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LS50s and room size

I am very intrigued by the new KEF LS50s. All the wonderful reviews I have been reading have me nearly ready to pull the trigger. My only hesitation is that these will be on my main system and my only experience with speakers of this size are my Audioengine P4s that I use with my computer. They sound fantastic as long as I am sitting right in front of them. From anywhere else, they sound very small. The ls50s would be replacing my old Vandersteens which even though they are outclassed by the p4s in almost every regard, they fill the room with sound, no matter where I am positioned. I guess what I'm asking is if I get up and move around, will the magic disappear? My system is in a smallish room now and I will soon be moving in with the girlfriend where they will have a bit more space, but not much. I would love to demo these in person but the nearest KEF showroom is about three hours away and they are closed on the weekends which is the only time I could even hope to make such a trip.

Also, are there any other speakers I should be looking at? The price of the KEFs are about as high as I am able to go at this time since I will need to get stands as well.
128x128megido
seikosha
218 posts
 
@Jedinite24,

I'd be nervous about buying the LS50's and then placing them right against the wall. It's really not the ideal situation for that speaker and you'd most likely do better buying something else better designed for that sort of placement. If I remember correctly, the manual even recommends against placement like that.

Mine are in a small treated room about 12*11, but I've got them out about 30inches from the walls and corners. I'd move them out even more if I had the space.
roscoeiii's avatar
roscoeiii
1,155 posts
 
Jedinite24,

In my experience, these speakers weren't too tricky as far as placement goes.

But I will say that the logo is surprisingly noticeable.Or at least that it was for me. I tend to like my clothing, speakers, etc largely logo free (or at least with minimal, unobstrusive logos), so that was a disappointment. Much more noticeable in person than in photos.
megido's avatar
megido OP
29 posts
 
@Jedinite24.

My basement office is exactly where I have mine setup and the dimensions are pretty similar. I am very happy with the sound. These speakers do an amazing job of sounding very big. I was blown away by how much bass they actually put out. It's not subwoofer bass but they really reach down low with lots of detail. They do a much better job than my old vandersteens ever could, even with their 8" drivers.

I wouldn't want them too close to the wall though. That would really mess with the low end. Mine are a about 2-3 feet from the walls and I'm quite happy with their positioning. I Can sit directly in front of them and completely loose myself in the music or I can be sitting over at my computer and still be able to really enjoy them. You practically have to leave the room for them sound anything less than fantastic.

As for the logo, they are invisible from my listening position. I pretty much have to be standing right on top of them to even really notice it. Out of site, out of mind I guess. Doesn't bother me in the slightest.
jedinite24's avatar
jedinite24
1,503 posts
 
Greetings Megido, Roscoeiii and Seikosha

Many many Thanks for the detailed input and thoughts. I read your posts and looked at the office space again. I definitely can't locate the LS50s properly. I guess I'll have to find another space where I can utilize them. Now if I ever do see them in person I'm really going to inspect the top logo. I've only seen them in pictures and am now really curious of their appearance live.
jburidan
803 posts
 
LS50 is rear-ported, so you should place them away from the wall behind them. I considered them for my small room but wouldn't have been able to place them right. Went with sealed-enclosure Merlin TSM and couldn't be happier.
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