(This review is for the average joe, which is what I am...audiophiles will not gain anything useful here. however, thank you for all of your hard work, because it helped me purchase these).I originally purchased the Devialet 98db Phantom 2s. They sound wonderful and look pretty cool and are a bit smaller than the LS50s. However...they totally stink in terms of staying connected via bluetooth and often will lose connection between left and right...so I had consistent pausing, loss of channel and connection issues. One day I spent over two hours (unsuccessfully) attempting to connect them...they just wouldn't budge.I was well pass the return/refund point, but I took them back and was able to finesse the manager into taking them back as defective.However, a day ... More(This review is for the average joe, which is what I am...audiophiles will not gain anything useful here. however, thank you for all of your hard work, because it helped me purchase these).I originally purchased the Devialet 98db Phantom 2s. They sound wonderful and look pretty cool and are a bit smaller than the LS50s. However...they totally stink in terms of staying connected via bluetooth and often will lose connection between left and right...so I had consistent pausing, loss of channel and connection issues. One day I spent over two hours (unsuccessfully) attempting to connect them...they just wouldn't budge.I was well pass the return/refund point, but I took them back and was able to finesse the manager into taking them back as defective.However, a day later I realized I was missing wireless hifi sound. There was no way I could continue with my JBLs or my BOSE... there was simply no comparison. I momentarily wished I'd never heard the hifi sound in my home, because I then wouldn't know what I was missing.24 hours later I purchased the LS50s.I unpacked them, downloaded the KEF Connect app, plugged them in and they were connected before I even knew how to control them. Turns out it is remarkably easy to work them...I mean absolutely simple and a complete 180 difference form the devialet connection experience. I've never had to reconnect them, as with the devialets it was a near daily suffering.The stereo field with the LS50s is spectacular. If you get them, turn them up...loud...that's where hifi really shines. The sound comes at you from the air... with meh speakers, you are constantly aware that the music is originating from a speaker...with these, it comes at you from everywhere (in front of you), every instrument is distinguishable as well as where the mixdown/production wanted it to be. There's no muffled bass, there's no cacophony of tinny/screechy/shaky high end...the mid range vocals aren't out in front of everything else...It's delightful. Acoustic, jazz and classical are stunning experiences...electronic/synth music is wonderful.hifi doesn't really shine with "rock-type" offerings. Its often kind of muddy to begin with. If it is all you listen to, you can probably go a less expensive route and have a wonderful experience. However, if vocal choral, electronic, brass/reed/acoustic/strings/percussion are your jam... go buy them. Just do it, its worth it to not have to deal with wires. You'll need to be dealing with hi res files, so consider a hi res streaming service like Qobuz, which you can access directly from the Wifi network through the app meaning you are streaming FLAC files and getting an enormous sound experience.I love them. I am so glad I made a fuss and returned the Phantom 2s.And not for nothing, The LS50s look pretty cool, too and look like actual speakers.

These speakers manage the difficult trick of becoming invisible acoustically. With good recordings music comes from its own space, not a couple of modest speakers in my living room. They sound good at low volumes but can go very loud without the slightest hint of effort. Many well regarded speakers have gaps and subtle exaggerations in their frequency response that can sound very pleasant. These KEF speakers don’t seem to have of these faults/character. I listen to lots of acoustic recordings and these sound like the instruments being played, which is a rare ability and not a given even at this price.They don’t get five stars however because the quality of engineering in the speakers doesn’t extend to the app needed for streaming. When switching on the speakers ... MoreThese speakers manage the difficult trick of becoming invisible acoustically. With good recordings music comes from its own space, not a couple of modest speakers in my living room. They sound good at low volumes but can go very loud without the slightest hint of effort. Many well regarded speakers have gaps and subtle exaggerations in their frequency response that can sound very pleasant. These KEF speakers don’t seem to have of these faults/character. I listen to lots of acoustic recordings and these sound like the instruments being played, which is a rare ability and not a given even at this price.They don’t get five stars however because the quality of engineering in the speakers doesn’t extend to the app needed for streaming. When switching on the speakers immediately switch on from standby and start to play in a second or two. After a few more seconds they stop playing and the app opens a red bar asking me to select the speakers in settings. They are already selected and show as such. After a further variable wait they start to play again. I’ve learned that my intervention makes no difference, so I just wait. This can happen a couple of times before they settle down. Reinstalling the app makes no difference and it happens whether I use my phone or iPad.At the moment the app has BBC radio stations available. These are occasionally interrupted by messages from the BBC that they will soon not be available. It would be helpful to have heard from KEF whether they will add BBC Sounds to their app or not.I have taken up the trial subscription to Tidal and will continue with it. A curiosity is that artists and albums added when I log in with my iPhone don’t show when I use my iPad, and vice versa. I only have one account. I don’t know if this is Tidal’s system or another KEF hiccup. I have learned to be patient with streaming, not least because there is no point in trying to contact these companies. I guess the lists will discover each other one day.These speakers have direct inputs, so if the streaming becomes unusable, which I have experienced with another brand, I can always plug in a CD transport! Streaming via Apple Airplay works fairly well, but with a noticeable drop in quality.

Like others have said, these powered speakers sound suprisingly good for their size and are flexible in their use. They sound *great* with a sub; I bought the KEF KC62 (which died in the first year while still under warranty, so it was replaced for free).HOWEVER, I've had them 1.6 years and the left speaker just started occasionally cutting out and I hear a light scratching sound. It sounds like a loose connection would back in the days of wired speakers, but these are wireless.It's tolerable now -- it doesn't happen very often -- but I will be super bummed if this increases. Given that the KC62 failed, I'm wondering about the build quality of these modern devices. I have another system -- wired speakers with Bluesound node streamer -- with an old Onkyo amp I ... MoreLike others have said, these powered speakers sound suprisingly good for their size and are flexible in their use. They sound *great* with a sub; I bought the KEF KC62 (which died in the first year while still under warranty, so it was replaced for free).HOWEVER, I've had them 1.6 years and the left speaker just started occasionally cutting out and I hear a light scratching sound. It sounds like a loose connection would back in the days of wired speakers, but these are wireless.It's tolerable now -- it doesn't happen very often -- but I will be super bummed if this increases. Given that the KC62 failed, I'm wondering about the build quality of these modern devices. I have another system -- wired speakers with Bluesound node streamer -- with an old Onkyo amp I bought in 1978 and it's still going strong after 46 years (knock wood).My other complaint is that occasionally I lose WiFi connectivity to the speakers which doesn't happen with my other streaming system. I'm using Apple Music with Airplay 2 on a modern Macbook Air to stream to the LS50w2. If I restart Apple Music, everything works again. Not a huge deal, just annoying. It happens roughly once for every ten hours of play.If you're going to buy these, you might want to consider purchasing the extended warranty. No, Best Buy isn't paying me to say this. I bought one when I replace the KC62 sub.