A Beautiful Pair of Desktop Speakers || KEF LSX II Review
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ก.ค. 2024
- The 2nd generation LSX, the LSX II is just beautiful!
#KEF #LSXII #hifi Click ❤️ Thanks above ☝🏾to highlight your question and show support to the channel🙏🏾
0:00 Introduction
1:11 Specs
2:50 What Are They?
5:10 Connections
6:23 The Remote
7:12 KEF Connect
8:24 Sound Quality
9:51 Stereo Imaging
10:40 Treble, Mid-Range, Bass
13:16 HT Downside
15:14 LS50 Wireless II Comparison
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LSX II Unboxing - • A New Pair of Beautifu...
LS50 Wireless II Review - • KEF LS50 Wireless II R...
LS50 Wireless II vs Q Acoustics Q Active 200 - • KEF LS50 Wireless II v...
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If you want to purchase the LSX II or anything else use these links:
LSX II - amzn.to/3ohaJYv
S1 Speaker Stand - amzn.to/3PB51Mw
B1 Wall Bracket - amzn.to/3PFrKay
P1 Desk Pad - amzn.to/3IRwjw1
LS50 Wireless II - amzn.to/3HOuoHt
LS50 Meta - amzn.to/3uMCixh
KC62 Subwoofer - amzn.to/34TpfPQ
Q150 Bookshelf - amzn.to/3nuGETk
Q350 Bookshelf - amzn.to/3ahhqnH
Q250c Center - amzn.to/37qdeQE
Q550 Floorstanding - amzn.to/3gV15pO
Q750 Floorstanding - amzn.to/37sF2E3
R5 Floorstanding - amzn.to/2IYDZ5b
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Links to my home theater setup
Front Left/Right: Klipsch RP-260F - amzn.to/2MaM8An
Center: Klipsch RP-440C - amzn.to/2Jy8v0E
Surrounds: Klipsch RP-150M - amzn.to/2kZN8eo
Atmos Speakers: Energy Take Classics 5.1 - Purchase amzn.to/2l0ubbs
Subwoofer: Hsu Research VTF-2 MK5 - Review • HSU Research VTF-2 MK5...
Speaker Stands: Sanus Basic Series - amzn.to/2JrPb5q
Speaker Wire: Monoprice Access Series 12 AWG CL2 Rated 2 Conductor - amzn.to/2y4btcT
AV Receiver: Denon AVR-X4400H - amzn.to/2JuznyM
External Amplifier: Monoprice Monolith 7 - amzn.to/2ZXrTvu
4K UHD BluRay Player Sony UBP-X700 - amzn.to/2V8CimO
Television: LG C1 77" - amzn.to/3O8ZVqe
TCL 55" 6 Series - 55 Inch: amzn.to/2QUvKsN
Television Stand: Z-Line Flat Panel 3 in 1 TV Mount System - amzn.to/2Lys9N0
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Contact the Home Theater Hobbyist
Email: hth@hometheaterhobbyist.com
Twitter: / hthobbyist
Disclaimer: This description contains affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link you will be taken to our affiliate and I'll receive a small commission. This commission supports this channel and allows us to bring you more videos like this. - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
Have had them for a month - they are very good…. Really decent sound, fit well in a living room, and are very pleasant to listen to…. Thanks for the review!
Thanks for sharing!
How do you find them for films?
Thank you for your great review. (Semi-new subscriber…;-) I really appreciated your sound comparison to the LS50 IIs! I’m pretty sure you’re the first to break it down like that! I hope you consider doing more wireless speaker reviews, even though your forte is home theater! (System Audio?) Thanks again!
Thank you for subscribing! 😁👊🏾 I’m glad you found the LS50 comparison helpful, it’s good to hear what people want. Hopefully I’ll get some more active speakers sent for review! Do you have any you’d like to see reviewed?
Thank you, very informative.
Glad it was helpful!
Fantastic video. Great job
Thank you 🙏🏾
I have their cousins, the LS-50 Metas. I needed to use them for tv audio. I have a Marantz NR-1200 driving them and a REL T5-x to handle the low end. Great little system
Very cool!
Great review and in-depth! Nice set-up Greg! I have the KEF LSX with the REL T5X Sub and just ordered the LSX II. I can’t wait to hear what differences there are.
Great review- thanks
Thanks for watching
Laaaawd. This is art.🙌🙌🙌❤️❤️❤️👏👏👏
Thanks for watching!
You should use your voice for audiobooks. Man, that’s soothing.Thanks for the rewiev!
Thanks, I'm looking into it. 👍🏾
Great test, how do they compare to the q acoustic 3020i? i really heistate between the 2, i know the prices difference is huge, but in terms of sound quality, is there a significant difference?
How would these compare to the Sonos Five in stereo? Did you find the range increasing when connecting to a sub? Asking in terms of having them for a living room.
Just picked up a pair with the Kube 10MIE , can't wait to test them out!
Nice! Let me know what you think!
@@HomeTheaterHobbyist Will do. I’m a film composer and using them for my laptop setup only. I use the ATC SMC 25’s and sub for my composing work. I do a fair bit of listening on my laptop too and these seem to be a fairly good speaker for the price range for that. We’ll see!
Awesome review
Thanks!
Great review ! Considering new SVS w2 (5.25" driver), the LSXw2, and the LS50w2 for secondary (no surround) TV system as opposed to soundbar or TV speakers. Compact size of LSX is a big plus but worry about room volume (large open area). We use this TV for news, sports, and occasional movie mostly as background sound but compared to TV speakers the LSX must be an improvement ????
Yes compared to tv speakers these are definitely an improvement. I don’t know what tv you have but…….Much larger drivers and cabinets, a long with better amplification means you’ll be able to play louder with little to no distortion if you choose. Plus you’ll have better bass performance and pretty much all volumes. The other benefit is that you can use them for music when your tv isn’t on.
great job bro .. love from india
Hi India! Thank you!! 😁
Don’t mean to complain but, your voice is so soothing, I almost dozed off while sat in easy chair and risked dropping my iPad 😂😂👏👍🫶
Thanks and Sorry 😁
@@HomeTheaterHobbyist No problem mate. Keep’em coming
Really good sound quality with your voice.
Great review! Does the high pass filter in the app means that the KEF LSX ii doesn't play full range? If so, that is a great feature because usually that means a better midrange. The subwoofer takes some of the work from the KEF's.
Thanks! You're correct it will no play down to 20Hz, it starts to drop off in volume around 50Hz if memory serves. Yes, the subwoofer connection is a great addition! Using the sub allows the on-board amps to focus on midrange and treble performance.
Hello there! I'm planning to use them as TV speakers, but have few questions:
1) As I understood, I need smartphone and Wi-Fi in order to setup them for the first time or if I want to change equalizer settings. But should these speakers always be connected to WIFI in order to operate as TV speakers (wired interconnection)? Сan I forget about smartphone and Wi-Fi forever after setup?
2) If I don't need Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, can I switch it OFF on these speakers? Or these signals always work and transmit some data while speakers work?
3) Each time I turn ON/OFF my TV - should I also turn ON/OFF these speakers? Or they turn off automatically after I turn off my TV?
4) How about bass on these speakers? Is it good enough?
Why do you need them for tv as soon as they don't decode dts, dts hd, dolby, dolby tru hd, lpcm 5.1 or 7.1 into stereo?
Just a point of reference.Various comments on here describing the HDMI port on the back of these speakers being HDMI E Arc..It's not they are only HDMI Arc.The what Hifi review may have originally had EArc on their review at Launch , but that has now been altered to ARC.
well explained thank you I have subbed
Thanks for the sub!
REALLY like the look of these red ones for desktop use. Would prefer the blue also had matching woofer color like the red. I think for the price they should support Dolby. Great timing on this video as I've been wanting to hear KEF sound in my own environment for a while now and also been looking for desktop speakers.
Question: does that HDMI port work with ARC/eARC? I'm assuming so as I couldn't see another way for these speakers to use it.
Yes, it does work. I tried it and verified Dolby audio doesn't work. I changed my TV's audio setting to PCM output everything worked flawlessly. They are great for the desktop since their relatively small and don't require any additional amps or anything else on the desk. Respond to this thread and let me know what you decide to purchase. 😁
Port is eARC
so so nice
Yes, they are!😁
Would you get the Kef LSX II’s over a used pair of LS50 wireless (1st gen)?
Wow, great question!! I haven't heard the 1st gen LS50s in my room but based on my LS50 Wireless ii experience..........
I assume the 1st gen will yield a fuller richer sound with greater output compared to the LSX II's. So if you're planning to place them in a room without a subwoofer I expect the LS50 1st gen to sound slightly better than the LSX II. If you're planning to put them on a desk the LSX II maybe better because they have a smaller footprint.
If you planning a subwoofer the LSX II maybe the easy choice because you can adjust the sub for a nice balanced sound and the package maybe slightly less expensive than the used LS50 1st gen (I don't know how much they go used😁).
I'm not sure if the LS50 1st gen uses the older KEF app or the new "KEF connect" app but if it uses the older app definitely read some reviews and find out how people feel about it because the app is a primary interface. Since they created a new app (KEF connect) I somewhat assume the previous app wasn't very good but that is my assumption. Sorry so long but hopefully this helps. Respond to this comment and let me know what you get and how you like it. Enjoy! 😁
How close do you think you could sit to these before you'd recommend something smaller, I need these as desktop speakers
Good question, I’m sitting about 19 inches from them and I typically keep the volume around 26 or 27 which is plenty. So if you go smaller you may need to increase the volume a little but it shouldn’t be too bad.
Would you consider these sufficiently powerful for a living room setup where my seated position is approx 2.5m from where the speakers would be located? Or do you think they are only suitable for near field desk use? Thanks!
Yes, I think they would work in that situation. The ls50 wireless ok would be better but I do think these will work.
I have these in my living room and they work great
@AlexIsUber thanks for sharing!
Any opinions on class d versus a/b sound? Is there even a difference?
Yes, at the high end certainly. If you used A/B amp in small active speakers they would get too hot. DSP + class D with room correction much of what is wrong in separate matching and trial and error search is fixed in one unit.
For desktop use (music, movies, gaming), would you go with the KEF LSX II or KEF LS50 Wireless II?
LSX II since it’s more compact.
Just put these on my desk at work, and they are awesome. As stated above, the LS50 would take up a lot of desk space.
Using a Mac, looking for desk top speakers, in UK these are £1,000. How would they compare to 2 Apple HomePods? HomePods are £600 for stereo pair. I do love the look of these. Would use wired to Mac to play WAV files and stream Hi res via Apple Music. Great review thanks!
I haven’t tried the HomePods so I can’t say. But I will say the LSX are more versatile since they have more connectivity options compared to HomePod.
Thanks for the reply and great review anyway!
is the LS50 wireless suitable for a desktop speaker? i am looking for a desktop speaker for my computer but i think the LS50 Wireless is a little big for a desktop speaker, which do u recommend for a desktop speaker?
For desktop, I'd go for the LSXII since it is physically smaller. the LS50 is very nice but much larger.
Indeed they look great. I have the original ones in grey and they will stay at home until they disintegrate...
Nice!
are active speakers amped to their best performance?
vs same speaker but non active model...
They should be but a lot more work has to be applied, selecting the right amp, DSP, etc. So if they don’t spend enough time selecting the right components and listening to the combinations it may not perform optimally.
Active speakers are speakers with power amplifies without a passive cross over so have an amp for the tweeter and one for the bass. Both left and right speakers have their own amps. Powered speakers have passive crossovers (usually) and the amp in one speaker only - the other is passive and wired to the amp in the primary speaker.
B&O made a 4 channel amplifier for a Raspberry Pi computer. This fits into a LX50 with two channel for the left and two for the right speaker. The original crossover is removed. The cable between the speakers is four core so they original passive speakers become streaming active speakers.
In terms of money spent you could for example find the right amp to power Kef LS Meta (passive) speakers that out perform the LS 50 II. Add in a streamer, DAC you are unlikely spend as little as the LS50 II and "gain" less than you expect even when doubling the outlay.
Is there anything else this size or smaller that are as good?
I’m not sure, I’ve heard the Kanto TUKs are good but I haven’t tried them myself.
Awesome review. How do they compare to the Audioengine A2+ or A5+ ??
Thank you 🙏🏾. I have heard the audioengines so I can’t say, sorry.
I have both the Audioengine speakers. The KEF are several leagues ahead sonically and musically, not to mention build and aesthetics.
These blow A5+ away. I had AE for 7 years and these are in a separate universe
@@AlexIsUber …..and also a separate price bracket at nearly 3x the cost of the A5s, so they should be better.
Have you had the chance to compare these with other desktop speakers like the kanto ora? Or edifier 1280db?
Not a direct comparison to either but I have tried the Ora here: th-cam.com/video/JgNzxddlYeY/w-d-xo.html
@@HomeTheaterHobbyist if you were to score both, 10 being highest, how would you score? Just pure sound quality
How do they sound compared to original lsx? Is there much of a upgrade in sound quality??
I haven’t tried the originals but KEF says the sound is more balanced in higher res.
The difference won’t be huge, they have the same drivers. The difference in sound is only by improved DSP algorithms. But beside there is the better connectivity. I own the first release too, but for me the difference doesn’t make me to consider an upgrade.
if you have it connected via usb to a desktop windows pc. how does that work? does windows recognize it?
Yes, go to the sound/audio menu and select the LSX II as the output device.
How they sound compare to low budget active speakers such as Fluance AI 61?
The AI61 is Bluetooth only, so that means lossy. The LSX gives you the real Hifi experience with a high quality detailed sound, amazing sound stage and center image. Looks sound and build wise you will always feel the premium quality with theLSX.
@@leokuiper2593 You are 100% right, no doubt about it. My use scenario is for desktop use only. AI61 has bigger driver and I can always add DAC like modi multibit which will cost around $500 in total. AI61 cannot match the aesthetic or sound quality of LSXII but if it sounds even 3/4 close to LSXII, it is good for me.
@@muzammelhaquemukul7089 Especially for desktop use the LSX is much better, for close up listening KEF’s Uni-Q driver sounds much more coherent with all the frequencies coming from one single point source. It will never happen that your ears are closer to one of the drivers (tweeter or midrange/bass driver) as will happen with regular two way speakers. Of course the investment is quit much more for the LSX, but they are definitely worth it. I can’t look into your wallet, but if you see a way to stretch your budget I would go for the LSX. With the LSX II in the stores now there’s quit some people upgrading and you could get version 1 for a little more then 500 on the second hand market. With the first version you won’t have a usb connection, but only optical or analog 3.5 mm jack.
what’s your connection for music listening? do they sound better wired or wireless from a macbook?
You’re not getting those answers on this channel or many of these other “audiophile” channels. It’s a paid sponsorship masked as a review..
@@nygeek6471 you're right. most of the time they are 'clickbait'
@@akila219 I have yet to see a review talk about the numerous networking issues with these speakers
@nygeek6471 I didn’t have any issues, sorry.
@@HomeTheaterHobbyist you’re given these for free for a good review..
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thanks!
thai tribute ?
Nice review, but you should have mentioned that the high gloss finishes are less suitable for placing beside a screen. Especially when watching movies in a dark room reflections on the high gloss will be very annoying and distracting.
That's a good point but I don't find it as distracting next to the screen, when a gloss surface is below the screen is where I find it most distracting. But again this is definitely something to consider.
Really the only negative of the gloss versions are the marks and scratches they'll pick up over time
I had them for a whole 3 days before I couldn't bear the weight of their price. While they're good, they aren't worth the 800 I got them for, let alone the normal 1500-1600 you'd get them for. Truly great speakers, but not great price to performance.
Same….i got em for $999….but still seems a lot
13:50 at least DTS-HD MA is more popular than Dolby TrueHD
too bad you didn't go further and explain the settings in the kef connect smartphone application
Interesting that you request that, because I did but I edited it out because I thought it was too much so I just showed screen shots. Thanks for the feedback! 👍🏾
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍🙏🙏✌✌💖💖💖
They look amazing, only for the price, you can literally pick up separates for less.
True separates can be found for less but they will probably take up more desk space. These have a fairly small footprint so that’s great when real estate is a premium. 🙂
Yes and still have all those boxes n cables, all that system components deliberations, and then matching, plus tweaking time, and all that clutter. The all in one market is catering for a different market than diy audio hobbyists.
Neither of LS50 II or LSX II offer everything. That also applies to most of the steaming wireless digital speaker systems. If you use a computer as a media player (music and video library) the KSX II has USB C input. Chrome cast and Airplay will also work on audio files and both have uPnP.
Both have eARC for use with a television where a lot of the competition have lag even if having Toslink inputs. The LSX II appears to have the better HDMI eARC.
Neither are advertised for a 5.1/7.1 system and the software does not support it. Analogue output to the sub which adds bass for a 2.1 but not for use in a 5.1 surround system.
LSX II
54Hz - 28kHz , 102db
Network up to 384kHz/24bit *RJ45)
Optical up to 96kHz/24bit
USB Type C up to 192kHz/24bit
HDMI up to 1.411Mbps PCM
Wireless: all sources resampled to 48kHz/24bit PCM
Wired: all sources resampled to 96kHz/24bit PCM
Sub woofer on RCA output
LS50 II wireless
45 Hz - 28 kHz, 108dB
Network up to 384kHz/24bit
Optical up to 96kHz/24bit
Coaxial up to 192kHz/24bit
HDMI up to 192kHz/24bit
Wireless: all sources resampled to 96kHz/24bit PCM
Wired: all sources resampled to 192kHz/24bit PCM
USB A is service only
Sub woofer on RCA output
You're correct they don't offer everything and aren't for a 5.1 system. Good summary!
I don't like the high gloss sides.
Why can’t I find an actual review of these? These are all obviously paid sponsorships.
These speakers don't work without Internet.
they really need to make 2.1 system for desktop since These small speakers have pathetic bass.
This is not a independent review. The "reviewer" have recieved these speakers for free, and makes commision on every sale from the links.
Come on! Spending lots of time on describing how good the speakers look, without mentioning the history of the design. The design is many years old, and the only new design feature is the fabric covered version of the speakers. As for sound quality, I would never trust a Klipsch fanboy trying to sell a high end set of speakers. Its totally a different ballpark.
I was hoping for an independent review, but this is worthless to me.
🤣🤣🤣 This is hilarious!!! You're speaking with authority but wrong in several areas. This is not "free product", in the video I said I have to send the speakers back to KEF because they are review hardware, th-cam.com/video/OV5_bomNWRQ/w-d-xo.html.
Yes, I make a small commission on affiliate links, it’s no secret, it’s in the video description.
An older design that still looks good today is great design, some would use the term "timeless design". Similar to a Porsche 911, tweaked over the years but essentially the same and still looks good. You are correct, I didn't dive into the design history, as a creator I decided to focus my attention elsewhere. In all seriousness, if you really want to see a video about the design history and haven't found one I encourage you to make the video you want to see and publish it.
Thanks for watching at least one of my other videos since you know I own klipsch speakers.I don't consider myself a "fanboy", I understand and appreciate the criticism others have regarding my reference premieres. I've discussed it in previous videos such as here: th-cam.com/video/A6lgO4zG6do/w-d-xo.html. Owning a speaker brand doesn’t preclude me or anyone else from understanding and enjoying different sound characteristics made by other manufacturers. In life a person can enjoy/appreciate multiple things such as types of food, places to vacation, different hobbies, and movies to name a few. If you don’t "trust" my thoughts just watch another video, there are many other creators on TH-cam and other publications highlighting their thoughts on different products. Thanks for the comment, this one really made me laugh!! Have a great and blessed remainder of your weekend! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
By referring this design many years old you must mean the ls50 line which is true. The baby brother LSX is many years less old. It doesn’t matter anyhow, I have my first version LSX a couple of years now and I still enjoy how they look. Btw, in version 1 the fabric was already there on most of the finishes. In assessing the sound quality this review doesn’t stand on his own. Almost all reviews sing this little speakers praise as do almost every experienced user. Some users are disappointed because they don’t understand the physical limitations of a little speaker like this and because they payed a high end price expected them do dig deep into the low regions. I dare to say this little speaker is a great deal. It sounds amazing and the build quality is exceptional. Beside that it is packed with technology. Every single driver in the pair has dedicated amplification, DSP and DAC’s. Great streaming technology and a stable app. Yes for full range sound with this speaker a sub is needed like with any speaker of this size. The only negative thing I can say about this speaker set is the cheap looking remote, that btw does the job well enough.
You are just one of those naysayers that are browsing the internet trying to breaking down reviewers with unfounded accusations. While I am not a Klipsch fan too and Klipsch is known for its budget speakers with it’s own distinctive sound, which are loved by many users, Klipsch has some serious high end products too. Okay they are not world leaders in refinement, but that’s not the goal they are going for. The big high end brothers go for dynamics and a life like sound instead of a high detailed, refined sound profile. Sound comes in many different forms and there’s nothing wrong with that. There are many different people, with many different tastes. Because the Klipsch sound is not my cup of tea doesn’t want me to break it down as a brand. It has it’s place in the market.
If you want your criticism be taken seriously, don’t try to play on the person with unfounded accusations, don’t hide behind a number nickname profile without picture and come up with valid points like bad build quality, error rates. Even your personal taste would be valid if it doesn’t exclude people whose taste is different then yours.
@@leokuiper2593 I am not negative to these KEF speakers. I am actually concidering to buy them myself. I have been looking for serious reviews for a long time. I am negative to the "review", that is clearly colored by the possibilitiy of earning commision on sales. TH-cam have very strict rules about paid promotion in order not to mislead potensial customers. The reviewer failed to meet theese rules. Instead of reporting to TH-cam, I chose to write a feedback.
Thank you for your answer. You did a better job at describing the speakers, than the reviewer. As for my sound preference, I like the sound to be as neutral as possible. Bowers & Wilkins is my choice of brand, but they dont have any speakers suitable for a desktop.
@@Harald. Every reviewer is on TH-cam trying to earn some money. It maybe by commercials viewed while watching the reviews, it may be by sponsoring a video or by a small commission on sales by provided links. The bigger reviewers even made this their main job. As long it is not manufacturers from the product being reviewed paying a reviewer in trade of a positive review there is no conflict of interest. You have no proof whatsoever that this review was a trade between KEF and the reviewer, an accusation you ventilated in your initial comment. Now you back down to the commission from sales, which is totally accepted on TH-cam as long the reviewer is open about it. It’s not the point a reviewer has financial interest, they all have, on TH-cam or anywhere else. They all do it as a full or parttime job.
Trying to hurt someone’s reputation by accusations without proof is one bad thing and making degrading remarks about someone’s taste because he owns a certain brand of speakers is a second sign of a bad personality. If you want to criticise it should be respectful towards a person with a goal to improve someone’s reviewing skills.
Ugly speaker imo
Look are always a matter of preference, but you are really an exception by experiencing these as ugly. Usually people really love the LSX and LS50 lineup.
Interesting, what speaker do you consider good looking?