KEF’s LS50 loud-speaker was introduced in 2012 to celebrate the English manufacturer’s 50th anniversary. Usually, anniversary models are large, floor-standing “statement” designs with a price to match, but the LS50 was a mini monitor, priced at $1500/pair. I reviewed the Anniversary Edition LS50 in December 2012,1 writing that it was rare to find a loudspeaker that offers this combination of clarity and neutrality and concluding that within its limits of dynamic range and bass extension, the KEF LS50 “will provide Class A sound for those with small rooms.” Sam Tellig agreed with me, commenting in May 2014 that he found the LS50’s tonality “spot-on, more neutral than sweet. Soundstaging and imaging were top-notch. The definition was superb, ranking with the very best speakers at any price.” Stephen Mejias was equally impressed, concluding in June 2014 that with the regular LS50 in his system, “there’s just so much more to enjoy—more body, more beauty, more control, more music.” (The regular LS50 lacks the words “50th Anniversary Model” below the coaxial Uni-Q driveunit but is otherwise identical.)
I bought a pair of the non-anniversary LS50s after Stephen’s follow-up review, and I compared them with the equally superb-sounding but differently balanced and different-measuring Revel M106 in January 2015.2 Since then, I have used my LS50s as the primary reference for my reviews of stand-mounted loudspeakers.
The Metas painted a transparent window into the recorded soundstage, not just with this recording but with everything I played.
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Denne historien er fra January 2021-utgaven av Stereophile.
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Denne historien er fra January 2021-utgaven av Stereophile.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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My last Far East trip
First comes the anticipation, that initial jet of warm water, that miraculous searching, finding the sweet spot, then heaven on earth as it cleans and caresses.
Riding the Common Wave
In the e-commerce era, brick-and-mortar dealerships must give customers compelling reasons to stop by. Los Angeles hi-fi dealership Common Wave's owner Wesley Katzir keeps customers coming through the door with a simple idea: that music matters in our everyday lives and that what he enjoys, other people will enjoy, too.
Mind Games to the bottom of the rabbit hole
After a wild decade in the biggest pop music group ever, John Lennon's post-Beatles years were spent in protest, in various kinds of therapy, in immigration court, and in search of a new musical identity.
Trane meets the Motor City
Detroit became a destination for migrating African Americans early, starting with the Underground Railroad; the city's proximity to Canada was convenient for those seeking to escape Southern slavery.
Vital art never rests
At this late date, it seems impossible that there could still be \"lost\" albums lingering in the vaults by musicians as important and successful as Johnny Cash and Paul McCartney.
DUKE IN 10
TO COMMEMORATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF DUKE'S DEATH, ROBERT BAIRD SELECTS A DOUBLE HANDFUL OF EXEMPLARY TRACKS FROM PERHAPS AMERICA'S GREATEST MUSICAL GENIUS.
Piega Coax Gen2 811
It's funny how we discover some music in unexpected, twisting ways.
Pass Laboratories XP-27
One of the pleasures of reviewing-and also using-products from Pass Laboratories is an encounter with Nelson Pass's writing, which can usually be found in the owner's manual and is always competent, insightful, and sometimes funny.
EMT 928 II
Modern turntables are a paradox.
Dynaudio Contour 30i
Ah, Denmark. Land of the Vikings and blue-eyed, blond-haired folk with faces sculpted just so.
