What’s better, KEF LS50, Zu Dirty Weekend, or the new Magnepan LRS?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 มี.ค. 2019
- The $1,299 KEF LS50, us.kef.com/speakers/flagship-...
The $999, Zu Dirty Weekend MKII, www.zuaudio.com/loudspeakers/...
The $650 Magnepan LRS www.magnepan.com/model_LRS
Prices are for pairs of speakers.
Thanks Steve, will be waiting for the LRS review!
I'm excited, the DW goes on sale the day before my birthday. Hoping I can drive up to Ogden and take one home.
I love my big speakers(Avantgarde, JM Labs) but there is something in my LS50s + JL sub, that really works for me, hooked up to a 22w SET
Thank you for the video Steve. However, I could not decide on my choice based on your suggestions. I am a person who listens to all kind of music. Starting from classical to death metal to country. I need an all-rounder. My Martin-Logan was an all-rounder, with not enough mid. The highs are the best I have heard. Thanks again. Best all-rounder speaker close to 1k range can be another video helpful for us. Room size will be an usual living room.
Office: I mac to Schiit Modi to iFi I Tube to Hafler SE 120 to KEF LS 50s is heaven. My Zus are paired with Outlaw RR 2160 as per Steves recommendation. That's another heaven in a different room!
Looking forward to the LRS. Thanks for your review.
I ordered a pair of them. Should have them in about a month.
@@JohnDoe-np3zk
I ordered mine 4-25 and they shipped andcwill be at my house 6-25. Cant wait!
A new Magnepan?! That's exciting. Especially, a new, smaller, more affordable model. Magnepan had a ultra stable stable of speakers during the period of the MMG, 12, 1.6, 3.6, and 20.1. That speaker line up lasted as-is for a very long time. Not surprisingly. They were all winners. And Magnepan is positioning them as something different from its previous speakers. Looking forward to this one.
3A all the way
Correction: The Magnepan CNET and video reviews will run sometime this week.
Thats great. Ive been reading about the Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL and the LRS are more affordable. Will be interesting. Thanks.
Eric W I had heard the Martin Logans at a nearby Magnolia store ($1250 each) and they sounded great from a sitting position, but I soon as I stood up or moved to the side the sound changed; an issue with electrostatics, I’ve read.
@@billwillard9410Thanks. Ill need to give them a listen. Maybe they need to treated like TVs in that a strict viewing position is required.
Totem hawks or Maggie. With the right gear and the right space given.... which do you prefer? I find your reviews are pretty much right on and I believe I have narrowed it down to these two ( assuming you've heard the hawks).
I am in for a Zu Dirty weekend with the ClarityCap upgrade in American Walnut finish. Zu sold out within a few hours, lol .
Just got the Vidar, using them with Monitor Audio rs1 but really want a pair of Magnepans , can’t wait for your review
Ordered a pair. Eric @ magnepan quite helpful. I plan on trying them out with my Bryston 4BSST and BP20 preamp without subwoofers and also Conrad Johnson PV10B with monoblocks and two (2) REL T5 subwoofers in a pretty big room. Should be interesting. They reached my price point and TBH sound a lot like (in theory) to the .7 at 1/2 the price. Yes a little smaller in size but not a whole lot.
Still loving my Dynaudio BM15P's & BM6P's in my studio for a loooooong time en will keep on loving them. It's a question of personal taste, isn't it ?
Hello Steve. I must commend you for covering some of the more "budget" oriented equipment. It seems that we are locked in a struggle for the soul of hi fi- so much of the equipment is affordable only by Saudi princes and other uber rich. Eventually the industry may price itself out of existence.
I combined a pair of LS/50s with two SVS 4000 subs in a medium sized, acoustically-tuned room (many ASC Tube Traps) driven by Emotiva XPA 1L, 350 wpc monoblocks (first 35 watts in pure Class A) and they DO rock out and DO produce a you-are-there, large sound stage.
I've owned the KEF LS-50's for about a year. I have never really liked them that much. I tried them with numerous amps and in different rooms and with different cables etc. I was ready to put them up for sale until decided to try them with one more combination and in my fairly large living room, but put them closer to me and about five feet apart and the same distance from the back wall. Success. They sound quite wonderful. I'll keep them for the time being. FYI. Luxman L-507 UX Mark 11 amp. Onkyo C-7070 CD player and ZU Audio Libtech speaker cable. Sand filled stands about 27" high.
peace2014 Get some Dirty Weekends to go with those ZU cables. You’re correct about the LS 50’s. They never really moved me the way I thought they would. Like I posted earlier, thy aren’t bad, I like them but not as much as I thought I would and I would NEVER own them as my main speaker. They just aren’t nearly as enjoyable as other speakers I have owned and own and certainly not for $1300. I really have no idea how these things got so much hype and praise a few years ago. I remember when my friend got them and I came over to hook them up. We were so excited. When we finally started playing music. I was like, that’s it. Did I hook something up wrong. They sounded bad. After break in time and some more tweaks they sounded better but NEVER heard anything remotely close to what the reviews said about them. I had KEF Q-500’s that I liked more.
None compare to Magnepan speakers.
In all my. Decades around hifi, one thing remains constant.. and that's that EVERYONE ends up with different gear!
For 2021 i crown the Elac UBR62. It's so wide there are no sweet spot stationary spots to get best sound nor size of room issues.
They are all good!
Depends on you and your mood. Three choices are better than one. Buy 'em all.
Great Answer
The Magnepan is AMAZING! Timbrally accurate and involving!
Totally agreed. I have one in white running in 100 hrs and it's amazing.
Simply blow away those 2K boxed speakers imo.
Thanks for all the great content steve.
Got a pair of Dirty Weekends and a nice, old SVS pb12-ultra and they bring tears of joy every time i listen.
So balanced you get lost in the volume.
Steve@2:40
Its defenitly a 100% "Whoa" kinda situation
Great summary Steve.
I've had MMGs (now in need of panel repair:-( and love my LS50/ REL Subs.
I like the way His Herbness (Herb Richert) describes speakers compared to camera lenses.
Every speaker gives you a different view or perspective of the music.
It's a taste thing.
Carlito Melon so I have the LS50 with two REL T5 combo and it sounds good but TBH I am so hooked on my Infinity Kappa 8s still that I can't listen to it. OK be that as it may, I ordered up a pair of the Mag LRS at 650 plus 65 for UPS. My first placement of the LRS will be to put them in the same spot as the Infinity Kappa 8s fed by two Bryston 7BSST2 monoblocks that do about 1200 watts into 4 ohms. The main thing I want to see is how they perform in that location because I hope to bounce them off the back wall like I am doing now and off the front wall as well. I don't like this toe in idea at all and my sweet spot hopefully stays where I am with zero toe in. We shall see in about a month. What happens to maggies when you crank the power up do they make some kind of slapping noise first before failing? Can you break them in fast without breaking them?
@@JohnDoe-np3zk
I doubt the Maggie's are for you....
Yes they will slap.
Not a good break in strategy. Maybe if you want to BREAK them;-(
Don't tell Wendell !
@@20CycleMonger hooked up and making the LS50 sound like toys. Sorry to tell you that. These are WAY better and making my RELs sing. They need the two subs without them not so good. With them it's like AAAHHH. More than enough bass. Not the deepest but very tight.
@@JohnDoe-np3zk thanks for the follow up. I'm looking between a sweet pair of Maggie's or Totem Hawks..
None compare to Magnepan speakers.
Hi Steve, it would be really nice if you could edit in an image of the individual speakers as you discuss them. Mostly I don't know the speakers your describing, so I would find I very helpful.👍👍👍
Sorry, links are below video.
Yes.
HI Steve thanks for all the great videos, what do you consider is a small room, and midsize room?
I have had my KEF LS50's for about 6 years. I would agree with Steve's description of their sound. I listen mostly to acoustic jazz, folk, and classical music with occasional forays into electrified blues, R&B/Soul, and rock music.
The LS50's do sound best when placed away from the walls and listened to in the near field as Steve states.
I would add that they also sound very good in the far-field, but just OK in the mid-field between the near-field and the far-field. This observation is based on their sound set up in my great room which has an open floor plan where the living area, dining area, and kitchen area share one large and long open space, and listening to them while sitting in the living area in the near-field, in the dining area in the mid-field, and in the kitchen area in the far-field. I have no idea why the sound is better in the far-field than in the mid-field in this room, but I can only report what I hear.
I am driving the LS50's with a Croft Acoustics Phono Integrated hybrid tube preamp/solid state MOSFET amp outputting up to 45 W per channel into 8 Ohms, which drives the LS50's to much louder volumes than I can tolerate, and drives it beautifully at volumes at which I listen.
Despite some misgivings that John Atkinson had about the Croft's measurement results, 3 of Stereophile's reviewers gave it glowing reviews: "If I were a designer or a builder, this is how I would do the thing. If I were buying in this price range, this is the one I'd choose. Strongly recommended." - Art Dudley; "Shit. Holy-freaking-shit, read my notes. The sound is much more "hi-fi" (in a super awesome way) than I've ever heard in this room: big, bold, forceful, smooth, detailed, and here, here, here. I underlined that last here three times...My notes tell me there was better tone color, more space, more force, and, ultimately, so much more music. I underlined music three times." - Stephen Mejias; and "Mull this. The Croft Phono Integrated is one of the best integrated amplifiers I have ever heard. It satisfied Stephen and delighted Artie. A pox on test tones! A pox on cosmetics! A pox on convenience! If it weren't for the KEF LS50 loudspeaker, this would have been my top choice for Stereophile 2013 Component of the Year...The sound of the Phono Integrated was musical in a way that very [few] hi-fi components are...The Phono Integrated sounded tubed-warm, full-bodied, and, most of all, immediate: the performers were in the room with me. They came to me; I didn't have to come to them...This, to me, is what sound reproduction should be about: the tonality, the atmosphere, the immediacy." - Sam Tellig.
None compare to Magnepan speakers.
I asked a Norwegian friend and he says that the correct pronunciation of "Vidar" is "vee-dahr".
Oh Steve, just admit you like the ZU the most. Lol. Just kidding. It’s my favorite speaker that I have had in my system. And now I have two systems. My big Dirty Weekend system which I do have paired with two RSL Speedwoofer 10s subs and it sounds spectacular. And now I have a small two channel set up in a third bedroom/office that I am going to be moving speakers in and out of until I find that right speaker for it. Have Canton Audio 502’s in there right now which I like but know it’s not the final speaker for that room. But man, I don’t think I have ever had more fun and enjoyed such a wide variety of music on a speaker like I do the Dirty Weekends. It’s just an all around VERY enjoyable speaker. And yes, it is dynamic and can rock out but please don’t think it’s an unsophisticated headbanger speaker because it certainly is NOT! I was listening to some Avant- Jazz today and some Rebecca Pidgeon. You all know her RMAF people. Spanish Harlem??? And the ZU’s are magical with it. I have them powered with a very nice Class A/B amp from NUForce. The STA-200, and they love it. It’s rated at 80watts per channel. I also had them powered with a 30watt per channel Class D amp, which they sounded great with as well. I am getting ready to order an SET amp rates at 6.5watts per channel, which I bet, they will also pair well with. So if you want a do everything kind of speaker real good not just some things good and want a speaker that’s not picky with placement or amplifiers, the ZU hands down is the winner! And my friend owns some LS50’s which I have had in my system. Both of us agree, the ZU’s are better. There were a couple of areas the LS50’s bested the ZU’s but not by much. And there were many areas where the ZU’s clearly outshined the KEF’s. I liked the KEF’s and I have a feeling that in my small office room, I might try them there but my go to speaker are the ZU’s. Thank you Sean! Oh and I just added the ZU Definition center to the theater room!
love my proac tablette 10 signature
Blow my Realistic Minimus 7 speakers when getting to excited with Draft Punk and cranking up my 40 year old Fisher Studio Standard CA -880. The 880 uses two (one for each channel) STK-0080 power amplifier packs, and they are rated at 80 watts into 8 Ohm. Still on a budget; but now I am in the loop for a small bookshelf speaker, an upgrade to the Realistic won't hurt since they lack bass. But i might find a fitting sub. Any suggestions are highly appreciated.
Hi Steve, just an observation here but I don't think I can recall one of your fabulous videos where there was not a horn or siren blowing somewhere. Does that affect your listening? I live close to train tracks and it can for sure be a problem.
I just ordered a Vidar to power my Q350s
Forgot - are the LRS Bi-ampable? Might help with AVS like TX-RZ 810/20/30 etc.?
The LS50's are $999 now on amazon ;)
That's about $500 too much 🙂
I have the Klipsch R-620F as fronts in a all Klipsch 5.1 setup. I use an old 2002 Onkyo DS-676 85w/ch 8ohms 115w/ch 6ohm High current receiver. I have owned Carver in the past but don't have the budget for them any more. I would love to move the 620's to be rear surround and the Zu's for fronts. Is my Onkyo ( likely puts out 25% more power than rated with 75%+ headroom based on a test of an Onkyo receiver by another youtuber ) good enough to drive them properly for pop, soft rock, classical music. Am a huge fan of Chicago and Billy Joel and really want something that plays the horns accurately. I also use Sennheiser HD-595 headphones but prefer to hear in open air. I have never heard a10" coaxial speaker before so not sure it can handle medium volume with the brass section accurately. Would love the LRS but don't have 3ft off the wall to put them, 1.5 ft at most. ( where I have my Klipsch speakers )
"I've never criticized a piece of gear and never will, or the manufacturers won't send me stuff!"
This 💯
Facts
Yes, everything is underpriced for it's performance, except one stupid Sony speaker that cost $250 that you'll soon return to Amazon.
Steve, have you ever heard the Zu 'speakers with Naim electronics? I have old an "olive" series pre/power setup and by the sound of it, they would really "get up and boogie" together.
That old Naim olive stuff is terrific. My guess is that it would pair well with the Zu's or most anything else that is somewhat efficient. Enjoy!
Thanks, pretty useful.
Zu Dirty Weekend. Covers more applications. The other two, KEF and Magies are too limited in their designed applications.
Now this type of vid I like 👍.
I'll take the Dirty Weekend, Steve. The speakers look OK, too ;)
Still loving my B&W PM 1’s .......no longer made, but you may get a mint used pair. Beautiful with acoustic and vocals and sound great driven a bit harder
The Daily Thrift Store fashion show!!.... I think Steve has some secret connection for getting a different shirt every day!
This comment comes pretty late as I just watched this video. I own two of the speakers in this video - Zu and LRS. After experimenting various electronics with Zu, I ended up using a very cheap (~$300) Chinese-made 6.8W/ch class-A integrated tube amp with very good result in a small room. It can play pretty loud if you care to do so. LRS is being used in a very large room. The LRS really needs the support from a power subwoofer and high-current high-power amp to make it shine.
I'd love to own the Zu's! 🇺🇦🇺🇸👊
I need something with bass and dynamic sound
How does Zu compares to Klipsch RP 8000? I’m more interested in that.
Hey Steve, what would you pair with LS50s for home theater? Currently running Pioneer Elite SC-LX501
Quick answer: the one you find as your subjective favorite.
None of them are better, they are just different approaches to get you more in touch with the music.
Interesting magnapans for $650👍 nice
Randall Lawkin yea kinda got my madness intrigued.
I use my ls50 with sub with a Capri preamp and a primare 30.1......after renovation my living room is bigger and I wonder how it is to combine it with lrs? I am sure I have enough power... Any ideas?
Have you paired the Vidar with the DW Omens? I have an 11’ x 12’ office and have a pair of Vidars w/ Yggy, Freya and a pr LS50 paired with t/7i subs crossed over at ~45 hz and I find them freaking amazing for my office. Omens will arrive when the Zu keepers are ready. Anyway back to my question - Vidars with the DW Omens? Thoughts ? Thx
Macon Patton I heard the Vidar at RMAF with some Salk speakers. Nothing jumped out. Then after reading some mixed reviews on line, it turned me off from the Vidar. I went a different route and have my Dirty Weekends powered by a VERY nice Class A/B amp, NuForce STA200. The ZU’s absolutely shine with it! Th STA doesn’t even break a sweat powering the ZU’s. It doesn’t get hot or anything. I recently had it powering some 87db Canton 502’s, I could tell that I was pushing it a lot harder with those than the ZU’s, man it got pretty hot. But would be very curious to hear Steve’s take on the Vidar and ZU combo. I honestly don’t think the ZU’s would sound bad with any decent amp.
The Maggies are not available outside the U.S/Canada. Why?
Steve,. Any chance when you review the LRS you can advise on how they perform on an AVS like the Onkyo TX-Rz 810/820/830 or other 100w 4 ohm (barely?) receivers? Compare to the new Schitt if possible?
Thanks!
Chris
Hopefully the LRS wouldn't blow up your receiver. I just got mine in playing through 250 watts into 4 ohms and I can tell they really want juice. I have Infinity Kappa 7s which suck up power and these are about the same suckage. Nice speakers. Get monoblocks and Bryston if you can possibly afford it the 7B probably would kick these hard in their ass. I haven't done that yet but I do have the 7B in my main system. These are pretty damn nice I can say that with a good tube preamp that I have and the monoblocks. Get subs if you can swing it because you are going to want them the speakers sound like shit without them vs with. REL T5s they are made for each other. Kick ass.
I love a somewhat subjective, real world opinion, from a seasoned enthusiast.
I am getting ready to pull the trigger on a pair of zu dirty weekend speakers but I just saw a similarity priced package of Klipsch rp600ms with their spl100 sub. I am torn. I can’t hear the Zu before I make the call. I love detail, tight sharp base, strong clear vocals and listen at moderate volume in a room that is 12 by 25 but I still about half way in the room. I listen to digitally sourced music through a Denon PMA 600ne currently on an older pair of Polk monitor 60s that I like.
Any thoughts Zu versus Klipsch?
I hope you went with the Zu DWs... Fantastic speaker.
I’m really enjoying the HSU CCB-8s ($650/pr), which I auditioned based on your reco. How do they stack up? I suspect they’re often “not in the mix” because they’re only available online from Hsu Research.
would you consider making a video of these speakers and your thoughts? not a lot of reviews out there on them. Thanks
PS Adding the Tekton Lores would have been appreciated. 2 Utah online companies, battle for the crown
Marzy1492 No battle. ZU’s win. Lol. I have owned two pairs of Tekton speakers, the M-Lore and Pendragon. Guess what speaker won me over and isn’t going anywhere. The ZU Dirty Weekends. But Tektons are excellent speakers!!! I have always wanted to hear the Lore Reference. Went to buy a pair on Audiocircle and the guy just sold them that day, I was so disappointed.
Kef if you have a small room. Zu for anything. Maggy the best but demands good equipment (this is very true - I have owned several).
The KEFs way outclass the Maggies in resolution and timbre. This is very true, I've owned both.
Magnepan i would think. I looooooove air. And i haven't even heard any of them.😁😁
Maggies are amazing. My buddy had some of the larger ones and he'd play music and I wouldn't think they were playing so loud until I tried to say something to him and we couldn't hear each other. They are so clean that you lose a sense of volume because you're not hearing the same distortion of cone speakers.
@@MurchyMurch I find this to be true.
@@MurchyMurch for 650 bucks a pair these are wonderful and sound 2x the KEF in the same spot and system it's not even close. Without my REL T5 subs I couldn't listen to either. The Maggies really benefit from the subs.
Before I watch this, let me guess... it depends.
Now, I'll watch and learn...
A good speaker should sound good on any type of music. From a speaker's point of view, what's the difference between a kick drum played by John Bonham, Elvin Jones, or the percussionist for the LSO? Similarly for cymbals or pianos. It's all about keeping up with the waveform.
agree , never could work out why people thought "they sound great on classical music , but not good on rock" , that means they are doing something wrong. If you've ever been to a classical concert you would realise its very much like a live rock band
@@patthewoodboy and when they sound yuk, the problem is everything except the speaker lol
The kef is now on Amazon for $999!
Steve, doesn't depend more on the type of music you enjoy the most?
Lets throw in the new Klipsch 600 bookshelf. Wonder how they stack up against these. I own the Kef’s but always wondered about the Zu and now the Klipsch.
The easiest to get right, and cheapest!
I have to give these 600’s a try. If they compete even somewhat with the ZU’s, that’s pretty impressive. I went with some Klipsch RP51’s about a month ago for my second system thinking that they might be close in sound to the 600’s. Well they were boxed up and back at Best Buy within a week. I didn’t like them at all.
I have never heard the Kefs, but I don't like the mass produced plastic design. Gimme the Zu (which I already have) or the Maggies.
Damn Steve your video is getting habit forming.....
When you review the LRS I hope you’ll compare amps. You’ve liked the outlaw with MMGs in the past - and I think NAD(?) - so I hope that will be a feature of the review. Thanks.
I just picked up the Outlaw receiver and it's damn nice...
@Steve Tllsdaleys What's wrong with it? It sounds every bit as good as my
Musical Fidelity m3si...
Hi Steve would they ship the Zu dw to the GB
question here: I don't see why Steve and others state that the KEF LS50 and the Magnepan LRS are not good Rock N' Roll speakers. I have owned both. I listened to alot of Hard Rock / Heavy Metal with them and both seemed to do a good job of reproducing those forms of music. Am I missing something? (besides maybe a brain)
It's based of his experience, room what not. Thing is speakers never sound the same in any given room.
Just look at his space , no offense it's a dipoles worst nightmare.
Do the LHS speakers replace the MMG speakers? I think the price is close or the same.
Yes, the LRS replaces the MMGi, both are $650.
Does Zu build their own drivers?
ˆI'd guess 95% of the ultra common 'bookshelf' speakers sold today - Polk RTA1 , KEF LS50, on and on - all are incomplete designs unless you commit to a separate subwoofer of somewhat similar quality - add another 20% to cost. that is just the design. and they usually don't even recommend these 'bookshelf' speakers be PUT ON BOOKSHELVES. it's out in mid room on stands.( another 20% addition, what a scheme.) silliness extreme. Well original Advents were on occasion called 'bookshelf' but it'd be a bookshelf made of concrete & iron beams.
Can we count on your review of buchardt s400?
I hope, but I still haven't received the speaker.
Interesting that 4 major reviewers choose Wharfedale 4.2 over L50.
One more thing - The KEF LS50 Meta is now priced at $1590. It is a steep price for a stand-mount speaker. Instead, I got KEF Q150 at half price of $300. It has a similar design to allow me a taste of KEF design. It is OK comparable to my other speaker of similar size. But still, I would not pay for KEF LS50 Meta.
How do the Magnepans respond to tube amplifiers?
You would need a hell of a tube amp to power the Maggies. They are unfortunately not very efficient and are super power hungry. Look more towards solid state class A/B designs. The Schiit Vidar seems to be the cheapest option anyone recommends, but some even find that less than perfectfor the LRS.
which is your favourite? the one you keep coming back to? don't be shy Steve, tell us, please
Klipsch Cornwalls, now.
Maggie's with a pair of sealed subs all over these other 2
How about an open baffle sub?
Jason Melo probably not fast enough
@@jon4715 Check out the GR Reasearch open baffle servo subs
LS50'S are some of the best speakers I've ever heard and I've heard alot
I've heard about Maggie's for what seems like decades but have never listened to them live. For the price and the great reviews why aren't they more attainable on the broad retail market so the masses know about them? Also, how do they perform in a home theater set up? I'm thinking they work best with sealed subs. yes?
Buy the maggies these at 650 are a steal and get two not one REL T5i sub at probably 550 each. They are made for each other trust me. You don't want one fat sub it will suck balls compared to these T5is. I am super impressed. Did a more thorough review on Steves LRS review in the comments.
John Doe So do you just run your left rca sub output to one T5i and your right rca sub output to the other?
@@jon4715 I am using the High Level Outputs. Each cable goes to each monoblock. This is the "best" way to hook them up according to REL. If you don't have monoblocks or get hum then you need to hook it up differently. There are a couple of videos from REL that get into it.
The ls50 is a bedroom/small room/ desk king . If space is at a premium buy ls50. Ls50 is lost in a bigger room... but the kef R900 can be had for 2000 usd a pair and they can handle a big room and are really good. Maggies are ok but 7.x is the first of the range thats great. The dirty .... i have not heard...
would love a link of where i can find $2000 r900s
@@AC-wl7ve petertyson.co.uk had them on clearence sale at the time of my original comment
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124135183960
I'm not sure why people say maggies aren't "rock speakers". A good speaker should be a good speaker. Rock has the same frequency range as all other music, other than pipe organs. I have a full magnepan 5.1 system and it does great with home theater, Metallica, Neil Diamond, Carol Cook, symphonies, Mark Knopfler, etc. Can you explain this to me?
I believe because standalone they don't have heart-stopping bass to give it bite.
A subwoofer fixes it.
@@barchetype6430 That's what I assumed people meant. But seems that Jazz or similar genres are similar, if not in tempo, in punchy bass. But yeah, you really need a sub with the smaller maggies unless you listen to classical.
@@1QKGLH
Indeed, although the bass required for Rebecca Pidgeon's "Remember Me" should be mellower that, say, Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" or IQ's "The Road of Bones".
Rock become heavy qnd deathly. ..it is a basically distorted 140 dB noises call ROCK BUT it is just satanic noises... so called ROCK have actually new ugly names like metal, death acid etc.. you can not listen distorted bad music in good speakers! ROCKERS NEED A PAIR OF BAD SPEAKER TO LISTEN WELL DISTORTED BAD MUSIC! Did anyone hear speaker demo with HEAVY DEADLY ACID ROCK! Is anybody knowv any good recording from those acid heads... i dont think so! if anyone listen heavy stuff they need bad speakers.. turbo sound pro EV or proJbl good for this type of ppl and for this type of music...they will blow and recone those speakers easly.. cheap and loud is the key for heavy noise lovers and for devil worshippers... for that type of music even cervin vega s ultra high quality.... used pa seakers like pyramid is very good. Simple fact, one sound engineer can NOT fix all that distortion called heavy deathly acidic satanic music! They are building good speakers to listen good music from a good musicians... not for the noises crackhead ppl makes... good speakers need good music and recording! Bad music and recording need bad speaker and ppl who are able to listen and enjoy distortion! ORGANIC GOES WITH ORGANIC SENTETIC GOES WITH SENTETIC!...
😂😁
You should have your patreon link in the description of the videos!
right now you can get the ls50 for 660 euros, in germany at least
KEF are anemic. Low impact. Steve is spot on - small room only. No impact. Maybe good for the bedroom
Well the Kef measures astonishingly well, much better that the other two. It's considerably flatter in response and is completely free of ringing and stored energy. Objectively that makes the Kef a more accurate speaker. But there are things against the Kef. It doesn't have the low bass or the dynamic range of the Zu or some larger speakers. Also Kef is a small speaker. Small drivers on a small baffle produce small sound. The Kef lacks the scale of live music and speakers with large drivers and baffles. Scale is an aspect of audio rarely talked about yet it is one that's very important for attaining realism.
None compare to Magnepan speakers.
ls50+sub
I have all 3. The Dirty Weekend are the best all around of the bunch I think. Maggie LRS is insane what it can do in certain regards like the best I''ve ever heard but is to weak with heavy music, but for the right stuff they will take you places you have never been. The LS50, I'm not a fan I've come to realize that for me the Kef speakers in general are a snoozfest for me. I've owned the Blade 2 also. I've came to conclusion that Kef is boring sounding to me.
None compare to Magnepan speakers.
Hi Steve.....every Christmas for the past 2 years, KEF Direct offers the LS-50's (passive) for $999 / pair. It's the best time to buy them given full retail is $1,499...pretty sweet deal no matter how you cut it.
Is the LS-50 too small or not for a 19x19 square room in general ?
Thanks for all you do every day!!
Actually it's perfect for our taste / by design and being constructed as we speak.
Primary purpose is a sun / dining room / not audio. I have 3 systems in 3 other rectangle rooms. Here, I'll start with a BT speaker and maybe graduate to a small system (passive or wireless) down the road? We'll see? Construction and furniture costs are sobering in 2019.
Hello. I’m new to your channel. I live in Tucson Az. I’ve got a vintage Carver Magnetic Field Amplifier / Receiver. It’s been acting up sort of lately. Getting a lot of feedback on it. Being you have a ton of followers, do you know of anyone in town who can work on it? Thank you. Regards.
The magnepans would probably get the win for me, but the zu is interesting and kef also looks very sharp. Only down side mags are having to rebuild them every few years it seems, delamination, high maintenance speakers but sound very good. I say save a few bucks and get some quartets, fortes, etc. for same price or cheaper and will conquer all 3. Very nice shootout though, I think kef ls50 is overrated by the way, all lipsticked up and more show than go.
Get the magnepans. I don't think they have as much delam as before when the UV tended to kill them. Or so I am told. Anyway these are some great speakers and the LS 50 sucks compared to them at 2x the price. Get two REL T5i and for under 2 k you got a real system. Suggest monoblocks though that's the real ticket. Oh and I do have the KEF LS50 not real impressed. I paid 900 bucks so it wasn't end of the world type stuff.
@@JohnDoe-np3zk I agree, I think the ls50 is probably overrated, good looking though, but magnepans are really unique and have their own magic, hard to beat.
@@jctrox8461 just had a long conversation with Eric there. He appreciated my "review" as I gave him frankly a lot of good info. Nice guy and very into music too.
The answer is the Klipsch RP-6000F
Klipsch😂
Maggie, easy.
To satisfy all my senses I'm buying one of each. LS50 right, ZU left and LRS center.
When three speakers sound very different, at least two of them are no good.
Yeah buy alsyvox botticelli for 200 thousand dollar if you want the speaker to have everything. Under 10000 dollar you won’t find a a perfect speaker.
Hi, can anyone ballpark what’s that maximum size room the LS50’s would still excel in?
Cruzing RSX near field , sitting close is more relevant than room size. I wouldn’t want to be more than six or 7 feet away from the speakers
Thank you sir for replying!
I'm probably eight feet way and that is fine. I do recommend a good sub. I have owned a lot of speakers over the years (age 63) and find them to be quite pleasing, but it comes down to preferences. I am mostly into jaz z these days. Rock bores me now, too compressed. @@cruzingrsx4484
Dennis Mullis thanks for the info. I noticed that around Christmas Amazon has them on sale. Maybe this year I’ll pick up a pair. They are so highly rated that I want to try them out.
I disagree with Steve. I think they sound best at about 9' away. At that distance, if spaced 7' apart, they need ZERO toe-in. They also sound most balanced with the tweeters below ear height. This is why the stands designed for the LS50s are only 24" tall. Most never hear these speakers at their best because they drive them with wimpy amps and/or place them improperly. Setup correctly, with wall distance equal to that of a Magnepan, they absolutely trump the MMG in every regard, even bass output. They're not remotely in the same league. Take note that Stereophile bestowed the LS50s with a "class-A" rating. The Maggie .7s (a step above MMGs) received a "class-C" rating. To my ears, those are very fair assessments.
Can the Zu only be used on weekends?
Yes only Friday after 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday😂🤣😂🤣
@@stephencosta6814 That's what I thought.Thank you for clarifying the times. I didn't want to be arrested by the speaker police. 😄
And you have to be drinking a Dirty Martini for them to sound at their absolute best!
Yes, and you have to not bathe for at least a week.
The best speaker will always be the one that uses expensive wire in their design. Unfortunately none of the speakers list this design feature in their product summary. Don't know why?
😂
it's a shame Zu has discontinued the DW program :(
For the masses: Zu; for analysts: KEF and for ''planners'': Maggy...