KEF LS50 Meta Review
The KEF LS50 line of bookshelf speakers has been around for a while now but Kef hasn’t stopped evolving what is one of the most popular speakers in its class. No with the new KEF LS50 Meta we see years of experience and incremental advancements being applied to create what many now consider the gold standard at its price. Few speakers make it into the legends club, ones that are an instant and easy recommendation, ones that will be talked about and sought after for years to come but in this review, we want to take a look at why they are just so special.
Design
Visually the LS50 Meta ticks all the boxes. The aesthetic is stunning, commanding presence in any environment it looks truly unique and with this design, KEF has elevated the look of a bookshelf speaker in a way few others can match. We get so many speakers through the office but these stand out, modern yet not distasteful.
The LS50 Meta is now available in 4 color options (Black, White, Blue, and Silver), you may have seen a similar Red model around that is very eye-catching but that is the wireless model and different from the one we are testing here.
The enclosure is solid, tank-like, it feels like a sturdy unit. Kef Constructed the LS50 Meta using what they call injection-molded Dough Moulding Compound (DMC for short). This creates a dense low resonance enclosure which is then internally braced to further reduce the coloration of the sound.
With a smooth convex curve on the front-facing portion, the driver sits directly in the middle and a small tasteful KEF logo is placed above. The sides and smooth plain and flat as are the top and bottom. It’s only when we get to the back that there is anything else notable on this clean-looking speaker. The bass ports sit off to one side and down at the bottom, you will find the ports for connecting them to your Amp and Reciever.
At the heart of the component, redesign is the MAT technology. MAT stands for Material Absorption Technology, Kef has designed a maze-like baffle to capture and eliminate the unwanted sound coming from the rear of the driver. They claim 99% of the sound is removed which would greatly cut down on hard-to-control resonances.
Pairing and Installation
These are actually my own speakers that I purchased for this review. I have tested a lot of speakers and apart from my Dali Lektor and Mangepan 0.7 I rarely buy them. There was something about the KEF LS50 Meta though and when moving to my new home I wanted something in the lounge that wasn’t as imposing as my towers.
I chose to pair the white LS50 with a matching KEF S2 speaker stand and it’s a match made in heaven. The stands are very well made and match the aesthetics of the speaker perfectly. You can use any stand you like really, and the Meta would also work well as a bookshelf speaker, but in my opinion, they are so incredible sounding they should be taken seriously and given a proper setup with some room planning thrown in.
My choice of the amplifier was the Rotel Michi. I hadn’t purchased this amp specifically for the pairing but had used it with my Mangepan in the past. The pairing was great and the Michi drives the LS50 Meta effortlessly but it’s going to be overkill for a lot of people. The Meta do require power though and especially at high volume. They state 85 watts per channel but I would lean to something a little bit higher to get the most out them.
In terms of the spacing due the Kef works well with a little thought. They don’t need to be too far off a wall to work wonders but give them a bit of space nonetheless and they open up.
Sound
Looks and cool factors aside, the one reason to buy the Kef LS50 Meta is without a doubt the sound. This is one of the most transparent, clear, and detailed bookshelf speakers I have heard to date. From the first track, I was floored by the separation and spacing of instruments.
People often talk about hearing things you haven’t heard in a track before and while I don’t always agree the Meta does something to the finer nuanced notes that not many can match. Mid-bass, is so hard to get right in a combination with a punch and tonal clarity excels here. Even in fast-packed tracks you can sit and isolate the texture in the mid-bass, feeling the drop-off and note deterioration is special. Jazz tracks using heavy dominance of double base exemplify this characteristic where you can here individual string pulls rise and then float away. You can literally hear the string’s reverb slowing. Wow.
Then shift focus to the midrange and what an experience it is in detail and clarity. They sound full yet open, perfectly natural, and without coloration. Nothing feels bloated or artificial. Vocals, both male and female sound rich in detail and carry authentic weight. Strings, especially on the piano are crisp and smooth. The tuning is perfect in this area and despite being such a small speaker it throws its sound across medium and large rooms well.
The bass is limited in quantity. The size of the speaker comes into play, there is only so much sub-bass you can pull from a driver this size. Kef has done a wonderful job with it, its tight and textured and does have sufficient impact to deliver lows on its own. However, if you do have the drive for the deeper lows then pairing it with a dedicated amplifier does wonders and transforms the Meta into a system many would consider the end game.
Imaging and micro detail are very high quality, distortion was ridiculously low. It gets a lot right but my favorite aspect of listening to the LS50 Meta was just how natural and effortless they sounded. Natural, real and transparent was what I was wanting, what I was expecting and what I got.
Positives
Outstanding Aesthetic Design
Build quality
One of the most transparent speakers on the market
Above average detail retrival
Natural tonality
Negatives
Requires good quality amplification (over 85w per channel)
Bass is limited by form factor, benifits from a stand alone subwoofer.
Our Verdict
I had considered the original LS50’s very strongly when they were released but ultimately went in a different direction. It was only when I listened to them and the new LS50 Meta side by side that I decided to make the purchase and I’m glad I did. The Meta is such a stunning design that they look great in any environment but they back it up with some of the most transparent sounds I have heard in any bookshelf speaker regardless of price. The Meta for me is the gold standard in bookshelf right now and as I continue my audio journey testing more units they will be used as my base reference from now on. Truly a magnificent product that everyone should at least try. Recommended.
Official Website of Kef LS50 Meta: www.kef.com
