I have now spent considerable time listening to the KEF LS50 speakers on custom made Sound Anchor stands augmented by the Definitive Technology subs that I previously discussed. Everyone should have a chance to hear these speakers in their own homes with their own gear just so you know how much sound $1,500 full retail can buy you. By now, most of you have read all of the superlatives that have been written about these speakers which I feel are deserved. These speakers are very pure and thus transparent right up to that point where you try and turn the volume just a little bit higher and you hit their ceiling. No, they don't fall apart, they just lose that magical purity that makes them sound almost electrostatic-like. However, the LS50s will play into a much bigger room than what the common wisdom says they can and they will fill that space at fairly high SPLs as long as you don't push too far. For many people, I'm sure the LS50s will provide all of the volume levels they would ever want.
I think there are several reasons for the almost startling clarity/purity of the LS50s and it starts with the design and execution of the cabinet and the quality of the Uni-Q driver. The other part is caused by omission of any real bass in the bottom two octaves (20Hz to 40Hz and 40Hz to 80Hz) as well as a diminution of upper bass as well. The balance is still uncanny in how good it sounds and it's only when you contrast the LS50s with full-range speakers that you realize there is more 'there' there to be heard and you are not hearing it. Even with 4 subs like I'm using, you are still missing bass information in the mid and upper bass when listening through the LS50s. And yes, I didn't set my crossover point as high on my subs as several people suggested because I don't like the sound of subwoofers pulling double duty as subs and woofers and I think it tends to muddy up the overall sound.
Moving back to the Def Tech BP7000SC speakers revealed how much information was missing when listening to the LS50s. Probably the biggest difference in the bass was the difference between having two 5 1/4" drivers in the LS50s vice having eight 6 1/2" drivers in the BP7000SC speakers. The eight 6 1/2" drivers are obviously moving much more air than a pair of 5 1/4" drivers. The same holds true for the tweeters. There is much more air coming off cymbals when they are struck as well as the sound of breathing and air moving through wind instruments with the BP7000SC speakers. That is a difference between four tweeters and two tweeters and bipolar vice front firing.
The dynamic envelope the LS50 has to play in is smaller than full range speakers which restricts the ultimate dynamic range and the SPL output you can listen to before the magic starts fading and you have to back off of the throttle. I suspect that many people will never find that point anyway. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the LS50s and if someone told me that I was going to be 'stuck' with them forever, I wouldn't cry about it as long as I still had my subs to use. The LS50s really are special speakers, but I have moved back to the 'big sound' of full-range speakers.
I think there are several reasons for the almost startling clarity/purity of the LS50s and it starts with the design and execution of the cabinet and the quality of the Uni-Q driver. The other part is caused by omission of any real bass in the bottom two octaves (20Hz to 40Hz and 40Hz to 80Hz) as well as a diminution of upper bass as well. The balance is still uncanny in how good it sounds and it's only when you contrast the LS50s with full-range speakers that you realize there is more 'there' there to be heard and you are not hearing it. Even with 4 subs like I'm using, you are still missing bass information in the mid and upper bass when listening through the LS50s. And yes, I didn't set my crossover point as high on my subs as several people suggested because I don't like the sound of subwoofers pulling double duty as subs and woofers and I think it tends to muddy up the overall sound.
Moving back to the Def Tech BP7000SC speakers revealed how much information was missing when listening to the LS50s. Probably the biggest difference in the bass was the difference between having two 5 1/4" drivers in the LS50s vice having eight 6 1/2" drivers in the BP7000SC speakers. The eight 6 1/2" drivers are obviously moving much more air than a pair of 5 1/4" drivers. The same holds true for the tweeters. There is much more air coming off cymbals when they are struck as well as the sound of breathing and air moving through wind instruments with the BP7000SC speakers. That is a difference between four tweeters and two tweeters and bipolar vice front firing.
The dynamic envelope the LS50 has to play in is smaller than full range speakers which restricts the ultimate dynamic range and the SPL output you can listen to before the magic starts fading and you have to back off of the throttle. I suspect that many people will never find that point anyway. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the LS50s and if someone told me that I was going to be 'stuck' with them forever, I wouldn't cry about it as long as I still had my subs to use. The LS50s really are special speakers, but I have moved back to the 'big sound' of full-range speakers.
