KEF ls50 - Highly Recommended

[ErwinC]

Compared to speakers that I’ve bought 2nd hand for £500 the LS50’s are dynamically compressed. They are coloured with what sounds like a peak in their frequency response from 100 to 250hz with another peak or two in the midrange and one in the treble, with troughs inbetween them.

The frequency response measurements i have seen don't show any peaks at all. In fact, the measurements are flat, more so than many other speakers. In one audio magazine they even made a very positive remark on the flat frequency response.

I don't find them dynamically compressed either compared to the many previous compact speakers i have owned (Dynaudio Focus 110, ATC SCM12, ...). Are you sure you listened to a pair that was well played in?

 

[Rethep]

Definitely these speakers have the most buzz about them, here.

I think they can be driven by a good (expensive) tube-amp, which enhances their sound "invisibility". They really can disappear. The bass will be very good then.

I think my old Epos ES 11's surpassed them rytmically because of its stronger bass. Their midrange is sweeter too! It led to a more balanced sound. Of course a 13 cm woofer does no miracles to the bass. The Epos has a 16 cm.

 

[mike07899]

Can it be placed against a wall do you think? Will putting bungs in detract significantly?

Also do these speakers come with grilles? I'm not sure I'm completely comfortablewith the styling and not convinced they will stand the test of time.

Loving the sound reviews though. Would audition them if there were any slightly less bold finishes that might sit more comfortably in my sitting room.

Mike

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Well the 11's ARE one of the bench marks on this forum.

Hi alchemist 1

No boom, bloom, gloom, bling, like for like or pretence. SCM11 monitors with their low distortion, flat and honest designs instead reproduce the stability and the power of the sound in a controlled, uncoloured and natural manner.

The original ATC monitoring

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[lindsayt]

Compared to speakers that I’ve bought 2nd hand for £500 the LS50’s are dynamically compressed. They are coloured with what sounds like a peak in their frequency response from 100 to 250hz with another peak or two in the midrange and one in the treble, with troughs inbetween them.

The frequency response measurements i have seen don't show any peaks at all. In fact, the measurements are flat, more so than many other speakers. In one audio magazine they even made a very positive remark on the flat frequency response.

I don't find them dynamically compressed either compared to the many previous compact speakers i have owned (Dynaudio Focus 110, ATC SCM12, ...). Are you sure you listened to a pair that was well played in?

Have you seen the measurements in this review?

http://www.kef.com/uploads/files/en/review/LS50_HFN_0712.pdf

Dynaudio Focus 110, Atc SCM12 are also dynamically compressed speakers. It's a trait shared by every low efficiency coned and domed speaker that I've come across.

The pair that I listened to were well played in.

 

[lindsayt]

Well the 11's ARE one of the bench marks on this forum.

Hi alchemist 1

No boom, bloom, gloom, bling, like for like or pretence. SCM11 monitors with their low distortion, flat and honest designs instead reproduce the stability and the power of the sound in a controlled, uncoloured and natural manner.

The original ATC monitoring

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Rick,

what sonic limitations do you think that the ATC SCM11's have?

No speaker is perfect.

 

[jaxwired]

David,

Thanks for the update.

 

[ErwinC]

No boom, bloom, gloom, bling, like for like or pretence. SCM11 monitors with their low distortion, flat and honest designs instead reproduce the stability and the power of the sound in a controlled, uncoloured and natural manner.

The original ATC monitoring

Although sounding dynamically compressed according to another poster in this thread.

 

[ErwinC]

Have you seen the measurements in this review?

http://www.kef.com/uploads/files/en/review/LS50_HFN_0712.pdf

Dynaudio Focus 110, Atc SCM12 are also dynamically compressed speakers. It's a trait shared by every low efficiency coned and domed speaker that I've come across.

Have you campared these flat (the word they use is flat trend) measurements to other speaker measurements done by this magazine? I have seen measurements of the LS50 in 2 German audio magazines that were even more flat.

But according to you all low efficiency coned and domed speakers are dynamically compressed? I also owned B&W Nautilus 803, Dynaudio Contour S3.4, Audio Physic Virgo, Dunlavy SC-IV, .... . Compared to these, the LS50 do not sound dynamically compressed to me.

One of the best compact speakers i have ever heard were the Dynaudio Confidence 3 and Confidence C1. These are also low efficiency speakers and thus also sound dynamically compressed according to you?

BTW, how do you know there are three peaks? I hope that the answer is not that you heard these peaks.

 

[Kubs]

Hi David,

Do you use a sub with the KEFs when listening to music (Stereo) - if so, which one?

 

[Frank Harvey]

Hi David, Do you use a sub with the KEFs when listening to music (Stereo) - if so, which one?

I haven't used a sub yet for music, but for movies in using a Ken Kreisel DXD12012. Tell a lie, I did briefly try a bit of music and they sounded good together. The fact that the DXD12012 has similar traits to the LS50's regarding their ability to disappear made a good pairing. I'll be exploring that a little more when they're run in.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Which other speakers will you be demoing?

Atc19's

Hi alchemist 1

Nice one

Fwiw, imo i feel that SCM19 monitors are probably the finest VFM passive bookshelf designs currently available on the market regardless of price

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[alchemist 1]

Which other speakers will you be demoing?

Atc19's

Hi alchemist 1

Nice one

Fwiw, imo i feel that SCM19 monitors are probably the finest VFM passive bookshelf designs currently available on the market regardless of price

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Hello, Rick, I've just returned from demoing the ATC19'S, Acoustic energy's REF1's and KEF's LS50's.

Well the atc's and ref1's sounded o.k in their own way.

But for me the Kef's just blew them away.

They just sound SOoo! Right.

I've had Atc 11's, listened too B&W PM1'S [very good],

Proac annversary.

Monitor audio's gx100 &50's

Own at present B&W's cm1 [again very good]

But the KEF's are just some thing else.

I've just found the speaker i have been searching for the last

18 months or more.

One of the best stand mounters I've heard regardless of price.

As stated by others Game changers.

Thank you to Kevin at F. HARVEY for enlightening me.

 

[lindsayt]

Have you seen the measurements in this review?

http://www.kef.com/uploads/files/en/review/LS50_HFN_0712.pdf

Dynaudio Focus 110, Atc SCM12 are also dynamically compressed speakers. It's a trait shared by every low efficiency coned and domed speaker that I've come across.

Have you campared these flat (the word they use is flat trend) measurements to other speaker measurements done by this magazine? I have seen measurements of the LS50 in 2 German audio magazines that were even more flat.

But according to you all low efficiency coned and domed speakers are dynamically compressed? I also owned B&W Nautilus 803, Dynaudio Contour S3.4, Audio Physic Virgo, Dunlavy SC-IV, .... . Compared to these, the LS50 do not sound dynamically compressed to me.

One of the best compact speakers i have ever heard were the Dynaudio Confidence 3 and Confidence C1. These are also low efficiency speakers and thus also sound dynamically compressed according to you?

BTW, how do you know there are three peaks? I hope that the answer is not that you heard these peaks.

In my earlier post I was reporting what they sounded like to me. I found myself sitting there trying to mentally plot a frequency response curve, based on what I was hearing with the music I was listening to. When I listen to less coloured speakers I don't find myself doing that. My comments about the peaks and troughs would seem to be supported by the Hi-fi News measurements. No, I've not seen measurements in any German magazines. Do you have any links to them?

I've not heard the Dynaudio Confidence 3 nor C1 speakers.

Have you compared any of the low efficiency speakers that you mentioned to any high efficiency speakers in the range of 97 to 108dbs/watt/1 metre? If so how do you think they compared in terms of dynamic ease and dynamic compression?

 

[Jacko]

Hello, Rick, I've just returned from demoing the ATC19'S, Acoustic energy's REF1's and KEF's LS50's.

Well the atc's and ref1's sounded o.k in their own way.

But for me the Kef's just blew them away.

They just sound SOoo! Right.

I've had Atc 11's, listened too B&W PM1'S [very good],

Proac annversary.

Monitor audio's gx100 &50's

Own at present B&W's cm1 [again very good]

But the KEF's are just some thing else.

I've just found the speaker i have been searching for the last

18 months or more.

One of the best stand mounters I've heard regardless of price.

As stated by others Game changers.

Thank you to Kevin at F. HARVEY for enlightening me.

[/quote]

Sounds superb - I have just booked to demo them over the weekend - always liked the KEF sound, and love the look of the LS50s. Enjoy!

 

[Frank Harvey]

KEF take measurements of their speakers in various different situations to make sure they get a flat response when designing. They have assured me that the LS50 is a flat response.

 

[ErwinC]

One of the best stand mounters I've heard regardless of price.

Agreed.

 

[ErwinC]

No, I've not seen measurements in any German magazines. Do you have any links to them?

No, i only have the magazines and the reviews are not yet on the web.

Have you compared any of the low efficiency speakers that you mentioned to any high efficiency speakers in the range of 97 to 108dbs/watt/1 metre? If so how do you think they compared in terms of dynamic ease and dynamic compression?

On many occasions i was able to listen to the Klipsch Palladium P-37F floorstander (96 dB), the Palladium P-17B (94 dB) and the Reference RF-XX floorstanders (97 dB and higher). I never found these better than the LS50 in terms of dynamic ease or compression. They can play a lot louder, but for normal listening levels these were not better than the LS50 imo.

By far the best speakers i heard in terms of dynamic ease and compression are the JBL Project Everest DD66000 (96 dB). But these costs about 44 times more than the KEF LS50, so they should sound less compressed.

 

[ErwinC]

KEF take measurements of their speakers in various different situations to make sure they get a flat response when designing. They have assured me that the LS50 is a flat response.

What has been confirmed by the measurements i have seen in 2 audio magazines.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Well the 11's ARE one of the bench marks on this forum.

Hi alchemist 1

No boom, bloom, gloom, bling, like for like or pretence. SCM11 monitors with their low distortion, flat and honest designs instead reproduce the stability and the power of the sound in a controlled, uncoloured and natural manner.

The original ATC monitoring

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Rick,

what sonic limitations do you think that the ATC SCM11's have?

No speaker is perfect.

Hi lindsayt

hence why ATC themselves have even more advanced monitors to help get reproduction closer to perfection.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[MUSICRAFT]

regardless of price.

Hi ErwinC

I think i had better get a copyright

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[CnoEvil]

Nice one

Fwiw, imo i feel that SCM19 monitors are probably the finest VFM passive bookshelf designs currently available on the market regardless of price

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

One of the best stand mounters I've heard regardless of price.

Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi!

 

[lindsayt]

Well the 11's ARE one of the bench marks on this forum.

Hi alchemist 1

No boom, bloom, gloom, bling, like for like or pretence. SCM11 monitors with their low distortion, flat and honest designs instead reproduce the stability and the power of the sound in a controlled, uncoloured and natural manner.

The original ATC monitoring

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Rick,

what sonic limitations do you think that the ATC SCM11's have?

No speaker is perfect.

Hi lindsayt

hence why ATC themselves have even more advanced monitors to help get reproduction closer to perfection.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Rick,

in view of your status as an ATC dealer, do you think the nature of your posts on ATC in this thread on this hi-fi forum are appropriate?

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Which other speakers will you be demoing?

Atc19's

Hi alchemist 1

Nice one

Fwiw, imo i feel that SCM19 monitors are probably the finest VFM passive bookshelf designs currently available on the market regardless of price

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Hello, Rick, I've just returned from demoing the ATC19'S, Acoustic energy's REF1's and KEF's LS50's.

Well the atc's and ref1's sounded o.k in their own way.

But for me the Kef's just blew them away.

They just sound SOoo! Right.

I've had Atc 11's, listened too B&W PM1'S [very good],

Proac annversary.

Monitor audio's gx100 &50's

Own at present B&W's cm1 [again very good]

But the KEF's are just some thing else.

I've just found the speaker i have been searching for the last

18 months or more.

One of the best stand mounters I've heard regardless of price.

As stated by others Game changers.

Hi alchemist 1

I am that you liked the 50's

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[BenLaw]

Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi!

One of my favourite albums