KEF LS50 Meta

If KEF ls50 meta speakers are not "audiophile" then nothing is.

I own a pair + a pair of original ls50s. Also several other highly regarded audiophile favorites like Sonus Faber and Ohm. Every speaker is different but in terms of pure overall technical execution and sound, the KEF meta line in general is top of the heap at most any price point.

Does that mean everyone will like or prefer them? Absolutely not. What people like or think sounds best is a completely subjective determination so anything is possible there.

I would expect either of those amps to do quite well with ls50 metas.

@mapman I appreciate the input, thanks for taking the time to respond, much appreciated, and have a great weekend!

As always listen for yourself if you can. Or order from somewhere they can be returned.
 

For me they lack dynamics and bass… if you gave me a pair for free I would not use them. I do however understand why people like them and understand our listening preferences are much different. 

I own the originals, not the metas. I like them but back in my younger harder and louder listening days....they would have been a terrible match. Yes they are bass shy, depending on your musical tastes this can be a deal breaker. I added a rel t-7 sub and that made a big difference. How loud do you listen? These ain't the speakers for the head bangers ball. No matter how good a deal don't buy these without a long listen. There is a reason for all the positive reviews, they are very good within their limits but you might find you agree with james633, and 20 years ago I probably would have too.

They are the smallest and least expensive model in the meta line. So yes the laws of physics apply and there are limits.

Bass extension is not full range accordingly. Adding a powered sub addresses that easily. Still, don’t plan to go much above 90db spl or so even in a modest size room.

But they are top performers within those limits. If you need more then you move up the line to larger models for greater cost.