Ask theaudioenthusiasts and one answer will likely reign:KEFs LS50W.
That is, until KEF launchedthe LSX.
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See, the LS50W had two big problems.
First, it cost $2,200 a pair.
Many audiophiles considered it a relative bargain, but thats still an unreasonable price for most people.
Second, the speakers werent quite as wireless as their name implied.
Unavoidable power cables aside, they also required an Ethernet cable between the two speakers for stereo to work.
They were only wireless in their inclusion of Bluetooth and WiFi playback.
The LSX fixes both of these issues.
Surprisingly, it even surpasses its bigger sibling in some listening scenarios but more on that later.
Im particularly fond of the blue, because there should be more blue gadgets in the world.
You might just want to keep them away from scratch-happy cats.
I appreciated the LS50Ws wealth of input options, and the LSX mostly follows suit.
Iama bit disappointed by the lack of Google Cast, especially considering both Spotify and Tidal support cast anyway.
It also wouldve made it easy to use the LSX in a multi-room setup.
But KEF partly makes up for it by including a USB-A charging port.
You know what would have saved my eardrums?
Speaking of KEFs app, its something of a mixed bag.
On the one hand, I really appreciate how it lets you tune the speaker to your rooms acoustics.
These adjustments can make a dramatic improvement.
This makes no sense.
Aside from a tiny boost in sound quality, it also kills any latency.
Its another boon for the LSX they can be used for musiccreation, not just consumption.
Okay, the sound.
If youve never listened to a pair of hi-fi speakers, youre in for a treat.
The family resemblance with the LS50W is immediately apparent, and its a function of KEFs proprietary Uni-Q drivers.
But take a look at the LSXs drivers; KEF embeds the tweeter within the woofer.
(you’re free to read KEFs article on the benefits of its Uni-Q techhere.)
The soundstage emanating from the LSX is just that: realistic.
At times, eerily so.
But the LSX creates a phantom center better than speakers its size have any right to.
Most speakers stereo speakers fall apart as soon as you exit the sweet spot.
This also makes the LSX adept for TV use.
While the latter are still impressive, they feel a little smudged when placed too close.
The LS50Ws speakers sound best placed between six and twelve feet apart in my crib.
The treble is smooth and transparent, but more laid back than the LS50Ws.
The LSX also cant quite match the dynamics of its sibling when things get really busy.
The bass is always taut and controlled thanks to some clever active DSP work by KEFs circuitry.
I suspect the LSX will only feel bass-shy to the biggest bassheads.
If you do need more bass, the LSX includes a subwoofer output.
Most people really wont need one.
(Of course, the LS50W with a sub is even better).
Meanwhile, a pair of Sonos Play:5s or a single Devialet Phantom Reactor can dig deeper into the bass.
So no, the LSX isnt the perfect speaker.
It straddles the line between hi-fi and mainstream, and it makes some compromises for it.
Audio is, as always, partly subjective.
It has the best soundstage Ive heard at the price, with oodles of detail and bass too.
In a near-field setup, especially with a sub, it might even be better than the venerable LS50W.
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