Recording - March 2018 - 35

If you want to get fancier than that,
there's a really slick remote app for iOS
and Android that's mainly designed
for streaming music over a wireless
network, but also lets you dial in EQ
settings based on your particular placement. There's a Default mode called
KEF Audio Signature that "provides
you with instant exquisite sound with no
need to adjust any settings," but I'll bet
you'll want a bit more control over your
speakers than that!
It's easy to use the app to get into
the details. There's a Basic mode that
asks simple questions (e.g. how close
to the wall or table edge in centimeters),
or an Expert mode that lets you select
Desk or Wall mode, set Treble trim ±2
dB, dial in DSP-based phase correction,
adjust bass extension, or turn on a
Highpass mode with adjustments for
cutoff frequency and relative gain of
an attached subwoofer.
A lot of these functions are aimed at
the casual listener, but the studio user
can set the LS50W to provide audio
from their DAW with a press of the
input source switch. The audio path
in the speakers, from A/D to DSP to
D/A (to the drivers), is 24-bit/192 kHz
end to end, and the sound quality from
high-resolution audio is impeccable.

In use

The sound of the LS50W was absolutely entrancing. I worked with the
system as secondary speakers in our
studio at Recording, and more practically,
as my main speakers in a small home
music room. For a long time, I worried
that I was hearing "pretty" rather than
"honest" in the speakers, but the level
of exacting detail in my mixes had me
sold in a hurry, and I found that my
mixes translated well to other systems
with very few tweaks required. Listening
fatigue was nonexistent, and long
tracking and mixing sessions were
actually a pleasure.
Connectivity was trivially simple
from Bluetooth to USB to analog, and
the remote app made otherwise tricky
settings tweaks easy. Learning to use
the system is straightforward, even with
all the detailed setup options; KEF provides a Quick Start Guide, FAQ online,
and a set of basic video walkthroughs

that will have you up and running in
no time.
About the only feature I didn't see
explained anywhere was Bass Extension.
This setting lets you adjust the frequency
response of the speakers for less or
more bass, but nowhere does KEF
explain if there is a tradeoff for doing
this. It's a significant difference, too: the
spec sheets claim flat response ±3 dB
down to 61, 50, or 45 Hz, and 6 dB
down at 46, 43, and 40 Hz, depending
on this setting. I can believe that lowest
number based on my listening sessions;
there wasn't enough fundamental power
in low bass notes to shake the room, but
I could tell it was there and clear. I'm just
wondering why the other two settings
are even offered.

Conclusion

The LS50W speakers are a revelation. They produce finely detailed
audio that will help you make better
tracks, while still offering up a listening
experience that isn't too clinical for the
simple enjoyment of well-recorded
music. (Bad recordings, though, are
another matter entirely.) Best of all, they
integrate beautifully with modern digital
setups, handling everything from analog inputs to high-def computer audio
with aplomb.
KEF has given us some solidly impressive
monitors for the modern music room. Even
if they do come in three designer color
combinations, ten seconds of music will
convince anyone who hears them that
they're not just another pretty fascia.

PRICE: $2199.99/pair
MORE FROM: KEF,
www.kef.com
RECORDING March 2018

35


http://www.royerlabs.com http://www.kef.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - March 2018

Contents
Recording - March 2018 - Intro
Recording - March 2018 - Cover1
Recording - March 2018 - Cover2
Recording - March 2018 - 1
Recording - March 2018 - 2
Recording - March 2018 - 3
Recording - March 2018 - 4
Recording - March 2018 - 5
Recording - March 2018 - Contents
Recording - March 2018 - 7
Recording - March 2018 - 8
Recording - March 2018 - 9
Recording - March 2018 - 10
Recording - March 2018 - 11
Recording - March 2018 - 12
Recording - March 2018 - 13
Recording - March 2018 - 14
Recording - March 2018 - 15
Recording - March 2018 - 16
Recording - March 2018 - 17
Recording - March 2018 - 18
Recording - March 2018 - 19
Recording - March 2018 - 20
Recording - March 2018 - 21
Recording - March 2018 - 22
Recording - March 2018 - 23
Recording - March 2018 - 24
Recording - March 2018 - 25
Recording - March 2018 - 26
Recording - March 2018 - 27
Recording - March 2018 - 28
Recording - March 2018 - 29
Recording - March 2018 - 30
Recording - March 2018 - 31
Recording - March 2018 - 32
Recording - March 2018 - 33
Recording - March 2018 - 34
Recording - March 2018 - 35
Recording - March 2018 - 36
Recording - March 2018 - 37
Recording - March 2018 - 38
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Recording - March 2018 - 40
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Recording - March 2018 - 70
Recording - March 2018 - 71
Recording - March 2018 - 72
Recording - March 2018 - Cover3
Recording - March 2018 - Cover4
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