KEF LS60 Wireless Review: What's YOUR Verdict?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ค. 2024
- The brand new KEF LS60 Wireless are here! We take an in-depth look and share our thoughts having tested them out over the last week. One thing for sure, these are a conversation starter. Let us know in the comments what you think...
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:23 Need to knows
05:48 Connections
06:54 Control
09:05 Sound Test
14:57 Key points
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I just got the LSX II, and now I’m a KEF fan and will get the LS60 in the near future. 😊
I'm sold on these now. The size and room friendliness, the performance, the spec and the setup options... incredible. I can see no way to beat them for the money, and their DSP set up options are practically unique at this price. I can't see any way to fault them, literally.
Thank you so much for this wonderful review! This did not make me want them less. All that is left now is a listening session. Pretty sure they're coming home with me. As soon as the shops get them in stock, that is. Showed a picture of them to my fiance, and it was a big thumbs up from her. Even after I told her what they cost.
Great and informative as always! Thanks!
Thanks for a solid review of a fantastic product. Having heard these, I agree that they offer the sound quality of a 20k speaker. A slimline, mini-high-end game changer.
Great video, very well produced thank you.
These sound amazing, the sound test was unique....never seen anyone do this before
Thank you for another awesome video, I know i'm looking way ahead but really hoping for a Bristol sound & vision show next February the KEF room is always 1 of - if not the best room at the show [depending on your opinion] & I bet these speakers will be in many other rooms at the show not just in KEF's own room. Thank you again for your detailed video as always.
Another excellent review
Outrageous. Incredible quality!
This looks good, but as a KEF owner having had to deal with their repair service and getting a still defective speaker back after waiting about 3 months in "repair" I am worried about going to this class of product and the service it would come with. I understand warranty period is only 2 years, that's not sufficient for a product of this price. KEFs are great and sound great, until they don't. What kind of service does this class of product come with or is that dealer dependent? Dealing with KEF North America on my own was not a cakewalk
My concern with these would be how long they will be producing PCB's, and other pars that are likely to fail over time, and loose support. Traditional speakers only have crossovers that can be easily repaired. These have amps, motherboards, etc... Then there is the issue of obsolescence with the wireless features, and services.
Kef make great speakers, but their track record with powered electronics isn't great. I personally have had 3 KEF subwoofers that all fried their power supplies within 3 years.
I've since replaced them with 2 REL subwoofers which have been going strong for 8 years without a problem.
I agree with you. KEF's warranty service is not good, in my case my LS60s had problems
Doesn’t KEF have 5 years warranty and 2 on electronics?
I wonder if Kef will come out with a sleek center channel for these with LSX surround speaker package for a super 5.1 home theatre set up. Using the app, you could select between 5.1 for theatre and 2.1 for audio only where only the LS 60s would be on.
This is exactly what I want! I think I’m going with the Nad m10 v2 for this reason alone.
This would be fantastic!
Putting my current kit up for sale to try and offset the cost of these! Listened to them and they sound incredible, I love the ease of use as well.
did you make the purchase?
The sound was nothing short of heavenly...wow!!!
This review was very helpful, thank you! Off-topic question - can you share what brand your TV stand is? I'm looking for one just like it!
Beautiful elegant speakers
Great informative video and meets others needs I’m sure…..but Sonos and a few others remain our household gold standard. 😎
Thx for the inside and the hard work. I'm using kef reference 3.2 with simaudio Moon. I'm going to listen to the ls60 and maybe... Just maybe.. It all looks promising, but then again we heard that before....
Thanks for a great and thorough review. I believe this is the future of hifi. At last no boxes and cables to please the mrs, and KEF quality to please the audiophile! Love my system but if I had £ to burn on a system this would be it!
Does the bass bounce off the TV screen? How close can the speaker set next to the side wall?
Amazing!! We r the first house got this in Korea. Uncomparable!! The best!!
Congrats 🚀
I think you can use them in any combination you like, as long as you use preouts on a reciever and a cable😊
3 of these as front setup, would be rather nice🙊
Thanks for great review! (and apologies for my previous over enthusiastic use of language @ 2:00😅) My only question is how do they perform across their different volume levels and also, how suited would you say they are for different room sizes?
I own the LS50Ws, and the thing I love about them is how friends and family aren't intimidated to use them and comfortably from their own phones whereas they get put off by using my separates. But sonically, Kef have levels of better options. I've listened to Kef's Reference and Blades and dream about getting them but cant afford the appropriate level of amplifiers let alone the speakers. And I wouldn't be able to justify going back to a separates system that only I would use. This product seems expensive, but it ticks all of these boxes. If they even halfway bridge the gap in sound quality between LS50Ws and Blades, then they're an outright steal.
Anyway, thanks again for the review, and keep up the great work!
In Mid 2024 these can now be purchased for around 4k GBP.
This is a one box solution to stereo listening at the highest level.
They’ll also provide incredible immersive sound for watching movies as they have great bass extension, phantom centre speaker imaging and also fantastic off axis fidelity for listeners who aren’t sitting in the traditional sweet spot.
Basically for 4 grand you get the lot, and it’s all finely tuned into a single platform to perform as a whole.
I’m sure the next model will add even more technology, and probably offer some kind of DIRAC live package to give active room correction, but as it stands today, I’m not sure even the most talented audiophile would be able to put together a package of separates that would provide this kind of total immersive stereo performance, and if they could, I have a feeling it would cost a lot more than 4 grand.
Now also available in black and green
Great review! Well done. I have the wireless 2s as a secondary system and I love the versatility with the HDMI connection. But they are a bit bright for me at higher volumes and not ideal for rock music. I believe these have the same tweeter so I’d stay away from it as a main system personally. But I still appreciate all they packed into this thing for the price. Sure many will love it
I think its a new tweeter.
@@kjellhedberg7779 you are right. Also it being smaller at 19mm versus 25mm for the LS50 ii.
@@JeanP371 The Blade tweeter is fantastic but need 500 h to burn in. If the 60w have a dito its going to be a killer....
It's a whole new tweeter designed just for this speaker. Apparently all the Uni-Q tweeters are slightly different, depending on the speaker they're used in. Being a DSP speaker there ought to be level/tilt controls for the treble as well as all the bass settings.
Could these be used in a surround system?
Heard them today
+ Bass and the quality of bass
+ very clean and natural sound with no fatigue in sight.
+ The speaker enclosre does not vibrate at all! Engineering masterpiece?
+ Even more beautiful IRL. Not as deep as they seemed on pictures.
+/- Dire Straits sounded great on these.... some recordings with a lot of depth may not?
- Narrow sound stage, not much 3D or hight of the soundscape.
- Sounds "ok" everywhere but best if you are seated perfectly in the middle.
I did not tinker at all. No ethernet between the speakers (24/96) and setup as endpoint in Roon.
I listened mostly trough Tidal standard/cd quality.
The "in your face" sound was a bit unusual/not appreciated at first but when I switched to Dynaudio Focus 30, I did miss the LS60 :D. The Focus 30 did not have the DIRAC installed and signature was set to "neutral". I really love the Dynaudio special 40 and wish that Dynaudio will release an active version of those or even better, give us an active version of Contour 20i :D :D :D
“£6000 speaker” is misleading. It is a sound system comprised of a pre amp, an amp, a streamer, a dac and a speaker.
Very true and great point.
@@smarthomesounds But the main question is how they will hold up in time. Dacs are getting better every few years.. Pre amps and amps also. And you are stuck with an all in one speaker without having the opportunity to upgrade selectivly
@@Tsinepanos I keep seeing this false idea banded around. I own the original LS50Ws. The only thing you're tied to is the amplification: there are analogue inputs! You can bypass the DAC or streamer and use whatever alternative separates of your choice. I literally use a separate DAC and Streamer.
@@AnotherAnonymousMan so you bypass something you paid for.
@@Tsinepanos Yes.
It's not that complicated: Kef include a DAC and streamer chip in the speaker. This is inexpensive hardware, it's out of sight, and it's optional to use.
Did you boycott iPhones when they included headphones that weren't as good as your expensive IEMs?
Fabulous review! My savings are in danger yet again ...
My savings are always in danger whenever I watch TH-cam😂
LS60 vs Pair of Sonos Five, is it a completely day and night or the Fives are doing a great job enough if you take into account the price difference?
Does anyone know how these compare to the Devialet Phantom 1s?
In a setup with the tv, a blu-ray player and a couple of gaming consoles how would i be able to connect everything to this set of speaker? Would i need to also add a receiver or a simple hdmi splitter would be enough?
If you have a fairly new TV it should have a in/out ARC (audio return channel) HDMI slot and connect it with the KEF. Connect all your other devices to the TV and you should get sound!!
Brilliant review - Thanks. Quick question: is it possible to configure these speakers to form part of a 5.1 surround sound system??
Hi Chris, no this is not possible currently and it would be great if KEF could add this as a software update at a later date.
@@smarthomesounds Thanks for your kind reply and expert insight!
@@smarthomesounds
Just so I’m understanding, only a subwoofer [or two] from KEF or another manufacturer could be added, but not a center channel speaker?!?
Thanks nice review. I have 3 questions.
1. Given the inclusion of the in built base speakers, What benefits are there in having additional Subs & would additional subs break the single point of source ?
2. How do you use a headphone with this system?
For the sub you would have to test it out but the addition of the right sub just adds that final bit of depth and at such low-frequency location would not be a problem as that low we can not tell where its coming from, just timing is needed.
GoooJesss Speakers!! ❤️
I love them and they'd be on a must audition list... but for me I need 2 analogue inputs. I have a record player and also use my fronts in HT bypass from an AV Receiver. I can't see a solution, short of adding a preamp - but at that point I may as well stay where I am as I'm not reducing my box count :(
this is so well done - do you do your own video editing or do you subcontract it out?
Hi there, thanks so much for your comment. We have an in-house video editing team and they are very talented at what they do :)
Great content aside, this is a very high level video in every single way possible.
Great review. This may be a stupid question. My TV is in a wall recess to the left of the room. I would need to have a long HDMI Arc cable to reach the right speaker. So I would ideally need to have the control speaker on the left. Is it possible to switch right to left?
Yes, you can do so in the app.
@@sifi36 Hi, thanks for your useful information.
Any DSP room correction?
Hey, how is the performance when watching movies?
I would like some modular approach to make them more futureproof, for software as well as hardware. KEF would know better than me how to do that, I am sure, but even the fact that they have not already done it, does not necessarily convince me, that it would not be a good idea. For example, as regards hardware, maybe a DAC module would be a good idea for an exchangeable component. Furthermore, the "KEF"- emblems at the top of the front of each speaker look too dominant and intrusive for my taste. Apart from this, I like the speakers a lot, not least because they combine great sound with a simple and clean design and presumably a user friendly app with all the needed functionality.
Didn't Tannoy have coincident drivers before KEF, like in 1950? They call it 'dual concentric' but isn't it the same thing -- tweeter inside the midrange?
Seems like a good/fair review. I have LS50W and am considering an upgrade to LS60s.
How those compare with Devialet phantom? It is same price.
The only problem is when the next generation for app or music scores comes out what is your upgrade option. This is where having separate works out well?
He answered this in the video. You have digital coax, RCA and HDMI to plug in a separate dac or streamer.
So it has phono connection but no ground connection for turntable!?
i would recommand a comparison test with the brand new Dynaudio Focus 30 or 50
They are pretty.
I love the fact that companies are making High End Active Speaker with HDMI. For those who want and listen to more music than TV watching and just want great sound from thier shows, it's perfect.
But, this price sure does make it a hard sell.
Compared to buying a separate source/streamer, amplifier and speakers that would have anywhere near the same performance and set up options, I'd bet you literally can't beat them for the money.
Considering the price, I would like to know how the LS60w compares with LS50w2 + KC62 sub
We’ve had lots of comments regarding this comparison and based on our time with LS60 I would say they offer a superior experience. We may do a video comparing this comparison if we have more feedback. Either way great question and thanks for watching.
as good as that combo is (LS50W/KC62) the LS60's effectively house four bass/midrange drivers; the sideways config works really well (think Kii Audio) with the drives in phase (note - the KEF's are around half the cost of the Kii's) personally, I'm really excited by this 'future fi' - the sad but simple fact is that the streaming generation (as touched on in the video) just want to enjoy the music: having been a serial 'box matcher' in the past - it's alarmingly easy to forget at times.
Take a look to this review here:
th-cam.com/video/K3Wv-7mc6oY/w-d-xo.html
It’s in German language but I think it’s easy to understand.
How is it compare to XEO30?
Dutch and Dutch 8C, Kii three, Genelec Ones and many other already did this years ago
how can wifi be so low at 96khz ? how does it drop quality? my wifi is 1gb/s how big can be any audio ? pls enlight me
These really fascinate me. I have been around HiFi since the 70's and these in my opinion represent the first real integration of modern digital and data connection speaker amp dac in one box. For someone who has large speakers with multiple amps using analog / digital and streaming sources this has in one pair of speakers rendered a lot of what i have obsolete. I look forward to hearing these soon. If you put together a digital source, streaming, pre amp , active 3 way crossover, 6 channels of amplification with a superb looking speaker it would be manu thousands more than apair of LS60's. This then looks like £6,000.00 is a bargain.
Totally agree and thanks for the insight.
Exactly.
Agree alot! Start using hifi in the mid 70ths. Today using LS50w with a more expensive dac. Very happy with the result. Im going for the LS60w, think its a bargin. U have to spend at least 20.000 in components for come up in same level of sound quality.
I own q950 can't imagine how these sound
although these can receive 384khz, I saw in the specs they down sample everything to 192khz. so what is the point of providing higher quality audio?
u won’t notice the difference between those khz, unless you have robot ears.
The point is that you can playback practically anything you can throw at them, without the requirement of upstream equipment to have the capability to re sample/transcode.
What are they like a lower volumes?
Some say not so good...
Interesting tech indeed. We compared these with LS50 Meta with Hegel amplification and KEF subs. We thought LS50 meta, sub and Hegel combo was superior. Anyway - a shape of things to come.
what hegel model did u used in that combo ?
@@pahmed4272 390 mate
Which is the better purchase: LS60 or LS50 Wireless 2 + KC62 subwoofer?
For us it would be the LS60. While the other system would offer a a fantastic package the extra small details the LS60 offer make it hard to beat.
2 x kc62 or better and ls50w2
If you cannot afford the LS60, then go for the LS50, there an amazing speaker.
For LS50WII you still need to get a half-decent sub, like with the KC62 it's not actually that much cheaper (and you get the extra annoyance of having to deal with the bass not always automatically turn on when needed)
Love them but that price is crazy
How would one integrate sonos? Optical in?
Yes we would use the Sonos port connected via optical to utilise the DAC in the LS60’s
The codec audio difference between bluetooth 4.2 and Bluetooth 5.2 (currently available) is highly incorrect. Bluetooth 5.2 supports LE audio which is very low latency audio codec with very good quality. It is especially useful while gaming so that there negligible latency with the action happening on screen and one hearing it at the correct time.
From May 4th '22: Bluetooth 5.2 comes with another new audio codec which is still rare. It can maintain higher audio quality at a lower sample rate. LC3 is not widespread and still a dream for audio geeks. It was announced at CES 2020 but it is still a dream
Seems like a great speaker. But I wish KEF would Starr making their drivers less fragile, the dent so easy due to the very thin aluminum they are made of.
Does it have Bluetooth & Airplay connectivity?
Yes, it has Bluetooth 4.2 and AirPlay 2 on board. Hope that helps!
only 2 year warranty is crap. shows they are worried about their own electronics. 🤦🏻🤦🏻 should of been 6 years minimum.
Fortunately mine failed on day one, while they were still under warranty. Too bad as I got units #1226 and I am sure the next pair they send me will be much higher up the production line
ill buy them if they make a passive version cause i love my amps
What part of the total integration of this - or any other such present or future system - do you not quite understand? I’ve been playing this game for well over 50years, and spent some of it in the mid-fi retail trade which offered a lot of opportunity to hear equipment costing more than I could have afforded at the time. Some I’ve owned cost well more than the current dollar equivalent to the LS60. Over the past twenty years I’ve been gravitating to the “less is more” aesthetic - at least in terms of number of boxes, interconnecting cables, etc - and were I in the market for a serious replacement to either of my two systems, these would be near the top of my list of contenders.
Unless you already have source components with the same degree of connectivity and control as seen here, you’d be missing one of the major points of the design; and what are the assurances that your existing amps would be as well matched? I’ve experienced enough examples of synergy and lack thereof to know it’s not just advertising BS. Sure, I’ve had some wonderfully satisfying systems, but as my listening now consists of streaming - and I doubt I’m alone in that regard - this would provide all the required functionality, and a degree of control only dreamed of “back in the day”.
As for the question of serviceability likely to be raised, there are many established prestige audio brands who can’t / won’t provide parts for very expensive passive speakers, amps or receivers that are less than a decade old- my Onkyo TX NR818 with flaky HDMI board, for example.
@@fonkenful theres nothing wrong with this system if thats what you want i have the ls powered speakers in my study But for me i love using my gryphon amps in my main system and turntable and cd player And i have tried my gryphon amp on kef speakers and it blows the powered versions out water
@@richardzedman1160 Certainly, if spinning vinyl and CDs are still part of your routine, many of the advantages of the LS60’s control would be lost; but for folks such as myself with minimalist tendencies - in at least their audio systems- there’s a lot of convenient functionality offered here.
But let’s be frank, discussing the relative merits of multi thousand dollar audio componentry is a first world problem.
I think this is the way going forward, and these look interesting, but what a missed opportunity to make them truly full-range! All that investment, technology and great intentions, yet why would they not get them to go down to 20hz ??? Seems mad to put all that effort in, and not make them truly complete.
These are a small floorstander, maybe a active Blade would get it there.
Ahhh ffs. After listening to the sound tests on my LSX's, i'm given no choice but to start saving for these speakers.
Long term (10+ years) viability is a concern for$7,000 US…
The lack of Bluetooth 5 has been corrected by the latest software update.
This sounds like an advertisement not a review. Advertisers wax rhapsodic about every new product they sell. Sounds like the original performance ... at Royal Albert Hall? You could read the same raves about products in magazines 60 years old. Advertisers ran out of superlatives long ago.
Why can’t this integrate with Sonos? Lots of Sonos users who like the whole house setup. Bet many would like a higher end speaker set to integrate. Should do that with LS50 mate and this.
Did you try with Sonos amp?
I’m have the Ls50 wireless 2s with a kc62 sub…..I’m thinking of getting a second kc62 sub for stereo pair in my office. This system might be good for a bedroom…
The ls50w2 + a pair of kc62 should be an easy match to this. Very Similar frequency response. But these do alot with room interaction and dsp in the bass region that you won't be getting with that combo
@@Luke-qs2cg If I do the math 2 subs is 3000 usd plus the kef Ls50w2 and stands is over 6200 bucks for the same price as the ls60 wireless.
That’s retail anyway. I got 20 percent off on my purchase last year before the shipping crisis and inflation
@@Luke-qs2cg Not, ls60 has much higer resolution, faster respond, more open soundstage and a far better tweeter.
uni q driver is a joke on the ls60 stick to the 50s
It really isn't an emotional purchase. An audiophile pair of speakers, matching subs, DAC, hi res streaming, matching amp and minus a number of cables? Sounds like a logical bargain, no matter what colour your money is.
A gorgeous package, but bear in mind that dynamic range, especially dynamic range in the bass will be constricted. Even with four woofers (?) per side, they won't be able to play any louded than around 82 db below 50hz. And this will happen even while the Uni-Q will be able to hit 102 db peaks (albeit with lots of distortion).
On what do you base your statement that 'even with four woofers per side that they won't be able to play any louder than 82 db below 50hz?'
Using a Piston Excursion calculator, with four 5.25 inch drivers, an xMax of 3.5mm is required for 95 dB SPL at 1m at 40 Hz.
If you check the KEF LS60 Wireless White Paper, on page 7 it shows the bass drivers have an xMax of 7mm. (Figure 11. Comparison of BL(x) for the two motors in the Uni-Core driver array.)
In terms of distortion at low frequencies, if you check the graph on page 9, it shows 40 Hz at about 95 dB with about 3% distortion (Figure 16. THD reduction at high listening levels with Smart Distortion Control Technology).
Also the distortion at 96 dB for frequencies above 50 Hz is well below 2%
Finally, the graph also on page 9 shows the LS60 Wireless able to produce up to 105 dB from 100 Hz upwards. The 4 inch midrange Uni-Q speaker could have been a limiting factor. Using the same Piston Excursion calculator, with a single 4 inch driver, an xMax of 0.8mm is required for 105 dB SPL at 1m at 400 Hz (the crossover frequency). The 4 inch Uni-Q driver has a modified design compared to the more usual 5.25 inch mid drivers KEF have used. The new design allows for increased excursion, and the 4 inch driver has an xMax of 2mm, see Figure 24 on page 10.
>No black
Me insta out. It's my theme colour for everything
Yes, people want Wifi6 and Bluetooth 5.2 to play Hi-Res audio 24-bit 192khz. I would wait. Technology is advancing fast.
Wait for what, though?
Any half-modern WiFi has already so-much bandwidth that it's by far overkill for both current and future audio standards with capability to decode latter being probably possible to remotely update.
So if there's a speed bottleneck somewhere, probably not in the wireless implementation.
On bluetooth, less so, though can't think of a permanent use scenario where I'd want to use it as the primary connection.
If you wait for the perfect hi-fi system you will NEVER make a purchase
Who in their right mind buys such high end speakers to listen to a crappy BT signal. BT is for convenience with mobile devices. It's crazy to use BT (degraded audio quality) in a home set up where you can run a wire once and done (for optimum sound quality). I'm sure these speakers sound amazing and it's a crime to use BT and never realize the actual potential of the speakers.
Gord: The answer is that chances are no-one will be using BT as the main method of listening but rather use either the line-in or streaming options to take benefit of the really strong streamer + DAC built into it. (or eARC input)
However as there's no significant impact on the price to also throw in BT compatibility "just because"...
Sometimes, there might be a random situation where you might want it like if you want to let a friend show something they recorded via their phone. So I'd rather have the possibility, than not have it.
Hung up on £6000, you are? Missed the Dolby Atmos train or surround sound. Bluetooth 5 is the latest standard not 4.2. it seems they waited a few years to release it for 60 anniversary with dates specs. A mixed bag for sure.
They are doing to Hi-Fi what Musk did to the electric car. He took the dynamics closer to each other; by moving the motor as close to the tires as possible. KEF, by moiving the amplification as close to the speakers as possible, did the same thing.
Just not so sure. They sounded pretty boomy in that room and the sound in general felt quite artificial.
It is of course you tube so I’d have to hear for myself.
Heard them in person today.
I haven’t changed my mind.
The white looks like they still require unboxing.
6K No LDAC Hmmm!?
They have one major drawback,, they came out 6 weeks after finishing upgrading my own system.
🙏
Ouch, my last KEFs (my current KEFs until this week) I bought in 1976 and they still work fab, although the foam fronts long ago deteriorated. I got interested in the LS60 as I am turning 60 (today) and I found I was often listening to my HomePods as streaming is the thing, and the LS60s also support every input I could need. I'm keeping my KEF 104ABs in the family room but I now have the LS60s in the living room.
Wrong--- .....taken from The KC 62 ---this sub uses 6.5 inch bass drivers NOT 5.25 inch as you stated at 3.43 minutes in the video!!!
THANK YOU FOR THIS REVIEW, I WAS THINKING OF GETTING A PAIR, BUT NOW i HAVE HAD SECOND THOUGHTS, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ME NOT WAISTING MY MONEY.
A stupid amount of money to spend on a full integrated speaker. When the amps go in these or they get outdated in software, they become paperweights…. LS50 wireless seem to come up for sale often that are dead. Easy to repair… yeah no lol…
My Verdict.....LS60's look great! One bone I have is how these stereo reviewers (sales people?) act like the biggest problem you might have is hmmmm /maybe the placement of the speakers. How about the price???? Only 6 K...Hell I'll buy 3 or 4 of them and scatter around my. apt or house. GET REAL!
Budget for people is in different places. £6000 for in all in system is on the lower end of an audiophile but very much on the top end of the just want music playing. Nothing wrong with either but when you thing most audiophile speakers are over £10,000 the this is a bit of a bargain for people with both £6000 budget and a love of hifi.
Well I don't like how the video is presented. 1. there are more negatives to these speakers (i.e. you need to run all the wires to the speaker which is now 2 meters away and since they are so slim, hiding those cables won't be easy either; or even updating down the line.. in 2 years a lot of the features will be outdated and in less then 5 years you will want to replace it). 2. you made no comparisons to other systems which makes the price questionable. You can get a lot for 6k in passive / separates configuration or even other active systems.
That said, I do like the way they look, except for the remote... That ugly plastic for a 6k system?
The KEF LS60 Wireless is lacking audio polarity switching, which is a MUST HAVE feature for me. I've been lobbying KEF for years to build this model, that I called a mini-Blade, and to include polarity selection, but KEF is telling me it doesn't have it and they are unlikely to add it anytime soon. The LS60 Wireless is exactly the type of speaker and system that is likely to best expose the benefits of correcting inverted recordings. A point-source phase-coherent high-resolution system is exactly what's need to make it obvious that there is a correct polarity and incorrect polarity for each recording. Even TV and videos sometimes have inverted audio, and can benefit significantly. There are too many inverted recordings, many famous recordings, even MQA recordings, to not have polarity switching capability. It's not high fidelity if the waveform is upside down. Some recordings that I thought were poor recordings become great recordings when the polarity is switched. Please lobby KEF to add polarity switching to the system and the remote control app. It should be easy to do, because DAC chips usually provide a programmable way to set polarity. I would like to acquire the LS60 Wireless, but only if they add polarity switching. Please help me convince KEF to add this important feature.
It’s in the app
Uh huh, it's got Bluetooth 4.2...
And here we are in a world of Bluetooth 5.3. There is the objective and subjective to consider. Like high-end cars, Ferrari v. Aston v. Lambo - there is the subjective, but there is the objective. These all-in-one music systems are selling sound, for sure - subjective - but they are also selling technology - objective. At this price point it matters, just like buying a Cell Phone - the stats matter, the technology matters.
Seems weird they give you 8 subs but you can hook up two more…why would you need that?…
Kef ls50 is certainly the darling of the audiophile community, unfortunately they are the curse of music lovers. Let me count the ways. Hyper detailed, due mostly to the in your face treble. Artificially enhanced sound stage. Pretty much everything sounds the same as far as sound staging. It gets fatiguing very quickly. Kef ls50 (and I assume the ls60) are very good at taking music apart and throwing all the pieces out there. What they utterly fail at is presenting music in a coherent non-fatiguing way. They are an analytical speaker. They play all the right notes, they just can"t carry a tune.
Many an aspiring audiophile has bought into the Kef hype thinking they have arrived, only to find that in the long run, they just don’t seem to listen to much music.
A good commercial speakers overpriced
They sound rubbish sorry not a fan.. For the money buy one of their older speakers or Tannoy which is always better.. You have been warned.. Also the Blades are way over priced just saying there is better out there :-)
So after listening to his sound test on my iPad these LS60 metas sound just like the $100k system from another demo video, so does this mean KEF has knocked it out of the park?
No, both the Kef and the $100k system only sound as good as my iPad, so I’m gonna pass as my iPad only cost me £400. HiFi is such BS…iPad rules.
If you were to listen again on a pair of AirPod Pro Max headphones, do ya think you might hear a difference?
Anyone judging the performance of any piece or combination of audio gear based on even a very well recorded TH-cam video through a tablet or cheap desktop computer system deserves to live with the results of that decision.
@@fonkenful the point of my snide comment is that ANY attempt to judge a system by listening to a recording of it over another system is stupid. Firstly, there’s the colouration and audio quality of the recording device and microphones and placement of the latter, but secondly the listening system and room itself will had their own colouration, so by the time the sound hits your ears it’s NOTHING like the original system.
And that’s just the tonal qualities, but there’s no way the imaging, soundstage, dynamics, speed, etc of the system can ever be experienced via a TH-cam video and these are the characteristics that most notably differentiate budget, mid-price, and high-end speakers.
The snide nature of my comment was due to the frustration of this idiot reviewer taking the effort to make a review but not telling us what he was hearing, so I wasted 15 mins because I’m no further enlightened as to how these speakers sound.
@@GodfreyMann Sorry, totally missed that; I thinks it’s fair to say we could be on the same page in that regard.
“Oh, wait, what - so now you tell me the room matters, too? Geeze, that makes it hard to figure out exactly what the hell’s going on, doesn’t it?” I’m part of one of those audio enthusiast forums where “I watched a TH-cam video on these, and they sounded pretty cool on my $200 headphones, so whadya guys think.” (
That said, I’d love to hear a pair of these in my own living room - several of my DIY speaker builds incorporated some of the acoustic principles herein with quite satisfactory results, but with their substantial R&D budget and manufacturing leverage, I’d suspect the core of the system integration would be beyond a lot of even reasonably advanced builders.
I do look forward to Johnny Darko’s further reviews / assessments.
@GodfreyMann be careful calling someone an 'idiot' when you come across as one yourself. You can disapprove of his content but still be courteous about it.
@@fmulleady if you can show what I’ve written is factually incorrect and stupid then I’ll readily accept your assertion that I may well be an idiot, but if you can’t then you should apologize and in future I suggest refer to your dictionary before speaking.
As for this reviewer…
Firstly: he deserves everything he gets if he winds us up by telling us he’ll describe the sound quality [0:44] at the start the video, but then proceeds to go back on his word [9:07]. Some people might call this c***tish behaviour, but being COURTEOUS I just called him an idiot.
Secondly: he posted a *review* video (with ‘review’ in the title) which turned out NOT to be a review but instead an advert for KEF with him regurgitating their marketing blurb…he basically wasted DAYS of his employers time/money by listening to the KEFs [0:12], when it was wholly unnecessary for what he delivered.
Pissing off his punters and dossing on the job OBJECTIVELY makes him an idiot and I reserve the right to call a toilet a ‘toilet’ and not a ‘bathroom’ just because your sensibilities can’t cope with reality.
these speakers are nasty will stick to 2.2 ls50w2
Not worth the price 🤣🤣