A bit stuck on upgrade path (Kef Ls50)

[hybridauth_Facebook_10153823024069638]

Hi All,

Looking for some advice with regards to my stereo setup.

Currently living in Cape Town, South Africa, my choices for demoing kit are extremely limited, although local purchasing over the net is a possibility (not all brands available).

Curent setup, Mac mini, Pro-ject USB Dac, Nad C356bee, Kef ls 50.

Moved house to a larger lounge, 6m x 5m, the Kefs are struggling to produce any bass at lowish volumes (yes they are a bit bass light) but need to be cranked up pretty high to fill in the botom end, which is nice when they do.

Demoed Kef R500's on the weekend with a Primare I22, thought the bass was a bit overblown, also tried the new Klipsch RP-260's off a Nad C375 a bit less bass and actually pretty smooth.

Best sound of all was the Primare I22 driving Kef Ls50's, really filled out the bass nicely (its a class D amp and I believe they are known for this?)

Home demos are not possible, so my concern is do I trust what I heard in the well carpeted and curtained demo room, or is their a possibility that i might not improve the Ls50's or do I look towards floorstanders to pretty much guarantee more (not overblown) bass?

Appreciate any thoughts and guidance within the constraints of where I live,

Cheers,

Anthony

 

[CnoEvil]

Hi Antony and welcome to the forum.

I have some LS50s in a large room (14' x 21' x 11'), which is carpeted and curtained. They are driven by an Arcam AVR600 and have enough scale to keep the music enjoyable for my tastes. They require solid filled stands which are totally steady, Blu-Taked to the top plate and isolated from the floor if it is a suspended wooden one.

I am also very familiar with the R500s, as myself and a friend spend a morning comparing speakers, which included LS50s/R300s/R500s, which were on the end of a Linn Majik DSM (basically a Class D amp).

The LS50s have certain characteristics that the R500s don't quite match, but we both liked the extra scale and impact that we got from the floorstanders. In that demo, the bass was big and powerful, but under control.

How does the size and decor of your room compare with the demo room?

How far from the walls/corners can you place the speakers?

So to sum up

- IMO. Kef speakers have great synergy with Class D.

- I think that the LS50s will probably sound big enough with the Primare, provided you get the things I mentioned above correct.

- There is also a good chance that the R500s could be made sound OK, provided you have flexibility over their positioning, your room isn't too echoey and you are prepared to use the half bungs if necessary.

- Can you persuade your dealer to allow an exchange if things don't work out?

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_10153823024069638]

Thanks for the reply Cno,

Yes i have them on mass filled stands with blue tak, in the demo on Saturday, the dealer had them loose either end of a plasma stand and they sounded awesome with the Primare....

Am leaning towards the Primare as it is definitely a sonic jump over the Nad and I really like the Ls50's would just like a little more low end oomph

A bit concerned that if i try floorstanders they may over egg the bass, unfortunately the dealer does not have a return policy, very limited choice here...

Cheers

Anthony

 

[CnoEvil]

I'm a huge fan of the LS50s, so I quite understand your reticence, in case you end up losing their magic.

I can only tell you what I would do, which is get the Primare. If I then couldn't get the necessary bass depth, I would then get a small sealed sub, from the likes of BK, Paradigm or Velodyne, at a later date.

Good luck and let us know how things work out.

 

[Andrewjvt]

Hi good to see a fellow SA guy on the forums- also from Cape Town but now in uk

I have got kef r700s and really love the sound - but if kef produced a floor standing ls50 with bass drivers id sell them and buy them instead.

I must warn you that my r700s sound miles better in my house compared to at the hifi dealer though so bear that in mind - i know its hard over there but possibly a home demo before you commit to spending good bucks.

out of interest - where do you get hold of good hifi in cape town these days.

I

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_10153823024069638]

Hi Andrew,

I live in Plattekloof, so the closest is Audiovision at Willowbridge near Tygervalley.

Apart from one or two in town and southern suburbs, not much left, so much is bought online from JHB,

Regards,

 

[Andrewjvt]

i think i brought a nad av amp over by them in the 90s for about 7000rands. i bet they are very expensive now.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_10153823024069638]

They sure are, the Kef R500's are R34000!

 

[Andrewjvt]

Have you considered 2nd hand on ebay or a dealer in uk or europe that will deliver?

although i bet the customs would have a field day.

Did want to mention also that difference between kef r series and ls50 is so different i might take a while to appreciate the qualities- in my case anyway - anyway good luck and let us know what you decide on.

cant state enough how important home demo is but know how hard it would be for you.

 

[Andrewjvt]

just for your info i got brand new pair of kef R700s for 25 500 rands

not trying to show off or brag just showing you how much cheaper in uk stuff is on discount.

I wish you all the luck in your bid - please let us all know what you decide.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I'd suggest trying the R500s again, but with the outer part of their port bungs inserted, as this tends to dampen down the bass without losing the essence of the speaker as so often happens when fully bunging a speaker. The I22 shouldn't ahve any problem controlling their bass, so something wasn't right there.

You could add a subwoofer or two (if your NAD has pre-outs) which will give you deeper bass, and you can then control the quantity to your preference. If you really like what the LS50s do, you may struggle to find others that do the same thing near their price point. Dali Rubicon 2s are worth looking at if you want to stick to standmount speakers.