KEF LS50

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#102
People should understand, that LS50 is a small nearfield-monitor (desktop?). When it is put on a stand in a living room, it is not hifi! Check room respnse of ls50 vs Blade 2 (red line)
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#103
Davey said:
"Built down to a price?" 🙂

No, I don't think so. The LS50 is a speaker that's not competitively priced....considering the resources KEF has.
Check out the Q100 for a speaker that qualifies for your comment.

Dave.
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Note I didn't say it was inexpensive 😉

£900 retail. So... 20% goes to the government, 50% to 60% of the remainder to the dealer, then KEF has to make some profit... so I'm estimating £150-ish for manufacturing. That is built to a price. You can't do everything for that, hence my reasoning tweeks are valid..

I agree that the Q100 (now Q150 updated) is astonishing value for money. Working in manufacturing as I do, I don't know how they do it.

As to whether they are any good or not, that's up to you, enjoy.
 
#104
I really LOVE my cheap tweaked KEF Q100 coaxial speakers. After the tweaks they sound better, much better. Problem: they need very long burning because the speakers suspension is very rigid -> lack of bass the first hours.

KEF LS50. They need 90 cm / 35" or more from walls.

And both sound better on supports and not placed directly on a shelf off course. And they love watts. Better 80 watts at 8 ohms or more.
 
#107
KEF has recently released both the actice version of LS50 and a new economy-line Q350. Looks like the Q is voiced very differently from LS50. Both bass and upper treble area have been lifted to give more straight far-field/room response

Stereophile has tested and measured the Q350, here some charts - compare to original LS50 posted in message #102 KEF Q350 loudspeaker Measurements | Stereophile.com
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This is on-axis of the LS50
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#108
Well, talking about new Q*50 series...

Recommended Reference Component: KEF Q750 Loudspeakers

SoundStage! Hi-Fi | SoundStageHiFi.com - Recommended Reference Component: KEF Q750 Loudspeakers

Until now, the lowest-priced floorstanding speaker in our list of Recommended Reference Components was the KEF R500 ($2599.98 USD/pair), reviewed in August 2012, and added to the list the following month.

Hans Wetzel’s review of the KEF Q750 loudspeaker ($1499.98/pair), published in February 2018 on SoundStage! Access, changes that. In his review, Hans wrote of the Q750: “It’s one of the most neutral transducers I’ve ever heard, and for the money offers staggeringly transparent sound.”

The Q750 is the middle of three floorstanding models in KEF’s newest range, the Q Series, now in its eighth generation -- above it is the larger Q950 ($1799.98/pair), below it the smaller Q550 ($1099.98/pair).
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KEF Q750 Loudspeakers

SoundStage! Access | SoundStageAccess.com (GoodSound.com) | SoundStage! Access | SoundStageAccess.com (GoodSound.com) - KEF Q750 Loudspeakers
 
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#110
I owned the KEF LS50, and still own the harbeth p3esr and ATC SCM7v3. all three are similar 5 inch + tweeter

in order of preference:
P3esr
scm7 v3
LS50

I found the kef ls50 bass poor, notably coloured even when well positioned via measurements in the room. I also found the sound overly bright which affected the tonal balance. Their good points are good imaging, quite dynamic for its size. really dont get the hype
 
#111
My experience with the KEF LS50 and conclusions after 3 weeks of ownership before I returned them.

Pro's:
Attractive, high WAF in my home
Amazing off axis response
Easy to move around considering size and weight
In my system, nice midrange and upper octaves

Con's:
Bass response on certain music
The above mentioned amazing off axis response
Price to useability ratio

They look great and came packaged quite well. I use all SS gear, set up on sand filled 36" stands in my great room area approximately 24' by 30'. I was truly amazed at the off axis response. First time I approached my equipment rack located between the speakers I realized there was barely any noticeable roll-off on the top end at almost 90 degrees off axis. With my equipment the midrange on up was quite satisfying but didn't totally blow my socks off. My wife stated that they looked really nice and encouraged me to keep them for our bedroom. I had the piano black/copper.

The downside is that most music with a kick drum or similar dynamic bass note was an epic fail even at moderate volume. Flabby, muddy.....call it what you want but a 5 inch driver isn't up to the task. Yes, I did try several different amps as well as cables to remedy this and also the foam port plugs which seemed to compromise the midbass more than I care for. Adding my sub to the mix improved things but I only care to use my sub below 50-60hz. The LS50's weren't gonna perform down that low at higher volume to my liking. If your listening preferences don't include such a requirement then you likely wouldn't notice this. That amazing off axis response might be great for background music, acceptable on a desktop setup or in a room where you dont have any side boundaries within at least 5-6 feet. Anyone who claims these image very well are either in one of the above categories or you don't know what really good imaging is. Maybe someone might mistake the expansive soundstage for imaging.

Concluding, I would recommend these for someone who wants a well regarded new shiny set of speakers that look nice and your requirements aren't for critical listening. Even so a cheaper set of KEF's for a desktop could likely give you 90% or more of the performance at less than a third of the cost. In circumstances where critical listening, pinpoint imaging and good bass response is desired I would opt for something else. In the end it's all personal preference. I would certainly buy another pair of KEF's but for me and my current requirements the LS50's only checked about 5 out of 10 boxes on my list.
 
#112
#114
Just now I have finished listening to 24/96 great vinyl rip. No problems with the orchestral mass and the final timpani.

George Gershwin Accompanied By Michael Tilson Thomas Conducting The Columbia Jazz Band - Rhapsody In Blue - The 1925 Piano Roll (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs

Well, 1981 CBS Mastersound, U.S. press.

DR Peak RMS Duration Track
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR15 -0.30 dB -21.34 dB 13:45 01-Rhapsody In Blue (The 1925 Piano Roll)
DR13 -0.30 dB -19.07 dB 18:38 02-An American In Paris
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of tracks: 2
Official DR value: DR14

Samplerate: 96000 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 24
Bitrate: 2816 kbps
Codec: FLAC
============================================
 
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#117
Well, only here.

Würth 150 kHz ferrites

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I tried first with tweeter+woofer cables but then the sound was equalized like U, too much highs!

After, a Würth 150 kHz ferrite in the woofer cables -> more and better bass.


Bypass with 10nF polystyrene cap

LOT 3 Condensateurs Styroflex - NEUFS 10nF - 600V - 0.010uF - 10000pF - 10% | eBay

Better highs: more sweet aka less agressive aka...

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Rockwool

Two pieces of 2 cm thick. In the upper back part of the box. 10cm x 8cm.

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.

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#119
Today, in Amazon.com / KEF Q100

Customer Review

Bookshelf footprint with floor-standing sound

By BriGuy on March 8, 2018

Was handcuffed a bit in my search for bookshelf speakers because of a height restriction - needed a pair that was going to clock in at less than 13 inches tall. In the end it came down to these Q100s or the LS50s, and since these are $1,000 cheaper than the LS50's', I gave them a whirl first.

There will be no reason to try the LS50s.

Maybe the LS50's are better than these Q100s, but I'm not sure how much of an improvement they could offer for such a drastic price differential. These are fantastic for my simple stereo setup.

They're being powered by a Yamaha R-N303 stereo receiver Yamaha R-N303BL Stereo Receiver with Wi-Fi Bluetooth & Phono Black, which has a turntable, CD and cassette player attached. The Yamaha makes bi-wiring the Q100s as easy as single wiring them, so I went that route and just love the sound these speakers produce.

I tinkered with the listening height for a while - and might change it again still - and the Q100s sounded great with every source, including AM/FM, SiriusXM, Pandora and streaming music from my iPhone/computer. They really shine with my turntable Audio Technica AT-LP120BK-USB Direct-Drive Professional Turntable (USB & Analog), Black and CD player Pioneer CD Player Home, Black (PD-10AE) though - and I've been putting them through their paces with both sources...
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