KEF ls50 - Highly Recommended

Any quality speaker will respond well to more/better power delivery. 

A high quality speaker will normally demand a lot of power, or a high quality amplifier in order for it to perform well. For some speakers this can run into quite a bit of money. I just found that the Pioneer seems stable enough to be able to provide the LS50's with what they need to sound good, and also to retain their natural characteristics. That's not to say the Pioneer is all that is needed, nor that it is the be all and end all. But there are many other £500 amps that change the LS50's so much that they no longer sound the way they've been intended. I have used them on the end of a Bryston 4Bsst2, but I'd rather not comment as it was in the part of the shop that isn't really suitable to such a small speaker. Although it was surprising how much they can be pushed with a power amp with such immense control.

thanks david thats quite intresting.

at least ive chosen the right amp to make the speakers sing i must say ive not stopped listening to them since i bought them last last week.

very addictive.

one last question should i put the amp into standby mode or just turn the volume down as i undertand its best to leave amps on so they are allways warmed up ready to sound there best.

Debatable. Of course, its your electric bill, so the decision rests with you, but I leave mine on all the time. The A50 won't use as much electricity as a normal Class A/B amp when idling, so you should be fine to leave it on if you like.

I have the KEF LS50's with the Rega Brio-R and Apollo-R. This combination also is very very nice - yet I know the KEF's would work even better with a much more expensive amp! - but everything is a matter of balance - and budget. If it sounds nice, with no undesirable noises, the KEF's are probably happy. I do find LS50's are very responsive to different cabling - which makes sense, as they are so transparent and let you know about any weak parts of the system. Oh, and I also leave the amp on 24/7. In the case of the Brio-R, they use only about 10watt per hour, which is insignificant in my home power total. And if that seems a waste, we make 2X what we use through roof-top solar panels.

Hmm, I must say that I am getting more and more interested in these little wonders. Haven't had a change to demo them yet, but I will do so soon. A question that's on my mind when I read al the good reviews; what if Kef used this design and create a top quality product from it, a reference series. A bit bigger perhaps. I would love to know how that would sound  .

spoorarthur wrote:

A question that's on my mind when I read al the good reviews; what if Kef used this design and create a top quality product from it, a reference series. A bit bigger perhaps. I would love to know how that would sound  .

Like the Blade, I'm sure the LS50 will be a taster for whatever KEF has in store for us in the future

FrankHarveyHiFi wrote:

spoorarthur wrote:

A question that's on my mind when I read al the good reviews; what if Kef used this design and create a top quality product from it, a reference series. A bit bigger perhaps. I would love to know how that would sound  .

Like the Blade, I'm sure the LS50 will be a taster for whatever KEF has in store for us in the future

                     Mmmm ! Is this a veiled code for you know somefink......?      

alchemist 1 wrote:

Mmmm ! Is this a veiled code for you know somefink......?      

Unfortunately not....

Where's the grilles?

                     Yes. they would be welcome ......mumble,mumble.......

Is there much difference sound wise with the a50 to a70? 

  Well six months spent with these purveyors of sound have given me much musical pleasure.

 They just get better day by day, digging up more and more detail by the bucket load.

The bass amazes me for the size of the cabinets.

Voices are presented in such a natural fashion.

I get the impression that they still have a lot more to offer.

How are fellow LS50 owners finding their black magic ,rose tinted wonders ?.............   

I am very happy with mine also, they took a little time to run in but now sound superb.

Interesting to know what amps people are using, and what is the most expensive? My primare is certainly a good match.

I have had mine for 3 months now, and they are wonderful. I did find them very responsive to changes of other components. To get the beautiful sound they now have I had to experiment (and spend!) a bit. It has been all settled now for the past month, A great team, all in support of the amazing KEF LS50's.

antskip,

That's good to hear.

I have read a few articles that state they don't really go with a Brio-R as it's not powerful enough to control them properly.

I feel my speakers are likely to be the next upgrade for me.