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KEF LS LUXE Wireless Delivers Big Sound in a Sleek Package

Do you love a great sounding music system: big, full orchestra type sound (or big band or the Stones pounding away… whatever your fave is)? But you don’t want the component boxes and big speakers that usually go along with premium sound. Is that you?   

It’s great to have a complete streaming music system on your desktop, kitchen counter, or flanking your TV set. KEF has had great success with wireless streaming speakers, with products like the LS 50 Wireless II and the floor standing LS60.  

LS 50 Wireless has won Product of the Year awards, and lets you stream almost any wireless music, including Bluetooth. We’ve wondered: can KEF make a larger version, with a bigger driver for better bass? We welcome KEF’s new LS LUXE Wireless system.  

Who is KEF? Raymond Cooke founded KEF in Kent, England in 1961. For 60 years they’ve been winning industry awards. KEF worked with the BBC to supply drivers for the LS3/5a monitor, one of audio’s most famous speakers. Versions of the LS3/5a are still sold today. KEF speakers like the Reference 104/2 from 1984 are legendary, and lots of folks just won’t give theirs up. 

LS LUXE is not only a speaker, but a true music system, with amplifiers and streaming connectivity built in: Airplay, WiFi, GoogleCast, Bluetooth. HDMI eArc video connections will also make your movies, TV shows, and ballgames sound great.  LUXE is wireless between the speakers, and from your phone - but you must plug in the included power cords for the internal amplifiers.

What high-res streaming services does LS LUXE support? All of the majors: Amazon Music, Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, and it does internet radio too. LUXE can handle high-res audio up to 24 bit / 384K resolution. By contrast, CD is a 16-bit, 44K system. Your high-resolution streaming will sound great with LS LUXE. 

Why this striking design? LS LUXE is aesthetically attractive, and form follows function, as LUXE’s smooth, rounded cabinet helps it sound better. With sculpted curves, the sound isn’t being reflected off a flat front baffle and diffracting against sharp edges, as with a common speaker box. 

The benefit: you get a natural, clear, open sound. The aesthetic appeal also includes your choice of finishes; the ever-popular black or white. It is also offered in a cool Dusk Titanium finish.

Let’s discuss the benefits of the 12th generation UniQ driver array. First, it’s a 6.5-inch driver, rather than the 5.25 driver of the LS 50. You’ll get better, fuller bass notes, in a slightly larger cabinet that isn’t too big. The tweeter for high frequencies is exactly at the mid-bass driver’s center, forming a single point source. 

The benefit is that music moves toward your ears in sync, for better sound with a wider “sweet spot”, so the music sounds gret even if you aren’t seated dead center.  You won’t have to sit perfectly in between the speakers to enjoy them.  

The amplifiers provide lots of power. KEF specs LS LUXE at a max SPL of 110 dB. roughly equal to a landing jet airplane at a half mile. There is 280 watts of class D power for the drivers, plus 100 more watts of class A/B power for the mid/high frequencies. If you want the absolute most volume for your dollar, you might choose bigger speakers; but these play plenty loud and clean.

Let’s talk tech: what is Metamaterial Absorption Technology, or MAT? It is a maze-like pad that diffuses the rear sound waves rather than having them bounce off the speaker cabinet’s back wall. Thus, no delayed signal comes through the driver a moment later, competing with and messing up the music being made now.

KEF also uses two other technologies to keep your sound clean. Velocity Control Technology is a built-in sensor that keeps the woofer’s motion under control, for clean, tight bass notes. Their Music Integrity Engine is a DSP /Digital Signal Processing system that keeps the driver and tweeter working in harmony. You hear more detail, a more accurate sound 

So, what happened when we listened? Steely Dan’s Josie, from the Aja album, sounded crisp and clear, with Chuck Rainey’s bass lines sounding impressive for such a compact product.  We were impressed with the big soundstage too.  Adele’s Easy on Me features a simple piano intro that sounded crisp and clear, with her voice floating easily above it.  

Rear panel inputs are plentiful. You can connect your TV with eArc, for great sounding movies and shows. You can connect audio sources like your CD player or phono preamp for vinyl, plus optical and coax connections for legacy video sources

A big bonus is you can add subwoofers to help fill larger rooms, or if you just love bass! These have good, solid bass on their own, but if you love your slam factor, a powered subwoofer or two will really go a long way, especially in larger rooms. This also helps you get the system you want over time from the budgeting perspective: LS LUXE now, a sub later, a second sub after that.    

The KEF Connect app makes controlling your music easy as well.  The app has EQ options which we love, as they help you to customize your sound so that it sounds great in your home.  KEF also includes a handy remote, with all the basic functions.

The optional LS LUXE floor stands are impressively sturdy.  They not only secure your LS LUXE, but also offer wire management so you can hide the power cables needed to power the amplifiers. They also can be filled with sand or shot to keep things more stable, and KEF includes spike discs, so you won’t scratch up your nice wood floors.  

A last point: KEF’s optional wireless subwoofer adapter means that you can add better, more powerful, deeper bass without cluttering up your home with extra wires. 

KEF LS LUXE wireless hifi system is not inexpensive @ $3,995 per pair, but we’re convinced that many folks who want big sound, without big boxes and big speakers dominating their living room, will enjoy this system very much.  This is the product we’ve been waiting for to bridge the gap between the popular LS50 Wireless and their excellent LS60 floor-standing wireless system. Thank you for spending time with us today — we hope to see you soon.