Those are two vastly different price points. The Reference 1s will be capable of more bass of course. Can't speak for the Reference line but the new R series has been underwhelming to my ears and I feel the treble quality is a regression from that of the LS50s. For a small, near-field environment, I feel the LS50s with high-quality ancillaries are hard to beat for their tone and imaging.
Otherwise get a pair of Spendor A4s, very hard to go wrong with those. |
Have you considered the ls50W? |
I've had the Reference 1 in for a home demo and they are a good or better than my Harbeth Super HL5 Plus. I've never heard the LS50, but my research uncovered many owners mentioning upgrading from the LS50 and I don't remember seeing any that didn't feel it was worthwhile. |
The KEF REF1 are going for around $4K used nowadays. It is a much better speaker than the LS50.
I am a happy LS50 owner myself (5 years+) but I do miss having the low frequencies and I do not want subs. I should have gotten the KEF REF1 but at that time it was about 5x more expensive.
The new Magico A1 sounds interesting and I will have a listen to it at Brooks Berdan in LA (when it Covaid is less). The TAD ME1 are much better than the KEF LS50 and the KEF REF1. Though the price is a killer.
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You can get new B stock ref 1 with a warranty for a little over $4K. |
@big_greg What is the difference between B-Stock and regular stock? Where did you see the $4K B-Stock? |
B stock is stock that has been opened and returned or ex demo |
These ones have some very light marks on the rings around the drivers. You'd probably never notice if it wasn't pointed out. Echo Audio in Portland. They are a KEF dealer. |
Not what kenjit said. They're brand new, just a small defect from manufacturing. |
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I should have made it clear that I have a pair of KEF Reference 1s and eight LS50s. I have all the Ayre stuff, except an AX-5 Twenty integrated, but I have the KX-5 and VX-5 Twenty separates. |
If you have both speakers, it seems like something you could decide for yourself? What part of the decision are you unsure about? |
Huh? You have eight LS 50s and Ref 1 already and you’re asking the forum’s opinion on what you should do?
i guess that must mean you cannot tell the difference between them, or else why would you be asking?
Given that, sell whatever you can get the most for and keep that which least expensive. |
It's not easy for me to do an AB comparison. Although I think both speakers sound great, at times I think I prefer the LS50s, and that concerns me. The pair of servo 15" subs use bass management that provides acoustic room correction, so that to some extent removes the issue of LF extension.
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@ big_greg, kren0006 +1
It's not easy for me to do an AB comparison.
how can it not be easy to do a comparison when you have the speakers already ?? |
Don’t be a slave to msrp. If the LS50 sounds better to you then that is the right one regardless of cost. Certainly wouldn’t be first who loved that speaker above costlier ones |
My vote goes to the LS50 as the speaker I would rather listen to. I owned a pair and loved them.
I spent an afternoon listening to a pair of REF 1s. Beautiful speaker, disappointing sound. |
I have heard the Ref 1 sound awful and also brilliant. The difference was the rooms. Actually my LS50 sounded awful in my small room until I got it treated by GIK. In my treated room, the Ref 1 wound be an improvement for my sub less LS50 system. |
If you cannot tell which you prefer in your own system and room, then you have a problem no one is going to be able to help you with.
FWIW I have the LS50s in my office setup and auditioned the Ref 1s before purchasing the LS50s. The law of diminishing returns was clear to me during the comparo, and in my second system that made the decision to buy the LS50s easy.
In my main system however the Ref 1 would have been the easy choice as I listen to that rig often at high volume with experimental instrumental compositions including ambient electronica - the only standmount I have heard that I prefer to the Ref 1 for my tastes in volume/genre for around the same money is the Totem Fire V2.
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I second the magico A1 they are incredible and better the ref 1 in every way imo. |
