Tech review: KEF a sound investment

If you are looking for a high-end hi-fi system that does not have a slew of cables, and does not require a lot of work to set up, consider British speaker-maker KEF's latest offering.

The LS50 Wireless speaker - an upgrade of its predecessor, the mounted LS50 - was launched here last week.

DESIGN

The LS50 Wireless consists of two sleek-looking speaker boxes, which are available in three colour schemes.

The speaker boxes, measuring 30cm by 20cm by 30.8cm each, should easily fit on your TV console or shelf.

They are easy to move around too, but with their size and weight - the entire set weighs about 20kg - you can forget about taking them along on vacation.

CONNECTIVITY

Setting up the LS50 Wirless was fuss-free and intuitive - simply connect each of the speaker boxes to a power source and then to each other via the supplied Ethernet cable.

You then have options of what sort of device you wish to connect, and using which method, to the LS50 Wireless.

The two simplest methods would be pairing it with your smartphone via Bluetooth, or a wireless connection via the LS50 Wireless app.

I also tried connecting the speakers to my laptop via a USB cable and to my smart TV using an optical cable.

Each method took me less than five minutes.

The LS50 Wireless was also user-friendly to operate - you control the speakers via a touchpad on the right speaker box or via a remote.

At its launch event, it was even connected to Amazon's Alexa intelligent personal assistant - which is not yet available here. The LS50 Wireless is certainly set for the future.

PERFORMANCE

The LS50 Wireless is equipped with KEF's digital signal processing technology, which ensures perfect alignment between high and low frequencies so that they arrive at your ears at the same time.

KEF also claims that all sound is upscaled to a high-quality 192kHz.

I played music and watched my favourite TV series using it and found the sound smooth, detailed and punchy even without a subwoofer (though you can attach your own).

The Uni-Q audio driver also allows the speaker to create three-dimensional sound, meaning the audio filled whatever room I tried the LS50 Wireless in and gave a rich and surround-sound experience.

The quality also remained consistent and comfortable for the ears even as I cranked up the volume, a highly impressive feat for a pair of speaker boxes.

PRICE

The $3,299 price tag for a pair of speakers may make one think twice, but it is said to be a replacement for the high-end traditional hi-fi system, which is usually priced from $6,000.

Also, it is not the most expensive speaker in KEF's arsenal - the Muon goes for an obscene $250,000.

OVERALL

The LS50 Wireless's high-quality sound, gorgeous aesthetics and savings on space make it a solid investment, but get it only if it is within your budget.