KEF LS50 review: Overrated or over-achieving?

It is one of the most famous speakers in HiFi, but has it stood the test of time? I answer that in my KEF LS50 review, having bought an original pair for £375.

Despite the HiFi heyday long gone, audio products can still conquer the mainstream. The KEF LS50 speakers on review being a prime example. Having finally succumbed to the hype, I bought a pair of the original version from deepest, darkest Wales.

As it turns out, the KEF LS50 are a pleasure to own before they even make a sound. Though not an instantly loveable design, the rose gold Uni-Q array comprised a 25mm (0.98″) tweeter inside a 130mm (5.1″) bass and mid-range woofer grows on you.

Standing 30cm tall with a curved front made from a textured matte plastic, they are instantly recognisable. Not to mention sturdy and weighty, at a not-so-bookshelf-friendly 7.2KG per speaker.

At this point I should mention these once £800 speakers, launched in 2012, were replaced by the LS50 Meta in 2021. Though a shift in the crossover frequency from 2.2kHz to 2.1kHz and a fancy absorption disc are hardly dramatic changes.

There was also the LS50 Wireless,  an active speaker powered by two internal amplifiers with wireless connectivity, followed up by the LS50W II in 2018.

Nowadays, you can get a pair of KEF LS50 speakers for around £500 in excellent condition (I paid £375), which is hard to argue with given the specs and that the non-active version is less likely give up on you. The scariest part of active speaker ownership.

Amped-up

It was the class A/B and D amplifier inside the LS50W II that made me curious whether my 85 watt (RMS) Yamaha A-S500 was sufficient. Is 380 watts really necessary to drive speakers with a sensitivity of around 85dB? As it turns out, the A-S500 provided a decent sound but the 200-watt (at 8 ohms) Yamaha MX-1 really brings music to life.

Before I wax lyrical over audio impressions, it is worth noting that (despite the claims by KEF) the LS50 is not really 8 ohms. More like 4 ohms nominal, hence why the MX-1 and its 260-watt rating at 4 ohms is more than qualified.

My immediate reaction to the LS50 is not necessarily positive, especially if coming from a ‘warmer’ setup (I noticed the same with the Tannoy Mercury V4 and A-S500 combination). Negativity subsides fast, however, once the accuracy, transparency and wide soundstage wash over you.

This is especially true in a next-to-desk home office situation where the combined speaker woofer design provides unrivalled near-field listening – whether below, above or at ear height. Most rivals (perhaps bar dedicated studio monitors) will need more space to shine.

Low volume listening is excellent, too, especially if you happen to have an amplifier with loudness control (hello, Yamaha) though it is really unnecessary.

The bass, mids and treble

What about bass? Well, a few songs have vibrated stuff on my desk. By no means is that the default, but the lows and mids can hit hard when necessary. It is just that bass is typically delivered delicately and without clouding the overall sound.

Bass lovers will therefore not love the LS50. Though admittedly it does partly depend on the amplifier, room acoustics and positioning within a room. Having the rear port too close to a wall can, for instance, make things boomy. To the point that I trialled the included bass port bungs.

In any case, there is the option of adding a subwoofer such as KEF’s own compact KC62 (£1,700) or the SVS SB-1000 Pro (£570). Of course, at that point you could look at pricier speakers such as the bigger KEF R3 or R3 Meta.

As for claims the LS50s are bright, this can be true at higher volumes though the MX-1 amplifier pairing is generally warm. Perhaps too little power or overly clinical amplification are to blame. I would, however, agree the sound is typically forward.

There is, unfortunately a price to pay for clarity and accuracy. It is that the LS50 will highlight a poor recording or imperfect source with enthusiasm. To be fair, sourcing a quality version of a song is no hardship and generally bad songs can be skipped.

On a high

The clear and airy highs are another positive, helping provide a versatile solution to most genres, while vocals are sometimes delivered so well it can sound like the artist is in the room. The soundstage is wide and the LS50 speakers easily disappear in a room.

Can the LS50 fill a large space? Likely not, but in my four-metre squared office I can go well beyond what I deem comfortable for my ears. The Yamaha MX-1 amplifier comfortably pushes the speakers to a higher volume without unwanted audio artefacts.

With that said, the treble can become too prominent at near-field distances. Harsher cymbal-heavy dance, for instance, will be better belted out by less fussy speakers. Especially if you want to go deaf early in life or party hard.

How do they compare?

The fact that audio is partly subjective, partly based on a person’s varying listening capacity, various psychological factors, environmental conditions, preferences, audio sources and more make it essential to audition any audio equipment you are interested in.

What I will say is that the more you spend, the smaller the audible quality differences. But I was amazed at how flat and muddy my Mission LX-2 speakers (on Mission Stancette stands) sound compared with the LS50. The LX-2 had its likeable moments, but the lack of finesse is readily apparent.

My other speakers, the aforementioned Tannoy Mercury V4 floor-standers, extend further into the lows as you would expect from a larger cabinet while delivering a more slammy mid-range. Yet in a smaller room they were less accurate, involving and articulate.

What I notice is that as I increase the volume with the A-S500 amplifier, things become somewhat unpleasant and too forward sounding. With the MX-1, evyerthing is more balanced. Horsepower really does bring the LS50s to life.

Still worth buying, then?

New technologies come and go and that is how it is with the KEF LS50, having been superseded by the Meta, Wireless and Wireless II. With that said, a great sound is timeless hence why listeners will continue to rave about the original version.

Stylish to behold, big on audio oomph and capable of both normal and near-field listening, there is little to dislike. Sure, they do not move air in a way that floors you. Nor do they go as low as I sometimes want, which is hardly surprising for most bookshelf speakers.

Yet for conveying music with depth, enthusiasm, for disappearing into a room and as an entry point into serious HiFi, the LS50 are popular for a reason. Whether marking the end of your audio journey or on the way to that pot of gold at the end of the audio rainbow, they really are worth considering.

Test HiFi system

• Amplifiers: Yamaha MX-1 (Japanese model) / Yamaha A-S500 / Yamaha CR-800
• Pre-amplifier: Yamah CX-1 (Japanese model)
• Speaker stands: Mission Lancette / Gear4music
• Soundcard: Asus Xonar Essence STX