KEF LS50 - Which Amp ..?
Hi All,
Just wanted your opinions on suitability of amplifiers to partner my KEF LS50:
MF M6i - too powerful, too higher price bracket?
Primare i32 - same questions as above.
I like a detailed, smooth, wide sound stage with a deep taut tuneful bass
Cheers,
Kub
I would not worry about those amps being "too good" for the LS50s....though they will sound very different.
At less money, the A19 works well, but the amps you listed should be better.
Also consider the Electrocompaniet ECI-3.
I heard these recently with an Arcam A19 and wasn't that impressed. Think you need something with ample drive so the A38 mentioned above is a good shout, especially as Kef use it as reference equipment
According to a German magazine, Musical Fidelity M3i is a perfect match for them. The Kef LS50 is bright and the MF is warmer sounding. If you have the money MF M6i is great too with extra power but the M3i is good enough.
I heard the Kef's too, with a valve-amp. Too lightweight to my taste, compared to my Epos's. But a Creek Destiny could do some good there i think.
I've heard the Roksan Caspian M2 integrated amp sound really good with the KEFs.
I heard the LS50s with Musical Fid. M3 and they were fairly good, I don't know if it is the ideal amp. I also tried the Audiolab 8200A which was very similar but had less power. I have heard the Pioneer A50 recommended which is cheaper (£500?), also the Audiolab 8200P (power amp). As you have the RK maybe adding a power amp would be the way to go.
Not sure you will get deep bass with the LS50s but should be taut and tuneful without any boom.
Hello All,
Thanks for the replies. When I upgrade the amplifier I want to make sure it's future proof in terms of power and being 'good enough' if I upgrade any other components in my set-up to a similar price bracket as the amplifiers mentioned above.
I guess I should book some auditions ..... I need to understand if the price increases between amplifier buys a 'better sound' (I know - it's subjective and what does better sound mean anyway).
I tried the Kefs with a Harman Kardon HK 990, Ayre AX-7E and now my densen pre/power combo.
Has sounded very good on all 3 occasions. They really benefit from quality of amplification, but the sound signature remains very enjoyable, so I wouldn't worry tooooo much about your choice of amp.
Speaking from very little experience. However, i've heard them being powered by a Roksan Kandy K2 amp and was blown away by them. Not sure if the speaker or the amp but I wouldn't rule it out. Especially for the value of it.
- Login to post comments
Not heard either with the KEFs (which I have heard) but you are in the right area. Too many folks are tempted to pair them with something weedier! I think KEF were usng Leema at the Bristol show, and they have an Arcam A38 in their HQ to demo the LS50 (according to a recent article).
Hi-Fi: Krell KAV-300cd, Michell TecnoDec/RB250/Grado Prestige Black1, KAV-300i amp, Transparent balanced interconnects and bi-wire to Sonus faber Concerto grand piano speakers, Nakamichi ZX-7 cassette deck, Logitech Squeezebox Touch, Hitachi FT-5500 and Sony S570ES tuners, BCD Engineering stand, RA Powerlink, Chord powerchord, Grado SR60i cans.
AV: Sony Bravia KDL-32EX503 telly, BDP-S370 player with QED HDMI. Currently unused: Denon AVR-1705, DVD-1710, KEF KHT1005.2