Dear reader, I will confide in you and tell you that one of my biggest desires has always been to write. I studied at a specialized university, read a lot during those times, and then I tried to do my own writing. When I was just a youngster, I started with poems and short stories, later, unfortunately, I got a job in IT and delighted myself only by writing emails or technical documentation. I continued to write, any opportunity I had in front of a blank page turned into a composition, even in the case of technical documentation or when filling out a simple form at the Tax Office. Writing has always been a joy and an opportunity to express myself and create. More recently, however, I had the chance to use this joy of writing once again. Writing reviews and articles about audio equipment and music made me happier than ever with what I do. In this happy state I will write to you today about the marvelous KEF LSX II LT, so small but so mighty!
But what do some small speakers have to do with my writing activity? Well, since I decided to write more, I repurposed the scope of one of the rooms in the house and set up a dedicated writing office there, as I always wanted. However, since my audio system is in the living room, the small office needed musical illustration too, so I decided to try some amplified speakers.
Surely, in this area of amplified speakers, there are refined options, we have great variants from KEF, the illustrious LS50 or even their bigger sister LS60, or especially since I am a big fan of Bowers & Wilkins, we have the great Formation Duo. However, I didn’t need strong refinement in my office; something basic was enough. So, I looked at the root of all these options and came across these KEF LSX which I borrowed for a short test.
Short test? Well, the test wasn’t as short as I expected. Now it’s mid-October, and I have these speakers here since early September. I liked them so much that I find it very hard to pack them and send them back. Even though I haven’t listened to these speakers before, I have had huge preconceptions on their behalf. Previously, I had only heard the classics from KEF like LS50, LS60, or their bigger siblings, R3, R5, R7 etc. As I’ve stated before, preconceptions are never good. It was the same with KEF LSX II LT. Allow me to explain.
UNBOXING AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I will start first with unboxing, as my preconceptions were reinforced by what I saw, a small cardboard box that you would expect to contain a single speaker, let alone two. However, from the carefully constructed box, entirely made of recycled cardboard, without a bit of polystyrene, indeed came out two independent speakers, small like keychain trinkets, but incredibly heavy for their size. That, I must admit, was intriguing. As you probably guessed, my preconception lies in their size, at the end LSX II LT system is comprised of two quite small plastic boxes. To give you an idea, one speaker is about the size of a normal cat (excluding the chubby ones).
Thus, I couldn’t expect something very interesting from a sound standpoint. Unintentionally, of course, they reminded me of old plastic PC speakers. Thus, like those Genius speakers from back then, I expected these to sound artificial and plasticky. Little did I know how amazed I would be. I couldn’t insult LSX II LT more by comparing them to PC speakers.
Before telling you how they sounded, I will tell you about my impressions of their construction quality. The speakers, though small in size, have an amazing construction, extremely well-finished. When you zoom in, they definitely don’t look like cheap plastic speakers, being available in several colors, being devices with exceptional contemporary design that will fit seamlessly in any modern household.
Below is the KEF LSX LT color palette:
Carrying on with my story, I unpacked and installed the speakers in my office, placed on the opposite side of my desk on an IKEA Kallax chest of drawers. The installation is very simple, only one of the speakers plugs into an electrical outlet, the speakers are being interconnected with a USB-C cable that comes in the package. These are the only two cables needed for operation. Interestingly, in the app, you can later change which is the left and which is the right speaker, so you can adapt without problems depending on the outlet location. Of course, however, the main speaker has numerous connectivity options on the back: digital optical port, HDMI e-ARC, subwoofer connectivity and Ethernet network port. Also, in the package, you will find a very slick remote control, the same for the entire KEF LS range.
For convenience, I opted for network connection via Wi-Fi. I downloaded the KEF Connect app, the same used for LS50 and LS60. With its help, I immediately connected the speakers to the network and configured streaming services, in my case, Qobuz. The app immediately amazed me with very good ergonomics and complete functions; it feels like a well-made app, just like BluOS from Bluesound/NAD and Eversolo Controller.
HOW DO THEY SOUND?
Once placed on the Kallax chest of drawers, I chose my test playlist from Qobuz and randomly played a song. Remember that at this point, my preconception was still in power. I was expecting the plastic sound I told you about earlier. However, dear reader, guess what? The sound was not plastic at all! What I heard was an immense surprise, a sound that literally left me speechless!
Don’t get me wrong; I have heard good sound many times, but it came from extremely expensive setups in acoustically studied and treated rooms, systems configured with hard work over years and years. Here it wasn’t the case; it was just a quite empty ordinary room, lacking any acoustic treatment, and speakers randomly placed on an ordinary Swedish chest of drawers.
Coincidentally, the random function selected the song “Smile” performed by Avishai Cohen from his album “From Darkness.” This song, so lively and round, immediately surprised me on LSX II LT with a big, amazing sound, with strong and percussive bass. As I said earlier, I was literally speechless, as what I was hearing wasn’t real. From time to time, I closed my eyes to hear the music as it was, but then I opened them again to look a little more at these “tiny things” to convince myself they were the ones singing. Please see below a reference to the “From Darkness” album:
The sound was certainly not plastic, not small, not that artificial or EQ-ed, but it rather sounded very deep, with a much larger soundstage than expected, impressive bass for their size, and plenty of details. LSX II LT is truly a surprise for me, a real example where technology brings great improvement. I received the LSX II LT in Sage Green, which matched perfectly in my new, also green, room, bringing a subtle and modern contrast alongside my collection of model cars. Observe for yourself, dear reader, how beautifully they look there in my den:
USE CASE SCENARIOS
Well, now that we have established that these speakers sound amazing, impressive and deep for their size, it is also important to understand how they can be used. Well, these speakers can be used either in tandem with a computer or a TV, being able to be connected via USB, optical, or HDMI e-ARC, or they can be used wirelessly, opting for a wireless connection between the source and speakers, here being able to connect either via Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay2, or Google Chromecast.
Of course, the option of using internal streaming functions from the KEF Connect app remains. Here we have a lot of streaming services available: Tidal, Spotify, Qobuz, Deezer, internet radio, as well as files from the network through the UPnP protocol. KEF LSX II LT is a very complete product.
I was discussing with a friend that these speakers sound so good that they could successfully replace a soundbar, being able to be placed calmly on the left and right of a TV, far outperforming TV sound and many soundbars alike. It should be noted that, just like their bigger siblings, these speakers also use the Uni-Q speaker technology, now in their 11th generation, so specific to KEF, where tweeters are placed in the center of the bass and midrange speaker, offering optimal saturation to the listening space.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LSX II LT AND LSX II
It should be mentioned that what I present to you today is the LT version of LSX II, so let’s see what differences are between these two versions. First, it should be said that LT is the more affordable version of the LSX II series, made possible by reducing certain features. However, between the two versions, there are no differences in sound and size; these are the same. Visually speaking, the LSX II version has textile finishes, while the LT version has matte finishes and fewer color options available. The bigger difference is in connectivity, LT not having an analog input and not supporting Roon, the special audio platform for audiophiles. Also, the larger LSX II version offers slightly deeper resolution than LT, but to be honest, I don’t think we need to worry about that. In simpler terms: if you’re not a Roon user and not a mega-audiophile, go for the LT version; it will be more than enough.
KEF LSX ACCESSORIES
Being such a popular model, there are many accessories in the LSX universe. Let’s start with the special S1 stands:
Or with desk stands specially created for KEF LSX:
However, by far, the most interesting accessory from the LS series is the KEF KC62 subwoofer, specially created for LS speakers. It will integrate great with LSX II LT, having proprietary interconnection options, the ability to be specially managed alongside the speakers in the KEF Connect app, relieving the speakers of low frequencies.
TIPS & TRICKS
- Break-in: in my case, it lasted two days, so let them play non-stop for at least two days at the beginning.
- Subwoofer KC62 – if you have the budget, complement them with the specially created subwoofer, you will be surprised!
- Physical decoupling: I tested with isolation pucks from Isoacoustics and Soundcare and did not observe an improvement in sound quality, recommend leaving them on the table without anything extra underneath.
- Regarding the power, I noticed they are less sensitive to the outlet they are connected to; the differences are not as big as in advanced audiophile equipment – however, my recommendation would be to try both directly in the wall socket and in quality extension cords and see which sounds better.
CONCLUSION
My conclusion about these speakers is one wrapped in amazement. I remain impressed with what KEF engineers have achieved, such a small body producing such a big sound without the sensation that it is artificial. I think in their price range, these speakers have no competitors. I know both normal users and audiophiles that own this model of speakers, audiophiles will not use them as their main speaker system but will use them as office speakers or in secondary rooms. Considering how picky we audiophiles are with our gear, having a pair of KEF LSX II in our equipment arsenal gives these speakers the highest approval available. Most likely I will keep them myself, because I am telling you as sincerely as possible: now that I have finished the review, I am terrified of the idea that I have to see them go.
Silviu TUDOR
An article written in my sweet spot,
and this is what I’ve heard.
