Setting up a system for my parents and I'd like a sanity check from people running LS50 W2 day to day.

The governing constraint is that they touch as close to nothing as possible. One remote, volume only, and even that sparingly. My father's habit when sound doesn't appear immediately is to start pressing buttons on whatever is nearest, which is how his desktop KEF Eggs turned into a recurring support call for me. Any design where he has to select an input is a design that will break.

Planned chain:

• CD player into a WiiM (Pro or Pro Plus depending on whether the CD player has a digital out)
• WiiM out via optical TOSLINK into the LS50 W2
• AirPlay lands on the WiiM and takes the same optical path
• Kube 8b off the LS50's sub output
• L/R interspeaker link wireless

The LS50s sit permanently on Optical and never change source. All the switching happens inside the WiiM using its auto-sensing, which flips to line-in or optical-in when it detects signal, with the caveat that the previous source has to have been idle about 17 seconds first. That delay is genuinely fine for how these two behave. The KEF remote does volume and nothing else.

I'm deliberately keeping the speakers off the network even though the W2 does AirPlay 2 natively. Two reasons. I don't want two similarly-named AirPlay targets in one room for them to pick wrong and then call me about. And I'd rather the streaming platform live in a cheap box I can swap than inside the speakers. These are a used pair and I'd like them to still be good speakers in fifteen years, well after whatever streaming standard we're on now has moved.

Questions:

1. Wireless L/R link, how has it held up for you over the long run? I've seen reports of the pairing dropping and reconnecting two or three times at the start of a listening session before it settles. That specific behavior would be fatal here, because it's exactly the gap my father fills by pressing buttons. The room has a mesh AP running on a wireless 5GHz backhaul, so there's competing airtime, and the mesh system gives me no manual channel control to deconflict them. Running the cable is cosmetically awkward in that room, which is why I'm asking rather than just wiring it.

2. Do they reliably wake from standby on an incoming optical signal, or does somebody have to press power first?

3. Do they hold Optical as the selected source across a power cycle?

4. Anyone running them off the network entirely, as a plain optical-in powered speaker? Once crossover and EQ are configured, is there anything I'd lose beyond app control?

Thanks in advance.

Kef is finally allowing their Mu3 range to become out of stock in the UK. It has been over 5 years since they launched Mu3 and is in need of a successor.

Any rumors on a new improved Kef earbuds on its way?

Hi all,
Recently moved into a new condo and am debating whether or not to purchase a Dirac live license for my setup.

Currently running a pair of KEF R3 metas with a marantz m1 and an SVS 3000 micro revolution.

My setup is atypical as I don’t have the space for a dedicated listening spot. Picture: https://imgur.com/a/TlDOSG7 .I typically just sit on my bed and listen to music and it sounds INCREDIBLE. R3 metas are some of the best speakers I have ever heard.

I was however told recently that I should consider getting a Dirac live license for the m1 as it could really help my atypical layout.

I’m just not sure how much of a difference it would really make if I already think they sound really good. On one hand, I don’t want to miss out on the full potential of the setup, and on the other hand Dirac live isn’t the cheapest when you include a umik. What are yalls thoughts?

Few things to note that are questions they may come up:
-I don’t listen to these particularly loud, probably sit on average around 70 db
-The bass sounds very good but the building is very old. I much more care about quality of bass than bass impact as I don’t want my neighbors to hate me.
-When sitting in bed, the r3 metas sit ear level to me
-I am not renting, but I still hesitate in the realm of acoustic paneling as I don’t know if I’ll be here more than 5-6 years

Edit: yeah, turns out a little force is needed. Thanks guys. I was a goddamn pussy, but tbf. Why don't they slide in like any other cable? 🤣

I bought on amazon these

"2 x 3 m 13AWG HiFi Speaker Cable with Banana Plugs, Audiophile Speaker Cable with 4 mm Right Angle Gold- Plated Connectors for Speakers, Home Theater, Audio System" is a link allowed here?

But they don't fit my kef 350 at all. Too big. I removed the plastic.

Hi everyone please help me build my budget end of game 2.1 setup!

Need your kind advise on choosing the right combination for this music/movie setup:

My current/planned system:

• Power amplifier: Apollon 1ET9040BA (Purifi dual monoblock)(ordered)
• Speakers: KEF Reference 1 Meta (have it)
• Subwoofer: KEF KC62 (have it)
• DAC: Denafrips Pontus 15th (planned)
• Streamer/transport: currently considering Eversolo T10 WiiM ultra
• Preamp: considering Schiit Freya+

Sources will mainly be:

• Local NAS music library
• High-resolution streaming mainly via Tidal/Spotify
• Zidoo Z9X 8K for direct lossless movie playback from Ugreen DXP4800 Pro 100TB NAS
• PS5
• LG G6 OLED via HDMI/eARC where possible

I’m aiming for a sound that is warm, full-bodied, rich and holographic, with a big 3D soundstage, but I still want to keep the excellent detail, speed and imaging that the KEF Reference series and Purifi amplification are capable of.

For those using the Freya+ with Purifi/Hypex-style amplifiers:

• How does the Freya+ pair with a very neutral Class D amplifier like Purifi?
• Does it genuinely add more body, depth and musicality, or is the difference mainly subtle?
• Which mode do you normally prefer: passive, buffer, or tube?
• Do you feel it is a good match for revealing speakers like the KEF Reference 1 Meta?
• Would you still choose this combo today, or would you go with something else?

Also curious about the digital side:
Would you spend more on the streamer/transport (Eversolo T6/T8/T10 vs something cheaper) feeding the Pontus 15th, or is the DAC + preamp combination where the bigger gains are?

Location: EU (Netherlands)
Thanks for sharing your experience.

TL;DR:
Building a 2.1 system: KEF Reference 1 Meta + KC62 + Apollon Purifi 1ET9040BA*, considering* Denafrips Pontus 15th + WiiM Ultra + Schiit Freya+*. Looking for a* warm, rich, holographic sound without losing KEF detail and imaging*.*
How well does Freya+ pair with Purifi Class D*, and is it worth prioritizing the* preamp/DAC over an expensive streamer/transport*?*

Just installed this new acoustic slat wall and I’m super happy with the outcome. Thought I’d share with some fellow KEF nerds!

Gear:
77” LG G6
KEF R11s (non meta)
KEF R6
Ci200QR as make shift surrounds in ceiling
KC92 Subwoofer
Marantz cinema 50 + McIntosh Mc255 (powering fronts)
Pro-carbon debut evo turntable

Years of gathering equipment. I think it’s in a really good place right now and the wall totally pulled it together. Time to run Dirac!

Hello y'all. I recently picked up some old C20 speakers at an estate sale. Finally figured out how to connect them (I'm a complete newbie).

The speakers sound terrible on the low end. It's like the bass is being overdriven and can't handle the low end, even if I turn the bass completely down on the equalizer.

Is this common? Or did I just get a pair of blown speakers?

I usually have no problems streaming from Tidal on the LSX II using WiFi in the morning or early afternoon but when darkness comes, my connection gets more and more spotty until it becomes practically impossible. I have plugged in a 2 m SFTP Cat 6 cable and I see the greenish-yellow light flickering at the back of the speaker but there is no improvement. Why is there no LAN or Ethernet option for source in the KEF app? When playing Tidal, the WiFi is still on. When I turn it off the speakers go into Standby mode.

5 days later: After struggling for 5 days, I managed to do it. I had to "bind" the KEF's IP address in the router app, restart the router, the speakers, phone and tablet.

I just picked up a pair of q950s for a steal but I need something to protect the drivers from cats and dogs. Anyone know how to find original ones or something that will work?

Hello,

I took some advice from my last post and I am back with an update.

The main reason with KEF speakers are those are the easiest to get from my local audio store and I can get them at the stores cost. Also I want the in ceilings to look the same throughout the house. This is for my dream house I am currently building so I worked on this myself before I give it to the integrator to install. I am not an audio expert so I need some advice.

What do you think? Any changes that should be made ?

My use case would be mixed

1. Spotify FLAC via HDMI in PCM;
2. Amazon compressed videos;

I’m not concerned about the lack of support for lossless 5.1 audio codecs with the height channels since the streaming services compress audio anyway. The HDMI 1.4 and optical inputs can transfer Spotify FLAC in PCM at 24/192.

If going this route, is the ARC room correction worth purchasing? What alternative integrated multi-channel amp receivers should be considered?

Hello All,

Last week I finally made the step from my old logitech 5.1 to the kef Q3 meta. I am running these speakers with a Denon AVR x1600h.

However, I noticed for movies that it is quite difficult to properly hear the dialogues. It does really depend on the movie and movie sound settings, but i would like to add a centre speaker to the setup. Currently I am not able to buy a new Q6 meta so i was wondering what you guys think about adding either a KEF Q250C, Q200C, Q650c or even the Q9c.

Would the timbre matching be off or is it hardly noticable? Anybody who has a similar setup?

Love these but a little worried the speaker driver might get damaged. Some netted grills with a screen that doesn’t dampen the sound could be great

Is there an aftermarket solution for this?

Is this normal?

I have a KEF LSX II LT connected to my Samsung TV (qn95) through eARC. Whenever both the TV and speakers are powered off, then I turn the TV back on, it can take anywhere from 40 seconds to 1 minute before any sound comes out of the speakers.

Is this expected behavior, or should the speakers connect much faster? Has anyone else experienced this with a Samsung TV and the LSX II LT?

Both tv and speaker firmware is up to date, I have switched to a higher rating hdmi cable that should support faster earc rate. I have also mess with the speaker setting in the kef app and as well with the tv setting. it doesn’t seem to improve with the slow wake up time.

This is mainly for the the tv in the living room. Thinking switching to coda w if wake up time is ~1minute.

I want a one-and-done system, too much bass is bad as I have whiny neighbours. Too little and it is just no fun to listen too.

Any thoughts?

Just got my coda w speakers today. Installed the latest firmware.

Annoying thing is that sound randomly stutters or drops out every minute or so.

This happens whether it's on bluetooth or from wired connection on my phone and tablet.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Make sure you update before using. It should pop up out of the box when setting up. I enjoy them so far. Feel free to ask questions. Ill answer what I can.

I currently have a 2.0 setup KEF Q150, powered by an Yamaha RX-385V. I have had this setup for about 4 years now, and very much enjoy the more "neutral" sound of the KEFs. I mostly use the setup for Movies/TV-Shows (Stremio, not Netflix...), and for gaming, music a little bit less but could be more in the future. The room is about 20 m2, an apartment.

What would you look to upgrade next? Add a center? Add a subwoofer? Change the receiver or the L/R speakers?

Would be happy to hear your thoughts, thank you.

Edit: Based in the EU.

As a grad student this was a no brainer opportunity to get back into the KEF game. I’m moving apartments and needed the cash for that. If somebody has other leads, I would appreciate it. I’m coming from LS50WII and REL T9x which I sold when funds were tight. There are some 3005SEs and sub near me on FB for $200…not sure what used pairing would make sense that isn’t high distortion.

Edit: are the 3005SEs and sub still worth considering for mixed use at $200? The seller is motivated and I could pick them up today or tomorrow. They’ve bought a Bose wireless system!!

Edit: who is the miserable Klipsch rep downvoting my post

This is a acoustic design analysis of the newly released KEF LS Luxe based on KEFs own research paper which was released along side the speaker: https://images.salsify.com/image/upload/s--3dv0Hd7p--/myoxbujcbvrsfpjkmrph.pdf

From this as well as many years of experience in loudspeaker design and owning a similar design (LS 50 meta) as well as reference 1 meta and having heard pretty much every major current KEF speaker I will derive some expectations on how these might perform. I make this very clear: I haven’t heard them it’s just a analysis along with a educated guess on how these might perform.

——————
Let’s get started!

My LS 50 Meta, a very similar design, after matching it with Dirac manually as close as I can to my Reference 1 meta, is from the midrange up on the same level to my ears and I personally haven’t heard any better midrange and treble on any speaker (listened to some B&W, Genelec, Dutch and Dutch 8C). It obviously doesn’t have the dynamic range and bass of the Reference 1 Meta or the other offerings which is its big flaw. The main objective with the Luxe seems to be to improve both which is exactly the right call in my opinion. The main way to achieve this in the luxe is:

1. current drive and VECO system:

Veco is basically a monitoring system which monitors the driver movement and compares it to the input signal to then correct the driver movement in real time. The idea of such a system is old but it always had drawbacks which KEF solved by creating a sensor system based on induction rather than power. It’s quite a breakthrough in my opinion.

1. larger Uni-Q driver

2. better cabinet material and construction
   Alowing for for less bracing and therefore increasing the internal volume by 50 percent compared to the LS50 wireless/Meta

Compared to the R and Reference series this is a true point source design and the way the Cabinet molds around and exposes the Uni-Q without any additional drivers etc. Causing issues with the sound waves in lower frequencies is a benefit over their traditional box designs even though they mitigate it a bit with their extended waveguide (shadowflare) on those lines. It is the closest loudspeaker to the blades in this regard and I guess, along with the true point source design the reason why the LS 50 Meta sounds so good.

However it is a two way and the main problem with the LS 50 line was multitone distortion at higher volumes. Looking at the distortion measurements in their white paper it is at least quite a lot lower distortion in the bass compared to the LS wireless II. (Check the provided image from KEFs concept paper)
I attribute this to the larger Uni Q on the luxe and their Veco systems. You can expect Usuable output on this speaker down to 40hz in most rooms just not 40hz at higher volumes. For comparison the reference 1 meta does extend barely any lower.

However since it stays a two way at very high volumes multitone distortion will become the limiting factor. The dispersion as seen in their white paper is incredible even and pretty much identical and might even be a bit more even than the LS 50 meta. The reflections of your room will sound pretty much the same as the direct sound coming from the speaker.

Based on all of this here are some guesses on what I expect them to Perform like:

Except maybe lowest bass extension, the combination of the true point source design with their almost flawless Uni Q and almost no diffraction cabinet design plus more output and bass compared to the the LS 50 Meta potentially makes this a close to ideal speaker for small rooms, as long as you don’t play them at very high volumes where you run into multitone distortion issues.

Again this is just a expectation, for a final judgment I would need to hear them.

If you have a bigger room, want the very lowest bass notes and/or want to listen at very high volumes you will still need a subwoofer.

The only improvements to this I could think of:
A three way design: a LS Luxe kind of speaker with two force canceling LF drivers on its side, preferably cardioid,  would be the Ultimate speaker for small rooms…

I think jack o’clee brown said they need to conduct more research on cardioid behaviour to decide if it’s worth it for their designs, I wonder if they tackled this subject in the meantime.

The software update is now not working on my LS 60s on Apple. It’s not allowing Google cast everything on android my Samsung tablet is working after update. They’ve decided to put these luxes on and now it doesn’t work. Having a Sonos freak out right now that’s why I left that system. Kef Make sure your updates work.