kef ls50 meta

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Hems

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Thanks - it’s helpful.

Still undecided though. I’ve got a B&W PV1 I want to use with it. I‘m completely clueless with this - would using a Sonos amp be a serious mistake? I’m planning to buy an Arc soon and I guess I want to maintain a single eco system. However, if that’s going to be a terrible option then I’ll stay clear of it.

I might wait until actual customers get hold of them so I can get a sense from their reviews.
 

sansui au719

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I've never felt the LS50s were wanting for bass. They punch far above what their size might suggest. I have a pair on filled custom design stands hooked up to a vintage Sansui amp which has plenty of headroom. Perhaps a powerful amp makes a difference. The AU-719, like it's bigger brother the AU-919, does not have a typical old Sansui warmth but is completely transparent, faithfully reproducing exactly what is fed to it. It combines with the Kef LS50s own purity to be unforgiving of poor recordings while with a top recording it will reproduce the singer's voice so clearly it's almost embarrassingly intimate. I have never heard anything even close for a similar price. If the LS50 Metas are so much better than the original LS50s then this really tempts me. I must book in a good listen at home.
 

sansui au719

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I know it's vacuous, but I really dislike the way these speakers look - couldn't ever own anything that offended my eyes so much.

I love the title of one of the videos - 'Ten things you NEED to know about' blah blah. Er no, I don't.
I don't think the video does them justice at all. Everyone who sees my LS50s comments on their looks. They demand attention but in the nicest way. Purposeful, sleek, modern and a squat powerful stance. I love the rich piano black while rose gold (copper) drivers are as distinct as their tangerine waveguides are intriguing. KEF have pushed the boat out even further with their range of contrasting colours. The LS50s are a design icon with a modern aesthetic. They're not designed to blend in and would look completely out of place in a floral or pastel coloured room.
 
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I know it's vacuous, but I really dislike the way these speakers look - couldn't ever own anything that offended my eyes so much.

I love the title of one of the videos - 'Ten things you NEED to know about' blah blah. Er no, I don't.

i like the all black version of the mk1 ls50.
 

sansui au719

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Thanks - it’s helpful.

Still undecided though. I’ve got a B&W PV1 I want to use with it. I‘m completely clueless with this - would using a Sonos amp be a serious mistake? I’m planning to buy an Arc soon and I guess I want to maintain a single eco system. However, if that’s going to be a terrible option then I’ll stay clear of it.

I might wait until actual customers get hold of them so I can get a sense from their reviews.
I'd lean towards buying a Cambridge CXA81 amp, as described in the Whathifi review, and use its subwoofer output to drive your PV1. A single eco-system is convenient but it's normally a compromise whereas matching separate components will produce a much better sound for a price, if those components match well.
 

sansui au719

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i like the all black version of the mk1 ls50.
Nice. Hotblack Desiato's* favourite colour. Black on black with black lettering.

*of the plutonium rock group Disaster Area. See Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
 

TheJoker

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Nice. Hotblack Desiato's* favourite colour. Black on black with black lettering.

*of the plutonium rock group Disaster Area. See Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

The black edition & original Anniversary editions are still 2 of my favourite speakers, and without doubt future classics. Great prices at the moment on eBay.
 
i like the all black version of the mk1 ls50.
I had some for a while. They didn’t show fingerprints like the glossy ones, but the finish was quite rough so it still showed finger marks, surprisingly.
They’re good if the gold colour isn’t your taste! Here’s a pic of them in front of my ATCs.
FM36pKP.jpg
 

Wil

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There's a 50% chance, in coming years, I'll buy a pair of LS50 variant.
I had some for a while. They didn’t show fingerprints like the glossy ones, but the finish was quite rough so it still showed finger marks, surprisingly.
They’re good if the gold colour isn’t your taste! Here’s a pic of them in front of my ATCs.
FM36pKP.jpg
Inspiring setup, I too toe-in my speakers. And funnily, seeing your SE remote reminds me how they've, to me, a nice weighted feel—I've now got 5 of that style, but all came in silver (even though 4 of the units being controlled are Black, 3 being because of Ruby).
 
....seeing your SE remote reminds me how they've, to me, a nice weighted feel—I've now got 5 of that style, but all came in silver....
Thats very observant of you! Yes, you'd suppose mine should have been silver, now you mention it. Did they ever make the remotes in champagne colour, do you know?
Better yet, that I could change the codes as it clashes with my Primare amp, and in a weird way. For example, selecting a numbered track on the CD alters the volume on the amp!
 

Wil

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That styling of remote, I'm only aware of them being in Silver or Black. Googling back to introduction, SA-7S1 had a pic that was most likely affected by lighting:
1551038-d449631c-marantz-sa7s1-cdsacd-player.jpg


Because:
marantz-SA-7S1.jpg


And as their player's codes, most probably, don't have an alternative option, I suggest to perhaps block sensor of Primare (manually operate it)?

If you've a friend who has a Marantz (or Philips) CD remote, borrow it to test… Even their old AV amp remote with CD option can be used to evaluate whether it clashes with Primare.

I sometimes use an old PM-66 KI remote to control their SA players, worked fine for common functions and numbered track selections:
h59248-5-59248e.jpg


Thats very observant of you! Yes, you'd suppose mine should have been silver, now you mention it. Did they ever make the remotes in champagne colour, do you know?
Better yet, that I could change the codes as it clashes with my Primare amp, and in a weird way. For example, selecting a numbered track on the CD alters the volume on the amp!
 
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gowiththeflow

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The "Meta material", i.e. a moulded plastic disc, is only one part of the upgrade to the driver assembly, but it has been seized on for the marketing PR guff. So don't get distracted by that.
What they appear to have done with this new version of the driver, is to eliminate much of the upper frequency glare that was one of the original LS50's weak spots. The reviews and personal anecdotes say that it's resulted in turning an already very good design into a cleaner sounding speaker.
The wireless version has had a much bigger upgrade.




z
 
D

Deleted member 188516

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another new feature of the new ls50 meta version is that it has "mounting inserts" to allow the speakers to be attached to the partnering "kef s2 floor stand" speaker stands.

great as this will dispel the argument regarding which is best between speaker and speaker stand - the use of blu-tach vs gel pads. just a shame the matching stands cost £400...



a video showing the matching stands being constructed. i fail to see why the matching stands have a rrp £400 though...
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eALE93UCW0
 

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