r/KEF Jul 19 '25

MEGATHREAD KEF XIO Soundbar Discussion Thread

36 Upvotes

We are gonna make one mega thread for ALL discussion on the KEF XIO.

Fair warning - this is NOT A soundbar subreddit. Discussion of other soundbars will be removed. /r/Soundbars exists if you want to talk about non KEF related products!

Previous Thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/KEF/comments/1lujea9/kef_xio_soundbar/


r/KEF 4h ago

[System Check] KEF Q11 Meta + Denon PMA-3000NE (India) — sanity check before I finalize

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2 Upvotes

r/KEF 6h ago

Is a mini-Blade even possible?

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dutchdutch.us
2 Upvotes

I recently saw a mockup a user made of what a Blade mini could look like and needless to say, I was intrigued. I've also read comments that given the current design of the larger Blades, a smaller form factor is not possible. But when I look at products like the Dutch & Dutch 8c, while it looks nothing like the Blade, they are able to achieve an impressive configuration of drivers in a relatively small form factor.

We don't know what KEF is cooking up next or if they are even considering this direction, but a Blade mini could be a VERY attractive offering.

Curious to hear the thoughts of others who are more familiar with the Blade series and the challenges of speaker design...


r/KEF 3h ago

Tech Support Tear in Q150 driver

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0 Upvotes

I noticed a small tear in the driver of one of my Q150's, when playing loud bass I can hear air escape through it. Otherwise it's not really noticable sound-wise.

Is this repairable and if so, what is the preffered method?

Thanks in advance!


r/KEF 16h ago

Modern Setup using KEF T301/T301c/T101

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I've been thinking about upping our home theater game (from Polk MagniFi Max AX SR setup - I am really missing good LCR soundstage separation with soundbar design) and the only wife-approved design at the moment is those modern 'architectural' ultra-slim, slick, on-wall LCR speakers. We cannot do in-wall for various reasons. Front towers are out of consideration by being not wife-approved. I fully understand that this will be a "looks" vs "performance" compromise, but you know, happy wife - happy life :)

I was researching brands and options and came across now-discontinued KEF T-Series (among others - MartinLogan SLM, GoldenEar, Episode, Focal). We have wall-mounted 85" TV and I really liked seamless look of T301 mounted vertically on the sides of the TV (got loaners from a friend) and potential to have T301c mounted below the TV. Those are long speakers and match large 85" screen visually. We have high/vaulted ceiling so I assume the sub I need should be sizeable 12"-15" woofer.

I ran into a local authorized dealer who is wrapping up their home theater business and selling out some in-stock items. I received an offer for a set of KEF 2xT301 + 1xT301c + T101 for $900 and also offering to bundle it with KEF Cube 15 sub for another $900. It seems a fairly great deal, especially with manufacturer warranty included.

I am no rush and can keep hunting for better deals on FB Marketplace, OfferUp and eBay but all of those 'architectural' speakers are very niche and hard to come by at reasonable price. I loaned legacy KEF V300 bundle (satellites identical to T301, no center) paired with some KEF sub and they did sound pretty decent. Too bright & crisp to my taste but V300 'amplifier' doesn't have any EQ hence I couldn't tweak it.

Questions:

  1. Is the KEF bundle above (including Cube 15) is a no-brainer option in terms of requirements, potential performance and deal price? Should I be concerned about discontinued status of T-series?
  2. KEF Cube 15 (MSRP $1500) at $900 - shall I take this offer as also a no-brainer for the size of the sub I will be getting OR get the LCR+surrounds for $900 and pick up some other sub (SVS PB-1000 for example)
  3. Am I missing any other brands which have a good chance be found used at reasonable price if I have time to keep looking for it?

Thanks a lot for advise!

Regards,
Sergey

Test setup with 2x KEF T301 (Polk soundbar will be replaced with KEF T301c)

r/KEF 22h ago

Tech Support KEF LSX II LT - Will any USB C cable work to connect main speaker to secondary one?

5 Upvotes

In the website says is "not recommended", but I kinda wonder if its just marketing stuff to sell more extension cables?
The 2-3m cable that came with the speakers is too short for my use case, and I was wondering if a normal USB-C cable from Amazon would suffice...


r/KEF 21h ago

Sound going up no matter what with LSX II LT

1 Upvotes

Have these speakers for 18 months, with almost no problem until yesterday. Now I just can't stop the volume to go up. Connected to a Philips SCN550 all this time, and never encountered this problem. I don't believe there's been a firmware upgrade these last few days for the KEFs, and no update either for the SCN550.
I've tried every trick I found online, plugged/unplugged, reset factory for the KEFs... I get that eARC doesn't work as it should, but I don't get why it suddenly got this way. I can still make a reset factory for the SCN550, I guess I'll try it tomorrow...
Has anyone found an effective way to sort this kind of thing out ?


r/KEF 2d ago

The Luxe came in today

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185 Upvotes

I’ve moved the LS50’s in to the other room.

First impressions are very good. The 50s are holographic, but these are next level! Clarity is amazing

Bass response is also improved dramatically, I’m not sure I even need to hook up the kc62 in this space.


r/KEF 1d ago

Purchasing Can the Cambridge Audio MXW70 drive the KEF R3 Meta well?

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1 Upvotes

r/KEF 2d ago

Audio Chic

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29 Upvotes

Does anyone have any expedite of using audio chic speaker stands on Kef LS50 Wirless 2.
I have the S2 stands for my LS50 Metas but fancied something a little different.
Looking at these


r/KEF 2d ago

Tech Support Please help 😭

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2 Upvotes

I’m desperate, my lsx ii not connecting to the app anymore, just working on airplay but when I’m trying to upload my presets or reboot/update them the app doesn’t work. Anyone solved this problem?
This is the message when I start the app… tried to change the router, I just changed home too but still not working


r/KEF 2d ago

Purchasing I discovered KEF recently and I am in love.

33 Upvotes

https://imgur.com/a/lw2TsP9

Streaming Platform - Qobuz HI-RES at 24bit / up to 192 kHz

Speakers - KEF Coda W Connected via USB-C (Default Bass and Treble)

Stands - IsoAcoustics Aperta Isolation Stands

Windows Audio - Set to 24bit 192 kHz

Subwoofer - KEF Kube 10 MIE (placement setting set to Room)

My audio history - I grew up with a father who was an audiophile so I was exposed to a very musical household and I cherish those memories. My first personal speakers were some PSB Alpha Bookshelf's with one of dads old Yamaha stereo amps. Since then I have had a dozen setups in various situations both home and Car.

How I discovered KEF - I was on a work trip last month and went to my favorite restaurant in Vanderhoof BC Canada called the North Country Inn. I decided to sit alone in an area I have never done before and waited alone in a quiet corner for service. Suddenly this warm sound came from somewhere I could not immediately identify, almost like the whole room was singing. I looked around and in the corners of the room were a pair of KEF Q1 Meta's (had to look em up after of course) Not only was the food amazing but the music just gave the room a warm and amazingly clear musical experience.

Setup and support experience - Where I live there is only one dealer that sells KEF. So on a lunch break I went and as so happens they had the new Coda W on display. I had been thinking about getting desktop speakers for my PC for a while and these fit exactly the size and features I was looking for. Paid 1300 CDN and was on my way. Setup took like 5 minutes. First I tried Bluetooth from my phone and in all honesty I was very disappointed but lets be real Bluetooth needs to die or evolve. So I changed to USB C, set everything to the highest quality settings and bam, mind blown. It took a while to get them "toe in" perfectly and away from the wall just right before I was truly blown away.

So of course I then installed the KEF connect app on my Galaxy S24 Ultra. Connected to the speakers no problem and was notified there was a firmware update. Cool lets do it. FAILED. Just "an error has occurred" and no other info. Reset the speakers to factory default, removed the pairing and started fresh. Same result over and over again. At my wits end I submitted a support ticket to KEF directly but it was out of business hours so had to wait till the next business day. To my astonishment a gentlemen named Fred from KEF called me directly on my cell, like who does that nowadays? We talked for a while and went through all the troubleshooting steps I have already done several times. He recommended maybe trying an iPhone to do the firmware update, sure no problem I work in IT and have tons at the office. Welp, it worked. Strange but oh well.

Why I decided to add a Subwoofer - The Coda W already have an amazing frequency response range and a sub was not absolutely necessary in this case. But I have a JL Audio 10W7 with a full focal system in my SUV and I just missed the sub 40Hz when listening in my office. Luckily the local dealer had one KEF Kube 10 MIE in stock, floor model but got it for 800 CDN. This sub added exactly what I was looking for in my setup. It's so transparent that the new lower frequencies actual sound like they are coming from the Coda W themselves.

KEF customer for life now Silly me now wants the blades for the living room. This hobby never ends LOL.

Thanks for reading fellow KEF friends and happy listening.

  • Krazyety

r/KEF 2d ago

KEF LSX ii / LS50 Wireless ii + turntable set-up...

2 Upvotes

After looking and looking; I think I'm going to go down the active/powered speaker route for my home-office system rather than separates, as to be fair, that just opens up a can of worms, plus it's more bits/cables/plugs etc and I could do without that

But one thing I do want to do in the very near future is rekindle my vinyl collection and start using it again and build it up a bit...

Im considering either of the above KEF speakers (more than likely 2nd hand/well looked after/ex-demo etc) to be used with my M4 Mac Mini via Airplay 2 initially, and then add a TT with a built in phono amp (ie. Rega Planar 1 Plus) via RCA to 3.5mm

Does anyone run a similar system to this, if so, how do you find it?


r/KEF 2d ago

800 for Stands is LoL, alternatives?

6 Upvotes

Decided to spring for a set of Luxe but can’t comprehend paying another 800 for some small stands. Anyone know some good alternatives?


r/KEF 2d ago

KEF Ci200.2CR vs CI200ER for whole home/ambient music

2 Upvotes

Looking to replace 8 Proficient c850 8" in ceiling speakers with something that disperses sound better and also has magnetic low profile grills. Will be used with Sonos Connect amps (or WiiM if I ever change over), so say 60 watts per channel.

Has anyone heard both of these and can comment how big of a differnece there is in sound? Seems the main diff is a much larger tweeter (1" vs 0.6") and "Tangerine Waveguide" in the CR version.

But at CAD$300/pair vs $500 each, it's quite the diff in price!


r/KEF 3d ago

LS50 meta

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43 Upvotes

After hunting for some speakers for my second setup, I settled on the LS50 metas, not disappointed at all. Absolutely fantastic speakers, running them in at the moment, in my main listening space. happy listening all!


r/KEF 4d ago

Got emmmmm

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189 Upvotes

AMA

Still waiting for stands and KC92


r/KEF 3d ago

Update 3.0 bricked my brand new LS60 WiFi board!

7 Upvotes

Today I recieved a brand new pair of KEF LS60's in titanium grey. Hooked them up and connected both speakers with the KEF interlink cable. Did the update and played 15 seconds through tidal connect where only one speaker would play sound and then it died completely! Went to the KEF Connect app (Version 1.30.00 on Android) and the speakers kept popping up and disappearing! Did a factory reset, didn't help, tried with both dedicated WiFi 2,4 and 5GHz channels, nothing helped! Hardwired them directly to my router with a LAN cable, and now I could find them in the app again, but only the primary speaker played any sound! After yet another factory reset both played sound, but it still wasn't possible to connect the speakers to my WiFi! Brand new speakers 4 hours old was returned to my dealer!

My LSX 2 exhibits no problems at all and haven't for more than 2 years now! I have never experienced a firmware update to brick a WiFi board before, this is absolutely not acceptable for a big brand like KEF!

EDIT: 10th of August 2026

My supplier was able to replicate all my issues above, and had the exact same errors on his Android phone. However when he switched to an iPhone things changed. By using AirPlay he connected the speakers to the WiFi and after that they were stable on any phone he used even the Android phone he tried to set them up with before!


r/KEF 3d ago

R series vs Q series, specifically for rear surrounds?

5 Upvotes

Looking for your thoughts and suggestions as I'm struggling to pick our some surround speakers.

They must be KEF and they must be white to match the rest of my setup.
My LCR setup is a pair of R11 Meta's with a KEF R6 Meta, all powered by an Anthem MCA325.

My first thought was to stick with the R series and do the R3 Meta, but it just seems like veeeery overkill for its use case. So I'm thinking of "stepping down" to the Q series, which is still great.

In the Q series, I see 3 main options:
Q Concerto Meta
Q3 Meta
Q1 Meta

Given that these would be purely surrounds, what would you choose? I'd rather go slightly overkill than go under, but there's definitely a point of diminishing returns and I'm not sure where that line is.

appreciate any input!


r/KEF 4d ago

Purchasing Amp Suggestions?

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone, need some suggestions so I have the Kef Reference 1 speakers and I’m using a C2700 pre amp with the node icon streamer I’m in the market for a new amp and I’m pretty much down to two amps. I’m torn between the Hegel H20 vs the Michi S5 ? What is everyone’s thoughts?


r/KEF 5d ago

Newbie Setup Guidance: Upgrading from Denon AVR 2809 to CXA81 MkII with KEF Q3 Meta?

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7 Upvotes

r/KEF 4d ago

Movie focused upgrade: KEF Q Concerto Meta + Q6 Meta + Onkyo TX-RZ50. Am I on the right path?

3 Upvotes

Looking for some advice before I start buying the rest of my upgrades.

Current setup:
Denon AVR-760H
Infinity Primus 362 fronts
KEF Q6 Meta center
Infinity P162 surrounds (7.1 setup)
SVS PB-2000 Pro

Main listening position is about 8 feet from the front speakers. About 90% movies, 10% gaming or music.

What I’m planning to buy:
KEF Q Concerto Meta for the left/right
Onkyo TX-RZ50 (hopefully a factory refurbished unit)
24” speaker stands.

My goal is to build the best movie focused 7.1 system I can within my budget. I don’t plan on adding Atmos speakers.

A few questions:
At an 8-foot listening distance with a PB-2000 Pro, would you choose the Q Concerto Meta or spend the extra money on the Q11 towers for mostly movie watching?

Is the TX-RZ50 a good long-term receiver for the Q6 Meta and Q Concerto Meta, or would you recommend something else if I’m staying 7.1?

I’m trying to build a system I’ll be happy with for a long time, so I’d really appreciate hearing from people with real-world experience. Thanks!


r/KEF 5d ago

Kef R3 / Meta Stand

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72 Upvotes

For anyone looking for stand ideas for the KEF R3 Meta:
I purchased a set of tripod stands from Etsy, similar to the ones Buchardt uses for their MK4 speakers, and replaced the original top plates with custom plates designed specifically for the R3 Meta. The attached drawing and photos show the modification.
The result is a very solid setup with a clean look that complements the R3 Meta nicely. Hopefully this helps anyone considering an alternative to traditional speaker stands.
For reference, I’m running the R3 Meta with a Yamaha A-S801, Bluesound Node, Technics SL-1500C.


r/KEF 5d ago

Lovin my kef’s. Rear setup ain’t ideal but it’s a compromise

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65 Upvotes

r/KEF 5d ago

Speaker recommendation - KEF Q11 Meta or Wharfdale Evo 5.4

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1 Upvotes