I have the Kef LSX IIs connected with USB-C and sitting on Kef P1 desk stands. The Kefs sound astonishing for their size and look fabulous. While expensive, the Kefs are worth every penny -- highly recommended. John, thanks for another super video and for turning me on to these Future Fi speakers in the first place.
I went to find replacement for my Sonos ARC and Beam at a HIFI store today….i listened to B&W Panorama 3, Beosound Stage, Sennheiser Amber Plus. These sound way better than all of those as TV speakers….i don’t understand how such tiny speakers can fill a big living room…unbelievable. Thank you for great advise
Me to! They are now selling at a heavy discount, but if you want more than Spotify Connect and TV (e.g., Roon, Tidal Connect, etc...) then surely II has to be the way to go. I'm tempted to buy II and refashion I as computer speakers... if my experiments with Wharfedale 9s & chifi don't pan out...
My story with LSXs. I have the first KEF LSX green ones which look stunning btw. Bought em as a TV speakers for quite a small room, 4*3 sqm. I did felt that even for such a small room it was not enough to fill the room acoustically and I also felt sound was somewhere else but not around my listening position. It also did not give me the level of sound entertainment so much required while watching movies. I watched DARK series that time and KEFs just don't play sound effects well. I put them to my work desk then and WOW, how good they are from a short distance in my damped room. It is a pure pleasure and I do not even need a sub. Accompanied them with Kanto S2 desk stands and the overall look and sound is really great. For the TV I then bought just a Sonos Beam Gen 2 which serves perfectly and provides more than enough of sound entertainment so much required by TV shows. More bass, more stage, more surround sound. Overall, John, thank you for the review!
I love to watch your small room videos. I live in a remote, rural area in an almost 200 year old house. My listening area is an alcove at the top of the stairs. It's before your time I know, but I'm extremely happy with my Spica TC-50, driven by an A & R Cambridge A60 amp. Source is a RaspberryPI Squeezebox streamer with HiFiBerry DAC that I built after watching one of your videos a year ago. I also just bought a Wiim Mini rocking Tidal. Happy Happy!
I have my LSX II integrated into a bookshelf in a 18 - 20 square meter "reading room" ("library room"). I was surprised how clear and transparent the sound was, making even slight imperfections noticeable. I listen mostly to classical music. Strong obvious dominant bass is not important to me. There may be better solutions, even much better solutions. But for my limited experience the LSX II are fabulous.
Same size room for me, also mainly classical music. "Clear and transparent" and "fabulous" describes my LSX I very well. I now don't feel the inclination to move to my Senn HD650 headphones that I felt with previous speakers. The Senns are perhaps a shade warmer and perhaps a shade clearer, but (obviously) more clampy & "in the head" & less visceral,... honours are about even... and the LSX much better when eating and drinking!
Had the LSX2 plus the Kube 8b sub for about 2 months now being a fan of the “future fi” concept. Still can’t give up my vinyl though 😂 have my Rega turntable is plugged in 👍🏼 very pleased
Enjoyed this v. much John. My audio 'consumption' is mainly in my home office using a Mac as the source. I tried out the LSX2 for a few weeks but opted eventually for Kanto TUK and Kanto SUB8 (2022) subwoofer. No regrets. An excellent combo for me. I don't do 'desktop' because to my ears all speakers sound better on stands even in nearfield which in my office is about 1.5 metres.
I was wondering where Edifier S3000 Pro or S2000 mkii stands with these active speakers that cost thousands more. Have you done a comparison between the S3000 Pro vs others that cost thousands more?
I have a pair of these and they're great for desktop use, but yeah I'd say they're not really "audiophile" sound. Still much nicer than other conventional desktop speakers, aesthetically pleasing too.
I bought the LS Wireless II for desktop to use in my 2.5m x 3m study, unpacked them, and pretty much packed them back up straight away, way too big for a desk. I ended up with the LSX's (and their little desk stands, which I find really help) along with a KC62 connected to a Mac, and love it. The sound is great, the ease of use is great and they don't over power the desk at all. I won't be upgrading, to the LSX II as I am happy with what I have, but I really like the look of the improvements they have made.
I have these , had them for about a couple of months.They are really great as computer monitor speakers.Very good near field sound stage.Bass could be a bit punchier , but on the whole great speakers.They reside on my PC desk and are plugged into the USB of my computer.Spending part time as the computer speaker and part time on Radio streaming services, as well as bluetooth streaming of music from my phone....in other words , they get quite a hammering on any given day.
Me too - paired with a Klipsch sub they fill the room very well. Which always leads me to wonder sometimes about people’s usage profile for these things. I mean, unless I produce music to any degree there’s no way I could have the LSX’s on a desktop!
Interesting, I just picked up a pair of the Q150’s for half price. They are truly a steal at that price. They are perfect for my purposes, non critical listening hidden in the corners of my living room, I am completely amazed at the depth they play.
I had a listening a few years ago of old version of the Kef LSX for using for my studio on Belgian Seaside and like you I had the impression that they could not cope with for example large orchestral classic music ore bombastic rock. And like you mentioned when the volume was above average level things got congested. You said in your video that the Kef LS50 can be driven by a Rotel, but when I went to my dealer for a demonstration he told me that the Kef’s need lots of power and that the amplifier must deliver, we toke a listening using different amps and I had to admit he was telling me the truth. I like Kef speakers and I had different pairs of them at home. When there was a show with my dealer hosted by Kef introducing their Blade speakers I had the chance to speak with the Salesman from Kef Europe and I asked if I was wrong about the LS50 needing powerampification and he agreed with me. We had a rather long conversation. Kind regards and thank you for your video’s. Ludo Belgium
As long as we're comparing Kef speakers: I would (and did) go for the Kef R3. They're about €1300,- these days and those are full range 3-way speakers so no need for a sub.
I had these throughout August and September. It had to sent them for repair due to the constant hiss I could hear at least a meter away coming from the drivers (even with no source playing), KEF sent them back saying they matched factory specifications... oh dear. It was past the retailers return period so I swapped them for LS50 Meta, audiolab 6000 and a Cambridge audio cxnv2. A more expensive package but an all round better solution (TV is optical instead of HDMI)
Hi John, thanks for your review, as always. I purchased these speakers a couple of weeks ago and they are excellent for a small room. However, there was one issue, which I found out by chance, that I was not aware of when I purchased them. My internet went down for a couple of hours and I wasn't able to use the speakers which were playing my local music. Apparently, this is quite common with these types of speakers. After some Googling, I found out that the original LSX does have the ability to work without a wifi connection, but not the LSXii. Sadly this was a deal breaker for me, but I was very impressed with the speakers and the app which worked flawlessly for the couple of weeks I used the speakers. I'm now testing the LS50 Meta's
I picked up a set of these recently. They are a little large on a desktop compared to most computer speakers. They sound great and work well but did have a couple issues. They cut out sometimes when the cable is not connected between them, only 6 feet apart. Also I would get some cutout when connected to my pc usb port. They work well on the optical connection. And also work well on bluetooth and wifi with tidal.
Just picked up the LSXII's with the Kube 10 MIE sub for my computer system, can't wait to try them out. I do my main listening on a pair of ATC SMC25'S and a JBL sub which sound FANTASTIC!.
Yes, in the US our desks are huge.😉 Mine is 5' (1.52 meters) wide. I have a computer monitor and Adam Audio A5X studio monitors. The sub is on the floor. The Schiit stack is inside the lower desk.
I have a pair of KEF LSX I, and I have never been as excited and disappointed at the same time. I absolutely LOVE the sound of the speakers. But I am super frustrated about the Apps and the extreme amount of connectivity issues. I would never advise anyone to buy a pair of first generation LSX's. I therefore really hope that LSX II are worth the investment.
Nice timing, my LSX2s arrived today 🙂 They look & feel so luxurious/high quality. I am no audiophile but I think they're wonderful--the sound is so voluminous! (sound stage?). Compact speakers were important for me because of a smallish room, and Chromecast support (which is hard to find).
I concur with the sentiment around the sound and it's recommended application from the video. I purchased a pair a few months ago and in small Berlin apartment, they work wonderful as a soundbar replacement and for casual listening during winter. My main system has the same dimensions as your + acoustic treatment (not too much because of my partner) and I would never put them there
I love your videos ! I was considering KEF LSX II but holding off as it is too expensive. After watching your video, I know , once I have the money, there is no second thought ! Thanks again !
I nearly bought a pair of these for my TV. Instead I ended up with the Dali Oberon 1C and Soundhub with HDMI module. No wires apart from the power cable to each speaker, with the soundhub tucked away and able to do wireless hi res files etc. They sound fantastic and the HDMI eArc works really well!
I'm jealous of how these little things look, even if my setup sounds better. I think more hifi brands should try to make their products fit into modern interiors.
Excellent review, very informative and very good to follow. I just bought my pair of LSX II and after your review I can’t wait for them to arrive. Well done! Thank you.
I liked mine quite a bit. Sometimes it was hard to connect to. The reason I replaced them with Klipsch is that the LSX doesn’t sound all that good at low volumes where I am quite a bit (spouse doesn’t share my love of music). Klipsch fit the bill better.
I have the SVS with the micro 3000 sub and if beauty is as beauty does - it is beauty. Beautiful sound. I can be listening at what I think is normal volume - the floor only shaking a little on the bass drum kicks - until I realize my GF is talking but I only see her mouth moving. LOL. That's how defined/refined they are at high volume (-and low volume) - they don't break up and keep the exciting dynamics. Love them. The SVS 2.1 set up costs about 1/2 that of the kefs. That also touches something in my lizard brain. Not a big fan of the Kef look, but I get it - but if you look at your high school yearbook and see what you thought was cool....just don't. I like how the black SVS looks, a solid chunk of glossy black - just like 2001. But for those who don't, rest assured, the SVS will look just as bland for decades to come!!! What was never in fashion, will never be out of fashion. Thanks for your work - much appreciated.
I have the original LSX and the LSX Il's. I loved the originals but I was wanting better bass response. I have them paired with the REL T/5× subwoofer and it's a fuller richer sound, very fast response….. IMO is perfectly matched! The enhancements made to the DSP is noticeable and the volume is louder on the second gen. I only use them for music using my iPhone and it sounds awesome. As far as connection issues…there is still some hesitation for a second when starting a song, only occasionally which doesn't bother me. It's definitely a lot of money, so I decided to try them out to see if I could hear a difference. In my space I hear more of what I already loved about them…definitely improved! I’m impressed…no regrets!!!
Sonos have just appalling sound. I can't for the life of me work out what people hear in them. Sound signature: modded phone playing in a cardboard box.
It is entirely your doing, John, that I have a pair of LSX plus a simple sub. I absolutely love them and am constantly surprised by how clear speech and music sounds. I've had to resort to an optical cable though since the v1 doesn't have hdmi. Works for me. Many thanks!
same here for my TV. I love it,.. but,... I hate the streaming and software of v1. So darn buggy. For Spotify it's fine, but especially with Roon, it's kinda crappy. So thinking about the LSX2 but have to convince my wife first, she's very fond of the green LSX1's we have now, and that color is not available lol. 😀
I love the sound of my LSX and the simplicity (beside all the cables to one speaker). Good to know the LSX (II) sounds "better" if the room is not treated to much. Like mine. If I ever feel the need for a seperate tv or a beamer (over the 32'' homeoffice setup) I might think about a LSX II or even a LS50W (II) for the eARC. But for now I'm happy with my LSX (+ a sub) on diy stands (old wood stands 17x20cm on stone plates 33x33x3cm weighed 20kg each) seems still a good choice for my living room aka homeoffice and a hearing distance under 2 meters.
That’s another great review of yours, John. Informative, concise, and fun. I don’t know why am saying this, but I also appreciate the ads in the middle: because, I know your review costs a lot of work to make, and I want to contribute with being a good listerner, if this can payback you somehow. I should consider also patreon, but it would be my prime attempt and I am not sure yet. Thank you for now.
Another option to consider is the Dynaudio Xeo 2 or newer Xeo 10. They compete directly with the LSX/LSX II. Both are compact wireless speakers, but the Xeo's offer significantly better sound IMO.
Hi John, I applaud the fact that you do not shy away from reviewing Future-Fi speakers. Can I suggest that you continue to review active floorstanders? As a follow-up to your reviews of the KEF LS60 and the Dynaudio Focus 30 it would be wonderful if you could review the Audium Comp 7.2 Air from Berlin and the AS Legend 40.2 Silverback speakers from Danmark? I listened to the 60.2 Silverbacks at an audio fair in Holland yesterday and I was really impressed.
I would have bought them at this price had they offered that price last year (even if for just one day on Black Friday). Unfortunately KEF didn't want to budge b/c they were so new. A shame. I ended up picking up an actual amp with Q150s, and am overall very happy still. I am very curious how the LSX II compares to the LS 50 meta and Q150, all side by side.
@@Maximus-tr9gi What amp did you pair with your Q150s? I just purchased the LSX II at 999 and will trial them. I'm hoping they blow me away, but in the event they don't I may explore a passive setup.
Would love commentary about how all these speakers now have built-in DACs, often sold as a "black box" with next to no technical info about its built-in DAC, unlike all the info about external DACs. Using speakers with DACs built-in kind of ruins the point of having a high-quality external DAC. Is it just me, or is this trend making it now hard to find high-quality powered bookshelf speakers that *don't have a DAC built-in* and can just amplify a wired signal from an external DAC? I find it smarter to keep my DAC external to allow me to swap the DAC out. The value of "audiophile" systems is in their *modularity*, we're losing this with these mystery embedded hybrid systems. Thoughts?
I have a pair of LSX and don't think there's any better speakers for the price. At any price there will be some better ones, but it will require a large amount of money to get a small improvement. LSX is simply a great product for me, I''m curious about the LSX II and whether I can hear any improvement.
Thanks for this. My ancient, imaginary maid *once again* mistook my LSX2s twitter units for my imaginary freshly squeezed orange juice. Much bonhomie was had by all as I belly laughed along my imaginary butler at her silly goose antics and he swiftly cleaned the imaginary pips of my pre-prandial off the imaginary LSX2s. The laughter tears in the dark of my freezing cost-of-living crisis-room (sorry, *ROON*) helped to soften a KEF box I snatched from a sidewalk across a boarded up 'Richer Sounds'. I gnawed greedily on that cardboard I thanked heavens I don't have that hideous cable vomit snaking around and that congested bass creating a sickly miasma all around me!
I love you're comparisons. It's so important for people like me who are weighing up their options. I'll let you away with the fact that you were adding the cost of the LSX stands in to your equations but not adding in the cost of stands in to the SVS and LS50 Meta's :)
Thanks John - I really appreciate the deep dive into the KEF catalog. I’m nominally shopping for a new system for this kind of use (occasionally TV + more music) and am genuinely confused by the options, even within the KEF universe, which I like for aesthetic, functional, and sound quality reasons. And yes, we yanks have mega desks… mine is an 80” (inch) sit/stand model that currently has a Klipsch Promedia Heritage 2.1 sound system. Unfortunately, their software is abysmal, even thought the speakers are nice…. Hoping they work it out in a series of updates…. Again, thanks!
I would love a desktop shootout of value vs lifestyle products. Lsx ii vs emotiva b1+ nad 3020 for example. I'd also love a million bucks in small denominations at my front door with no understanding of where it came from. Thanks John!
Gah. Currently have some LSXs (which sound good if not a bit crackly at times) on loan while the LSXii's come in stock. But. I do love the LS50wII and how they sound. I hoped this video would put my mind at rest that I've made the right call. It hasn't.
In the USA, we have to sign a contract when renting and apartment or buying a home that our desks are at a minimum, 10 feet deep and 25 feet long. Now I understand why.
Good review, thanks. Got a pair of LS50 Wireless's in my living room and I've thought a lot of buying LSX for desktop use in my bedroom/study. However, I feel like the price for LSXII is a bit too much for my budget, and buying the originals (on sale for like 700 €?) would mean I am stuck with the horrible KEF Connect app for years.
In no way linked to this review but a comment on your recent Radionhead ‘short’; OK Computer is my ‘tester’ album when buying new hi-fi. The production and mix really put any separates through their paces imo. The range of instruments, vocals and light/shade are a great test
I cannot say enough in praise of the KEF LSX speakers. There is nothing to which you can compare them with regard to sound stage. Mine are on a very sturdy, heavy, two foot by four foot metal table. When I sit four feet in front of the center line oft these two speakers, the sound stage is phenomenal, stretching to outside the side walls of the room, and reaching back beyond the wall behind the speakers, often four or more feet beyond the wall for upright bass, snare drum and toms, a little less for vocals. I ask my guests to stand (one at a time) two feet in front of the speakers, focusing on the rear wall. From this position, for ninety percent of material recorded after 1940 the speakers simply disappear; i.e. no sound appears to be emanating from the speakers. I've heard $250,000 systems that had remarkable soundstage in which the vocalist or instrumentalist never wavered in their position no matter how high or low they might go, but I've never felt this much air around an ensemble, or heard percussion that was spread many feet beyond the sound walls. When these speakers are calibrated from the app on your phone for their distance from walls, distance from each other and from you, the volume of the room, and the absorption coefficient of the room, magic occurs. There's no greater pleasure to be had than experiencing what sound stage really means. I've had mine for a little over three years now, and they're the most consequential purchase thar I've ever made. I stream Spotify, Sirius XM from my phone, and You Tube, etc. from my laptop,. plus vinyl through a preamp. It may be years before I add a subwoofer..
Say the source resolution over the network is up to 384 kHz / 24 bits But the speakers transmit lower signal resolution between each other Wireless connection: 48kHz / 24 bit PCM Wired connection: 96kHz / 24-bit PCM It turns out 384 kHz / 24 to hear how???
It's very difficult to dimension these types of compact sound solutions but Darko does a mighty fine job of doing just that- a lot to think about. I think it starts with making a prioritized list of what you will use the speakers for, what's important to you, and the spatial arrangement of your room with the understanding that everything can't be priority 1. I myself just want a great pair of desktop speakers hardwired to my Mac with the understanding that my computer is in a large open room facing a wall- LSX II's prob fit that bill. The other option is to turn the bass (maybe way) down in the app. If you are using it for more of a home theater solution, I would probably start with the bigger LS50's, but I would start with the LSX II's and then trade up to the 50's or get the sub if they don't do the trick.
I have the original LSX on athe small desktop stands paired with a Rel T/5 subwoofer in the home office. Pretty satisfied with this setup. I agree these small speakers are meant for a small room. Once EQ'd with the sub, you will not want for more.
Hovering over buying a pair of these for my desktop. Adding USB C is great for my Mac's audio to be played, however there is no Coaxial input for my Sonos port, slightly off putting to see many of these available when I look on ebay. maybe a 5 minute wonder!
Planning on purchasing these for my home office/desktop/ studio speakers... but as an avid TV/MOVIE buff, I would want EARC and access to Dolby Atmos and other technologies for my watching experience.. Therefore for my TV purposes I would likely get a high end multi channel sound bar and subwoofer. But LOVE the idea of this for my home office and desk space.
I have 2 desktops and in both I use a similar solution. One of them has a Denon UPA-F07 amp, 2 Kef HTS 2011 (the Eggs) passive speakers + a bass passive unit Bose Acoustimass 5 Series III The other one consists in a SMSL SA300 amp, 2 Vieta Neo 10 satellite speakers and a Tannoy CPA5 SB bass passive module. Both sound incredibly good, and are cheap solutions. Sometimes I think that an active speakers could be a more simple solution… buy I should power the 2 speakers, connect to the computer and my mixer… no really sure about it. I am happy with I have ;)
I bought the LS50 Meta's for 860 Euros with matching Kanto SP26PLW stands for 115 Euros. My TV setup is Metas + Yamaha Sub + Arcam Solo Uno + Apple TV + (sometimes) external dac for hi-res Apple Music. Incredibly, the Arcam is enough for the Metas. Admittedly not at max volume as it shuts down (high impedance, not enough juice), but honestly at the level it achieves my neighbours already start hammering the walls ;) I would not buy the LSXII over my setup. Also, don't put all your eggs in one basket - it's better to have a separate streamer than rely on KEFs software dev ability.
