KEF LS50 Meta vs. KEF LS50 vs. KEF LS50 Wireless II 

I only listened to pieces of this review for weeks. Finally sat down and listened to the complete video. Fantastic!

A Darko review with a nice espresso on a sunny Sunday…life is bliss. 😊

I listened to some LS50 Metas today and they basically melted my brain with how great they sounded - but, I will say they really need a sub to pull them all together.

i'm in love with my original LS50 so much! no meta upgrade needed here :)

Your coffee and pastry metaphors were shocking but funny and so forgivable. However, the genius in your RU-vid review was the juxtapositional comparisons of the various iterations of the KEF speakers. Then the inclusion of the high-end and mid-range amplifiers to offer an apples to apples comparison was a deft touch. Very well done buddy. You may not think it but the certainty of my next upgrade has been sealed for me by this video. Much appreciated.

I have had the old ls50, and the original ls3/5a and currently have the meta, and a fully rebuilt nad 2200 power envelope and 1150 nad preamp, and i have no complaints, the metas and gr research xls encores are my favorite bookshelves to date, id say the revel performa m106 is up there also but cost more.

Love your videos John. Thank you.

This is a georgous work. This video smells tasteful coffee and is art to my eyes. Thanks

Just stsrted eatching your videos... Great presentation and very engaging with extremely insightful knowledge ... Thanks.

After living with some Polk TSX440T’s I picked up at a sales job I had long ago (for dirt cheap) I finally decided to upgrade after hearing LS50’s. I’m now the VERY happy owner of LS50 WII’s and have been in heaven discovering how my music collection really sounds. Need to get a subwoofer to help with my incessant need for sub bass, but the midrange, treble, soundstage, instrument separation are outstanding on these little boxes and setup / use couldn’t be easier. Appreciate the reviews and great reads on the website!

If I’m reading your sense of the difference between the Meta and the Wireless is the DSP crossovers. If the speaker manufacturer was prepared to let you buy a small outboard box that contained a FPG to manage the crossover function, it might well let you dial in some sense of the feel of the Wireless II that you enjoy.

I am from Naples. I was unsure of what to choose, right up to the coffee metaphor. Now I have clear ideas. Thanks. I am going for the LS 50 Meta and the NAD.

I enjoy watching your videos a lot, and I have purchased these speakers after watching your review. I'm debating which amp should I get to pair with these metas. I'm down to Musical Fidelity M3si (85W PC) or the M5si (150W PC). Do you think the M3si will be good enough or I should jump to the M5si? I'm new to the hifi world, please guide me through this. I'm thinking to keep these speaks for a good while. Thanks.

Do you think the meta's can scale much further than the wireless II, if you went up in price for the amplifier, to something like a Hegel H190 or H390 ?

That Clark record in the intro 😍

Love to see comments back, John. And you continue to be my favorite Internet reviewer! I have owned the LS-50s now for several years, and I’m running them with a BAT VK300 se integrated, which is many times more expensive than either of the units you’re using here. For those who might think it absurd to use such an inexpensive speaker with this amp, I assure you it’s not. If the test is whether the amp/ speaker combination distinguishes among recordings of varying quality, both analog and digital, I assure you this passes with a grade of 100. So, if your budget can handle only a modest system, then don’t hesitate to buy the LS 50s and a modestly priced amplifier. If, at some future time, your budget will support an upgrade, be assured you won’t need to replace the speakers to hear the benefit of a better amp. For those interested, I run my LS 50s with a REL Q400E subwoofer, one the company’s first generation of subs using a single 12 inch driver in a sealed box. With careful adjustment of both the sub and the LS 50s, this produces even bass down to 25 Hz, not counting a 4 dB room resonance bump between 40 and 50 Hz. Given the LS50’s modest loudness capability, it’s not necessary to have a monstrous sub that will rattle windows and shake items off shelves. If you’re not interested in gut-busting loudness and have a modest-sized room, it’s hard to beat the LS50s + a good sub. It would be interesting to have John’s take on the baby Wilson’s vs. the LS50 Meta.

I’d like to comment about your comment, now that I’m allowed to. Thanks John!

Thanks for you great explanation and the useful information.

I'm glad I stayed till the end to clarify all through coffee analogies

love the review and analogy. now off for some coffee and pastries

If I already have a Powernode 2i and RSL Speedwoofer 10s, would you recommend getting the LS50 Meta or selling the Powernode and buying the LS50 Wireless II?

"Way down in a hole" in different arrangement for each season of "The Wire". Brilliant.

I'm on a budget and could get the original LS50 quite cheaply. Could the NAD drive these as well? What other alternative (on a budget) would you recommend for the original LS50? Cheers

Terrific review -- but if you could only choose one, personally what would it be?

*THIS IS A TEST* -- With this video, we are trialling a new way of doing things: the comments section below has been switched ON but will be *moderated by a third party* who is under strict instruction not to approve racist or sexist remarks, URLs, (the seeds of) conspiracy theories or the unsubstantiated ramblings of grumpy geezers. If this test goes well, we will consider activating third-party comment moderation on other videos. The upshot? You have the possibility to leave a comment below the video but I don't get tied up in comment moderation and can stay focussed on making the next video, the next podcast and managing the Darko.Audio website and Patreon. I am not here. I am elsewhere.

Very nice review. Thank you. I'm thinking about buying all in one KEF LS50 Wireless II or Bluesound Powernode + AE500 or B&W607 S2 or KEF LS50 Meta. Could you please give me the recommendation which is better choice? Thank you very much.

Really enjoyed the review. Right, lets grind some beans!

The thing that I'd love to know about the KEF LS50 Wireless 2s is whether the software presets that allow you to denote where your speakers help in less than ideal listening positions? I have one speaker that has to be 6" from each corner wall and then another one 6" from the rear wall. My current Q Acoustics Q Active 200s allow me to set them as "corner" and "rear wall" and that makes a huge difference. Any lost bass is made up by pairing them with the KEF KC62 subwoofer. I'm considering making the change to the KEF LS50 Meta or the KEF LS50 Wireless 2 and while every review that I see says that a cheaper amp/dac combo with the KEF LS50 Meta is on par with the Wireless 2, I'm not sure if the same could be said in less than ideal speaker placements?

"If you can score...the originals at half price...bargain of the decade" - agreed!

How would you recommend hooking up a sub if you have the bad 316bee v2?

I think an interesting pairing would be the Metas and a Naim Uniti. Box with the lot and two speakers.

Veeeeeeery nice explanations. But which choose ? I need a translation in french to understand all subtilities ! Café cappuccino seems good to me. I eart the wireless 2 last week....very detailled as i love. But the price... So used wireless 1 ? Or meta ? Need détails and very responsive drums and good spatial sounds Wireless 1? Help :D

Have any of the viewers here used a mid level denon (avr 4400) with ls50 or meta? Thanks kindly in advance.

Mate, I spent hours looking for some good source of data on these products. I love your review! Now I have a question: I can buy second hand 3 years old LS50 with two more year warranty for 800 Euros. I am also looking into getting the NAD Ampli, that one I can get for 260 Euros. Now the LS50 brand new are sold for 1050 Euros. Please, advise which set should I go for? Its a one time deal for the next 5 or so years. This is going to be used mailing as music output in my Home Office, a room roughly about 20m2 The used LS50 were hard to find, and its only pair. Would really appreciate the feedback, Cheers!

Pastry or not, I really enjoy your well-balanced reviews.

im all over the place as to which ones to get. I listen to a lot of elecronic music favorite dj being hernan cattaneo his mixes on soundcloud are incredible. I have a budget that will allow me to get either the ls50 and the naim unity atom or the new wireless ones. can you advise? or should i be choosing different speakers for electronic music. Help a guy out please Mr Darko...

Has anyone compared the Dali zensor 3 to the kef ls50? Would it be better for me to switch to Kef? I have an audiolab 8300a as an amplifier.

Nice video, music, coffee and pastries, what’s not to like!

Hello, can u tell me which one is the best combination between these amplifiers and speakers? They will play in a small room of 15 square meters with a combination of Node 2i Bluesound! Hegel H95, Naim Nait 5si, Monitor Audio gold 100, KEF LS50 Meta?

Good review, however ATC SCM 7's or SCM 11's are simply far better speakers. I have the original LS 50's and thought that they were very good, but now having bought and tried the ATC speakers they are on a different level. 7's in a small space and 11's with more space. I have used an MJ 50 Pro 50 Mk 11 subwoofer with all the speakers I referred to. Hearing speakers that are open and you can place the instruments rather than just a wall of sound with some separation is just music to my ears. I am using a Naim 5i-2 integrated amplifier.

Darko, can you tell me why you chose the LS50 Meta over the R3? (I know, very broad question but maybe there were a few small details or preference that got you there).

what would you expect if I used amplifier in a Yamaha A/V receiver Advantage AX6 with the KEF LS50 META speakers rather than the amp you described in your review. Will be using the speakers as surrounds

anyone have thoughts on a pair of Meta's vs a pair of Wharfdale Lintons?

Love your quirky analogies, very informative. I’m sold LS 50 Meta it is. Seems unbelievably cheap in Hi Fi terms.

Torn between LS50 Meta with Hegel H120 or H190 or Wireless II. Not sure if H120 would be sufficient to drive them and Wireless II might not sound as good as Hegel amps. Anyone who pairs them with H120?

Great video. Do you review other brands like Sony, Marantz & Pioneer? I stand to be corrected John but the impression I get is that u only review British/ European brands.

Espresso was made on a Flair I see:) Love it!

Hello John love your channel and videos, but for my first comment I'm puzzled by your coffee machine. Being Italian might not come as a surprise :-) what's the brand ? thanks again for your great stuff. Side note I own a first generation LS50 black edition which I got with a substantial discount and they hold on to their promise. Still I have enjoyed PE Leon Quattro + for years and they are a notch above depending on the style of music you listen to.

Hi Darko, I recently purchased some of the LS50 Meta after watching countless reviews saying how good they were.. However! After roughly 6 weeks they developed a problem & had to go back. Not only that, listening at lowish volume wasn't great so I had to drive them to get anything worth listening to , to come out of them.. after my 5 - 6 weeks with them I was totally disappointed. I have exchanged them for some Wharfdale Evo 4.4 , (floorstanders i know, so maybe apples & oranges.. but the cost is relatively comparable) & I found them immedmore enjoyable!! Easy to listen to on low volume , bass is much richer and wholesome. I prefer the look, sound & overall performance compared to the Meta..

If the meta material begins to affect the sound at 600hz, then that means that is not only affecting the tweeter but also the midrange frequencies.

Hi I have always like the volume controll like on your nad c316. I Hate i dont understand this new and "digital" volume wheel control on most new amp. Whats your take on this?

I want to place these speakers above my kitchen cabinets. In that position there will only be about 3” between the back of the speaker and the wall. Since there is a rear port, do you think they work there? Or should I be looking at speakers with no rear port, like the focal Chora 806?

Very nice review John! And now I'm really looking forward to the LS 60 Wireless review. Because that caught me by surprise, and I very curious to get a pair of those now. Looks fantastic, and get high appraisal for the sound, but I'm curious what you think. Because I know what you regard as good sounding speakers, and I feel that fits what I think too.

Man you are doing great videos and I a really enjoy listening to you!💪😀

The Meta and NAD combination would be ideal for my taste in music and budget. However I am a bit concerned about the obvious lack of power the NAD has to drive the Meta's. I know you just can't just go by numbers but wish this was addressed in the video.

Coffee and pie...yum! I'm thinking of getting the meta with the kc62.

Thanks I prefer the wireless 2, all in one and less mess. I would love to see a video of the wireless 2 Tidal setup etc.

Can these also be used as centre speaker along side left and and right LS 50 Meta’s and would you recommend that or would you recommend another centre that could go well with L/R LS 50 Meta. My other option is the Dali Opticon 2 stand mount and Dali Opticon Vocal Centre. Many thanks.

I have been a Kef Ls50 owner since 2017; the KEF is a relatively benign load on amplifiers but still has its limits (either a very complex piece of music or playing at very high or very low volume levels). Even the LS50 can cause the combination of amplifier and loudspeaker to sound shrill. That said, I'm looking to upgrade my current Marantz PM8005 amplifier. My source components are Cambridge CXN V2 and a Rega Dac. I plan to get an excellent in-built dac inside my amplifier and discontinue the Rega. So ideally, I need an amplifier with balanced outputs and would be looking at an amplifier with a minimum of 100w into 8 ohms. Can you recommend some models worth looking at, for around £2000 - £3000, that will drive KEF Ls50s at higher and lower volumes? As always, your reviews are excellent. Keep up the magnificent work, Andrew.

Great vidéo ! A idea for an ampli with AirPlay for ls50 original? 🙏🏻😉

Omg comments are back! 😃😄

Hello, what will drive Kef Ls50 Meta better, Nad M10 v2 or Bluesound Powernode will be enough? Room 25m2.

What about the LS 50 wireless compared with these 3?

Good, clear review. But I cannot help thinking that these speakers would not give you the 'big sound' as required by classical orchestral music or action movies unless they had a subwoofer with them.

So well done....If, if only, unfortunately you don't listen to classical music...you should because you have wonderful sensibilities. So...I totally listen and trust what you are delivering..."But"...I think you would like the comment..."But"...to be continued...you are a delight to this crazy audiophile world...Thank you, I'm a big fan. Francis

So what amp would be great with a non-meta LS50?

Currently i am running dali oberon 5 with sonos amp. I think about trying out the kef ls50 meta instead with the sonos amp. Good idea or bad idea?

The intro is so f*ing dramatic, I love it! LOL

John, do you have any thoughts about LS50 Meta vs the KEF R3 bookshelf?

Thank you for your videos. As a Bahamian we have to travel to Florida or NYC to demo gear. Can the LS50 Metas push sound 15/20 feet away in a home theater? I know they’re near-field monitors.

Why do all audiophiles also have to espresso nuts, aren't we already cursed enough?

I am enjoying my LS50 Metas (paired with an Audiolab 6000a) they take a good bit of running in though, in my humble opinion. cheers

Darko Audio# as an Coffee Antrepreneur I would love to know, what kind of Coffee Maschine you have used in this vid. Many THX

How would you compare the ls50 wireless vs LS 50 meta and NAD C 700? would you consider it a good fit?

Would it be a terrible idea to place the LS50 metas sideways? My space is quite limited and i can't have them be too tall, which they are when placed normally.

Just wondering if you tested the meta's with the bluesound powernode, thinking of this combination 😊

If you have the money, the Benchmark AHB2 is the best choice for KEF speakers like the LS50 Meta and Reference series.

Thank you for this very usefull review ! The original LS50 is on sale at 700 euros here in France and i already have a NAD D3020. What do you think about this combination?

I have been really close to purchasing a set of Sonos Fives recently as i am already in the Sonos eco system... but this video is changing my mind. Would pairing these speakers with a Sonos Amp instead be a better solution for me?

Need to understand how the wireless version can be as good as a high quality set of mono block's connected to a high quality preamp?? I connected my Meta's to a set of PS Audio M700 Mono blocks and its absolute magic! Years of audio experience tells me that the dynamics (that's dynamics, not simply louder sound) and depth I can get from a high wattage amp will trump anything an integrated package like the wireless 2 can offer...

Excellent

The backgroud audio was great. please, provide sufficient information..At the start, about it.

Hi John, I’m new to your channel and really enjoying your honest, down to earth and informative delivery. I’m currently in the market for a pair of Bluetooth speakers with amp and all gubbins built in. They’re for my new shelves in a kitchen diner approximately 7 meters by 6 metres. I spend most of my time in this room when at home and listen to music every night. I’ve previously had a Teac hi-fi with big Bowers & Wilkins speakers which was a great set up for me. Since going digital I’ve been using a Bose 500 Home Speaker which is great but I now want something that will fill the space from 2 Bluetooth speakers like my B&W speakers did when playing CDs. Unfortunately, I’ve only got a budget of 1k. I’d love the KEF LS50 Wireless ll but simply can’t afford them currently. My main music streaming platform is Spotify. Can you… or anyone reading this actually, offer any advice on what to go for with a 1k budget. Many thanks and keep up the great reviews. Mike.

Me, last year: This guy is full of shit, who buys 2500 euro speakers? Me, 2 days ago: Yes, I'd like the KEF LS50 WII, please. Edit: Thank you, John. They're freaking incredible.

amazing video!

With Spotify hifi coming does it make sense to pick up LS50 wireless instead of wireless ii? Biggest reason to choose LS50 wireless ii is it has lossless streaming via Tidal connect and orginal LS50 W doesn't have Tidal connect

15:36 Too much sound accuracy and separation is bad, not enough accuracy and separation is also bad. More "musical" for me is pleasantly blended sounds, somewhat muddy, where separation is kept low and individual sounds don't distract too much. A good analogy is 2D and 3D movies, where too many 3D flying around effects can distract from the plot immersion and action but have a wow factor that 2D movies can't achieve, where 2D movies can get a higher plot immersion level because of no distractions.

i like your glasses/specs. May I ask what brand and model they are? Thank you.

I remember demo-ing the LS50 and being thoroughly disappointed. They had a pricey AMP hooked up to it so maybe it was the source. Would be nice if they gave the LS50 Wireless the LS60 treatment though 👌🏼

Thanks from Germany...had to subscribe..like your style. Very nice. I was interested in the wireless 2 until I read that the subwoofer out is only in mono...😓

Hey man, would you consider pairing the LS50 Wireless II with the Schiit Magnius & Modious stack? I’d also be using them for movies (via optical) instead of buying a sound bar. Cheers :)

So where is your coffee maker reviews?

Yeah, in Germany you can order a "Milchkaffee". ^^

I drink Americano so I’m glad I bought the wireless 2 😆

I wondered who'd be the first with the new buzzword title, "Meta". First, everything from vacuum cleaners to trainer's, was "Turbo", then came "Smart" this, " Smart" that. For Christ sake KEF, can't we just have a number series for once.

Great Video very intrreasting, i have a pair of Kef LS50's which i brought in 2015,a month ago i replaced the capacitirs and resistors on the crossovers with like to like values, but much better quality, also the the inside speaker cables. After 4 weeks of playing they sound wow, i compaired with a pair of the KEF LS50'S META. My upgraded LS50's, has a more detailed smoother treble, the mid range is richer, and a far bigger 3d sound stage, we were very happy, and my speakers are still burning in, the best is yet to come🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸😎

Hi Darko i am beginner in Sound system, I am interested with KEF wireless speaker. My budget to buy a steaming audio player and Kef speaker around Sin$5k. So can you recommend me which Kef Speakers should I buy and which Steaming audio player that suit with the Kef speaker that you recommended.tks

Any thoughts about Naim Uniti Atom + LS50 Meta vs LS50 Wireless II. Money for me would be the same.

Product is great true but Customer Service is the worst I ever had to face in France, months to get KEF LSX repaired and still waiting with a very poor communication quality, arguing the component shortage but at the same time selling massively, it just don't make sense. Be aware if you are willing to buy any KEF product, you will certainly be disappointed despite the excellent quality of the product.

The new one isn't "better" at all. In order to believe that you'd have to forget the entire point of the ls50s which is pretty much why they're called the Metas and not the LS50 SEs. Remember why the LS 50 were called the LS 50s? Well the metas don't do anything the ls series do and are essentially just KEF taking the Ltd blk LS 50s and slapping the 12th gen driver onto them then pretending like the LS50s weren't pain stakingly voiced over 12 years to reboot the LS3 5as. The metas are nice but lets just be real, they're just 12 gen KEFs recycling the most popular form factor. The LS50s were never supposed to have a flat frequency response. They were for those who wanted a revivified LS3 5a. It's similar to how the R100s blipped in and out of existence so that the ls50ws could be created .