What to upgrade from a Kef ls50 meta?
My amp, an Anthem STR, has informed me that it would like to have a new friend to play with. Any suggestions would greatly help me out in this situation. I am looking 👀 at a pair of Monitor Audio Gold 100 6G. Because of space constraints, bookshelf speakers only. Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
how about a subwoofer and use Anthem's ARC to integrate it and cross very high? @gkelly and you can do that whilst getting a more volume headroom speaker. Get this standmount pair - Mofi Electronics - SourcePoint 10 Master Edition Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Music Direct |
@kofibaffour already have a pair of REL T7X so that is covered. The source point is interesting. Wish I had the room for their Towers that would blow off all the doors in the room. |
I would search here https://speakerchoices.com/ |
I went from the LS50 Meta + KEF KC62 sub (a superb combo) to the Magnepan LRS+. The Maggies were a more fun to listen to with the wall of sound effect. The clarity and detail of the LRS+ is slightly below the level of the LS50 Meta. I then had to trade my small office to another smaller space. The LS50 and LRS+ were in the bigger office. The smaller office now has the Magnepan Mini speakers. This speaker has the same level of clarity as the LS50 Meta. It also has that same wall of sound effect. However, my office space is small enough for this speaker setup to shine. The Maggies also do not have as much side wall reflections as the LS50, so it is easier to place. The Maggies need a strong amp, and I use the $2000 Schitt Wotan amp. A gem of an amp for the price (sounds like it cost 4x more). I also still use the KEF KC62 sub |
@rbstehno confused by your statement. Why do you want me to trade in a $6500 amplifier for a $6000 all-in-one speakers. The LS 50s sound great. I just was trying to be more in line with the cost of amplifier and speaker synergy. |
@zlone love the idea of reference ones, I just don’t have the cheddar to make that happen. Definitely a someday save. Like the idea of a ribbon tweeters Is why I am looking at the monitor. |
@daytrader thanks for the vote of confidence. Probably will pay the invoice on Monday. I just wanted to make sure that there wasn’t one of us who would come out and say OMG don’t do that. |
@roadcykler The above post about the Voda confidence was meant for you |
I like the idea of second hand REF 1's...even if it takes more time to save. You already know you like KEF & the REF 1's are phenomenal. I saw a pair for $4500 on my local Marketplace not too long ago. Those Monitor Audio's look legit. I have eyeballed them as well. But my limited experience with ribbons & AMT tweeters has not been fruitful long term. I ran the R3 Meta's in my living room for a little while but eventually sold them. Nothing was wrong with their performance & I liked the gloss black look but I replaced them with a pair of Fritz REV7 SE bookshelves. Glorious midrange & vocals. Fritz has a few different models of speakers & you can request one type of tweeter or woofer over another if you have personal preferences in such things. Home trials as well. |
I would definitely try to audition some speakers at a local hifi shop if that's available. They may even let you borrow some to try in your space before you buy. So hard for strangers in the internet to determine the right speaker for you. What qualities are you looking for in this speaker? If you want live, impactful sound, go with Tekton, like an impact monitor or encore monitor. If you want smooth and open go with Harbeth? Lots of options. Too many to consider. That's why it's best to see if you can audition some examples in your space with your system and YOUR ears. In the sub stratospheric though I see Harbeth and tekton as kings personally but everyone's tastes are different. Personally have never been a huge fan of Kef and think they are really overrated considering their significant SPL limitations and distortion |
I may be the only one here who has upgraded from LS-50s to a Monitor Audio product. And I have zero regrets, LS-50s are a nearfield monitor, They work best in small rooms with a current-heavy amp of 100W/Ch or so. In my room, they just sounded lost and small. I bought a set of Monitor Audio Silver 300 7Gs and have never looked back. The MA 'house sound' is very clear and dynamic. My first thought was "This is what JBLs should sound like." They have the kind of jump factor that many speakers lack, combined with the smoothness and refined sound of a high end British speaker that is just irresistible to me. The Gold series is a more refined version than the Silver, with an amt-style tweeter replacing their already excellent dome, upgrades to the bass and midrange and nicer cabinetry, One final feature of the MA speakers is the tunability - slackening or tightening the rear mount woofer can make a significant difference in sound quality, as well as the rear port which can be plugged if your room placement moves them too close to the rear wall. When broken in I think you'll be pleased with the bass, unless you're a pipe organ fanatic, Short of that you'll find it tight, percussive, and reaching down far enough for full bass bass guitar and string bass coverage at any reasonable listening level in rooms under 200ft2. |
@panzrwagn nice 😊 thank you |
@gkelly please share your thoughts about the MA's when you get them..comparing them to the LS50's. I am definitely curious what you think after spending time with and liking the KEF coaxial. For what it's worth (nothing now lol), I personally felt that the R3 Meta gave me a little something extra over the LS50 Meta. It might not have been the bigger jump in difference that you were aspiring for though. Good luck with the Monitor Audio's...I hope to hear your opinions of them. |
@gkelly I recommend Marten Oscar Duo speakers. |
@mattw73 Not taking anything away from KEF, they've done more to advance speaker technology than almost any other manufacturer except maybe JBL. That said, I've typically found them to lack the dynamics of, for example, a JBL in exchange for a smooth neutrality. To me, Monitor Audio bridges that gap, combining the best of both. The MA Bronze line offers a lot for the dollar, but on close examination, the 'value engineering' becomes evident. The Silver Line, across the board offers a shocking level of performance for the dollar, as evidenced by the Stereophile review of the Silver 500 7G - a $3400 pair of speakers that was placed in their 'Class A' components along with speakers 2, 3, even 10X as costly. That's one of about 6 or 8 awards that speaker has won. The Gold Line steps everything up another significant step, with upgrades to every aspect of the cabinets, drivers, crossovers, replacing their already excellent dome with an AMT-style tweeter, like all MA drivers, of their own design. The Gold 100 is a very unique design, a 3-Way 8" bookshelf/standmount, for when an uncompromised speaker with that form factor is required in a small to medium room. It shares all the clarity and dynamics of the other MA speakers combined with a reasonable level of bass tuning, sacrificing only maximum output and the lowest (20-40Hz) octave of bass when compared to larger speakers. Finally, the Platinum series Is a true flagship product, probably best evidenced by the weight of the Platinum 300 at 118lbs each, versus the Gold and Silver equivalents at 58lbs and 49 lbs, respectively. The Platinum 300 review in HiFi+ sums it up best, "There is, I think we can all agree, a great deal of satisfaction to be derived from being in the presence of expertise". That is a good description of Monitor Audio overall, regardless in which line one is shopping. |
@panzrwagn definitely, I’m going to hire you to be my hype-man!😎 |
When my KEF R 105/3’s were 25 years old I sold them and went on the upgrade path. I bought and resold a bunch of speakers in the +/- $20k retail range, all well regarded and all were great, but I think I landed back on KEF because after so many years I got used to them and as good as others were, and though they all did something better I was so used to the KEFs that I kept nit picking until I landed back with them, blades this time. Even the legendary r107 sounded off once I was used to the uni-q. |
@steve59 that is my biggest fear because I truly do like these LS 50s. I’m just hoping this little detour provides some decent scenic views. |
@gkelly Mama always said if you're telling the truth, you ain't bragging. |
@panzrwagn I completely understand your personal opinion & experience's with KEF. I acknowledge their great engineering & find nothing totally objective about their new R Meta series of speakers...but my ownership of the R3 Meta's lasted 3 maybe 4 months waiting on a buyer to where I didn't lose anything after the great deal I got. I can appreciate the directivity & certain dispersion aspects of the speakers but they don't wow me. Listening to the R11 Meta with about 330 watts was a better experience but for $7k I can think of a few speakers I would gravitate towards first. No disrespect to KEF or people who like them. I think they are a safe speaker that will sound good in most rooms..& I actually liked the aesthetics of them. Personal preferences thing in my case to get rid of them. But if one likes the LS50 Meta I do feel that the R3 & Reference One are legit improvements on that same style & performance.
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