KEF LS50 Meta - Bookshelf Speaker (Titanium Grey) | HiFi | Home Theatre | 40-100 Watts

I moved to these speakers from a Sonos Arc. The reason for this was my PC was having constant driver issues with Dolby Atmos so last weekend I decided I had enough. I decided to go back to a more simpler stereo set up but did not want to step down on audio quality. Initially the KEF KS50 Wireless II caught by eye and there were a few times I almost pulled the trigger on the purchase. However, the KS50 Meta had caught my eye but I’ve never had passive speakers before and didn’t know anything about using amps. My intended use is music, movies and gaming. Several YouTube videos later I decided to take the punt and bought a pair of Metas and my amp of choice was the Sonos Amp (2019 version). This was because the Sonos had more than enough power to drive these speakers and had an arc connector which is all I needed. The plan was to set these up with Amazon basics banana plugs and place the speakers on top of the audioengine ADS2 desks stands (perfectly stable fit by the way). My TV is the LG CX and I have the REL T5i sub connected. Set up was surprisingly easy apart from removing the banana cable plugs from the speakers. I ended up breaking and splitting several finger nails trying to prise them out (it took about 45 minutes to remove all four of them, they were ridiculously tight, particularly the red ones). I read that you could use a knife to get them out but this seems excessive and I would have been annoyed had I slipped and scratched the speakers. I think they should use something simpler to cover the holes, or include a tool to easily remove them. Once set up I couldn’t help but notice how very good these sound. I’m not an audiophile but I could hear things right away in familiar music tracks that I could swear were no these before. It wasn’t difficult at all to hear the difference and this was comparing to the Sonos Arc which isn’t exactly a slouch in the audio detail department either. Obviously these won’t give you that virtual surround from a soundbar but the Sonos Amp does support stereo speakers with producing a virtual centre channel. I was doubtful this would be any good but I can say the Metas helped make this effect very convincing, although I have nothing else to compare them with. I watched the Mandalorian and the sound was just amazing. You could feel it around you, the last time I felt this kind of immersion was at the cinema. I was completely absorbed by it, at no point was my attention taken away or tempted to look at my phone. It gives you escapism. Onto the games then, and it’s the same story. More detail and more immersion. The virtual centre channel from the amp really shines here also. Firing a gun in Crisis remastered becomes a much more serious act to consider. Demons Souls on the PS5’s dark atmosphere is enhanced with depth and makes the world feel much more bigger and unforgiving, or perhaps you much smaller. There are already plenty of reviews out there telling you how good these are with music and they aren’t wrong. I played the Night Kings soundtrack from Game Of Thrones and the bits with the piano were like it was in the same room. I could feel the keys being pressed, it’s hard to describe but I have an actual piano and it just felt the same. Overall, I feel I got what I wanted from these speakers. Well, almost because I actually ordered the black ones but Amazon accidentally sent me grey. But they look very good (I found out they were the wrong colour when I opened the box and took them out, I have told Amazon who were ok with this) and felt wrong to send them back just because the colour was wrong. These speakers will offer you a great experience, the quality match the price so no complaints here.

First of all, let's talk about the design of these speakers that I fell in love with at first sight. The form factor and colour of the speaker was crucial to me, and it had to match with the rest of the furniture and the minimalist style of the living room. Kef LS50 Meta delivered this with no effort at all. Beyond the design, the sound coming out of these speakers is magical. I'm not an experienced audiophile - although I have sensitive ears and I am a trained listener - and this is my first experience with a relatively expensive sound system. After I was sure about the Metas, I spent considerable time finding other matching devices. I must honestly say that in the end, perhaps, only luck completed this journey. The hardest part was finding the matching amplifier. After reviewing a few devices, including Music Fidelity, Cambridge Audio, NAD, Audiolab and Roksan, I have finally chosen Arcam SA20, Class G 90W, and I am delighted with this decision. The sound that this system produces is unparalleled. Sound stage and instrument separation are straightforward for my inexperienced ear. The clarity and appeal of the songs are very high. I should mention that although the amplifier is 90 watts, I feel I have a bit of distortion at a very high volume, but I do not listen that loud. I mostly listen to jazz and classical music, and the maximum volume is 60%, which is very loud, and I have no problem with that. I also hear a slight unpleasant echo in the high volume because the speakers are not mounted on a stand and are on top of an empty cabinet. Of course, this has nothing to do with the system and is due to my limitations and choices. This issue does not exist at all at low volume. Since this system was completed, I am always trying to be alone at home to listen to music. And I listen to music way more than before. I am fascinated by the extraordinary quality of this pair of loudspeakers, and I am delighted with my choice. The system includes a Rega P2 turntable with upgraded Exact cartridge, Raspberry Pi 4, Volumio with Tidal Connect, Topping D70s Dac, Arcam SA20 and Kef ls50 Meta.

I'm using these with 45W Tube Amplifier. They sound absolutely brilliant. Detailed, not too sharp with tremble, good soundstage, good bass (though might not be enough for some). They look amazing - way better in real than on any pictures actually. Suberb product.

I would recommend getting a subwoofer as I felt the bass needed enhancing. Once I had done this my music listening experience was greatly improved. On first listening to them I felt there was something missing and it really brought the whole package to life. Very happy now.

These are far and away the best speakers I've owned. Started with Dynaudio Emit 10s which were great and then KEF R3s which I loved But due to a lack of space I needed to get slightly smaller speakers. I was worried these would be a step down in sound quality. They blow the R3s out of the water. The clarity is amazing, better on every level. I've got them wired to Cambridge Audio CXA81 .

Great sound from these small speakers, good bass, midrange and treble. The sound really spatial.

Fantastic soundstage - twinned with a Naim Uniti Nova playing FLAC 24 bit recordings

Great treble, midrange and wide open soundstage. Modern looks and great build quality but the speaker’s ability to resolve detail and separate voices from instruments could be better. Also, while the treble and midrange are great, the bass, while deep for a small speaker, could do with better definition. This is a great speaker for the price but it isn’t the ‘giant killer’ many people make it out to be.

En remplacement de mes Tannoy dont un haut-parleur avait lâché (les teufs des ados, c'est pas toujours une bonne idée pour les enceintes Hi-fi). Très belle présentation so on aime le style. Très qualitatif. Le son est très clair, très transparent, avec une scène précise. Grande qualité de son pour des enceintes de taille modeste. Prévoir des pieds pour les dégager des murs (je ne les mettrais pas dans une bibliothèque). Rendement faible, il faut de la puissance pour les faire chanter. J'en suis au début de mes écoutes, mais je passe beaucoup de temps à les écouter, CD, streaming de qualité, etc. avec beaucoup de plaisir. À associer avec un caisson de basses, où se trouve leur faiblesse, pardonnable au vu de leur taille. Bref, très content de mon choix. Seule réserve, un rendu très brillant des aigus, mais je pense que c'est dû au fait que mes anciennes enceintes étaient moins performantes dans ces fréquences et que je dois m'habituer à cette plus grand fidélité à ce spectre. J'organise des concerts chez moi, et si je compare avec les instruments entendus en live, finalement, on a le même phénomène. Je me demande si un ampli plus "rond" ne leur conviendrait pas un peu mieux (j'ai un Yamaha).

Beautiful sounding and crafted speakers that exude refinement and quality. Have the ability to reveal great detail when paired with other high quality components and quality interconnects. Pair well with a warmer sounding amp. Look great on their matching KEF stands (which similarly are not cheap but beautifully crafted and high quality). Strongly recommend.

I see a lot of reviews here saying they sound bad. It's simply not true, because then I see what they are running, and its a very low tier amp. Your "200" watt Emotiva BasX or similar class amp simply does not have the torque that these speakers need. I know, I own several Emotiva amps. I'm an audiophile, and have lots of gear, it's the hobby. I'm running these off comparably priced equipment, all of my gear is in the price wheelhouse of the Ls50. My amps are Orchard Audio class D GaN monoblocks with GaN power supplies. I run a Gustard X26 Pro dac, dual mono dacs, dual mono power supplies, excellent clocks. This speaker goes down to 3 ohms. Your cheap amp is likely begging for mercy at this impedance regardless of "200 watts". You need high quality. Give these high quality components and this speaker is AMAZING. I have 7 sets of speakers. All different types, Magnepans, CSS Audio, bunch of stuff. These speakers are worth every penny! But bear in mind their performance sits right where the price range is. These are not $10000 speakers for 1600. You get what you pay for. That said, in the 2K range, they are probablyunbeatable, for overall performance. Another caveat though is I have a pair of subs, near field, 3 feet off the ground, perfectly tuned with these speakers. You need a setup like this for perfect full range sound. If you're an audiophile, I recommend starting with these, make sure you have nice, NICE components to back them up, and a pair of subs when you can do it. I'm running 2 RSL Speedwoofer 10s. If you just buy these, you don't own subs, and your equipment is like $200 dac, no preamp, $500 amp, low level stuff, you're going to wonder what all the fuss is about and return them. Do them right, you may never shop for speakers ever again.

Bought these to replace a pair of LS 50s based on the glowing reviewed of the Meta. They were not wrong, the sound is deeper, fuller, and more dimensional. They are the perfect speakers at this price point.

Uniq driver sayesinde yatay kullanıma da uygun, fotoğraflardaki gibi, güçlü bir amp kullanılması performansını ortaya koyuyor, ses karakteri muhteşem, tüm frekanslar dengeli, ne tizler sizi yoruyor ne de baslar arka planda kayboluyor, enstrümanları net duyabiliyorsunuz. Kesinlikle tavsiye ederim, indirimde fırsatı değerlendirdim yoksa daha düşük bütçeli Dynaudio Emit 20 tercih edecektim ama aklım da bunda kalacaktı, Amazon sağolsun, ne varsa Amazon’da..!