Active Kef LS50

[canali]

subbed..

 

right now i'm more into head gear and portable audio (iems/chord mojo)...just starting to consider setting up a new living room rig..

 

active speakers also interest me...just the lack of wires, more boxes and having the company integrate quality products together...would prefer going this route over the sonos or blue sound route.

still investigating this field as aside from Devialet, I think dynaaudio also offers active speakers.

[canali]

hi guys,...could really do with your imput kindly.

i'm on the fence about these speakers given the 'issues' noted.

but then again, i don't wish to go to the MUCH more expensive dynaudio focus xd20

(3x the cost and really out of my budget..but they have great reliablity/connectivity reviews)...or to separates.

 

are most of you overall happy with the purchase and would buy them again?

 

also for my desktop setup with focal alpha 50s (and headphone rig)  i'm using Roon, Tidal, a microrendu (1.4 upgrade) and lps1 power supply...would the microrendu/lps1 still make a difference now that Roon is in the picture...or is it redundant? i just read one gent above noting people who have the MR are finding it not necessary now with Roon (i always thought the signal from ethernet/usb would always be cleaner with a MR or such...guess i'm wrong?)

 

many thanks for any imput.....i have to decide tomorrow if ill take a pair at US1750.

sure it's a sale, but if in the longer run proves it's a hassle with repeat pairs (returns/exhanges) needing to get it right then i'm wary of spending my hard earned money.

[canali]

12 hours ago, DarwinOSX said:

I would have to say I would think long and hard about buying them again.  I probably would not.  

I could not recommend them to a friend for concern that they might have issues.

Are you getting them new for $1750?  if so use a card that doubles the warranty and keep the box.

i found a SonicTransporter and an All US Bridge to be redundant after Roon integration.

 

Quote

many thanks to everyone who's replied:   

btw: when i highlight things it's not to shout: just i'm not as brief as are others so just like to have main points stand out...thanks for the imput.

my kef ls50wls will be brand new from a local dealer.

...might also get extended warranty to play it safe.

 

also i think that i need an sonictransporter i5 because my 10 yr old laptop can't handle roon alot of times well...using an ipad mini4 as well as a router...eventually i'll upgrade my laptop but for now it's $$$.

 

[canali]

1 hour ago, DarwinOSX said:

Brand new for that price is pretty darn good.

How do you get an extended warranty?

I should get a Sonic Transporter and get Roon off my laptop although it doesn't really seem to matter much because my laptop is always there and its a 2017 MacBook Pro.

 

hi i was just hoping the retailer i'm buying them from offers an extended warranty.

[canali]

update: yes i bought a pair (ordered the white) decided to add extended warranty thru my retailer (it is also transferable)..got a 5 yr for cdn$250...normally i don't buy extended warranties, but just decided to play it safe given some of the issues with these

will help with resale value, too, when i eventually sell them down the road.

[canali]

friendly heads up...SVS just started a limited edition of their popular

SB2000 series in WHITE gloss...i couldn't resist so i ordered one to match my incoming white speakers and performance stands.

(might go dual eventually..but am a bit tight $$$ right now).

https://www.svsound.com/products/sb-2000

 

i also bought an isoacoustic stand for the sub.

http://www.isoacoustics.com/products/iso-l8r-series-speaker-isolation-stands/iso-l8r200sub-acoustic-isolation-stand-for-subwoofers/

 

[canali]

guys:  a question on setup.

 

so i will have my kef ls50 w in the living room with tv.

in my kitchen/desktop sits my MR, LPS1 and chord mojo, roon/laptop, ipad mini4.

 

i just got in a sonictransporter i5.

 

is it better to keep the system separate? i've read of less 'noise' and better SQ when  people are doing this? or just move everything to the living room near the speakers?

[canali]

19 minutes ago, DarwinOSX said:

I use the SVS isolation feet for mine. 

https://www.svsound.com/products/soundpath-subwoofer-isolation-system

 

yes i was looking at those, too. good choice, too 

 

[canali]

question:

i've also got a pair of kef ls50w that i'm about to setup in my living room.

also just got in the sonictransporter i5.

 

i hear that many people are now selling their microrendu due to roon being in the kefs.

 

but a question: my sonictransporter i5/MR is on my kitchen table...i'm about to get in a blue sound pulse mini.

would the MR still be useful here if i'm feeding Tidal to it with the sonictransporter?

[canali]

3 hours ago, Jonny said:

 

Really? I've tried wireless and wired ethernet with Roon and I get a much better sound with just Optical out of MacPro in Exclusive Mode into the Kef's. Highs are way smoother and a more relaxed sound overall. 

 

thanks for the replies, guys....so i guess i'll keep the MR.

 

per toslink optical, anyone have $$$ ones here? i don't wish to open the 'wormhole' of cables, but i just got the amazon bluerigger toslink optical (for audio out from lg oled tv into kef ls50w)

https://www.amazon.ca/BlueRigger-Digital-Optical-Audio-Toslink/dp/B005LJQMZC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515685107&sr=8-1&keywords=bluerigger+toslink

...but my audiophile snot friend sniffed at that...he instead has the $$$US200 wireworld 'supernova7'....https://store.wireworldcable.com/products/supernova-toslink-optical-audio-cables?variant=950544899

 

however, i'm wary of audio diffs for decently made digital cables...i've read that for digital cables that they're all pretty much 'dumb pipes'..whether they be hdmi or toslink...see cnet below

https://www.cnet.com/news/when-are-expensive-cables-worth-it/

 

this all said, i did invest in the ifi spdif purifier

https://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/accessory-spdif-ipurifier/