KEF LSX questions/impressions

[the machine]

Hello All,

Just picked up a set of used LSX to be used as nearfields at my computer. Fired them up and after some time with the apps, they finally work. Well, I think they work.

Personally, coming from headphones like focal clear that are stupid accurate, I find these speakers hard to listen to. There's a level of "airy-ness" that, to my ears, is very off putting.

The best way I can describe it, is using bad 1990's type of audio playback device, and switching through a bunch of the sound settings and landing on Hall. Every sounds has an airy veil to it, every word spoken sounds like it ends with chhhhhh.

Is it possible something is wrong with these, or is that kind of the KEF sound signature?

Thanks for your input

 

[lovinthehd]

Hard to compare subjective reactions to listening conditions over the internet.....but your description is somewhat my reverse thought of use of headphones, in that they just don't sound right...but hard to know just what your setup is either. Otherwise I'd think it's more the concentric effect compared to other types of speakers you've used? Haven't had the pleasure of the Kef's (by most accounts) but am interested....

 

[the machine]

Hard to compare subjective reactions to listening conditions over the internet.....but your description is somewhat my reverse thought of use of headphones, in that they just don't sound right...but hard to know just what your setup is either. Otherwise I'd think it's more the concentric effect compared to other types of speakers you've used? Haven't had the pleasure of the Kef's (by most accounts) but am interested....

Yeah I understand the subjectivity of this. I think it may just be the sound signature of these. It's like sounds are resonating longer than they should, or imagine putting a speaker in a box then trying to listen to it outside of the box. It's like the decay of a note holds for too long. It's just very off putting to me. For general music listening lately I've been dragging a Sonos play 5 outside along with a bottle of wine, or Macallan, or both, but I enjoy the Sonos sound much more. It sounds more neutral to me.Trying to describe the sound of air movement is hard, but it sounds artificial to me, and I'm kind of disappointed.

 

[lovinthehd]

Yeah I understand the subjectivity of this. I think it may just be the sound signature of these. It's like sounds are resonating longer than they should, or imagine putting a speaker in a box then trying to listen to it outside of the box. It's like the decay of a note holds for too long. It's just very off putting to me. For general music listening lately I've been dragging a Sonos play 5 outside along with a bottle of wine, or Macallan, or both, but I enjoy the Sonos sound much more. It sounds more neutral to me.Trying to describe the sound of air movement is hard, but it sounds artificial to me, and I'm kind of disappointed.

What's your room/positioning like? That's the next biggest determinator after the speaker itself....

 

[the machine]

It's a big room, but I'm not sure i it matters as it's nearfield. They are literally sitting 18 inches from my ears right now as I just pulled them out of the box to try them. Some might feel like this is a more "open" sound. The imaging is awesome. It sounds like it is right in front of me and not two speakers on either side of me. It just sounds so "echoy"

 

[the machine]

I think I found a way to explain it. In the song unbearably white by Vampire Weekend, the snare has a aaaah noise behind it, and I mean the snare on 2 and 4, not all the snare hits, in other words take out the snare and the beat is kick, aaaah, kick aaaah. You can hear it on any speaker. It is SUPER elevated on the KEF's. I'm going to see if I can make a video playing both

 

[the machine]

I found another way to describe my experience, if anyone has an iPod classic, in the EQ settings go from Electronic, then to Vocal Booster. That is how my ears are interpreting the LSX

 

[Pablo2k]

Did you find out if it’s sound signature or they were broken?

 

[TLS Guy]

Hello All,

Just picked up a set of used LSX to be used as nearfields at my computer. Fired them up and after some time with the apps, they finally work. Well, I think they work.

Personally, coming from headphones like focal clear that are stupid accurate, I find these speakers hard to listen to. There's a level of "airy-ness" that, to my ears, is very off putting.

The best way I can describe it, is using bad 1990's type of audio playback device, and switching through a bunch of the sound settings and landing on Hall. Every sounds has an airy veil to it, every word spoken sounds like it ends with chhhhhh.

Is it possible something is wrong with these, or is that kind of the KEF sound signature?

Thanks for your input

From this review it seems that these speakers are likely the best desk top speakers that money can buy. The speakers sound and measure well. A couple of points though. It seems these speakers have complex control modes. It has controllable DSP and an equalizer. Since you bought these used, I suspect the previous owner had some crazy settings, which are still in the memory. So you need to do reset and start from scratch. I suspect they will sound best if you set everything to flat.

I do note that they do not sound good laid flat on the desk, but need to be on a small stand raised above the desk. There is a tapped screw on the underside to allow for this.

The is a high pass filter to protect the small woofer, and they roll off 36 db per octave below the tuning frequency of 60 Hz. There is an output for a sub.

I suspect you have not paid the attention you should have to properly setting these speakers up. This you need to do.

I note that as part of the DSP in these active speakers the time/phase disturbance of the crossover network has been completely corrected. This is giving these speakers the best step response produced by any speaker I know of.

That is a major reason we need to move away from passive speakers and go active. Receivers now have far too many amps in one box and are now totally nonsensical.

Power amps belong in speakers. With the current state of DSP, the potential for a quantum leap in sound quality is here. It is now passed time for passive speakers to go the way of the Dodo.

 

[Trell]

From this review it seems that these speakers are likely the best desk top speakers that money can buy. The speakers sound and measure well. A couple of points though. It seems these speakers have complex control modes. It has controllable DSP and an equalizer. Since you bought these used, I suspect the previous owner had some crazy settings, which are still in the memory. So you need to do reset and start from scratch. I suspect they will sound best if you set everything to flat.

I do note that they do not sound good laid flat on the desk, but need to be on a small stand raised above the desk. There is a tapped screw on the underside to allow for this.

The is a high pass filter to protect the small woofer, and they roll off 36 db per octave below the tuning frequency of 60 Hz. There is an output for a sub.

I suspect you have not paid the attention you should have to properly setting these speakers up. This you need to do.

I note that as part of the DSP in these active speakers the time/phase disturbance of the crossover network has been completely corrected. This is giving these speakers the best step response produced by any speaker I know of.

That is a major reason we need to move away from passive speakers and go active. Receivers now have far too many amps in one box and are now totally nonsensical.

Power amps belong in speakers. With the current state of DSP, the potential for a quantum leap in sound quality is here. It is now passed time for passive speakers to go the way of the Dodo.

I'm tempted to buy a pair of these to replace my desktop speakers.