KEF LS50 - matching hardware ideas

[CGabriel]

Originally Posted by bvdiman

Hi all,
I'm helping my brother set up a simple/neat system for use in his new home's study, a small room measuring ar. 3m x 4m.
He loves music (various genres), but have had nil experience with audio and stuffs, so leaving it all to me.

Reading off forums, this new KEF LS50 looks to be one pretty cool candidate for the part.
Thinking of suggesting him to go with either ARCs or Accuphases with it. I know both these lines quite a bit but have never heard the KEFs.

*Do they play nice and full at lower volumes and have believable mid bass weight/energy for acoustic, contemporary Jazz, and the likes?
Sufficiently smooth extended and NOT bright edgy highs?

Partnering combos I have in mind at the moment :
1) ARC VSi75 + CD9
2) Accuphase E560 + DP700 or DP550

Any thoughts or suggestions from owners or those who have heard them appreciated.
Thanks.

The KEF has warm rich sound that is very engaging. It is very coherent with a nice tonal balance up and down the frequency range. By that I mean the drivers sound the same. In many dynamic speakers the individual drivers sounds different - faster, slower or tonal shifts. The KEF sings with a single voice and for that I appreciate it. It plays much bigger than its physical size but it is not a large speaker with large drivers so it doesn't plumb the lower octave and it cannot play at VERY loud volumes without some compression. But this is not a flaw, simply a characteristic of small speakers in general. It can play moderately loud even with rock music and the AR with 75 watts should be perfect.

The highs are sweet, delicate and articulate. They don't jump out at you but are integrated to the music as they should be. Make no mistake, the tweeter has good extension and is not rolled off or fuzzy. No one would call them bright, however.

Of course they are invisible sonically and have a very wide listening area, which is why I am going to put them in my living room with a nice tube integrated and turntable. It is the kind of speaker that you could live for a long time.

cg

[bvdiman]

Originally Posted by CGabriel

The KEF has warm rich sound that is very engaging. It is very coherent with a nice tonal balance up and down the frequency range. By that I mean the drivers sound the same. In many dynamic speakers the individual drivers sounds different - faster, slower or tonal shifts. The KEF sings with a single voice and for that I appreciate it. It plays much bigger than its physical size but it is not a large speaker with large drivers so it doesn't plumb the lower octave and it cannot play at VERY loud volumes without some compression. But this is not a flaw, simply a characteristic of small speakers in general. It can play moderately loud even with rock music and the AR with 75 watts should be perfect.

The highs are sweet, delicate and articulate. They don't jump out at you but are integrated to the music as they should be. Make no mistake, the tweeter has good extension and is not rolled off or fuzzy. No one would call them bright, however.

Of course they are invisible sonically and have a very wide listening area, which is why I am going to put them in my living room with a nice tube integrated and turntable. It is the kind of speaker that you could live for a long time.

cg

Thank you CG for your thorough description, very helpful indeed! I now have a better feel of their sound.
However, do you feel they would fare better given tubes? I've owned the REF150 (2yrs), and 250s (few months) and have actually found preference in the Class-A Accuphase sound. But, perhaps the smaller simpler new 75 will play purer, and driving smaller speakers certainly don't necessitate that ultimate in bass control/quality.. Yup, so would probably work too.

[CGabriel]

Tube or sollid-state is pretty much a personal preference with the modern designs. I am a bit older and grew up with tubes, so I have a fondness for them, but I have solid-state amps that I could live with. I am using the Devialet which works great with the speakers. Best of all for me is a tube preamp and a great solid-state amplifier. I have my eye on the McIntosh 7900 integrated because I want a built-in phono preamp.

How about getting the speakers and visiting a local dealer that would be willing to let you bring your speakers for audition with the different integrated amps that you might like. Be sure to support your dealer with the purchase if you are using his expertise and time

Don't forget that speakers like this deserve a great speaker stand to bring out their best. Take a look at these stands. Very nice design and beautiful appearance with a reasonable price. http://coreaudiodesigns.com/products/speaker-stands/ I have no association - just like them and am ordering a set for my speakers.

cg

[willyjack]

Originally Posted by CGabriel

The KEF has warm rich sound that is very engaging. It is very coherent with a nice tonal balance up and down the frequency range. By that I mean the drivers sound the same. In many dynamic speakers the individual drivers sounds different - faster, slower or tonal shifts. The KEF sings with a single voice and for that I appreciate it. It plays much bigger than its physical size but it is not a large speaker with large drivers so it doesn't plumb the lower octave and it cannot play at VERY loud volumes without some compression. But this is not a flaw, simply a characteristic of small speakers in general. It can play moderately loud even with rock music and the AR with 75 watts should be perfect.

The highs are sweet, delicate and articulate. They don't jump out at you but are integrated to the music as they should be. Make no mistake, the tweeter has good extension and is not rolled off or fuzzy. No one would call them bright, however.

Of course they are invisible sonically and have a very wide listening area, which is why I am going to put them in my living room with a nice tube integrated and turntable. It is the kind of speaker that you could live for a long time.

cg

Great post. Spot on.

[willyjack]

Originally Posted by bvdiman

Thanks, have read nice things of the Hegel, will check if they are represented here locally.
Was your suggestion based on performance of individual components or specific synergy with the LS50s?
And safe for me to assume you have heard/compared both the VSi75 and E560?

*One reason being ARC or Accuphase was also because both have matching cdp's to go with their integrateds.

I own the arc ref 40 and 2se. You get absolute tube harmonics but great extension so it will add detail so the KEFs won't sound muddled.

[adhesiv]

So I've been hemming and hawing at this for awhile. I finally got around to setting the LS50's up, couldn't wait any longer. Right now they're running of my Marantz receiver and I have to say....amazing!!! And that's right out of the box off an AV receiver.

what i listened to:
Female vocals (Rickie Lee Jones - Pop Pop)
Male vocals (Damien Rice - O)
Jazz (Bill Evans - At Shelley's Manne hole)
Electronica (Bjork - Homogenic)
Acoustic guitar (Al Di Meola - Friday Night in San Francisco)

Every single track was amazing...sharp and airy highs without being overly fatiguing, warm without tubinness or too much syrupy bloom, and true bass. Now of course I'm not hitting the lowest octaves but my REL sub supplements those lower registers with aplomb and melds quite nicely. The music just flows with a cohesiveness that I've not yet encountered. Did I mention this is connected to my receiver!!

I need to feed these bad boys some quality power and see where this takes me!

Stephen's (two-dot) Luxman L-590aII seems like it might be a great fit and Caelin's note about the Devialet piqued my interest as well. I was thinking about Devialet years ago before I went down the Shindo path. Being a techie I liked the technology behind it and most demos I've heard were impressive, although in retrospect a few haven't been as well. I'm really looking for something SS with a phono stage so both of these options intrigue me. I wonder if the Devialet is overdoing it but I feel like that piece eludes me and keeps me thinking about it.

Why is it so hard to make a decision!?!?

[CGabriel]

Originally Posted by adhesiv

Stephen's (two-dot) Luxman L-590aII seems like it might be a great fit and Caelin's note about the Devialet piqued my interest as well. I was thinking about Devialet years ago before I went down the Shindo path. Being a techie I liked the technology behind it and most demos I've heard were impressive, although in retrospect a few haven't been as well. I'm really looking for something SS with a phono stage so both of these options intrigue me. I wonder if the Devialet is overdoing it but I feel like that piece eludes me and keeps me thinking about it.

Why is it so hard to make a decision!?!?

The Devialet may seem like a cost mismatch with the KEF 50s, however when you consider what it would take to replace the functions that it performs, it makes more sense. You get a reference class integrated amplier, a top quality DAC and a phono pre-amp. I think the smallish physical size of the Devialet, to some, may imply that it can't possibly be a serious alternative to separates but it truly is a reference class product. Some people want and appreciate the "equipment" aspect of high-end audio with multiple chassis and beautiful meters and the joy of mixing and matching components. If that is you, then the Devialet will not appeal. However, if you just enjoy music and appreciate a simple approach with the ability to play both digital sources and analog then you might like the Devialet.

I must say that it is a bit odd in some ways. Because of its small size the connections on the back are very tightly packaged. It does not have conventional knobs and switches but operates through an oddly shaped remote. It is beautiful as industrial art but odd in use. I would say the Devialet provides reference level music in a tidy package and would be right at home in a modern contemporary New York penthouse.

cg

[adhesiv]

Thanks Caelin. I think you're dead on about the equipment aspect in "hi end" and I'm also thinking Devialet but need to find a good used deal to make my budget. I missed one on Audiogon the other day at auction. I should've pulled the trigger but was too wishy washy on the subject.

Want to sell me yours? I promise I'll buy all Shunyata cabling

[CGabriel]

Originally Posted by adhesiv

Thanks Caelin. I think you're dead on about the equipment aspect in "hi end" and I'm also thinking Devialet but need to find a good used deal to make my budget. I missed one on Audiogon the other day at auction. I should've pulled the trigger but was too wishy washy on the subject.

Want to sell me yours? I promise I'll buy all Shunyata cabling

I actually got the first one in the US - my German distributor sent it to me. I didn't really care for it at first but after downloading the software update, I really liked it. I do appreciate the fact that it has a high quality phono-pre in it. There are many people going back to turntables and many young people that have discovered the musicality of the old 50's technology.

So I am keeping mine! Good luck finding a used one - there really aren't many available.

cg

[adhesiv]

Ha...guess I wasn't convincing enough! Ok you can keep it

Quick question, can you easily reconfigure the Devialet to work on different voltages? I know of a used one around my budget but it's located overseas in Europe.

If so, is there any detriment to using a unit running on US voltage when it's been running on some other voltage previously? I've always wondered this when I read about people converting voltage on their units.