Active Kef LS50

[erniejade]

12x17  the bass can be nice in that room with the kef.  In my room, I have a 2 foot deep 6 foot long cutout on the 11 foot wall that I call a bass suckout.  The sub with my small of a room should be overkill if it wasn't for the suckout! 

[Arcus]

Okay, that explains it. On that note, I was listening to something earlier today and decided it might benefit from the sub so I plugged it again, played around, and may have found a setting I like.

These speakers continue to amaze with or w/o a sub!

[erniejade]

Agreed. For the $, they are darn good. well, good enoigh for me to sell off the Mcintosh mc402,  Joule Electra LAP-150A pre on down to the speakers and cables and replace all of that with the KEF.  

 

I keep flipping back and forth on the crossover.  75 hz and 85 hz.   Classic rock on the 85hz setting  kind of gives it more of a kick from the sub but with jazz, 75hz.  I did try 80 but for some reason, I didn't care for it as much  but  my room is challenged.  

[MikeJazz]

On 22/03/2017 at 10:53 PM, wgb113 said:

My pair in the wild...these things rock!

 

what a wonderful room! Love it!

 

[gbryant]

My wish is that KEF produces software for my MAC.... I would rather use that than the iPad app

[erniejade]

Can you go to iTunes and try loading it on your MAC?   I have it on my ipad and cell phone both but having tried it on the home computer.

[http404]

Apologies if this has been asked and answered before, but can the LS50w volume only be controlled via the KEF app / physical buttons, or does software volume control via an NAA (microRendu / sMS-200) work as well?

[DarwinOSX]

7 minutes ago, http404 said:

Apologies if this has been asked and answered before, but can the LS50w volume only be controlled via the KEF app / physical buttons, or does software volume control via an NAA (microRendu / sMS-200) work as well?

 

 

Anything attached by optical doesn't work for volume control.  Not sure about the microrendu but I bet it won't work..

I'm using a Logitech Harmony 650 remote with mine since I can't stand the standard remote.

[http404]

microRendu and sMS-200 connect via USB only

[gbryant]

Volume controls

 

Wireless / wired network = software and speaker 

Bluetooth = software and speaker

PC input (USB) = software and speaker

Optical = speaker only

RCA = preamp and speaker

[Arcus]

I'm using a Logitech Transporter as a Roon endpoint connected via optical and I can control it's volume from the Roon app.

[DarwinOSX]

6 minutes ago, http404 said:

microRendu and sMS-200 connect via USB only

Oh right,,,,and the other end is ethernet?  Good way to make a Roon endpoint with these speakers.

[http404]

22 minutes ago, Arcus said:

I'm using a Logitech Transporter as a Roon endpoint connected via optical and I can control it's volume from the Roon app.

 

Very cool, thanks!

[http404]

20 minutes ago, DarwinOSX said:

Oh right,,,,and the other end is ethernet?  Good way to make a Roon endpoint with these speakers.

 

Exactly - especially since the microRendu is designed small and light enough to just suspend from a short USB cable such as a Curious Regen link. 

[Arcus]

I can also use the Roon app to control the volume of my Raspberry Pi /Hifiberry combo connected to the speakers. Hopefully, Roon support will be added soon so we can eliminate the need for any of these other devices.

[erniejade]

I just use the nice small remote that comes with the speakers for volume.  

[Arcus]

LOL. Yes, that is the simplest option and I find myself defaulting to it most of the time.

[DarwinOSX]

45 minutes ago, erniejade said:

I just use the nice small remote that comes with the speakers for volume.  

It's a terrible remote. The buttons are awful and not backlit. Cheap creaky plastic. It really is an afterthought and doesn't do justice to these speakers. 

 

[DarwinOSX]

1 hour ago, http404 said:

 

Exactly - especially since the microRendu is designed small and light enough to just suspend from a short USB cable such as a Curious Regen link. 

I've been looking  at this and the Bluseound Node 2 which was also give me Roon AND MQA through Tidal. 

[DarwinOSX]

1 hour ago, Arcus said:

I can also use the Roon app to control the volume of my Raspberry Pi /Hifiberry combo connected to the speakers. Hopefully, Roon support will be added soon so we can eliminate the need for any of these other devices.

You use the Pi as a Roon endpoint?  Connected how?

[http404]

1 hour ago, Arcus said:

 

I can also use the Roon app to control the volume

 

 

That's what I'm after - since I'm already doing everything else through Roon, controlling volume at the same time is more convenient than digging for a remote control.

[Arcus]

17 minutes ago, DarwinOSX said:

You use the Pi as a Roon endpoint?  Connected how?

I installed PiCoreplayer on the RPi and then enabled Squeezebox Support in Roon. I also have an RPi in the living room that controls ceiling speakers around the main floor of the house and another that controls speakers in the backyard. Roon will allow you to sync the same devices so I can have everything playing when we have a bunch of people over.

[erniejade]

15 hours ago, DarwinOSX said:

I've been looking  at this and the Bluseound Node 2 which was also give me Roon AND MQA through Tidal. 

I tried a node2 for about a week and returned it. To me, the soundstage shrunk several feet and it sounded constricted. This followed using the built in dac or my external dac. My wife and I both agreed the laptop going through a w4s recovery to the dac sounded much better. For the money, it is a good unit but, if you want something that is a little better for the same money especially using an  external dac , try the Aries mini. You can put a hard drive inside of it, output from USB right to the Kef, supports tidal but, you need to have a Mac product to run the software.

[erniejade]

I almost forgot, if you do go with the Mini, try an upgraded power supply.

[DarwinOSX]

58 minutes ago, erniejade said:

I tried a node2 for about a week and returned it. To me, the soundstage shrunk several feet and it sounded constricted. This followed using the built in dac or my external dac. My wife and I both agreed the laptop going through a w4s recovery to the dac sounded much better. For the money, it is a good unit but, if you want something that is a little better for the same money especially using an  external dac , try the Aries mini. You can put a hard drive inside of it, output from USB right to the Kef, supports tidal but, you need to have a Mac product to run the software.

 

Thanks, I think if you use the RCA from the Node 2 to the Kefs it uses the Kef dac but then you get the digital to analog conversion.

I thought about the Aries mini but I feel that anything I get has to support MQA too.  If the Aries mini connects by usb which dac does it use?  It's own or the Kefs?