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KEF LS50 - Bass/Placement Issues, Time To Change?

S

SomeGuy

pfm Member
Hi all,

I have recently moved & I am having some considerable issues in containing the bass bloom I am experiencing with these speakers.

It's almost certainly a result of not being able to locate them in enough 'clear air' & I can't get past the feeling that something is missing when I utilise the bungs which control the bass effectively much seem to take a slice of energy away from the speakers which I can't say I'm fond of.

I can't move the speakers from their current location so I'm starting to resign myself to changing them.

Are sealed speakers the answer to my issues here? I can give them about 40cm from the back wall & one of the speakers is around 40cm from a side wall).

Any assistance/suggestions welcome. I can probably go to about £800, although I would rather spend less if I can (happy with second hand).

Many thanks in advance for any help.
 
If you end up in a situation where the reflex port frequency lies on a major room node it is a whole world of pain IME. There are some who like electronic room correction etc, and it may well be worth a try if you are happy to EQ the system for one point in the room/happy with the signal passing through a lot of additional circuitry, filters etc, but in the past I've always just swapped speakers. I tend to prefer infinite baffle small speakers, i.e. just ditch the port entirely!

PS FWIW I really like the LS50, it is a very good little speaker.
 
I have considered EQ, but that feels like a considerable 'commitment', so agree with you that maybe swapping is the way to find something that will behave within my room.

They are indeed lovely speakers. Stupid room.
 
I like the LS50 a lot but when I had mine they did need a lot of room the breath and a pair of very good quite high mass stands.

In general I dislike ports but the KEFs were very nice.

What about Kans, tight as a button, fast as you like and a hoot!!! Hard up against a solid wall and a good source is all they need.
 
I've got myself a pair of Target R1 stands which are pretty weighty so I hope I'm covered on that front.

I hadn't considered Kans, they seem to be something of an acquired taste it would seem, but I'm certainly not going to rule anything out, they'll certainly suit my placement limitations. Are their matching stands a necessity?
 
SomeGuy said:
I've got myself a pair of Target R1 stands which are pretty weighty so I hope I'm covered on that front.

I hadn't considered Kans, they seem to be something of an acquired taste it would seem, but I'm certainly not going to rule anything out, they'll certainly suit my placement limitations. Are their matching stands a necessity?
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A lot of folk will tell you their MKII stands are essential, I have mine on them at the moment, Sound Organisation wall brackets also work really well. In truth I have used Kans on a high mass stand as well, pure heresy and they sound fine. :eek:

I'd have no issue with you R1s though MKII Kan stands are easy to find. :)

Kans have as many haters as likers, THE classic Marmite speaker, get them right and there is nothing quite like them.
 
What are the dimensions of your room, listening habits and genres of choice?

The Neat Iotas might be an option but are rather small so depends on your needs.
 
Room is 4x4.5m (give or take).

I listen to a lot of rock/heavy metal but I also listen to a wide range of other genres. i don't need earth shattering volume.

I've had the Iota's previously, albeit at my last property, & wasn't that fussed for them, but again, I won't scoff at any suggestions.
 
What amp are you driving them with? It may a bit more grunt may make a difference although I suspect as you drove them ok in your previous room it may be wishful thinking.

Have you considered active speakers? One of AVIs offering like the 9s maybe ideal, I'm off to take cover!
 
Ah yes, the Ergo's had slipped my mind. They look very interesting indeed & i note that there is potential for a home demo which I may enquire about.

Thanks all for your assistance thus far, really helpful.
 
I am currently running them with an Arcam A19, which seems to have a decent amount of grip over them, but I'm on the lookout for a big 'ol Sony ES beast as an alternative.

I haven't thought a great deal about the active route, seems like a further amount of investigation would be required to get a handle on this option.
 
IMO. The LS50s deserves better amp than the Arcam A19 for them to really sing. I used to own a pair with A29
 
I don't doubt that they can handle considerably more amplifier however, I don't feel like a 'better' amplifier will fix the issues I'm having (happy to be corrected on this point).

Can anyone who has LS50's who is delighted with them within their room/space confirm how much space they have?
 
The LS50s definitely respond well to a good powerful amp IMO. They are good enough speakers to have a 'sky is the limit' view on that to be honest. I've a friend with a pair driven by a big MF power amp, a 3.2CR IIRC and that works very well producing a really large and punchy sound. I'd like to hear them with Devialet upstream too as there is a SAM model for them.
 
I have mine 70cms from the rear wall and 80 from the side walls in a 4x4m room. The stands are the atacama moseco 6 with the atacama gel pads and fulled with poolfilter sand They shine with a great soundstage and so pretty tonal balance. They are paired with a Musical Fidelity M3i. Give them space and they disappear.
 
SomeGuy said:
I don't doubt that they can handle considerably more amplifier however, I don't feel like a 'better' amplifier will fix the issues I'm having (happy to be corrected on this point).

Can anyone who has LS50's who is delighted with them within their room/space confirm how much space they have?
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a better, more powerful amplifier tightened things up for me/played with more authority

but they wouldn't be my first or fifth choice for heavy rock
 
SomeGuy said:
Ah yes, the Ergo's had slipped my mind. They look very interesting indeed & i note that there is potential for a home demo which I may enquire about.

Thanks all for your assistance thus far, really helpful.
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There is indeed the potential for a home demo with my test pair, they're a bit rough and ready but do the job sound wise. I'd intended really to send them out to the first customer on a list and then that customer send them onto the next and so on, however I've not got round to putting something in the trade section yet.

I'll reply to your PM.

Stefan
 
Thanks Natxopop, I can't give them that much space which I suspect is a contributor to the considerable bloom I'm struggling to overcome. It certainly doesn't look like my room will allow them the space they need.

I've quite enjoyed them with rock etc, I was rather surprised as I had expected them to be poorly suited. They have certainly been my favourite speaker to date but there may well be something more suited to my listening preferences.
 
I also have ls50's and sometimes feel I have the same problems as you. They improve massively when I can pull them 60-70cm from the rear wall, but the other half won't let them stay there!
I'm considering some Proac 118's as they are front ported and by all accounts shine with rock and heavier stuff.
 
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