★ *REVIEWING: **amzn.to/2Kx0sHp**, **bit.ly/37IihMA** // NEED MORE INFO? ✔︎ THE ⬆︎DESCRIPTION⬆︎* ★ *QOTD: What is your favorite speaker we’ve reviewed this year?* ★ *Love our outtakes? Be sure to watch to the end* ★ *COMMENT RULES:* - Comments with outside URLs, RU-vid links or email addresses are automatically deleted. - It’s okay to disagree but please keep it civil.
My favorite speaker you've reviewed this year is the Klipsch 8000F. Pardon the intangible, but I get the impression those speakers just totally kick ass.
Hey Andrew for the new year i would like to see you do a piece on Micca OoO. curious what you think about them and maybe doing a piece on building a home theater with a mix of speakers(highend and lowend).
KEF LS50 Meta powered by BASX-300 works very nicely, I have them and Q Acoustics 3030 and Klispch RP-600... love all three sets of speakers But l prefer the KEF the best BUT for 432 bucks the Klipsch are a better buy.
I first heard KEF speakers in 1988, but couldn’t afford to buy a pair until 2010. And while I auditioned the flagship product in ‘88 the ones I purchased were the budget bookshelf model. But I was blown away by how much my speakers reminded me of those I had auditioned so many years earlier. It was not what I expected. KEF are the best, bar none. I’ll stand by that forever. They are just amazing to me and my ears.
Christie , Andrew stop worrying so much what we have all loved is seeing music and art thru your eyes. Keep up the work and understand that what most people enjoy is what you have enjoyed. You guys offered balance in a year that was tumultuous.
After this review, and a few others - I now have TWO pair of the KEF LS50 METAs - both powered by a WiiM Amp. One set up in a smaller bedroom and one set up at my desk. Near field or midfield, omg what a great set up. They do soooo much right and I could not be happier.
Cristi and Andrew has been a tough year for all of us but somehow we survived it. What I have noticed is this year has been a year of exponential growth for C and A chanel thanks to your professionalism, objectivity, down to earth approach and multitude of gears reviewed . And the credits for the initiative of helping those in need is quite remarkable. You're not alone and have the backing of all of us for your hard work with a modest return. Marry Christmas to you and all the followers of this chanel and a better New Year.
My Metas arrived a day early. Yay. UPS delivered and five minutes later I was into some deep blues. Enjoyed them my first two hours of listening. Tomorrow I plan on doing absolutely nothing but listen to a lot of music and BD concerts. Yes, I’m a happy man.
I have a pair of LS50 Metas (royal blue) driven by an Avantone Pro CLA-200 studio amp and Topping D90 MQA dac. I love bass, so had to add an SVS SB2000 sub. These components are my PC audio setup which I use for digital music, games, and movies. I'm very happy with the Metas. It took about 50+ hours for them to open up and really strut their stuff. I work at home so am at my computer 8-12 hours/day. I gotta have great audio and I think I hit the sweet spot with this setup. Great review and commentary, mate!!
I have owned the Kef LS50 for 7 years and they are very good performers. The key to the best sound that you obtain is directly related to the equipment that you use with them. Quality amplification is essential ! I have now replaced the orignal LS50's with the metas- this is a new world! I use Parasound JC-1 amps and that combination is truly wonderful. I really think that your video is spot on. Keep up the great reviews. Please tell me what height solidsteel stand that you are using. I am going to change to using those sturdy and nice stands. Thanks!
@@watermelon1221 The mid frequencies are better defined and the focus within the soundstage is presented in a more realistic manner. In some instances musical cues are more apparent and at times help you to appreciate what the recording was intending to convey.
Thank Y'all for being in my life this year! I have enjoyed all the information, and I have used the information to better my system. Now if y'all are ever stuck for content, please just fill with the fluffy Doggy. Always want the fluff monster.
Please. I obtained the Fives by Klipsch for vinyl based on Andrew’s recommendation. I absolutely love them. But like many of us, I grow restless in the seemingly endless search for the perfect sound. So I’m considering an “upgrade” to the LS50 WIIs. BUT, I really want Andrew’s input.
Love my white/blue ls50! Have them paired with a Denon 4311ci and a SVS PB 3000 sub as the core of my family room system. They are keepers for sure, I’ll probably never get rid of them.
Check out the KEF Sub 92 if your SVS ever fails you. I have the Metas with a Sub 92 and a Yamaha AS701 and its an amazing combo. I might go as far as to say this combo is one of the best systems that I've heard at any price. I'm sure a McIntosh amp would be slightly better than the AS701.... but hey, maybe next year.
Very late to the party Andrew and Kristi, but just watched your video on the LS50 Metas and was so pleased to hear that the Naim uniti atom works really well with them. I was worried about the Naim only having 40W would not be enough to drive them well, but its quality of design, current delivery that matters. I will be using this setup with my TV as well so HDMi Arc was important to me in an amp. Great review guys. Thank you. 🎉
Love the review... glad to hear you guys are building a relationship with KEF.. Would love to see a back to back comparison between this and the q150 (super budget friendly). Keep up the great work!!!
This is my favourite and I’ve been waiting for the part it goes well with the Naim Uniti Atom. I feel it’s the perfect pairing! Omg happy Christmas! And love Kristi’s input!
I had a KEF LS50, then a QUAD S2, now I have a DALI MENUET. Of all the above, I think I liked the LS50 the most, without a doubt the most audiophile and with the greatest reserve when upgrading other components (amp). So I think I will end up with the LS50 META sooner or later ;-)
The is a great review Andrew, thank you for providing this. I've purchased the LS50W2's and looking forward to your review on them, I think they're a game changer especially with the ease at which I can stream MQA Files through Tidal through these things and get as nice a sound as I've ever heard. An effortless, coherent and live sound that I can't get enough of.
I really love your channel because it is down to earth and honest. Congratulations and hears to 150K + and a successful 2021! Keep up the excellent work Kristi and Andrew.
Can't wait for KEF LS50 Wireless II It would also be great to see reviews of cheaper and more expensive options from KEF and how they compare: Q150, Q350, LSX, R3, Reference 1
I bought the wireless 2s.... if you are on the fence about pulling the trigger I will just say... the sound is out of this world but the ARC isn’t working and awaiting a firmware update for that. So if you are not planning on using them for home theatre they are prime time ready. If not maybe wait on that firmware update
Great review! I'm seriously considering upgrading from my Klipsch RP-600m to these. Thank you for your fundraiser and thank you for the reviews. Merry Christmas.
I think the Metas are a worthy upgrade to the 600M. I love the 600M, and for a sub $500 bookshelf the 600Ms are SOLID, but the Metas are demonstrably better, and maybe the LAST bookshelf one might need/want. Thanks for watching!
Love the final dialog between you and Kristi. A man listening intently to his lady without talking over her or sprinting ahead to cut her off and highlight his intellect is a beautiful thing. My wife is incredibly insightful and I also listen to her with the same attention. We are lucky men. Favorite review was the Klipsch era of discovery. The excitement was palpable. These KEFs must be special because they are constantly referenced. I appreciate the inclusion of db sweet spots. I tend to listen fairly quietly in my NYC apartment and often wonder which loudspeakers will sound full range at low to medium volumes. Your presence in this pandemic has been vital to keeping me entertained and distracted. Is it possible to make one time contributions? Money is super tight but you both deserve compensation for all your hard work and endless improvements you’ve made to the channel. Happy holidays to you both.
You’re too kind and we appreciate you watching and we appreciate the support! We don’t have a way to accept money from viewers directly but if you want to give please consider donating to Feeding America. Folks out there need the support more than Kristi and I. But if money is tight, hang onto it and care for you and your family. I’m just grateful for your kind words and for the support. Thank you for watching!
The Klipsch Heresy4. I bought a pair after watching your reviews. I had a pair of Sonus Faber Olympica 3’s before them . The klipsch connected me to the music in ways the Sonus Faber could not. Sold them. I had an opportunity to trade up for a pair of Cornwall 4’s. Honestly I could live with either for a very long time. I enjoy your reviews. Manufacturers should be running to give you product for review. They seem honest and I like that you do not dissect the sound and just focus on a weakness. Many others do just that. I owned and operated a hide end hifi store throughout the 90’s. If you had told me then I would eventually settle on a pair of klipsch speakers I would have cried laughing. Thanks for opening that door for me. Merry Christmas.
I have the Kef Q350. I purchased them after having to sell my Von Schweikert VR 4 JR due to having to leave work due to cancer. Also had to sell turntable and tube preamp. I was left with Parasound 2003 and Emotiva preamp, Music Hall DAC, Velodyne 1000 sub and Oppo player. A helluva difference, but I’m satisfied somewhat. I just ordered a pair of Metas from Amazon and will be here Tuesday. I’ve never auditioned these, but with all the great reviews, I’m sure it will be an upgrade to the Q350. My Parasound is more than capable to handle these Meta speakers. Nice review. Thank you.
I’m glad he added that plug as it points to how ridiculous Gene is and his baseless comments. Gene and his HD2020 friend basically made themselves look bad for essentially turning into online trolls.
Kef made the LS50s with sound quality in mind. You can't just adjust how low a speaker dips in impedance, or it's sensitivity, without compromising sound quality. The LS50s (with subs) can play very loud, clean, dynamic, natural and smooth on my JC1, JC2 and VMV DAC system (in a very large room), only because they were made to handle 100 watts. Hence, why the sensitivity needs to be much lower. Stronger and stiffer drivers require more juice to excite them. The beauty of the LS50s is that they can play more than loud enough to be very dynamic, very detailed yet never harsh or even edgy at very high volume. However, only very competent gear can get the most out of them, which is magical.
I've had the LS50 Meta for a few months and love them. I auditioned a heap of other speakers up to twice their price and nothing else came close in respect to detail and imaging. There is a certain 'rightness' to the texture of voices and many instruments (piano is remarkable). There are a few downsides. First, this is not the speaker to re-create a live metal concert in your living room. Second, it is an extremely revealing speaker: crappy recordings sound horrible and great recordings sound wonderful. This speaker shines with well made recordings played at reasonably satisfying levels. They are very happy with my 55 w/channel high current tube amp.
I had a similar experience. Think I really annoyed the sales guy. “Back to the first… ok now the second… first… second. Change music. Again.” He did a good job though. He was pushing the B&Ws and I was leaning toward them before I walked in for my A/B. I actually changed his mind.
I really enjoyed this review. I've been a KEF owner for a few years now. I started with the Q350 and I have the R3 now. I hope you get more of their speakers to review. I'm really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the R3. By that time they may even have a meta version of the R3. Thank you for all of the work you put in and I'll continue to watch and enjoy. All the best for 2021.
Great review Andrew. I’m sure you still have love for the Heresy, but these KEF are getting drooled over by almost everyone for all the same reasons. And from an aesthetic perspective, they really look good , matching very well in your living room on those gorgeous tripod stands.Good value indeed.
As an old subscriber from the earlier HT era, would love to hear your take on an LS50 5.1 system. Recently completed my 11.2 system, with 7 LS50s and 2 LS50Metas. Been incrementally buying pairs since 2016. BTW you should be able to get singles from Kef as well. I found amazing value when I first set up a 3.1 system, expanding it fully has been excellent. I’m using vintage for front L/R channels and stereo. Good power is required. Thanks for finally getting the new speakers in house. Looking forward to more down the road. Cheers, and “be safe out there” Chris
@@nonametofame I’m an old school kind of guy. I mounted Front Presence/height on shelves near the ceiling at the front of my room. In the rear I still have a pair of M&K dipole (small/light) mounted in rear wall corners. Dolby wants in ceiling, but old Yamaha and DTS used High on wall speakers. I took this route to avoid drilling the beautiful cabinets. Not perfect but highly workable. Surrounds are on book shelves, rear surrounds on stands, center channel is on a shelf which hangs below my pull down mantel mount. So center is at same height as front L/R when pulled down. The overhead effects are slightly blurred, but I think it’s worth it to avoid damaging the cabinets, as I’ve seen folks do. The decoders project the sound anyway, the overhead VOG speaker is like a phantom center channel and works fine for me. The rain still sounds like it’s falling on my head, etc. Hope this helps. Oh, before I forget, I use lots of Bluetac to keep the speakers on shelves from vibrating the shelf. It works okay. Always looking for other ideas. Andrew?
@@christopherplourde607 i appreciate the detailed reply. I was hoping you had figured out a sensible way to integrate 9 ls50s without drilling into them. I'm considering getting the q50a atmos for height effects since they should blend with the 50s. But i think I'll stop at 5 speakers. I wanted identical monitors for seamless immersion.
@@nonametofame sorry took awhile to get back. I now have my fronts LS50Metas with KF92 subwoofer, all except rear presence are LS50s. Horizontal near ceiling works well with my AVR, I don’t miss the overheads at all.I’m now 11.1 with all Kef except the two M&K dipoles which integrate very well. AVR drives all but Fronts which are driven by Yamaha M4.
@@christopherplourde607 thanks for the update. What are your thoughts on the metas vs non metas, especially with the lcr integration? Congrats on integrating 9 ls50s, I'd love to see pics. I'm working on adding 4 q150s for overhead but i might stick to the base 5 since it's a small room. But I applaud 👏 you for ls50s for atmos and rear surrounds. All in the black/copper?
Thanks Kristi (and Andrew :) ). My favourite speaker review this year was this one. Will be interested in the KEF LS50 Wireless II review when you get around to it, and how it compares to say the LS50 Meta + Naim Uniti Atom.
I finally pulled the trigger on a pair for my living room which is open to my dining room and kitchen. They are connected to a Marantz sr 1600 augmented by a REL T5 x. I’m very impressed with them in every respect and they play at plenty of volume. Even my wife commented on how good they sound which is saying something
Finally, cant watch this on my laptop, heading to the living room to watch this on the TV. Thanks for the upload, I checked my inbox a few times today!
@@rafalobo5308 I’m glad he added that plug as it points to how ridiculous Gene is and his baseless comments. Gene and his HD2020 friend basically made themselves look bad for essentially turning into online trolls.
Kristi saying what we were all thinking. ;) HAHA Great review and great way to wrap up the year. Merry Christmas to you both. Looking forward to more great stuff in 2021!
Great video. Good to see some KEF speakers on the channel. Would be nice to see a future video on how the KEF Q550s stack up against the Fluance Reference series tower speakers, the Jamo S809s and the Klipsch RP4000Fs as they are all in a similar price range.
I watch almost every clip of you (and Kristi in the background?) now. Please keep up the good work. Merry Christmas from Bavaria P.S.: Burchardt S500 or KEF LS50 Meta? What would you prefer?
Hi Dieter! I doubt we'll be able to answer that question for you unless something changes with Buchardt. They opted not to send us any speakers for review. So I'd get the Metas! I personally think they're prettier!
Could you compare them to the KEF R3's I just got a set of them with the Arcam SA20. And I think they are among the best I have heard. Jason. Marry Christmas. Like the content. :)
And if $1,500+ tax is too much, simply look for a pair of "pre-enjoyed KEF non Meta LS50's on Audiogon. Another classic / fantastic / highly beloved speaker without the meta material at a fraction of the price. Merry Christmas!
Dear Andrew, thank you for another great review🤩 Now I urgently need a review from you about the new LS50 Wireless II Cause everytime I buy something you recommend I hear the same as you described it to sound. That’s not the case with any reviewer. So 🙏🏼
Great review Mr.Robinson. I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts on the Quad S2 speaker. It appears to actually beat the LS50 in many reviews. I'm certainly very happy with mine! Great stands too. I use the same ones. Cheers....and love your channel.
You shut your mouth! I WILL NOT!! Gold! Keep it up! I didn’t consider these speakers before this review, so this video was perfectly done. Can’t wait for the LaScala’s!
I owned the LS50 and paired them with my Denon avr-X2300w. Honestly, it couldnt handle the LS50. Anything soft paced (singer/songwriter) was fantastic, but rock or classical was a muddy disaster. I sold off everything and got a LS50 wireless. Best choice ever. No amp matching needed. Just pure audio bliss.
I had a chance to audition them in a perfectly acoustic treated room... For hours... With many different amps ranging from $500 to $3000 among with SVS and B&W 7 Series... To make it short... The SVS speakers impressed me more than the Kefs... The SVS at their price... Was the better speaker compared to kef... Mids, base, detail, separation, scale, depth etc.... The B&W 705 was in another level... Beating the SVS and Kef... it was a huge difference... The B&W speakers, reproduced the music, giving you a sense of space of the room the artist was in while recording... It brings all to the music... Really incredible...
@@andrewrobinsonreviews that’s great. kristi has good taste. it’s nice to keep things fun. hope both of you have a happy holiday season! (and yeah, i always watch your channel.)
I like what your wife said, and that you included it in the video. They're a tad (no - a whole lot) out of my price range, but I can appreciate they exist.
I listened to the Meta's at a local store paired with a Rodgers tube Amp. They sounded amazing!! , so I ordered the LS50 wireless II, I'm dying to find out how much better the Meta's can sound like once the KEF engineers put their amplifier and dsp magic inside.
Its official, she needs to be in the videos now. The combination and interaction is enjoyable as a viewer. I would like to know how well they can be blended into high end subwoofers like the SVS Ultra 16s.
Andrew's side gig is ventriloquism. We never see Kristi, he never interrupts her, and his lips don't move when "she" speaks. He's working on the drinking-a-glass-of-water trick...
Yay, such a fun review. While eating my Christmas cookies, this cannot be better timing and merrier. 🤭🎄Merry Christmas to you Andrew and Kristi, thanks for your hard work this year. I love the channel, and happy listening. I wanna finish building my home cinema first, then keep experiencing with other speakers, like KEF. I never liked the Focal Chora line, as it is lacking that serious soundstage upgrade, that the Aria line is capable of delivering, also made out of aluminium/magnesium tweeter, much modern, and appealing look. To me, the prettiest speakers, I had to pick them, and for less of the price of KEF. And it would be a fun and honest comparison, considering they are two very different speakers, but similar price range, and both of them have amazing midrange and soundstage. I have the Uniti Nova, and love it so much, and I can definitely agree with you, that the amplification quality makes a huge difference, even just in general. I cannot wait for next year's videos, keep up the great work. 😊
Hi Andrew. I purchased these speakers a couple of weeks ago to replace my ageing Rogers Studio 1's .My analogue system consists of a Pro-Ject 6 Perspex magnetic suspension turntable fitted with a Hadcock GH 242 uni-pivot tonearm and Denon DL 110 moving coil cartridge. The signal goes to an Easter Electric Min-max Phono stage,connected to an Audiolab (made in England ) Preamplifier and finally to a Rotel 200w per channel Power amplifire I am hearing things from my records that were hidden before. I thoroughly recommend these speakers. BTW my listening room is 26 feet long,15 feet wide and 8 feet high The Metas had no problem filling this space.
Powered versions can play louder and lower btw! DSP is magic plus each driver gets its own DAC and amp. AB amp for tweeter D amp for woofer! It’s remarkable and I am comparing it as 75% to my 50k YG acoustics system with Mola Mola monoblocks and a Lampizator DAC
That’s amazing that they’re comparable to the YG’s in performance and I totally believe it as I’m floored by mine. The designers just went to town and built the perfect stereo.
@@DavidDerouinMDM Well They are 3/4 of the YG that extra 25% is night and day difference. They are great but no real comparison. It's like comparing a Toyota SUV to a Porsche 911.
@@DavidDerouinMDM I meant to say DSP it is digital signal processing. It gets rid of the crossover network and each driver has it's own amp giving it a greater dynamic range from low to high and more power.
@@pennfootball71 yea no doubt the YG’s will blow them away but there is a diminishing return there. I can just imagine that effortless live sound is carried into both performances.
Yes. I look forward to your review of the active ls50 wireless II. I wonder if you could live with the wireless II as a streamer+amp and not use your uniti atom? I’m debating whether to go with uniti atom+meta OR simply the wireless II with built in streamer+amp.
I really hope we can get our hands on the LS50 Wireless IIs very soon. I want to focus a bit more on powered speakers in 2021 and the Wireless IIs are on the top of the list.
Love the review...Huge fan...**request** How about a best of 2020 set up? A complete breakdown of what your best set up/living room combination of 2020 would be... speakers, receiver, sub etc. perhaps a movie driven set up and a music driven “best of 2020” setup. That would be a great culmination video. Thank you for your work. 🙏
Thank you so much for this review. You mentioned you also tested the Meta with the XTZ. Can you please comment on this pairing ? Have a Merry X"mas & A Happy New Year, both of you !
Great review, I'm a huge kef fan. I've had a lot of their speakers, LS50, Q300 (didn't like them), T105 (huge waf factor), x300a (didn't like them) and now R3's. I prefer the R3 to the LS50 soundwise, but the R3 have a big footprint which is not as esthetically as pleasing as the LS50. I would like to see you comparing the R3 to the new LS50 meta. Since you're trying new things, how about the new Anthem AV amplifier ?
best bang for the buck Klipsch RP-8000 I had to exchange them due my room being 1600 cubic feet. Then I went with RP-600C and 4 RP-600M with dual SVS-SB2000 wow perfect for 19' x 12' room amazing home theater, and classic rock they play very loud and clean.
I have to agree with you, I have been living with my Royal Blue version for 2 months now. Couple of days ago, I was listening and forgotten I had turned off my sub, I got to say that these speakers sounded very capable in the low frequency region. These are my first KEFs and I am very happy with my purchase. Using PS Audio Sprout 100 to drive.
This sounds like a thumbs up for British hi fi. Well worth the wait. Just have to pursued the wife I need an upgrade. No chance. Great to hear a female give her honest opinion on these speakers. Merry Christmas to all those the other side of the pond in the U S of A.
I'm pretty sure you'll find anyone would take these new KEF's over the Klipsch and Polk products for listening to 2ch music. If you're looking to HT it might be a different story...
Great review, Andrew and Kristi. You are a team - always have been and always will be - and a great one at that! Content is always first class and it's lovely to hear the passion from both of you. Thanks for 2020 (I discovered you this year👍) and here's to a healthy year of reviewing ahead. Love and best wishes to you both. ❤💪
What an awesome review I especially loved the two of you together reviewing this product! I got my first HiFi speakers two years ago which were from Kef they are from the Q-series I have The iQ3 Bookshelves speakers and then I also have the Tower speakers which are the iQ9 which I have in storage right now but I look forward getting a bigger place and geeking out on them as well. I wonder how these products compare with the LS50
Recently got the lS50wii in black, stunning, everyone that visits my house comments, then hears then, one person cried to pink Floyd, a few people have commented music will never sound the same, stunning speaker, still blown away after almost a month by where the sound comes from in the room and how so much sound comes out of that tiny box
I can’t get over how good my LS50W2’s sound as well and can’t wait until post covid to invite people over to get their impressions as well! I hope they like them as much as I do.
@@grahamscarr6862 a little but not much, I have kids so they go against the wall while they are here and get moved around when they are not,but of blue Tac on the spikes so the feet are attached to the stands and I love them around, sit in my spot, move them a little, had them sounding like gold in some places and just good in others, just bought a sub so very keen on the postman coming next week, can't wait to see how they sound with a sub
