy: Magico comes to mind but also Wilson X-2 and Rockport (Aquila or Ankaa? can't remember) to name those. What I think comes to play is the ability to reproduce live levels in the upper bass to lower midrange region, say from 100 Hz to 800 Hz. There had to be some compromises and those most 2-ways share. IF one were to take a speaker like the X-2 100 hz to 800 Hz is covered by large cones ( I believe the second woofer, the 13 inch get up there to 600 Hz according to some sources) with serious magnet (or otherwise) motors. In such designs the midrange drivers don't have to do bass so they are optimized to do midrange as well , as clean and as loud as it can be .. Same with most large 3-ways and up the critical 100 to 500 hz region is usually covered by dedicated and beefy driver or drivers...
The speaker is simply superb. Within what it design range it is the full equal to many speakers costing several times more and believe you me, I'm not speaking of $5K speakers ... I would like to write a review about this little marvel. Maybe in two months, I will be traveling and taking a relatively long ( >2 weeks) vacation something I haven't done for nearly 8 years. If anyone can audition these at home please do. The better the electronics the better they will sound. They are as revealing as they get. One of the best speakers around and that at any price. The demeaning and patronizing "for-its-price" doesn't apply. They are flat-out excellent. If the Kef Blades are designed as well .. They could be killers in the $30 to $100K speaker region .. No jokes
I am with you on the LS50. Within their dynamic limitations, they are as good as any speaker one may have heard. Don't push them too hard. It is not really a matter of SPL, they can play loud, it is that past a certain point, I would put that above 95 dB they are no longer startling, they are merely good. Past 100 dB at 3 meter in a medium room ... You asking for much more they may have been designed for. I have not lived with them long enough to make a defintive asessment . Suffice to say, they will keep me happy until I get to a dedicated room.
I disagree with you however about the mass issue. While rigidity doesn't always equate mass. An heavy enclosure has the potential to kill unwanted vibration. As a matter of fact the "quietest" speakers I have heard are heavy, very heavy: Magico comes to mind but also Wilson X-2 and Rockport (Aquila or Ankaa? can't remember) to name those. What I think comes to play is the ability to reproduce live levels in the upper bass to lower midrange region, say from 100 Hz to 800 Hz. There had to be some compromises and those most 2-ways share. IF one were to take a speaker like the X-2 100 hz to 800 Hz is covered by large cones ( I believe the second woofer, the 13 inch get up there to 600 Hz according to some sources) with serious magnet (or otherwise) motors. In such designs the midrange drivers don't have to do bass so they are optimized to do midrange as well , as clean and as loud as it can be .. Same with most large 3-ways and up the critical 100 to 500 hz region is usually covered by dedicated and beefy driver or drivers...
The speaker is simply superb. Within what it design range it is the full equal to many speakers costing several times more and believe you me, I'm not speaking of $5K speakers ... I would like to write a review about this little marvel. Maybe in two months, I will be traveling and taking a relatively long ( >2 weeks) vacation something I haven't done for nearly 8 years. If anyone can audition these at home please do. The better the electronics the better they will sound. They are as revealing as they get. One of the best speakers around and that at any price. The demeaning and patronizing "for-its-price" doesn't apply. They are flat-out excellent. If the Kef Blades are designed as well .. They could be killers in the $30 to $100K speaker region .. No jokes
Good point Frantz, I have heard the Blades only at shows and was not impressed at all, but based on the LS50 performance I am experiencing, KEF needs to work FAST on a mini-Blade model, something at arround 10k would be great¡
The Blades or the LS 50? Shows are not the place to make a final assessment IMO.
not exactly mini blades but they did demo at newport the r900s which have the same concentric driver from the Ls50 flanked by two 8 in. aluminum woofers. sensitvity is better at 90 db and -6 at 35 hz...they sounded pretty good, again under show conditions.
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r900rw.jpg
After 36 hours in my main system I got the Avalons back to the chain, and differences were now more obvious after the turmoil of the new acquirement, the Ascents were 18kusd new so it is an unfair comparison, but the main issue remains; does the Avalons sound ten times better than the KEFs? - the answer is an absolute NO.
But the real question regardless of price is do the Avalons sound better? I assume when you put them back in your system you recaptured some information that was missing from the LS50s. That was the way I felt when I put my he-man speakers back in the system.
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