After weeks of teases, KEF has finally shown their hand. Today they unveiled the highly anticipated LS50 Collection, an assemblage of two new LS50 speakers. The two models, the $1499 LS50 Meta and $2499 LS50 Wireless II, are based around KEF’s new Metamaterial Absorption Technology or MAT for short, which they incorporate into the drivers. With MAT, Kef utilizes metamaterials (an assembly of composites which exhibit new properties when used together) as a synthetic sound absorption device (instead of foam or similar material) to reduce a claimed 99% of rearward distortion. The declared result is a “more accurate, immersive sound” over the original LS50 models.
Besides the upgraded drivers, the LS50 Wireless 2 gets a raft of additional enhancements over the original LS50 wireless, including a more powerful amplifier, wireless connectivity between speakers, plus new MQA, DSD, and Apple AirPlay compatibility.
The LS50 speaker was released back in 2012 to celebrate KEF’s 50th anniversary, and over the years, it has become iconic, drawing accolades from just about all of the audio press. It also has legions of audiophile fans, including yours truly. However, with all of the advances in speaker technology over the years, they were due for an upgrade.
So far, early reviews say the new models are a clear upgrade over the originals in sound quality. Can’t wait to hear them.
Check out the videos below for more info on the new KEF LS50 Collection and MAT:
I’m an audio writer who started as a young audio salesman/consumer electronics professional back in the late 90s. That’s where I discovered the magic of 2-Channel sound. My thirst for great sound has led me on a delightful music quest that continues today.
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