KEF LSX II vs KEF LSX II LT: which speaker system is best for you?

[What Hi-Fi?]

The KEF LSX II LT is a streamlined, affordable model that shares DNA with the Award-winning LSX II system, with some key differences between the two models. But which is the smarter buy?

KEF LSX II vs KEF LSX II LT: which speaker system is best for you? : Read more

 

[Jasonovich]

None of the above?
Adams A series probably better at every level?

 

[star-affinity]

None of the above?
Adams A series probably better at every level?

Thanks for the suggestion. I got curious and looked them up, but no matter how good they sound their design won’t get approval in this household. Beautiful from every angle? 🤔

 

[Jasonovich]

Thanks for the suggestion. I got curious and looked them up, but no matter how good they sound their design won’t get approval in this household. Beautiful from every angle? 🤔

View attachment 6140

These are my Gotham City Speakers A7Vs, got them cheap on the back of the Batmobile

 

[star-affinity]

These are my Gotham City Speakers A7Vs, got them cheap on the back of the Batmobile
View attachment 6141

😃🦇

 

[johnfryett]

Both LSX II and LSX II LT will down sample to 96 kHz max. So no point in feeding a signal with higher resolution than that.

 

[fafou34]

Hey, I am also considering buying the kef lsx 2 lt or the lsx 2. The only drawback for me is the absence of aux input. I wanted to know if you think it would be a good idea to use the optical input of the LT version using an Analog to optical converted? Would I need a very expensive one to get a good sound?

Also I see that people are recommending the Adam A4V but are studio speakers good when it comes to listening to music or watching movies at home?

Thanks!

 

[Jasonovich]

Hey, I am also considering buying the kef lsx 2 lt or the lsx 2. The only drawback for me is the absence of aux input. I wanted to know if you think it would be a good idea to use the optical input of the LT version using an Analog to optical converted? Would I need a very expensive one to get a good sound?

Also I see that people are recommending the Adam A4V but are studio speakers good when it comes to listening to music or watching movies at home?

Thanks!

Ok you pulled my string
I don't have A4V, I have the bigger sibling A7V and the sound quality is truly sublime and I have these working in tandem with Focal Subwoofer One. I'm not saying this in isolation and if you check my signature, I have excellent hifi speakers to compare them with.

As nearfield monitor speakers go, these Adams from Gotham City (Germany) are not typically flat, you can adjust (dials at the back) these to suit the room characteristics. You can adjust the acoustics manually or via ethernet connection (you need to download the software). I leave mine neutral. Also from Germany, theres the excellent Hedd monitors (original founder of Adams) and slightly down market the Eve nearfield monitors also, not just a spare rib.

You can set these up like conventional speakers minus the amp and work perfectly fine. If this appeals to you, do check out the reviews on YT .

View: https://youtube.com/shorts/YCULvVBrlVM?si=93sGw4XT3urfdGye

 

[fafou34]

Thanks a lot for your answer Jasonovich !

If I understood correctly these kind of speakers are really good if you are sitting at a specific place where you measured the sound using a microphone and applied the correction to the speakers. How good would it sound if I just want to put music and walk in the room freely? Is it like third orders correction and the sound would still be really good or the result would differ a lot from non studio speaker?

 

[Jasonovich]

Thanks a lot for your answer Jasonovich !

If I understood correctly these kind of speakers are really good if you are sitting at a specific place where you measured the sound using a microphone and applied the correction to the speakers. How good would it sound if I just want to put music and walk in the room freely? Is it like third orders correction and the sound would still be really good or the result would differ a lot from non studio speaker?

Really good question, I can only share my experience. The Adam's A7V are perched up on my solid oak desktop. When I want to listen to them I pull back my chair against the back wall, so there's a fair distance between me and the speakers.
In otherwords I position myself as I would if I were listening to conventional Hi-Fi speakers and that's how I like listening to them, rather than up close.
These are nearfield speakers but I have walked around the room freely without noticing any obvious blind spots in the music, again this is just my perception. Other people with better resolution of hearing may be able to detect changes in the sound if they moved outside the zone.

In all fairness, it's the same with conventional speakers you need careful positioning to get the best out of the sound. The Adams are not so fussy with positioning but they do require solid stands to maximise the sound.

Below, guy's a bit controversial in his choice of words but makes the point about Adams, they make great HiFi speakers.

View: https://youtu.be/c6Z9NMPKu5M?si=0c3x7RNFYvuqe-Fm

 

[fafou34]

Thanks a lot. I have been thinking about it and I think I will go for two Adam A4V and a music streamer like the WiiM Pro Plus. I am a physicist so I am a bit interested in looking and tuning the frequency response of the speakers and I am a bit worried about having an All-in-One solution. If it dies then you are back to square one. The main down side is that the Adam A4V are bigger and, let's say it, pretty ugly when compared to the KEF LSX2 but I think I can live with that.

Thank you for your help

 

[Jasonovich]

Thanks a lot. I have been thinking about it and I think I will go for two Adam A4V and a music streamer like the WiiM Pro Plus. I am a physicist so I am a bit interested in looking and tuning the frequency response of the speakers and I am a bit worried about having an All-in-One solution. If it dies then you are back to square one. The main down side is that the Adam A4V are bigger and, let's say it, pretty ugly when compared to the KEF LSX2 but I think I can live with that.

Thank you for your help

WiiM Pro Plus is mighty fine but If it's within your budget and you prefer display touch screen, you might want to consider Eversolo DMP-A6 which were originally priced £850 are now selling for £200 less. These have balanced outputs which are ideal for the Adam's, though RCA connections should work just fine.

Also worth considering at a much reduced price is Matrix Mini i-4 Pro, a little understated compared to the DMP-A6 but these have headphone amp input.
These two streamers are ideal for music on physical storage, i.e. USB flash drive or SSD. I have ordered the lesser Matrix Mini i-4 and await delivery, not the Pro, doesn't have Bluetooth or WIFI.

I have the WiiM Pro Plus and very pleased with its intuitive interface, works a charm with my Android phone.
Worth considering the newly released touch screen display WiiM Ultra Streamer, this can be had for about £350.

Have fun, enjoy your music

DMP-A6 Streamers，Eversolo DMP-A6

DMP-A6 Streamers，Eversolo DMP-A6

www.eversolo.com

Matrix Mini-i Pro4 Wireless Hifi Daten Play Decoder Ohr verstärker integrierte Maschine Pro3 aktualisiert und aktualisiert - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

 

[fafou34]

Thanks a lot. I could not find the Eversolo DMP-A6 at the price you are mentioning. Are you looking on special websites? Someone is selling a second hand Cambridge Audio dac magic 200 at about 250 euros. Would you recommend it over the WiiM Pro Plus?

Also I have a silly question. I was wondering if it would be possible in the future to buy more adams studio speakers and create a 5.1 Home cinema. Is there the equivalent of an audio streamer for 5.1 Audio or the only option is a regular 5.1 amplifier?

 

[Jasonovich]

Thanks a lot. I could not find the Eversolo DMP-A6 at the price you are mentioning. Are you looking on special websites? Someone is selling a second hand Cambridge Audio dac magic 200 at about 250 euros. Would you recommend it over the WiiM Pro Plus?

Also I have a silly question. I was wondering if it would be possible in the future to buy more adams studio speakers and create a 5.1 Home cinema. Is there the equivalent of an audio streamer for 5.1 Audio or the only option is a regular 5.1 amplifier?

Yesterday I was browsing eBay came across brand new Eversolo DMP-A6, two left for £649.00. Checked again today, gone 😢.
Over at Aliexpress, they're selling at £670.
Although, I've not experienced any problems with them but I say it with caveat, be careful with Chinese suppliers. See link below

EVERSOLO DMP-A6 master A8 decoder DSD digital streaming integrated machine (with remote control)

Eversolo DMP-A6 master a8 decoder dsd digital streaming integrierte maschine (mit fernbedienung) - AliExpress 44

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

a.aliexpress.com

The Adams active speakers take the left and right rca/xlr outputs from the receiver. Each speaker has a single input either mono left or mono right Not impossible 5.1 but I'm not aware of any Streamer/DAC that has this feature?
I have my AV7s looped through my Focal active One subwoofer in 2:1 configuration. Again not aware of any active subwoofer that can accommodate more than two output speakers?

I don't know much about the Cambridge Audio dac magic 200 accept it is one of What HiFi darlings. See the reviews.
It's likely to have an inflated status but doesn't mean it isn't good.
I don't know of any comparison with the WiiM Pro Plus, I suspect it will be better sonically. 😊

 

[fafou34]

Thanks a lot! I will keep an eye on the Eversolo DMP-A6. If I can't find it at a descent price before my speakers arrive I will probably go for a WiiM Pro Plus

 

[fafou34]

Hi, I looked a bit around and it seems there are some options for home cinema if I would like later on to add active speakers to this setup:

Processors

Processors are the command center of your sound system. Emotiva's quality processors are designed for ease of operation and to provide superb sound quality. Shop today!

emotiva.com

 

[Jasonovich]

Hi, I looked a bit around and it seems there are some options for home cinema if I would like later on to add active speakers to this setup:

Processors

Processors are the command center of your sound system. Emotiva's quality processors are designed for ease of operation and to provide superb sound quality. Shop today!

emotiva.com

Oh wow!
Emotivas that's a popular brand. Just look at the array of balanced XLRs.
Well, I stand corrected. This sound processor looks like the ticket.

XMC-2 16 Channel 9.1.6 Discrete Dolby Atmos & DTS:X Cinema Processor

The XMC-2 is a state-of-the-art surround sound processor - designed to serve as the center of a home theater and surround sound music system. Shop today!

emotiva.com

 

[fafou34]

Yes the one you sent looks amazing 😍 Just need to save a bit of money before.

I also came across this cheaper alternative: https://www.minidsp.com/products/ht-series/flex-ht

Someone already did a review about it:

miniDSP Flex HT - Review and Measurements

This is a review of the miniDSP Flex HT. The Flex HT is the latest iteration on the Flex platform. HT stands for „home theater“. Note: The unit tested has been send to me by miniDSP for feedback and testing purposes. I am not associated with miniDSP nor did I receive compensation for this...

audiosciencereview.com