Kef LS50 - finally...

And, blimey, it was a good'un.

I've not been on here for a couple of weeks because... well, if I had mentioned this I didn't want outside influences dinging away in the old grey matter.

Thanks to the guys at my local SSAV for their patience. Have to confess, however, I was quivering like a randy Shih tzu at the prospect of comparing the revered LS50s with my TB2is. So, without boring the pants off everyone, I'm going to give a blow-by-blow on looks, sound and compatibility with my amp - and I've marked them out of 10. believe me it's an interesting one, although I'm deliberately avoiding technical description - I'm useless at describing stuff anyway.

System used (obviously): Leema Pulse; Electro CDP; very heavy stands

Aesthetics:

Umm...erm... let's say they look different. Not sure who colour co-ordinated the drivers, but I'd advise them to look for alternative employment: White cabinets and blue drivers.They look like a frozen inverted nipple.

LS50 score 4/10

TB2i 7/10

Sound Affects:

This is a very different prospect to the disappointment of the looks. They are incredibly neutral, lashed with crisp detail. The bass is superb: Playing some bass-heavy Reggae the LFs were as tight as a drum. Vocals were very emotive, with a beautiful immediacy... by this time I was getting a 'semi' (almost). Immensely impressive allrounders. At low volumes, they also come across as accomplished. The only negative was the TB2s. Given more room the PMCs really do sing: I've not heard my system sound that good. The sound is expansive and holographic.

Nevertheless, I can see why they've picked up so many accolades. Superb.

LS50 8/10

TB2i 9/10

Home is where the hi-fi is:

Friday night and Saturday, with a £200 deposit, the dealer allowed me a home dem. Once set-up, the story of the two sonic gladiators is reversed. Without question the LS50 are slightly more adept when it comes to positioning: The PMCs, when cranked up, can sound a little boisterous by comparison. As a room-friendly piece of equipment, the LS50s are very good indeed.

There was mixed feelings from Mrs. P and our daughter: The Missus liked their shape while little'un just grunted... this usually means she doesn't entirely approve. Regardless of the design one can't help but to gravitate to them.

LS50 9/10

TB2i 7.5/10

What's next?:

Dunno. I have a big dilemma. We are on the list for moving. If we move to a more hi-fi friendly house/bungalow I'd suggest the PMCs would be the beneficiary, whereas if we don't move for a couple of years the LS50s, in the current environment, are the better choice. So it really is a case of the head fighting the heart.

Do they gel, sir?

The Kefs are well suited to the Leema. To my ears they sound better balanced than the Tannoy Precision 6.1 I dem'd last year (although I can't swear to this as the dems were at two different shops). Despite having an amp-munching 85db I didn't notice any significant 'dip' when it came to volume. As always the grip of the Leema was evident, so control isn't an issue.

LS50 9.5/10

TB2i 9.5/10

As it stands the current set-up is blindingly good, improved a little by the introduction of the LS50s. With a bit more breathing space the PMCs go into overdrive.

The bonios are put away and I'll chew of the telephone lead... I'm sure common sense will eventually prevail, regardless of my final decision.
 

CnoEvil

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I think that is a very fair summary (entertainingly written). It also bears out my strong suspicion that they would be a great match with the Leema.

One of the big strengths of the LS50s is the amount of performance you get for their cost. When set up correctly and driven with decent power, they produce a scale that belies their size.
 

Vladimir

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I prefer listed and graded vs mushed huge blocks of descriptive paragraphs.
thumbs_up.gif


9 : 7.5 is not negligible difference IMO.
 

MickyBlue

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The ls50 is an amazing achievement in both size and performance, definatly one of my all time favourite standmount speakers, as is the pmc tb2i, both have different characteristics, the pmc's have an uncanny soundstage that envelops the listener where as the kef's are clean smooth and straight to the point.
 

iceman16

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plastic penguin said:
And, blimey, it was a good'un.

I've not been on here for a couple of weeks because... well, if I had mentioned this I didn't want outside influences dinging away in the old grey matter.

Thanks to the guys at my local SSAV for their patience. Have to confess, however, I was quivering like a randy Shih tzu at the prospect of comparing the revered LS50s with my TB2is. So, without boring the pants off everyone, I'm going to give a blow-by-blow on looks, sound and compatibility with my amp - and I've marked them out of 10. believe me it's an interesting one, although I'm deliberately avoiding technical description - I'm useless at describing stuff anyway.

System used (obviously): Leema Pulse; Electro CDP; very heavy stands

Aesthetics:

Umm...erm... let's say they look different. Not sure who colour co-ordinated the drivers, but I'd advise them to look for alternative employment: White cabinets and blue drivers.They look like a frozen inverted nipple.

LS50 score 4/10

TB2i 7/10

Sound Affects:

This is a very different prospect to the disappointment of the looks. They are incredibly neutral, lashed with crisp detail. The bass is superb: Playing some bass-heavy Reggae the LFs were as tight as a drum. Vocals were very emotive, with a beautiful immediacy... by this time I was getting a 'semi' (almost). Immensely impressive allrounders. At low volumes, they also come across as accomplished. The only negative was the TB2s. Given more room the PMCs really do sing: I've not heard my system sound that good. The sound is expansive and holographic.

Nevertheless, I can see why they've picked up so many accolades. Superb.

LS50 8/10

TB2i 9/10

Home is where the hi-fi is:

Friday night and Saturday, with a £200 deposit, the dealer allowed me a home dem. Once set-up, the story of the two sonic gladiators is reversed. Without question the LS50 are slightly more adept when it comes to positioning: The PMCs, when cranked up, can sound a little boisterous by comparison. As a room-friendly piece of equipment, the LS50s are very good indeed.

There was mixed feelings from Mrs. P and our daughter: The Missus liked their shape while little'un just grunted... this usually means she doesn't entirely approve. Regardless of the design one can't help but to gravitate to them.

LS50 9/10

TB2i 7.5/10

What's next?:

Dunno. I have a big dilemma. We are on the list for moving. If we move to a more hi-fi friendly house/bungalow I'd suggest the PMCs would be the beneficiary, whereas if we don't move for a couple of years the LS50s, in the current environment, are the better choice. So it really is a case of the head fighting the heart.

Do they gel, sir?

The Kefs are well suited to the Leema. To my ears they sound better balanced than the Tannoy Precision 6.1 I dem'd last year (although I can't swear to this as the dems were at two different shops). Despite having an amp-munching 85db I didn't notice any significant 'dip' when it came to volume. As always the grip of the Leema was evident, so control isn't an issue.

LS50 9.5/10

TB2i 9.5/10

As it stands the current set-up is blindingly good, improved a little by the introduction of the LS50s. With a bit more breathing space the PMCs go into overdrive.

The bonios are put away and I'll chew of the telephone lead... I'm sure common sense will eventually prevail, regardless of my final decision.

Thats interesting PP..

Btw. I just ordered a pair of Focal aria's 906 which should arrive by tuesday and make a direct comparison with the LS50.
 

CnoEvil

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obiwan kenobi said:
It's a very bright sounding speaker. Many people sell it after a while.
I've never heard it sound bright, and I'm certainly not aware of "many" people selling it for that reason. I am aware of the odd person finding it too revealing in a dem...usually with a system that is not really suitable.

In the past, speakers I've found too "forward" have been the likes of Triangle and some of the Focal range, as well as Tannoy, if poorly matched.
 
Think it's important to remember that 1) I've not compared the Leema with other amps for years. And 2) Since buying the PMCs blind I've not compared them to any other speaker.

Given my experience over the last couple of days of the two speakers, neither are duffers. Love both.... the heart says stick with the PMCs until we know about the move. The head says 'Yay, dump the PMCs and buy the Kefs'.

Hope I've helped others when considering speaker upgrade: Yes, the Kefs are a little more challenging than the PMCs to control... any good amp worth its muscle shouldn't have too many issues - unless you want 'Berlin' the neighbours walls.

I would say a minimum of a midrange Arcam, Creek, Marantz or Roksan would suit the LS50s the best (or even an entry-level Leema)
 

Esra

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I have written many times.Pair Ls50 with Hpex amps like NC400/NC500 and a DAC/Pre of your choice(all to get for reasonable money) or if you have deeper pockets go for a Devialet 120 and you will have a cracking system that punches well above its pricetag.It won´t get better with LS50,believe me I demoed these speakers with a lot of amps reaching from budget to very expensive ones.The Dev 120 is a nice machine to show what LS50 are capable to do.The Dev 200 is even better at this but expensive,so I highly recommend first option with Hypex.
 

spiny norman

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plastic penguin said:
Vocals were very emotive, with a beautiful immediacy... by this time I was getting a 'semi' (almost).

Perhaps he means the speakers were so good he was thinking about buying a bigger house to make the most of them.
 

Frank Harvey

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My recent move to LS50s all round (five) was a very considered one. I needed something small but as capable as possible. There's plenty to choose from when room isn't an issue, but smaller options are thin on the ground, and either cover the budget level or real high end. I have to say I would love to hear the ATC SCM25s, but five of those are well out of budget! As my electronics are equally good with films and music, I wanted some speakers that wouldn't let either side down. I did consider other manufacturers, but some wouldn't have been ideal for movies, and the closest a I could come up with was the SCM7s - my only issue with most other speakers is that I would have had to have kept them upright, which is possible, but the LS50s allow me to lie them on their side (which is how I have the front three), meaning I can pull my screen down further which I find more comfortable to watch. It's just a shame the Dali Rubicon LCRs are as big as they are, otherwise they'd have been a major contender...
 

DocG

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Esra said:
I have written many times.Pair Ls50 with Hpex amps like NC400/NC500 and a DAC/Pre of your choice(all to get for reasonable money) or if you have deeper pockets go for a Devialet 120 and you will have a cracking system that punches well above its pricetag.It won´t get better with LS50,believe me I demoed these speakers with a lot of amps reaching from budget to very expensive ones.The Dev 120 is a nice machine to show what LS50 are capable to do.The Dev 200 is even better at this but expensive,so I highly recommend first option with Hypex.

+1 for Devialet & LS50. I'm still very happy with the combo (SAM engaged), and I came to the same conclusion: if anything a more powerful Dev would make it even better, especially when you want to crank it up a little.

The Ncore & LS50 looks like an intriguing combination too. Might give it a try when I finish my NC400 project...
 

Ajani

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DocG said:
Esra said:
I have written many times.Pair Ls50 with Hpex amps like NC400/NC500 and a DAC/Pre of your choice(all to get for reasonable money) or if you have deeper pockets go for a Devialet 120 and you will have a cracking system that punches well above its pricetag.It won´t get better with LS50,believe me I demoed these speakers with a lot of amps reaching from budget to very expensive ones.The Dev 120 is a nice machine to show what LS50 are capable to do.The Dev 200 is even better at this but expensive,so I highly recommend first option with Hypex.

+1 for Devialet & LS50. I'm still very happy with the combo (SAM engaged), and I came to the same conclusion: if anything a more powerful Dev would make it even better, especially when you want to crank it up a little.

The Ncore & LS50 looks like an intriguing combination too. Might give it a try when I finish my NC400 project...

Devialet & LS50 is the kind of combo I'd love to audition. Both measure exceptionally well.
 

Esra

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DocG said:
Esra said:
I have written many times.Pair Ls50 with Hpex amps like NC400/NC500 and a DAC/Pre of your choice(all to get for reasonable money) or if you have deeper pockets go for a Devialet 120 and you will have a cracking system that punches well above its pricetag.It won´t get better with LS50,believe me I demoed these speakers with a lot of amps reaching from budget to very expensive ones.The Dev 120 is a nice machine to show what LS50 are capable to do.The Dev 200 is even better at this but expensive,so I highly recommend first option with Hypex.

+1 for Devialet & LS50. I'm still very happy with the combo (SAM engaged), and I came to the same conclusion: if anything a more powerful Dev would make it even better, especially when you want to crank it up a little.

The Ncore & LS50 looks like an intriguing combination too. Might give it a try when I finish my NC400 project...

I am very curious about your opinion when you have your hands on them.I would expect you either to change to Hypex and maybe upgrading your speakers better than LS50 or to go for Dev200 combining the best of both (Look/Power/Sound).

@Ajani

do it but be prepared to want it.Imo.it sounds better than Dev. own phantoms except bass.It´s a honest but at the same time involving sound.

Sorry for off topic.
 

The_Lhc

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plastic penguin said:
Umm...erm... let's say they look different. Not sure who colour co-ordinated the drivers, but I'd advise them to look for alternative employment: White cabinets and blue drivers.They look like a frozen inverted nipple.

LS50 score 4/10

TB2i            7/10



I'm sure you don't need telling other colours are available right?
 

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