MUSIC SYSTEMS
All-in-one set-ups offer spacesaving convenience, but with this quality kit, there’s no need to compromise on the sound
KEF LS50 Wireless II £2449
The LS50 Wireless are an entry into our What Hi-fi? Hall of Fame, which should tell you a little about how impressed we were with them. The LS50 Wirelesses are an active speaker system take on KEF’S LS50S – wireless stereo speakers with built-in amplification and streaming smarts – and the Wireless IIS squeeze even more performance out of that familiar chassis and Uni-q driver arrangement.
They do this through the introduction of an innovation called Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT), a clever way of absorbing sound waves radiating from the rear of the tweeter dome so they don’t distort the unit’s output.
This involves a round piece of plastic with a maze-like structure behind the tweeter. Each ‘path’ in this structure is ‘tuned’ to absorb a specific range of frequencies. KEF says that, together, the various paths absorb 99 per cent of unwanted sound.
A 100W class A/B amplifier powers the tweeter, while 280W Class D is available to the mid/bass driver. The wireless connection has been upped to 24-bit/ 96khz, though an ethernet cable increases that to 24-bit/192khz. Support for DSD256 is also onboard, as is MQA decoding.
Streaming services, including Tidal, are directly accessible from the KEF Connect app – internet radio and UPNP servers, too. The LS50 Wireless IIS support Airplay 2, Google Chromecast and Bluetooth, and are also Roon Ready.
Familiar aesthetic
KEF has ditched the USB Type-b connection, replacing it with an HDMI EARC socket to make it more Tv-friendly. Alongside it are coaxial (24-bit/192khz compatibility), optical (24-bit/96khz) and 3.5mm aux inputs and a subwoofer output. The advancements KEF has made here are belied by the familiar aesthetic, but the beautiful finishes and curved front panel make the IIS a real head turner.
In our review of the LS50 Wirelesses, we noted a “clean and precise” manner and “neatly layered” soundstage. KEF has taken these attributes to another level. The effect of MAT is clearly heard in the cleanliness of the treble, although mids are cleaner-cut and bass more defined too, their extra refinement making the originals sound a touch crude.
The presentation has been opened out, that extra room not only filled with subtler, more precise detail, but also allowing for greater instrument separation that makes its delivery sound much less congested in comparison.
KEF’S LS50 Wireless highlighted the appeal of an all-in-one stereo system as an alternative to a collection of relatively modest separates, and the LS50 Wireless II simply improves on that concept. As sequels go, they don’t get much better.