KEF LS50 Wireless II - Active wireless stereo speaker system (Mineral White) | HDMI | Airplay 2 | Bluetooth | Spotify | Tidal

Product Information

As well as offering the dynamic range to make the most of Hi-Res music, the LS50 Wireless II also supports many associated formats. MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) – as used by TIDAL Masters – is compatible. ROON Endpoint status means it’s compatible with the award-winning music player – including Hi-Res files. In many ways, what was more surprising was how KEF had made the LS50 active. Rather than go the traditional way of applying amps to speakers; attach/integrate the amp and power supply and leave control to somebody else, via either RCA or XLR, KEF turned the LS50 into a system. It became a device that needed only an internet signal to be a fully functional device in its own right. As decisions go, it was a good one because KEF has sold a great many of them. As I have been able to write a full and considered review of the passive LS50 Meta, in which I have had the space to go into the driver revisions in some depth, I will not repeat them here. Every improvement that has been made to the passive LS50 is replicated on the active one and they reflect KEF’s near fanatical attention to detail when it comes to the business of driver and cabinet behaviour. Famed for their striking design, balanced sound and complete connectivity, the original KEF LS50 Wireless speakers swept the board. Now featuring new MAT technology for superior sound, a brand-new wireless platform and new KEF Connect app, the LS50 Wireless II is more impressive than ever. The obvious question is whether the KEF LSX II would have been a better solution, and I think they would have been a very good choice too, but the LS50W2 had a bit more clarity and depth to them. I did not want to compromise.

Whereas the 150mm driver in the passive Meta makes demands (and considerable demands too) on an external amplifier, the Wireless II brings that power on board and quite a bit of power too. My comments in the passive review that the LS50 benefits from a bit of driving might benefit from the framing that each wireless version has no less than 380 watts of power. This is split with 100 watts allocated to the tweeter and 280 to the mid bass. You can choose to operate LS50 Wireless II completely wirelessly at 24bit/96kHz resolution for a completely clutter-free set up, or you can connect the two speakers with the supplied cable for 24bit/192kHz resolution sound. The manner that this is integrated into the top of the cabinet is beautifully realised and it’s details like this that help the KEF to be genuinely user friendly. The fit and finish is every bit as good as the passive version too. Do be aware that there some unavoidable quirks of placement that the KEF can’t easily nullify though. Any HDMI or optical connection from a TV is going to have to come out to the master speaker and both of those speakers need mains power. If you can dress it correctly, a setup based around the Wireless II will look outstanding… but you’ll need to put the effort in. The soundstage, the grip on the music, Jeff’s vocals bringing tears to my eyes, the depth of bass (no sub-woofer); everything from these two small boxes - really? Yes - really!I bought the LS50 Wireless II speakers, mainly to listen to The Archers and route large conference calls through. I never imagined or had any intentions of using them to listen to music through.

Based on the revolutionary LS50 Meta, these KEF wireless speakers use MAT (Metamaterial Absorption Technology) for lower distortion and a much purer, more natural sound. KEF’s famous Uni-Q drivers produce room-filling sound, free from the usual ‘sweet spot’. Powering all this is a mighty amplifier system that uses a combination of digital and analogue amplification to produce a total output of 380 watts per speaker. Prices valid in stores (all including VAT) until close of business on 28th November 2023. (Some of these web prices are cheaper than in-store, so please mention that you've seen these offers online.) LS50 Wireless II is more than a high-performance loudspeaker; it’s the perfect all-in-one speaker system. It reveals every detail of your favourite music, which you stream from any source thanks to wireless compatibility with AirPlay 2, Chromecast and more. All aspects of the LS50 Wireless II’s performance is aided by KEF’s bespoke Music Integrity Engine. This collection of bespoke Digital Signal Processing algorithms is optimised for the Uni-Q driver, enabling it to deliver a perfectly timed performance, for better imaging and a tighter sound.

Solid all-rounder I'm using these in a smaller room as desktop speakers, and I wasn't sure if I would have enough space for a separate amplifier. In the end I decided on the all-in-one solution to save space. You could own these KEFs and have little need for the dedicated app, considering the LS50 Wireless II support AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast and Bluetooth, and are also Roon Ready. The effect of MAT is clearly heard in the cleanliness of the treble, although the difference in purity can be heard across the frequency range. Mids are cleaner-cut and bass more defined, their extra refinement making the originals sound a touch crude. The whole presentation has been opened out, that extra room not only filled with subtler, more precise detail, but also allowing for greater instrument separation that makes its delivery sound much less congested in comparison.

Thanks to its HDMI, optical and coaxial digital, plus analogue 3.5mm inputs you can also connect up other sources, such as your TV, games console, CD player or turntable (with built-in pre-amp). The LS50 Wireless II sound incredibly well balanced, displaying great stereo separation and a wide enough soundstage to truly fill any room with detailed, clarified audio. At the moment the app has BBC radio stations available. These are occasionally interrupted by messages from the BBC that they will soon not be available. It would be helpful to have heard from KEF whether they will add BBC Sounds to their app or not. As a product following in the footsteps of such a huge success, the KEF LS50 Wireless II arrive with a world of expectation on their shoulders – but they well and truly meet those expectations. Make no mistake, this is a sequel of rare quality.

Conclusion

Simon Davies led the KEF Industrial Design Team from 2000 through to 2018. He was responsible for key product designs including LS50 and LS50 Wireless, The Reference and R Series. Since 2018, Simon has acted as a design consultant for KEF, and continues to work very closely with the KEF Industrial Design Team. They don’t get five stars however because the quality of engineering in the speakers doesn’t extend to the app needed for streaming. When switching on the speakers immediately switch on from standby and start to play in a second or two. After a few more seconds they stop playing and the app opens a red bar asking me to select the speakers in settings. They are already selected and show as such. After a further variable wait they start to play again. I’ve learned that my intervention makes no difference, so I just wait. This can happen a couple of times before they settle down. Reinstalling the app makes no difference and it happens whether I use my phone or iPad. I am an old audiophile, brought up on components so heavy, you could only ever live in ground floor accommodation. Audiophiles will be pleased with support for streaming files up to 24-bit/384kHz, as well as MQA and DSD256; but even if you eschew the wonders of Hi-Res Audio in favor of some simple Spotify streaming, you won’t be disappointed by the sound.

Every aspect of LS50 Wireless II has been considered for acoustic benefits and from a design perspective. The low-diffraction, curved baffle is precision modelled around the Uni-Q driver, while eye-catching heat sinks and colour-matched ports are located on the well-equipped rear. The top-mounted control panel is designed to be stylish and functional.

Performance

There are many wireless stereo speakers on the market, but ‘wireless’ doesn’t always mean what you might think. Just like its competitors, the LS50 Wireless II streams music wirelessly. It also goes one stage further, though, in featuring a wireless connection between the speakers themselves – no umbilical cord required. If you want to improve file resolution from 96 kHz/24 bit to 192 kHz/24 bit, then simply use the supplied interspeaker connection cable.