It\u2019s pretty much impossible to navigate an audiophile forum without somebody mentioning KEF\u2018s LS50 speakers within a few pages. Created in 2012 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of another classic by the venerable audio company, the LS3\/5a, the LS50 went on to receive rave reviews by media and users alike. The speaker\u2018s coincident \u2018Uni-Q\u2019 driver \u2014 in which the tweeter and woofer project sound from the same physical point in space \u2014 has become iconic.<\/p>\n
But if I\u2019m being honest, I never really loved them. They were definitely good speakers, and I did love the wireless version<\/a> which used built-in digital signal processing to refine the sound, but the original LS50 always struck me as a little harsh and bright.<\/p>\n The new LS50 Meta fixes all that. It is a remarkable little speaker that delivers some of the best performance I\u2019ve seen for a speaker in this price range without DSP. And mercifully, KEF kept the same $1,500 price as its predecessor \u2014 expensive for your average person, but very reasonable in the world of audiophilia.<\/p>\n While it looks nearly identical to its predecessor, the LS50 Meta is completely redesigned on the inside, with changes to the cabinet design, port, drivers, and crossover. The most significant change \u2014 or the most marketable one, at least \u2014 is the use of a new \u201cmetamaterial<\/a>\u201d that sits behind the Uni-Q unit to absorb the rear radiation of the driver that has the potential to muddy the sound.<\/p>\n This metamaterial disc looks like one of those little mazes you played with as a kid:<\/p>\n