Opinions on KEF LSX Wireless Active Speakers

[Ras777]

I have a friend of mine who asked me my opinion of these speakers. Since I have no experience with active/ wireless speakers I thought I would put this out to the experts. He is in his early sixties and has no interest in buying an amplifier or put up with unsightly wires. These would be for streaming music in his living room. I would not consider him a audiophile but he does want a high quality speaker and was willing to spend $3000 for two speakers. My first impression was they seem very expensive for a small bookshelf. Any opinions or suggestions would be appreciated. Also would he also need a small sub to complement even a good bookshelf speaker?

 

[lovinthehd]

No experience but why not the slightly larger LS50W instead? I'd still want a sub myself with either....but that would depend more on his tastes than mine.

 

[shkumar4963]

A sub will be a must.

Also these wireless speakers require some familiarity with streaming, apps etc. If the friend does not want to deal with AVR, then he may not be comfortable with apps and streaming formats.

I feel amplifier and speakers are more intuitive and easier to handle for non computer literates.

Someone else can set then up and after that if you know how to operate a remote, you can use them

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[WaynePflughaupt]

Another thing to consider is that speakers of this type typically require a robust router. And it probably shouldn’t be a considerable distance away.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[John Parks]

I have a friend of mine who asked me my opinion of these speakers. Since I have no experience with active/ wireless speakers I thought I would put this out to the experts. He is in his early sixties and has no interest in buying an amplifier or put up with unsightly wires. These would be for streaming music in his living room. I would not consider him a audiophile but he does want a high quality speaker and was willing to spend $3000 for two speakers. My first impression was they seem very expensive for a small bookshelf. Any opinions or suggestions would be appreciated. Also would he also need a small sub to complement even a good bookshelf speaker?

I've demoed the LSX and it is an outstanding speaker with some very nice tech (plus they look sweet!). The clarity is amazing and the bass is surprisingly good for such a small enclosure. I went through setup with my KEF dealer and it seemed simple enough - almost as simple as, say Bluesound or Sonos. If one has a modicum of app/computer knowledge, these should present no problem to use. Overall, I was very impressed but just did not have a need for them, else I would have purchased.

I do not know your friends exact intentions so I cannot say of these are right for him. The LSX excel as near field/computer speakers, but can fill a smaller room to acceptable levels. If he wants a "general", nice sound in his living room (depending on the size) these should fit the bill. For more room filling sound, he can step up to the LS50W. As others have mentioned, a sub would be a great equalizer and there are some nice wireless examples out there if that is of interest to your friend

 

[Ras777]

Thank you for the input. He actually has pretty good computer skills so setting up and using should not be a problem for him. His living room is about 16x18 so I think he should step up to the LS50W. He likes the simplicity and utility of wireless/active. He has been down the road of components and has no inclination to return. What are good alternatives that might be a little easier on the wallet?

 

[John Parks]

Well, quite a few companies have thrown their hat into the (stereo) wireless realm. The aforementioned Bluesound realm has the Node 2i (which I own and love) and their Flex speakers (never heard, but has pretty good reviews). Klipsch has the R-51PM which (as most do) streams over bluetooth. Kanto's newer Tuk seems pretty popular as is Audio Engine. SVS also has their Prime Wireless. If streaming over bluetooth is acceptable, then any of these would be fine, less expensive options.

To match everything the LSX does (beyond bluetooth) one would have to climb the price ladder as the LSX's are a pretty darn good deal considering. We mentioned the LSW and B&W has their own similar, the Formation Duo, which retails for $4K. Dali has the Callsito, Dynaudio has their own, app driven series, all of which are more expensive than the LSX.

EDIT: This is all taking into consideration your friend wants 2 speakers for a true stereo setup. There are plenty of "lifestyle" products out there, some of which are pretty amazing. The Naim Mu-so and Mu-so Qb are examples that look great and sound incredible. I am enamored with Bang & Olufsen as they seem to have finally match sound quality with their industrial design.

 

[shkumar4963]

Thank you for the input. He actually has pretty good computer skills so setting up and using should not be a problem for him. His living room is about 16x18 so I think he should step up to the LS50W. He likes the simplicity and utility of wireless/active. He has been down the road of components and has no inclination to return. What are good alternatives that might be a little easier on the wallet?

For that big a room, LSX will not work. You will have to move to LS50W plus a sub. There are options available for non audiophile quality. Edifier 5200 is available at about $400.

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