KEF has enjoyed considerable success making active wireless stereo systems.
KEF’s LS50 Wireless II speaker system has become an exemplar of this success, becoming something of a modern-day legend in the process. The five-star system has scooped so many What Hi-Fi? Awards, and been on our list of the best hi-fi systems for such a long while, that it has truly earned its place among KEF’s pantheon of greats.
Now, KEF is kicking things up a notch with the arrival of the LS Luxe, once again integrating amplification and streaming into a compact, easy-to-use stereo speaker package. The LS Luxe is a step above the LS50 Wireless II in terms of price, but is it vastly superior regarding its all-around performance?
Let’s find out.
KEF LS Luxe vs KEF LSS50 Wireless II: price
The LS50 Wireless II came into the world at £2250 / $2499 / AU$4295, but as we know, prices are always liable to fluctuate over time.
Currently, you can find the LS50 Wireless II for £2199, a modest but not insubstantial drop from its original RRP. For US buyers, it’s not such good news: you will tend to see KEF’s established Award-winner sitting between $2500-$2999 at the time of writing.
Wherever you are and whatever prices are doing, the LS Luxe is going to cost a good deal more than its more established sibling. KEF’s new kid on the block arrived at £3500 / $4000 / AU$6375, and given it’s so fresh to the market, we don’t expect to see any major discounts any time soon.
For its more affordable asking price, this is one on the board for the LS50 Wireless II.
**Winner: KEF LS50 Wireless II**
KEF LS Luxe vs KEF LSS50 Wireless II: build and design
Let’s just be super clear about what we’re dealing with here.
Both the KEF LS50 Wireless II and LS Luxe are standmounted active wireless stereo speaker systems, meaning you are getting two separate speaker cabinets with built-in amplification, wireless streaming, and a DAC.
At the heart of each pair of speakers is the 12th-generation of KEF’s signature Uni-Q driver array, in which the tweeter sits in the centre of the mid/bass unit for more even sonic dispersion, improved integration, and better time alignment. With the LS Luxe, the Uni-Q driver assembly is mechanically decoupled from the cabinet to reduce panel vibrations.
KEF’s ‘Metamaterial Absorption Technology’ (MAT), which absorbs rearward sound from the back of the tweeter dome in pursuit of greater treble clarity, is also featured in both.
For the LS50 Wireless II, 100 watts of Class A/B amplification is powering the 25mm aluminium tweeter, while 280 watts of Class D power handles the 13cm aluminium mid/bass driver.
The power split in the LS Luxe is the same in terms of wattage and power class, but the driver sizes are a little different, as we are still dealing with a 25mm aluminium tweeter complemented by a larger 16.5cm mid/bass unit. That, as we shall see, helps the LS Luxe generate more lower-end depth and power.
Externally, our contenders’ cabinets look reasonably distinct from each other. That Uni-Q array aside, the LS50 Wireless II speakers are squatter and squarer, albeit with rounded-off edges and a convex front panel helping to give them a modern, stylish appeal.
The LS Luxe, by contrast, really doubles down on its curvy aesthetic, with a smooth, almost egg-like form that aims to improve performance by reducing the build-up of internal standing waves within the cabinet. They are taller and slimmer cabinets than the LS50 Wireless II, and though the look of the speakers won’t be for everyone, the standard of construction is, inarguably, very high.
That rounded design is thanks to a collaboration with Ross Lovegrove, the Welsh designer with whom KEF previously joined forces when creating the mighty Muon floorstanders, the Muo Bluetooth speaker, and the Mu headphones range.
Around the back, the LS50 Wireless II speakers feature a ridged aluminium heatsink and a flared reflex port. The LS Luxe also features a flared reflex port, with a distinctively curved, more deeply ridged aluminium heatsink designed to offer a greater surface area to more efficiently dissipate the heat generated by the active electronics within.
Both systems use ‘Bulk Moulded Compound’ (BMC) composite material in their cabinet construction; the LS50 Wireless II in just the front baffle, while the LS Luxe’s entire enclosure is made out of the material. BMC is an inert, high-mass material that is highly conducive for use in a speaker enclosure.
In terms of control, the LS50 Wireless II offers a touch-capacitive strip panel for adjusting volume, muting the speakers, selecting volume or turning the whole system on or off.
The LS Luxe doesn’t feature any on-unit buttons or controls, but you do get a nicely made aluminium remote, as well as access to the KEF Connect control app, for managing your listening experience. Do note that the LS50 Wireless II also comes with a remote control and app support.
The LS50 Wireless II houses threaded inserts in the corner of each speaker, allowing them to lock onto the top of KEF's S2 Floor Stands (£400 / $449 / AU$800 per pair).
The LS Luxe can also be fitted to their own dedicated ‘S-Luxe’ stands (£800 / $800 / AU$1230), which you will need to put together and screw into the base of each speaker yourself. Expensive they may be, but if you want to hear the LS Luxe at its best, we think a pair of S-Luxe stands is worth the cash.
One more thing: finishes. You get three options from which to choose with the LS Luxe: Eclipse Black, Dusk Titanium or Mineral White. There are four choices with the LS50 Wireless: Carbon Black, Titanium Grey, Moss Green or Sand Shell.
Not much to grumble about on either side, here. The LS50 Wireless II earns points for its on-unit controls and more compact design, whereas the LS Luxe feels a tad more premium and can draw on more-refined design aspects, such as that more-advanced heat sink design and larger mid/bass drive unit.
**Winner: KEF LS Luxe**
KEF LS Luxe vs KEF LSS50 Wireless II: features
Both of KEF’s five-star wireless speaker systems go big on features, offering a variety of ways to enjoy each.
Around the back of both systems’ primary speaker unit, you will find HDMI eARC, 3.5mm analogue, optical and coaxial inputs, as well as an ethernet port for hooking up physically to the internet. With both the LS Luxe and the LS50 Wireless II, each of the two speakers has a dedicated output for adding a single subwoofer or a pair if you really want to go big on bass.
On the streaming side, both use KEF’s W2 Wireless Platform, granting access to popular streaming services such as Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Qobuz Connect and Deezer, along with internet radio.
If you’re not keen on spending much time on the dedicated KEF app, there is also the further convenience of AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast and Bluetooth for both, with the LS50 Wireless supporting Bluetooth 5.0 and the LS Luxe bumping that up to the more efficient Bluetooth 5.3.
UPnP compatibility on both means you can stream hi-res music from a connected external NAS drive, and while Roon Ready support is already available for the LS50 Wireless II, it is slated to arrive in 2027 for the LS Luxe.
Hi-res file support depends on how you choose to listen. Either KEF system is able to accept PCM files up to 24-bit/384kHz, with the LS50 Wireless II supporting DSD256 and the LS Luxe maxing out at DSD128.
The LS Luxe also lacks MQA support, something you do still get with the LS50 Wireless II; but, as Tidal dropped MQA a few years ago and the format appears to be in decline, this won’t be a major loss for most would-be listeners.
If you are using a wireless connection between your LS50 Wireless II or LS Luxe speakers, higher resolution files will be internally downsampled to 24-bit/96kHz. Connecting the master and slave speakers using the included interconnect cable will bump playback up to 24-bit/192kHz.
As far as apps go, we’re rather keen on KEF’s ‘Connect’ platform, from which you can control and set up your wireless system. You can tweak the sound yourself using the on-board equaliser and use KEF’s ‘Room EQ’ digital signal processing to fine-tune your sound to your listening room – something we recommend to get the best sound possible for your given space.
While the LS50 Wireless II does enjoy the benefit of KEF’s Uni-Q array and innovative ‘MAT’ technology, the LS Luxe is packed with more recent technological advancements that see it outpace its established counterpart.
The LS Luxe, for instance, is the first KEF speaker product to feature the company’s ‘Velocity Control Technology’ (VECO), as seen in this year’s five-star XIO soundbar. VECO essentially measures the speed of the drivers’ cone movement, and any differences between that and the expected value are compensated for in real time, resulting in lower distortion levels.
Additionally, the newer, more premium LS Luxe gains the benefit of KEF’s ‘Music Integrity Engine’ tech, which uses digital signal processing algorithms to maintain accuracy and tonality no matter the volume at which the system is played.
Impressive feature sets and plenty of ways to enjoy KEF’s five-star contenders, but the LS Luxe’s more up-to-date technology suite sees it earn victory here.
**Winner: KEF LS Luxe**
KEF LS Luxe vs KEF LS50 Wireless II: sound quality
Even with the LS Luxe coming along and rather knocking it off its pretty perch, the LS50 Wireless II remains a devilishly talented wireless speaker system.
This is a product that has scooped a raft of What Hi-Fi? Awards since it arrived around six years ago, one we dubbed as being among the “most thrilling speaker systems we had heard” for around £2000 / $2500.
In fact, the LS50 Wireless II is still outstanding at its price. As a major step up at the time from the groundbreaking LS50 Wireless, the LS50 Wireless II remains an exemplary choice if you are seeking a system that offers you a clean, admirably precise sonic presentation.
The balanced, uncluttered signature of the LS50 Wireless II’s sound was, and remains, one of its strongest attributes. KEF’s Award-winning system was a serious step up from its predecessor, offering up a more intricate, open and precise soundstage than we had seen with the original LS50 Wireless.
As we wrote at the time: “mids are cleaner-cut and bass more defined, their extra refinement making the originals sound a touch crude. The whole presentation has been opened out, that extra room not only filled with subtler, more precise detail, but also allowing for greater instrument separation that makes its delivery sound much less congested in comparison.”
Clear, balanced and precise the LS50 Wireless II may be, but what has kept it atop the pantheon of great wireless speaker systems has been marrying those qualities with real verve and drama. Authority and poise are wedded to punch and grip, especially regarding the LS50 Wireless II’s meaty, agile bass reproduction and crisp – yet not overetched – treble response.
The LS Luxe may be a good deal more expensive than the established LS50 Wireless II, but, from what we have heard, it fully justifies that considerable price jump.
The LS Luxe does have a similarly balanced, authoritative character as many of its esteemed KEF stablemates, but have it playing at its best and you’ll soon realise it is a considerable improvement on pretty much any product of this type that KEF has yet made.
When really firing, the LS Luxe is a delight, piling on extra helpings of detail and precision to the confident, articulate presentation found with the LS50 Wireless II. When listened to side by side, the LS Luxe takes the LS50 Wireless II’s presentation and elevates it, sounding more precise, muscular and cinematic in a straight shootout.
Reasonably compact the speaker cabinets may be, but the authority, breadth and depth of the sound go far beyond what we would expect from a relatively compact standmounted speaker system.
The LS Luxe can really put on a show when it comes to delivering cinematic fare with authority and scale, with a taut, authoratative bass reproduction acting as its real party piece. That is partly down to the larger 16.5cm mid/bass unit found as part of the LS Luxe’s updated Uni-Q array.
In all honesty, KEF has struck a marvellous balance with its latest model. This is a system that makes rhythms sound expressive and nimble but rarely skittish or overdone, while dynamics are confidently expressed without seeming forced or artificial.
Few, if any, blind spots are to be found. As we wrote in our review, the LS Luxe knits music together “so expertly that even truly demanding tracks can’t catch it napping. Whether it’s the gale-force hurricane of Slipknot’s Before I Forget or the magisterial grandeur of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, the LS Luxe barely breaks a sweat.”
Sonically, the LS50 Wireless II remains a superb wireless choice, but the LS Luxe really does take everything we liked about that sound and kick it up a notch. In terms of pure audio quality, it’s an obvious – and deeply impressive – cut above.
**Winner: KEF LS Luxe**
KEF LS Luxe vs KEF LS50 Wireless II: verdict
The LS Luxe has not made the LS50 Wireless II redundant.
The more established system continues to excel thanks to its impressive host of streaming features and a sonic performance that, at its more affordable price, remains one of the best we have heard.
KEF has also made no indication that it will be phasing out the LS50 Wireless II, meaning it looks set to enjoy a bright future at its £2250 / $2499 / AU$4295 price point.
What the LS Luxe does is raise the sonic bar to another level. You’re getting most of the same streaming features and ways to listen as with the LS50 Wireless II, but a larger driver and new technologies – Veco and KEF’s ‘Music Integrity Engine’, for instance – see the LS Luxe pull well clear in terms of pure sonic ability.
If you are happy to spend the extra cash, and then fork out a bit more for some dedicated stands, the LS Luxe is the system to pick.
**Overall winner: KEF LS Luxe**
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