KEF LSX Review, the KEF LSX Wireless Music System

It’s not an easy job to bring down the size of a true hi-fi speaker while keeping the sound quality intact. However, KEF has pulled that near-impossible task off by making a miniature version of their award-winning LS50. In short, you’ll be getting almost the same performance, but in a smaller form factor, lower price and better connectivity.

Founded in 1961, UK-based KEF has been a key player in the audio industry for decades now. With a goal to perfect the Bluetooth audio system in mind, they launched the KEF LSX, a complete wireless music system. Now the question is if LSX has packed enough to be the best in the business? Read on to find out.

Here’s a summary of the technical specification of KEF LSX. To know more detailed stuff, you can visit the KEF official website. Going forward, this specification will help you better understand the review.

Product Specification 

KEF LSX Wireless Music System

Click here for more details

  • SPEAKER DESIGN: Two-way, Coaxial
  • Driver Units: HF: 19mm aluminum dome, LF/MF: 115mm magnesium/aluminum alloy cone
  • Wireless options: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2 (aptX)
  • Bluetooth Frequency: 2.402GHz – 2.48GHz
  • Wi-Fi Frequency: IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n, Dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz
  • Bluetooth Range & Memory: 10m, 8 devices
  • Input: TosLink (optical), RJ45 Ethernet, USB Type A, 3.5mm jack
  • Dimension: 240 x 155 x 180 mm (9.5 x 6.1 x 7.1in.)
  • Weight: 3.6kg (7.9lbs), 3.5kg (7.7lbs)

Contents

The Benefits & Drawbacks of the product

Before I Discuss each key aspect separately, these are some of the benefits and drawbacks KEF LSX has.

Benefits of KEF Q950

  • The stellar sound quality is obviously the biggest plus point of KEF LSX. The amount of detail and dynamic you get is something very rare from speakers this compact.
  • Physical inputs play a crucial role in making a speaker convenient. With KEF LSX, you’ll be getting all the common inputs like USB A, 3.5 mm jack and anethernet port.
  • Wireless streaming of this pair is something else. You get dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 with app control and compatibility with different streaming apps.
  • Lastly, the compact form factor is one of the key selling points of this speaker. If you don’t like or have enough room for a bigger set of speakers, then this KEF LSX can be a great addition to your media room.

Drawbacks of KEF Q950

  • For a premium price, it’s justified to expect a quality remote. However, the remote of KEF LSX look cheap, the buttons are flush, and the lettering is just hard to read. Besides’ the apps could have been more user-friendly.
  • Lack of digital assistants can be a deal-breaker for people prioritizing convenience.

As you can see, this pair of speakers has some drawbacks too. However, the bright side is none of that will affect the audio quality of the speaker.

Product Details

Now that you know the pros and cons, let’s dig a little deeper into the details. I’ll be talking about the physical appearance and usability in this part.

What are the speakers like physically?

The speakers feel pretty solid and heavy in hand. Despite the small size, the speakers were quite heavy because of the packed hardware inside. The cabinet has rounded edges at four corners, which goes pretty well with the overall aesthetic of the box. 

There is no grille at the front, and the exposed drivers add a modern touch to the minimalistic design. There are no control buttons or volume rocker at the front to keep the look clean. All the ports ad buttons are located at the back.

How are these speakers used? 

Using this pair of speakers is a pretty straightforward task. The speakers come with a manual that describes how you can set it up initially. There are two buttons, one marked as Bluetooth for pairing while the other one is to pair the master pie with the slave. Each of the speakers is powered by a cloverleaf ac power cable included in the box.

As we usually don’t have Ethernet cable at home, the speakers additionally come with a CAT6 Ethernet cable too. There is an indicator light on the master piece that indicates different connection statuses. After the initial setup, the speakers can be used both by the remote or the KEF control app.

Features and ratings

There are some key aspects every speaker has that decide the overall quality of the speaker. In this part, I’ll be breaking down those aspects and rate them accordingly.

Sound quality 

KEF LSX features the trademark Uni-Q driver array. If you previously listened to LS50 before, you’ll surely notice a similarity here. Despite the small size, the amount of loudness this speaker delivers is just mind-blowing. In addition, these speakers deliver crystal clear audio by separating different frequencies.

The mid-range is pretty balanced and paired with powerful and tight bass; you are in for a treat. Overall, the sound somewhat falls into the warmer category, so bright sound lovers will be a little disappointed. However, again, the sound preference is subjective, so I can’t complain about that.

Rating: 5/5

Connectivity

As I mentioned before, KEF LSX has all the connectivity options in the world. There is absolutely no scope for complaining here. The only drawback was the poor remote and the buggy app. I have seen multiple users addressing these issues.

Considering the reputation of KEF and the price tag, these issues were a little disappointing to see. However, KEF did acknowledge them and promised to work on them in the future. Other than the issues, you get almost all the inputs like USB A, Ethernet and an excellent old 3,5mm audio jack.

Wireless connectivity is handled by Bluetooth 4.2 and dual-band Wi-Fi. Though I complained about the app, I never faced any connection drop, which was good.

Rating: 4.5/5

Design and build 

Audio is sometimes a subjective matter. For example, some people love the bass, while others may prefer a balanced sound experience. But if you count the build and design in the equation, nothing can beat the stunning look of KEF LSX.

There are three color options, white, black and LSX green, with a separate accent color for the drivers at the middle. A solid plastic housing combined with these color, this can be the prettiest piece of your media setup. In addition, the cabin’s sides are wrapped in industry fabric, giving it a more premium feel.

Rating: 5/5

Performance 

KEF has done a great job of squeezing out the performance from the high-end hardware this pair of speakers feature. Especially the bass performance was superb. The transition between different sounds was smooth.

Additionally, for a coaxial speaker like this, the immersion felt like I was listening to a surround sound system. Separated music and tunes don’t get drowned into one another, and because of that, even low-bitrate songs sound a lot better.

Rating: 4.5/5

Other KEF Products Reviews

Product alternatives

Among hundreds of wireless music systems, there are some good contenders that can replace the KEF LSX. Below, I shortly introduced two such options that have similar performance and price tags.

Edifier S3000Pro Wireless Speakers

I don’t think Edifier needs any introduction here. This manufacturer is equally well-known as KEF, and for a few hundred bucks less, Edifier’s S3000Pro can be an excellent alternative to the LSX.

The sound is somewhat neutral, but overall the KEF LSX sounded better to me. However, S300Pro does look better, and the control is better with a physical volume button and a better remote.

Naim Mu-so Qb Wireless Music System

As this is a single-unit sound system, no direct comparison can be made for obvious reasons. However, if you are willing to look past multi-unit speakers options, you should definitely check out Mu-so Qb music system.

Under the grille, you’ll find the two main drivers facing different directions. It’s an all-metal body that looks excellent. The sound is a little too warm, but who knows, maybe that’s what you are after. Besides, the connectivity is great with multi-room support.

Final Verdict

After doing a hands-on KEF LSX review, I have to the manufacturer succeeded in its endeavor. No one can deny the fact that audio quality-wise, this is one of the best for the size. Besides, you get wireless connectivity, a pretty design and different input options, making it a good choice for audiophiles out there.

By no means is this pair cheap, but considering it’s a smaller version of the LS50, this is the least you should spend as an audiophile. Lastly, if you are not a huge fan of those large tower speakers, this compact wireless music system is definitely worth trying.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.