The new KEF LS50 Wireless II speakers are the successors to the beloved and award-winning predecessors from 2018 with various improvements on board.
What immediately stands out about the new KEF LS50 Wireless II speakers is that there is no longer a cable needed to connect the speakers to each other. Also new is the absorption technology that KEF has used, called MAT. And that stands for Metamaterial Absorption Technology; so now you know.
It is a development that was realized together with Acoustic Metamaterials Group and consists of a maze structure placed behind the tweeter. KEF says that this counteracts 99% of unwanted sound reflections. And that compared to the – according to the manufacturer – 60% that is normally achieved by traditional solutions.
USB off, HDMI ARC in place
KEF has also further optimised the Uni-Q drivers compared to their predecessors. Furthermore, a completely new 100 Watt class A/B amplifier has been implemented to control the tweeter. To drive the midrange toner, the previous / original 280 Watt Class D amplifier is used.
In terms of connections, the USB input disappeared, in its place is an HDMI ARC connection. Happily alive are the optical and coaxial digital inputs. Plus of course an analog RCA line input. On the wireless side, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2 and Chromecast are supported, while the KEF LS50 Wireless II is also Roon Ready. The maximum quality supported is 24 bit / 384 kHz (if you don’t use a speaker connection cable – which may still be available – it will be up to 96 kHz). DSD256 and MQA are also effortlessly performed.
Via a newly developed app you can adjust the speakers and stream to your heart’s content. The speakers are available in various colours and you pay €2499 per pair for them. The matching S2 stands cost €450 per pair. By the way, these tripods also match the also renewed original LS50 called LS50 Meta.