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dissapointed - new LS50w's vs old PioneerFS52's/Luxman R113 - so far Kef's not so great?

windows pc system,
listened an hour thus far, the Kef's are sitting on top of the Pioneers, straddling a computer desk, at the moment Kef's are usb connected and the luxman feeds into the pc via 3.5mm so I can kind of a/b
I plan on getting iso acoustic pucks soon

gotta say quite underwhelmed thus far, maybe a touch more clarity and imaging from kefs, slightly crisper highs
bass is not really close much better on the pioneers

I've played around with the app just a bit, guessing the kefs need break in also?
getting swan m300's next but not before I'm sure I've given the kefs a thorough workout over a few hundred hours
thoughts/advice?


audiocanada
pokey77
1,261 posts
 
@yyzsantabarbara 

I appreciate the update. And I also didn't pay attention to the OP when they said they had the wireless setup. 
Post removed 
johnyguy
7 posts
 
I have seen many reviews and everyone one of them is positive about this speakers !!

They need power to drive them also it is a small speaker so dont except floorstander performance from them regarding bass  responses!

But what i have heard they sounds really good for it size as long as you expectations are in check.

Other thing is placement as well as room acoustics play a big part!
Place them at least 2 feet away from the wall!



sharbatgula
19 posts
 
I own the LS50s (passives), feed them with 60w per channel and mate them with a sub in a room that is too big for them alone w/out a sub.
It took about two-three weeks for me to break-in the speakers. But they never sounded harsh, boxy or unrefined in any way during the break-in process.
After the break-in, I noticed they opened-up significantly, the sound became more transparent and I could more easily discern the quality of the records. A change in amp is very detectable on these speakers.
Overall, they are very neutral, honest and smooth speakers.
Before these speaker I was a non-believer in break-in, but these are really such speakers that the transformation is very noticeable.
Then I wanted to go u/g to the LS50w. I heard them on High-end audio in Munich, they sounded very nice with vocals, but I noticed the boxyness.
Second time I heard a pair right out of the box with zero break-in and they sounded very muffled and boxy. I decided not to upgrade.
sharbatgula
19 posts
 
P.S. An advice:
Let them break-in and don't do the A/B comparison all the time. Play various genres of music for about a week, then you will be able to build your opinion and possibly appreciation of the speakers.

Then play your old setup for a day or two and you will notice either why they are better overall or notice their drawbacks against a more neutral and honest speaker. A flat response speaker will always lose in A/B comparison to a one that is colored to excite on first hear, just like those TV sets in a store with maxed contrast and backlight. Bring it home with those settings and you will get blind.
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