3 days ago
I just tested these incredible stereo speakers — and they're better than any soundbar I've ever tested
Look, I love the best soundbars as much as the next person. They're a great solution for making sure that your movies and music sound massive without taking up too much space in your living room. There's a Sonos Arc Ultra that sits in my living room for Dolby Atmos movies — I am not entirely averse to soundbars.
But the ever-present allure of a pair of stereo speakers is often just too much to take. The musical abilities of even the most expensive soundbars often leaves a lot to be desired, and there are times when even clever Dolby Atmos virtual mixes pale in comparison to actual, real stereo separation.
The KEF LSX II have long been a pair of speakers that I've wanted to test out. The brand is my favorite — the Blade speakers are my 'money is no object' dream speakers, my LS50 Metas have powered my HiFi for a long time, and the interesting-looking 'Uni-Q driver' that dominates their speaker fronts appears often in my sleeping moments.
So what are they like to use?
The KEF LSX II are the smaller option in KEF's wireless speaker range. They sound amazing not just for their size, packing in big speaker performance to a small package. They're not cheap, but they're well worth their high asking price.
The KEF LSX II are a pair of connected smart speakers that the brand might call its 'luxury low-end' price point. They cost $1,499, or about $500 more than the Sonos Arc Ultra will set you back before you add a subwoofer.
They're going up against similar models for Technics and other HiFi brands, and they're also angled at potential soundbar customers. To that end, they've got an HDMI port on the back so that you can connect a TV without needing a weird dongle. It also means they can be controlled with a TV controller, which is always helpful.
The speakers themselves feature KEF's Uni-Q drivers, which house a tweeter and the main driver in the same unit. Not only do they look really cool, but they also allow for the brand's signature detail and excellent sonic timing.
There are two units, and unlike some speakers at this format and size, they both need power. That's because they both contain amplifiers. Only one speaker has inputs and outputs, however, while the other has a socket to plug the other speaker in and a pairing button.
Why a pairing button? These speakers can be hooked up to one another wirelessly, which avoids some cables trailing around the floor. Instead, you can mount them on stands and have the power cables routed down the legs — that'll look pretty delicious indeed.
I'm not going to tell you these are the best-looking powered speakers around — that honor goes to anything that's made by Bang & Olufsen — but they're a very handsome option that sits next to your big-screen TV.
The front is dominated by the Uni-Q drivers in a contrasting color to the main unit, and then a logo and a small status light sit above and below. From the front they look like smaller versions of my LS50 Meta, which is pretty cool. The sides of the grey model that I tested are covered with fabric, which lends some extra texture to proceedings, but other colors have an all-over resin finish.
I'd recommend sticking them on speaker stands or even using some wall mounts for the speakers to finish the look — they're a minimalist speaker, and I think they deserve to sit on their own rather than on a TV stand. They're nice and small though, which makes them more flexible than some of the other options.
KEF has filled the LSX II with some seriously cool features. My favorite is the Wi-Fi connection, which means I can stream my favorite tunes from the best music streaming services without worrying about some kind of cable to make things work.
That also means I can slip them into my Roon server, so that I can stream tracks from my home music streaming setup, which is always a massive bonus. The App connects over the internet as well, which opens up even more features.
From there you can select the HDMI eARC system, which is helpful, or between the other inputs. There's a Bluetooth connection, as well as an optical port, and a 3.5mm aux for older devices. You can plug them into the network as well to make for a more stable connection.
All of the features work pretty well, although I did run into a couple of problems with the HMDI eARC. Sometimes I had to turn the speakers on separately when I turned on my TV, and sometimes I didn't. It wasn't the worst problem in the world, but it was irritating. Not enough to dampen my experience with the speakers.
So the KEF LSX II don't look all that big. That's because they're not — each unit is about the same size as a HomePod 2. You might expect that they'd only be good for smaller rooms as a result, but I'm not sure it's entirely possible to be more wrong.
Thanks to some impressive power being fed to the drivers by their individual amplifiers, they're able to pump out some seriously impressive sound. I was able to fill a large living room with the LSX II situated either side of my TV, with a massive bass body that didn't need to stretch itself to fill the space. Given how smaller speakers have really struggled in my space before, I was taken aback immediately by the sound of the LSX II.
I knew they were going to be good, my experience with KEF gear already told me as such. I knew there'd be some incredible detail mixed with spectacular instrument separation, but I didn't know they'd be able to do it when they had to bring sound to my living room.
But, boy, did they bring the noise. The depth of the guitars in Watain's They Rode On was enough that I could get lost within. The vocals were crystal clear, cutting through the thick, molasses-like instrumentation, matched by the impressive detail as the rest of the ensemble joined the fray.
The drums were impactful, the bass guitar meaty, and the electric guitar edged like a terrifying sacrificial knife. It was leagues above my Sonos Arc Ultra's music performance.
It mostly comes down to the stereo separation as much as it does the sonic capability of the speakers themselves. Music likes to be spread apart physically so that you can appreciate each different element of the track, while also serving to extend the soundstage. The LSX II are the perfect example of what happens when you give music space to breathe.
Controversially, I will take a properly separated stereo mix over a virtual surround mix any day of the week. The tiny drivers loaded into a soundbar can only do so much in making a mix sound bigger than it actually is, and even the best soundbars pale in comparison to the wizardry that goes on when the soundstage is physically widened.
With more space for the drivers to do their dirty work, you'll immediately notice more space. Even then, the dialog sits in the center of the mix, while sounds come from all around you.
It's not as impressive as having 11 speakers dotted around the room, of course, but add in a KEF subwoofer and you'd be hard-pressed to tell me whether you prefer the sound of the Sonos Arc Ultra or the KEF LSX II when it comes to watching your favorite blockbusters.
The opening scene of "Top Gun: Maverick" tells me all I need to know. The planes fly alongside you as chains and ropes whip around in the melee on board the carrier. The soundtrack sounds impeccable.
You miss some of the spatial imaging of the multi-channel soundbar, but the sound is altogether more pleasing to the ear. It lacks the slightly synthetic edge of a soundbar, and gives you more sonic body overall.
I'm not saying everyone should go and replace their soundbar with a pair of the KEF LSX II — but I am saying you should think about it. Hard.
I am a HiFi faithful. I like my systems separated into different components so I can better control the sonic output. There's still something cool about having a stack of devices plugged in together, flanked by a big pair of speakers rippling with drivers and tweeters. But it would be remiss of me not to admit that I'm slightly stuck in the past.
The mid-range HiFi system could well be on the way out, replaced by the likes of the KEF LSX II. Rather than spending $1,500 on an amplifier, a streamer, a Bluetooth dongle and some speakers, you can buy it all at once and get something that sounds just as good and plugs into your TV.
I don't think the really high-end stuff needs to worry — but I will be keeping an eye on systems like this more. After all, not everyone has enough space for a HiFi setup like mine, but they still want epic musical sound. the KEF LSX II might just be the best way to get it.
