KEF LS50 Wireless II Powered Bookshelf Speakers

Pros

• Detail retrieval ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 5.0
  These speakers are noted for excellent detail retrieval, letting listeners pick out individual instruments and subtle nuances with ease at both low and high volumes. Recent reviews emphasize how they combine that resolving power with strong timing and dexterity, keeping complex mixes organized so riffs, rhythms and vocals all remain easy to follow.
• Stereo imaging accuracy ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 5.0
  Across impressions, the LS50 Wireless II earn strong praise for stereo imaging, with instruments and voices locked firmly in place and a stable centre image. Recent testing again finds the imaging precise and three-dimensional, crediting KEF's Music Integrity Engine for keeping placement sharp across a broad listening area.
• Cohesive presentation ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 5.0
  Listeners highlight how the LS50 Wireless II manage to sound spacious and open while preserving strong driver integration, keeping vocals and instruments locked together as a coherent whole instead of disjointed or diffuse.
• Dynamic headroom ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
  Listeners highlight how the LS50 Wireless II scale from quiet passages to explosive peaks without obvious compression, delivering big orchestral swells and punchy pop climaxes that feel surprisingly effortless and unconstrained for such compact stand-mount speakers.
• Latency with TV (lip sync) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
  Reviews note that TV audio remains well synchronized with video, and KEF’s quoted sub-6ms processing delay appears inaudible in practice, with dialogue-heavy shows and movies avoiding noticeable lip-sync problems even when the speakers are linked wirelessly.
• Soundstage height ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
  These speakers can project a surprisingly tall soundstage, making large orchestral and choral recordings feel expansive in height as well as width and depth, so that the presentation often seems to extend well beyond the compact enclosures.
• Wi-Fi streaming reliability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
  Owners streaming via AirPlay, Chromecast, Roon and services like Qobuz generally find network playback solid and glitch-free, with no noticeable dropouts or stuttering on typical home Wi-Fi setups.
• Voice clarity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 4.9
  Voices are a standout strength, with multiple listeners describing vocals as lifelike, well-weighted and solidly placed between the speakers, with extra space and clarity making nuances easy to appreciate. Newer reviews add that even in reverb-heavy or busy mixes, lead vocals stay distinctive and intelligible rather than getting buried.
• Design & aesthetics ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 7 reviews 4.9
  Owners continue to praise the LS50 Wireless II for their iconic compact, curved cabinets and Uni-Q driver, offered in several muted, chic finishes that look stylish and understated in most rooms, and KEF now adds Sand Shell off-white and Moss Green deep green versions with a gold Uni-Q cone that further broaden the aesthetic appeal whether the speakers sit on shelves or matching S2 stands.
• Distortion at high volume ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 3 reviews 4.8
  Reviewers note that the LS50 Wireless II retain composure when driven hard, staying clean and controlled without harshness or congestion even at very high listening levels close to their practical limits.
• Audio format support ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 4.8
  Audiophiles value the wide format support, with streaming up to 24-bit/384kHz plus MQA and DSD256 playback. Reviews say this allows the speakers to take full advantage of high-resolution files as well as everyday streaming services.
• AirPlay compatibility ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 4.8
  Reviewers appreciate that the LS50 Wireless II include AirPlay 2, making it easy for Apple users to cast audio directly from iOS devices and Macs and integrate the speakers into Apple-centric homes without extra hardware.
• Wired input availability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 7 reviews 4.7
  Listeners appreciate the generous selection of physical inputs, including HDMI eARC, optical, coaxial, Ethernet, subwoofer out and analog AUX, which allows the speakers to integrate easily with TVs, turntables via a phono stage, CD players and other wired sources. However, some studio users miss having balanced analogue connections and find they need external DAC or monitor controllers for ideal DAW integration.
• Chromecast compatibility ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 3 reviews 4.7
  With Chromecast built in, the LS50 Wireless II can join multi-room setups and receive casts from many music apps. Reviewers find it convenient for spreading audio around the home alongside other Chromecast-compatible speakers.
• EQ customization ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 3 reviews 4.7
  The KEF app offers unusually deep yet simple EQ tools, with desk and wall placement modes plus controls for bass extension, treble trim and crossover points. Owners say this makes it easy to tailor the speakers to different rooms and furniture layouts.
• Frequency response balance ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 4.6
  Reviews generally hear the LS50 Wireless II as broadly neutral with just a slight extra warmth or bass lift, keeping instruments and vocals tonally correct without obvious peaks or dips. Some listeners also note that using port bungs or reduced LF extension can trade a little bandwidth for tighter bass detail and timing, while the reflex tuning still sounds subtle and well controlled overall.
• Loudness / maximum volume ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 4.5
  Listeners report that the LS50 Wireless II can play surprisingly loud for compact stand-mount speakers, easily filling small to medium rooms and even larger spaces when not pushed to extremes. They tend to maintain composure and clarity close to their practical limits, delivering powerful, room-filling sound before much larger systems are needed for significantly more slam.
• Setup simplicity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 4.5
  Reviews describe setup as almost foolproof: you plug both speakers into power, join them to Wi-Fi and are ready to stream within minutes, and the system’s plug-and-play nature combined with the straightforward KEF Connect app helps even non-experts get music playing quickly.
• Home theater integration ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 4.5
  While primarily stereo music speakers, the LS50 Wireless II are often used to upgrade thin-sounding TV audio via HDMI eARC and other inputs. Reviews say they deliver far more clarity and impact than most built-in TV speakers, though they do not attempt full surround-sound processing.
• Bluetooth codec support ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.5
  Owners appreciate that the LS50 Wireless support Bluetooth with the aptX codec, providing surprisingly solid wireless sound quality for casual listening, even though most enthusiasts still prefer wired or network streaming for critical sessions.
• Omnidirectional sound ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.5
  Listeners credit KEF's Uni-Q coaxial driver with delivering point-source-like behavior, keeping tonal balance and imaging consistent across a wide range of listening positions from near-field desks to more distant sofa setups.
• Value for money ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 4.4
  Despite their premium pricing, many reviewers feel the LS50 Wireless II offer strong value by replacing separate amplifiers, streamers and speakers with a compact, high-performance all-in-one system, though recent increases from about $2,500 to $3,000 for the pair mean buyers must accept a steeper initial outlay in exchange for their combination of sound quality, features and convenience; some now even describe them as one of the best deals in hi-fi given their performance level.
• Smart features ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 4.3
  The LS50 Wireless II are widely seen as a complete smart streaming solution, combining built-in support for platforms like AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Bluetooth and Roon with app control and rich input options so they function as a full hi-fi system in a compact form. Recent reviews highlight the improved KEF Connect app and direct access to services such as Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz, while also noting the absence of onboard voice assistants or smart-home control.
• HDMI ARC) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 4.0
  Reviewers appreciate the inclusion of an HDMI eARC port, which makes it simple to route TV sound through the speakers and control volume via the TV remote. This helps them slot neatly into modern living-room setups without extra boxes, though a few owners with certain Samsung TVs report handshake issues that require using the optical input and the KEF remote instead.
• App reliability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 3.9
  Recent reviews call the updated KEF Connect app a big improvement, noting that it feels stable, intuitive and quick to respond for many users, providing easy access to streaming services, inputs and EQ settings without frequent glitches or crashes, while some owners now describe it as clunky or nearly unusable and choose to avoid it in favor of hardware controls or external streamers.