KEF LS50

Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
I am talking about 5.25" coaxial speaker.

R300 coaxial tweeter/mid = R100 coaxial? I suppose they are the same but different crossover.

R300 bass is a traditional 6.5".

Any case, I like more the R100 frequency and distortion graph than LS50.

In addition to the front, bass-reflex and the crossover, they have different weight:

* KEF LS50: 7.2 Kg

* KEF R100: 6.6 Kg

* KEF Q100: 5.9 Kg

Mine Q100 with more mass (Summer 2018) has much better sound. It was a substantial improvement. Btw, Q100 is not internally braced.
 
Last edited:
R300 5.25" coaxial vs R100 5.25" coaxial

R100 5.25" coaxial

kef speakers - r100 3 kef - Hifishock

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



R300 5.25" coaxial

Review of the KEF R300: An Owner's Journey | TurboFuture

9080840_f520.jpg
 
Q100, R100 and LS50 are more alike than not. There are differences of course but they share a common lineage - as Jack Oclee-Brown said it.

I imagine that differences are more in distortion performance than frequency response domain. LS50 has that treatment of suspension to battle resonance, Q100 doesn't have that etc.
 
Last edited:
I very nearly bought a pair of R300s to play with, but I have far too many projects already. Although entirely OT, I will mention in passing that I now have a pair of second-hand ATC SCM40As, which seem to have retired me from big speaker projects- apart from a pair of SEAS L26ROY subs to go with them! Really excellent speakers with built-in amps. The modern KEF coax speakers I've heard do sound very good at their various price points though.
 
After little time listening to various sources with my brand new Kef LS50 wireless, and after the first surprises to hear what came out of such small speakers, I'm VERY disappointed.

No "substance" anywhere, it lacks a basement in the low medium, the treble is aggressive, there is a bump in high treble, it sounds distorted, I always want to lower the level, yet far from to be high. But it does not help.
I do not understand the so much praise comments that can be read everywhere.

The voices are the worse. While, with my big system (JBL driver +spherical massive wood horn), the singer stay just in front of you, with an animal presence on his feet,
well in front of the speakers, here, the voices seems to come from somewhere in the far away space. While, on my big system, the cymbals are huge and you can feel the violent hit of a strong stick on an heavy piece of copper, here, they sound microscopic and thin and like hit with a little stick made of cristal.

It may be due to the class D amp, if they are very analytical, they often give the feeling that it lacks "material", the amp class AB in the treble that sounds aggressive (I'm used to current feedback amps)?
Finally, it is expensive for a bar of sound that I just feel good enough to listen to the TV.

No miracle, at the end ! Size matters.
 
Last edited:
"While, with my big system (JBL driver +spherical massive wood horn)"

Comparing sound of that to LS50 is not fair, horn sound is very different from "normal" speakers. Lack of low base I share, but that applies to every small 2-way speaker.

Have you measured room response of your big speakers and LS50?
 
"While, with my big system (JBL driver +spherical massive wood horn)"

Comparing sound of that to LS50 is not fair, horn sound is very different from "normal" speakers. Lack of low base I share, but that applies to every small 2-way speaker.

Have you measured room response of your big speakers and LS50?

No, I have spend too much time to measure my big system when I was designing-it: tired, now.

Those Kef are is a self powered closed system: I plugged them, and... did not enjoy after the first surprise. My listening room is... as it is.
Worse: I prefer listening to my 150$ PC speakers. Not detailed at all, but, at least, balanced: full range (no tweeter) + little sub.

I will try to build an amp in order to can use my big sub with those: will see, but don't have a lot of hope. Fundamental of voices are not so low in frequencyand I will not gain a lot of "presence".
Kef made a mistake, IMHO, in offering a unbalanced system: when you lack of bass, you have to cut the trebles. Those speakers have lot of qualities, but they certainly do not desert the rave comments that I have read about them: they just sound ... unrealistic and unpleasant.
My purpose here is to moderate those comments by a more realistic report.
 
Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.