What in your opinion is the Kef LS50 equivalent in a floorstander?

[Prolle]

By that, I mean a floorstander that is almost universally well reviewed, modern, and of good value, like the Kef LS50's?

Good value here being about x2 the price of the LS50s, for the extra cost naturally associated with a floorstander.

 

[CnoEvil]

IMO. No Floorstander at that budget will match what the LS50s do best...but will give a scale and impact that the LS50s can't match.

Your decision will depend on what matters most to you and where you want to make the compromises.

 

[Prolle]

Cheers. Do you have any experience with Vandersteen speakers? I've heard much about them, but never heard them and can't demo. I believe they offer a unsurpassable "live" sound, due to their omnidirectional nature.

 

[CnoEvil]

No, I'm afraid I haven't. I believe they are very clean sounding, which can tip into brightness if wrongly partnered....if memory serves, FennerMachine used to have some, but replaced them with Spendor SA1s.....I think they were too forward when partnered with Cyrus.

My advice would be to stick with what you can demo....the choice isn't too shabby if you are prepared to do a bit of travelling.

 

[Al ears]

No, I'm afraid I haven't. I believe they are very clean sounding, which can tip into brightness if wrongly partnered....if memory serves, FennerMachine used to have some, but replaced them with Spendor SA1s.....I think they were too forward when partnered with Cyrus.

My advice would be to stick with what you can demo....the choice isn't too shabby if you are prepared to do a bit of travelling.

Pretty tricky to audition Vandersteens unless you live in the U.S.. As suggested make your choice from whatever you can actually audition. Buying speakers blind is not advised.

Possibly not good advice having bought my Acoustic Zen on spec, but then I had heard a pair a while ago in my mates system which was not too dissimilar to my own.

 

[Andrewjvt]

Ive asked the question a few months ago if kef intended to make a floor standing version of the ls50 with 2 additional bass drivers.

 

[Prolle]

No, I'm afraid I haven't. I believe they are very clean sounding, which can tip into brightness if wrongly partnered....if memory serves, FennerMachine used to have some, but replaced them with Spendor SA1s.....I think they were too forward when partnered with Cyrus.

My advice would be to stick with what you can demo....the choice isn't too shabby if you are prepared to do a bit of travelling.

Think I will jump in the car in the morning. Would Kronos have the largest selection of floorstanders on demo in Northern Ireland?

 

[Frank Harvey]

I'd say you'll need to be looking at something like the Sonus Faber Toy Towers at a minimum, but of course, they're going to sound different being from a different manufacturer. I found the Q Acoustics Concept 20 to sound similarish, and about as close to an LS50 you'll get at the price, so you could try out the Concept 40 - obviously it won't have the benefits of UniQ - worth a try. The R500s using the "half bung in the top port and a full bung in the low port will get as close as you're likely to get I think.

 

[MickyBlue]

I'd say you'll need to be looking at something like the Sonus Faber Toy Towers at a minimum, but of course, they're going to sound different being from a different manufacturer. I found the Q Acoustics Concept 20 to sound similarish, and about as close to an LS50 you'll get at the price, so you could try out the Concept 40 - obviously it won't have the benefits of UniQ - worth a try. The R500s using the "half bung in the top port and a full bung in the low port will get as close as you're likely to get I think.

Agreed although the R500's wont be as smooth as the ls50's

 

[CnoEvil]

Think I will jump in the car in the morning. Would Kronos have the largest selection of floorstanders on demo in Northern Ireland?

Lyric - Linn, Kef, Rega, Q Acoustics

Kronos - They have a big selection (as per website), but demo area not ideal. Taga are well worth hearing....especially the ex-dem Platinum F100SE @ £1299. I wrote about them here: http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/taga-possibly-best-affordable-speakers-youve-never-heard

Moores - Proac, Spendor

Ardhowen - Usher, WLM

If you are in Dungannon (Kronos), you are about 45 mins from Belfast (Lyric)

Newtonards (Moores) is 30 mins from Belfast.

NB. Ring before you leave - I've a feeling Kronos may be closed on Sat, unless you ring to set up a dem

 

[CnoEvil]

Have you made any decisions or had any demos?

 

[MickyBlue]

Add a subwoofer, i have my ls50's dialed in with a rel s3 subwoofer and it is sublime!