HI-FI SYSTEMS
SYSTEM PRICE £1398
KEF LSX
To bring things right up to date, here we have another, on the face of it, ’simple’ system that is, inevitably, anything but. At first glance, this is just a pair of stereo speakers and a tablet. Appearances, as is so often the case, are deceptive, however. That pair of stereo speakers, KEF’S beautifully put together LSX, is in fact a thoroughly modern all-in-one streaming system. Just add a means of controlling things – we’ve plumped for Apple’s excellent ipad Mini here, but a smartphone would do the job perfectly well – and you can access music from a multitude of places. As far as discreet (size wise at any rate) systems go, you’ll have to work pretty hard to better this.
The LSX shares the blueprint of its successful larger sibling – the multiaward-winning LS50 Wireless streaming system (£2000) – as an all-in-one hi-fi system: a network streamer, Bluetooth receiver with Spotify and Tidal connectivity, and amplification within a pair of compact stereo speakers.
Not just smaller
But creating the LSX isn’t just a case of simply miniaturising everything in the LS50 Wireless’s anatomy and cutting the price in half. In addition to the smaller cabinets, smaller Uni-q driver arrays and smaller, 200W amplification, some changes have been made to cater for the price and size reduction.
The LSX system loses a couple of its bigger sibling’s connections: USB Type B (for computer and laptop hook-ups) and RCAS for connecting analogue hi-fi kit. But KEF has evolved the stereo speaker system concept on the LSX. Since the LS50 Wireless was launched a couple of years ago, the company has developed its proprietary, wireless inter-speaker connection. So, unlike that set-up, the LSX system doesn’t require an ethernet cable to connect the two speakers – although you can use one; the system can play hi-res files all the way up to 24-bit/192khz, but will downsample to either 24-bit/48khz if the speakers are connected to each other wirelessly or 24-bit/96khz if you do decide to run the supplied ethernet cable between them.
The smaller proportions may make them less of an eyeful than their sibling, but they’re no less bold. The LSX speakers see the return of KEF’S distinctive Uni-q driver array, in which a 19mm aluminium dome tweeter sits in the centre of a 10cm magnesium/ aluminium mid/bass cone. And this time the cabinets are, bar the curved baffles, wrapped in an attractive woven fabric.
KEF has been involved in many design collaborations over the years. For the LSX, it has had a helping hand from British designer Michael Young, whose signature is subtly printed on the olive green (with gold cone and red tweeter) version. You can also opt for red with red cone and silver tweeter, blue with blue cone and silver tweeter or black with silver cone and red tweeter variants. There’s also the fabric-less glossy white version (left) with a silver cone and red tweeter. Don’t say you’re short of choice.
The LSX has many sources you’ll want to make use of. Over ethernet or 2.4GHZ/5GHZ wi-fi, users can stream networked music via DLNA or from Tidal – all from within the KEF Stream app. Spotify Connect and aptx Bluetooth are joined by Apple Airplay 2.
Connection comparison
While the LSX’S master speaker overlooks its sibling’s legacy RCA and USB type-b connections, its optical and 3.5mm aux inputs provide the means to connect TVS and portable devices, while a subwoofer output offers the opportunity to add more bass.
KEF is pitching the LSX as equally competitive for its price category as the LS50 Wireless is. We need hear only the serene drum beat and guitar plucking duo of Nick Cave’s Jubilee Street to know that these KEFS do, to borrow lyrics from the song, “practise what they preach”. From the poised delivery of the first stanza, the LSXS are clearly sonic descendants of the expressive, tonally even and rhythmically astute LS50S.
All in good timing
Timing is of the essence with any piece of hi-fi kit and, no doubt thanks in part to KEF’S trademark-pending ‘Music Integrity Engine’ digital signal processing, which works to ensure accurate time alignment and phase coherence, the LSX has an assured approach to rhythms.
We switch to Ólafur Arnalds’ Ljósið, and the LSX really engages us. Smooth and bodied enough to bring a sweet lushness to the piano-playing, but insightful enough to reveal the varying weight on the keys as well as the slight coarseness in the accompanying violin, its rendition easily carries us through the track’s duration.
While the LSX doesn’t offer the absolute last word in dynamic expression, it offers variation that isn’t bettered at this price point.
What better controller, then, to marry with the bijou smarts of the LSX, than Apple’s stunning new ipad Mini? The looks haven't changed, but under-theskin improvements make the latest ipad Mini even better than before. Certainly, as a tool for this system to find your tunes on your home network, or via Spotify or Tidal, and send them on over to the LSX to do its impressive stuff with, it’s a slam-dunk winner.
But both the picture and sound have been improved for the new model (there's also a better camera and a touchscreen pencil), while retaining the general balance of the already excellent outgoing one. The ipad Mini (2019) feels significantly snappier in use, too, and the Mini 4’s sluggishness will become only more pronounced with each new version of Apple’s IOS.
Compact king
While you’ll need to think long and hard to justify upgrading from a last-gen model, if you’re looking to buy a compact tablet for the first time, the ipad Mini is the best one out there, in our opinion.
And, together, these two triumphs of 21st Century design marry together to make a remarkably modern hi-fi system, with, on the face of it, a relatively retro look. And great sound.
“Smooth and bodied enough to bring a sweet lushness to the piano-playing, but insightful enough to reveal the varying weight on the keys”