KEF LS50 Review: Is it Worth the Price Tag?

The Definitive KEF LS50 Review - Is it Worth the Price Tag?

The KEF LS50‘s are high-quality studio monitors designed to bring professional-level audio into the home and smaller workspaces. Their design was somewhat driven by the LS3/5a, although they have many different characteristics and noticeably different sounds. The LS50 model provides greater depth of bass, as well as drive, and comes at a very affordable price (relatively speaking).

The LS50’s offer a cabinet design, along with a coaxial driver similar to Blade Speakers, which are in a totally different atmosphere in terms of the price range. However, that is a small hint KEF was serious when designing the LS50’s, with clear intentions of ensuring they deliver top-notch performance compared to other loudspeakers in the same segment.

When you evaluate speakers, you have to be a bit cautious about rushing to a decision too quickly. If you test speakers in a store, part of the results will be based upon how the store has its listening area set up. Smaller rooms will help some speakers sound better, just as larger areas can have a negative effect on certain models.

Two-channel speakers need a fair amount of space to get an accurate sample of their sound quality, so if they are packed into a tiny area they will probably not sound all that great. The LS50’s need the right space and the right equipment to perform up to their full potential.

KEF LS50 Meta Speakers | Amazon

Designed around the Uni-Q 12th Generation with Metamaterial Absorption Technology driver array, this solid, compact loudspeaker is capable of delivering detailed sound anywhere in the room.

Buy at Amazon
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

Appearance

The speakers have a classy look coming in piano black with gold trim or piano white with blue trim. They are certainly not intimidating in pure size, but the construction is top-notch, along with a fit and finish that is smooth to the touch.

While appearance doesn’t make any difference in the sound quality, it shows KEF paid attention to every detail when designing these speakers. These loudspeakers are 12 inches x 8 inches x 11 inches and are primarily composed of MDF, which helps to maximize inertness.

Design

Overall, the KEF LS50 features a sleek and compact design.

The Uni-Q Driver looks very similar to the driver used for the Blade speakers, with the tweeter positioned directly in the center, allowing an excellent source point. The midrange-woofers are just under 5.3 inches in diameter and the tweeter’s measure almost exactly 1 inch. Each component is aluminum and they are crossed over to one another at 2.2kHz.

KEF took great care in the way they designed the front baffle of the LS50. The baffle is constructed with engineered polymer and is contoured to minimize diffraction effects almost completely, providing a seamless wave launch.

While ports are not often a focus of many loudspeakers, the LS50 port is something special. The advanced design of the port assists in eliminating turbulence, as well as resonances. This results in bass, which is free of distortion or unintended sounds.

KEF LS50 Meta Speakers | Amazon

Designed around the Uni-Q 12th Generation with Metamaterial Absorption Technology driver array, this solid, compact loudspeaker is capable of delivering detailed sound anywhere in the room.

Buy at Amazon
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

Specifications

  • LS50 Frequency Response
  • 79Hz-28kH/ -+3dB and -6dB point of 49Hz
  • LS50 Sensitivity
  • 85dB/2.83V/m
  • LS50 Nominal Impedance
  • 8 ohms and a minimum 3.2 ohms
  • 2nd/3rd Harmonic Distortion Under 0.04%/175Hz-20kHz
  • Max Output 106dBs

The Sound

The LS50’s are capable of providing amazing audio, but they need to be paired with a quality amplifier. If you use them with a cheap $500 amp, they won’t give you anywhere close to the same experience. The amplifier does not have to be of the $10-$20,000 variety, but it should be in a mid-range of quality with specs most $1,500 and up pieces come with.

In a series of audio tests, a pair of LS50’s were hooked up to 3 different amps to determine how much the sound quality and performance would vary using equipment in three completely different price ranges. The results were impressive.

While the tones and exact flavor of sound the LS50’s produced varied to a small degree, depending on which amplifier was being used. The power, clarity, and overall performance were remarkably consistent. There was almost no drop-off at all in total speaker performance.

Amps Used

Additionally, if you are looking for power and volume, the LS50’s will almost blow you out of the room. I hate to even say it, but at times, they can almost be too loud. These speakers offer amazing voicing and deep, full bass you are unlikely to find with any other speakers in its class. In fact, these speakers perform close to the level of monitors priced twice as much as the LS50’s.

While the LS50’s performed amazingly well, there are a couple of faults, although very minor in the big picture. The bass response can run a bit loose at times and higher volumes, voices or mid-range piano tones can lose some of their audio integrity. Neither of these presents large enough variances in quality for most people to notice, but even though they are slight, they are there.

KEF LS50 Price

About $1,500/pair as of this writing.

Technical Information

Category Description Category Description
Model LS50 Design/style Two-way-bass/reflex
Crossover frequency 2.2/kHz Experience Soundstage
Amp required 25-100 Watts Frequency resp. (/3dB) 79Hz – 28kHz
Drive unit Uni-Q driver/ vented aluminummagnesium/aluminum alloy Harmonic distortionsecond & third/90dB- 1m/ (0.4%/- 175Hz-20kHz)
Frequency rge. 47Hz – 45kHz Max out 106dB
Weight/kg/lbs. 7.2k/15.8 lbs. Colors Piano white or black
Nominal impedance 8 (min. 3.2) Price About $1,500

KEF LS50 Awards & Recognition

KEF has gained plenty of recognition for its efforts in designing and bringing the LS50’s to the marketplace. In the last 3 years, they’ve accumulated more than 20 awards and various types of recognition from many different media sources and industry guides as a top bookshelf speaker. Below are only a few of the numerous accolades KEF has collected.

Highly Recommended

  • Year: 2014
  • Magazine / Issuing Body: Hi-Fi Choice
  • Country: UK
  • Product: LS50

What Hi-Fi? Sound/Vision Category – Product of the Year

Product of the Year 2013

  • Year: 2013
  • Magazine / Issuing Body: Stereophile
  • Country: U.S.
  • Product: LS50

Speaker of the Year 2012

  • Year: 2012
  • Magazine / Issuing Body: CNET
  • Country: U.S.
  • Product: LS50

Warranty Period

KEF offers a warranty on all of their products and typically, the warranty is backed by their local distributors and KEF themselves. The warranty period varies depending on what type of product is concerned and details are below.

  • All warranties cover flawed materials or workmanship. The warranty period begins on the day of purchase and is good for one to five years, as follows:
  • Passive loudspeaker systems are warrantied for 5 years.
  • Active loudspeaker systems, subwoofers/motorized speakers are warrantied for 1-2 years based on the individual product. Please contact your local distributor for details.

Best Feature of the LS50

The best overall feature of the LS50 is its exceptional value, meaning the price and the performance it delivers. There is a reason it has won so many awards over the last couple of years and has been the talk of the industry in many ways.

The clear, powerful studio-quality sound it delivers and the $1,500 price tag, offer an exceptional value to users looking for premium audio quality for their music or home entertainment system.

Worst Feature of the LS50

There are no glaring flaws with the LS50 that create significant issues. As mentioned above, the bass can lack tautness and some of the mid-range tones can lose some of their definition at high volumes. However, these are minor variations in quality and do not take away from the overall audio experience.

Final Thoughts – Is it Worth the Price Tag?

You will be hard-pressed to find another loudspeaker in the same segment and price range as the KEF LS50‘s that can offer similar performance. KEF clearly put a significant amount of resources behind the LS50 project and could easily expand the LS model into a full line of products.

However, reading several interviews of upper management at KEF, they appear committed to keeping the LS50 as a standalone loudspeaker. They obviously know they have something special, so perhaps they believe it is best to keep things simple.

KEF LS50 Meta Speakers | Amazon

Designed around the Uni-Q 12th Generation with Metamaterial Absorption Technology driver array, this solid, compact loudspeaker is capable of delivering detailed sound anywhere in the room.

Buy at Amazon
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

It is easy to recommend the LS50’s to almost any user who is looking for a high-quality pair of loudspeakers, given its superior performance and value. However, users should be aware it is important to match the right equipment and space with the LS50’s.

Speaker placement, room size, and style, along with the type of amplifier used, will all have a significant effect on the sound quality. Pairing the right amplifier with the LS50’s is especially important and users would be wise to avoid trying to “get by” with a cheap amplifier.

Overall the KEF LS50’s get a two thumbs up, 5 stars and a highly recommend from this reviewer! Hook your LS50’s up to the right amp and you will have an amazing system capable of delivering high fidelity studio-quality sound right in the comfort of your home.

6 thoughts on “KEF LS50 Review: Is it Worth the Price Tag?”

  1. I’m new to hi quality stereo systems and was amazed by both of LS 50’s design and sound. Planning to buy a pair to place in my rom. Read about your review and realist that I should get a decent amp to pair with the LS50s. My questions here is, do you think the CX series from Cambridge Audio with do the magic?

    1. Nic, thanks for the comment. I can’t speak specifically to the Cambridge Audio series (haven’t tried it yet), but in general you will need whats called a “high current” power amp (if you go the amp route). The specific power level will depend greatly on your room layout/acoustics.

      I would definitely recommend getting a decent amp for these high end spakers.

      You won’t be able to get terribly loud before hearing imperfections/distortions. Something around 100-120 watts/channel (at 8ohms) should work well.

  2. I have been looking to buy the LS50 for the new house with a small listening area of approx 2.5 m x 3.5m. I’m using a AYRE AX-7 amp and wonder if this would match the LS50. Appreciate your advice.

  3. Thank you so very much for your highly informative, and detailed review. I just purchased the KEF LS50 through their authorized online dealer amazon.com, and was thrilled to see a 20% price reduction.
    The setup is in a 12′ x 12′ listening area (with 9′ ceilings). Currently, I own a Denon DM40 Micro System with KEF Q100 speakers. (a budget ensemble)
    But, am also upgrading to a Peachtree Audio nova150 integrated amplifier. Would this be a good match for the KEF LS50? (or should I purchase the nova300) Also, what CD/SACD player would you recommend, to complete the system upgrade?
    Thank you.

    1. My apologies…forgot to mention, also have a Klipsch 10″ Reference Subwoofer. (may it also be used in upgraded system?)

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