KEF LS50 Meta Speaker User Manual
- June 7, 2024
- KEF
Table of Contents
LS50 Meta
Standmount Loudspeakers
Since 1961, KEF‘s mission has been to preserve the integrity of original sound
with as little intervention as possible. The goal of every KEF product is to
do one thing: provide you with a revealing listening experience that is as
true to the original recording as is possible within the confines of your
room.
The iconic LS50 was the physical embodiment of this singular approach. A
loudspeaker that took its cues from the classic LS3/5A but was quickly
recognized as a modern icon in its own right. The LS50 was born out of KEF’s
willingness to think outside the box, to constantly search for new materials,
techniques, and technologies such as the use of computer-aided design and
continuous enhancement of the KEF’s signature Uni-Q driver array.
That was 2011, and time and technology have moved on. Since then our engineers
have been upholding KEF’s driving philosophy and searching out new
technological breakthroughs. The result is an icon in waiting: the KEF LS50
Meta Standmount Speakers. Instantly recognizable as the successor of the LS50,
the LS50 Meta is born of the same KEF desire for continual development and is
therefore fittingly the first loudspeaker to employ Metamaterial Absorption
Technology1.
PERFORMANCE
Revolutionary sound absorption with MAT
A result of joint development with the Acoustic Metamaterials Group, using
Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) breaks completely new ground in
loudspeaker design, and once again demonstrates KEF’s unrelenting passion for
developing new technologies to improve your listening experience.
Metamaterials are specially developed structures that use existing materials
in such a way that they exhibit new, desirable properties that are simply not
found in naturally occurring substances.
A truly revolutionary tool in the KEF acoustic armory, MAT is a highly complex
maze-like structure, where each of the intricate channels efficiently absorbs
a specific frequency. When combined, the channels act as an acoustic black
hole, absorbing 99% of the unwanted sound that comes from the rear of the
tweeter, eliminating the resulting distortion and providing a purer, more
natural acoustic performance.
12 th Generation Uni-Q with MAT delivers
The tweeter in question sits at the heart of our 12th generation Uni-Q with
MAT driver array. The Uni-Q point source configuration delivers a more
detailed, accurate, and integrated three-dimensional sound image, which is
dispersed so evenly throughout the room that the ‘sweet spot is wherever you
are in the room.
Using simulation and analysis tools and decades of accumulated in-house
knowledge, our engineers have developed a new iteration of KEF’s signature
driver array, with a new cone neck decoupler and motor system that is
precisely shaped to reduce high-frequency distortion in the mid-frequency
driver. The result is reduced coloration, less distortion and a sound that is
more transparent and life-like than previously possible. The same can also be
said of bass performance, where LS50 Meta completely exceeds the expectations
of a modestly proportioned stand mount speaker to deliver room-filling sound
with deep, articulate bass.
Enhancement from LS50 lineage
Much of the engaging performance is thanks to the clarity of the driver array,
but the port design is also crucial. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD),
the flare and profile of the LS50 Meta’s patented off-flexible port is
calculated to delay the onset of turbulence and the flexible port walls
prevent resonances from coloring the midrange. This leads to improved clarity,
with exceptional levels of depth and detail.
The LS50 Meta’s extremely rigid cabinet is optimized for the best performance,
with smooth curved surfaces that help radiate sound out across the baffle
without any interference. The baffle itself is engineered from an injection-
molded Dough Moulding Compound (DMC) usually found in the automotive industry.
Inside the cabinet, cross bracing and Constrained Layer Damping (CLD) combine
to deaden internal vibrations. The result of such meticulous attention to
detail is that LS50 Meta produces the lowest coloration
1Metamaterial Absorption Technology is a joint development with Acoustic Metamaterials Group.
Summary of features
PERFORMANCE – most accurate, immersive sound
- Metamaterial Absorption Technology eliminates 99% of high-frequency distortion for pure, natural sound
- 12th generation Uni-Q with MAT driver array for exceptional acoustic accuracy
- Driver Performance Optimisation for enhanced sonic performance, less distortion and reduced coloration
- Patented off-set flexible port for reduced midrange coloration with exceptional levels of depth and detail DESIGN – attention to every detail
- Optimized cabinet design for best acoustic performance
- Available in 4 finishes
- With mounting inserts to secure on KEF S2
Floor Stand (available as a separate item)
DESIGN
Attention to every detail
The LS50 Meta has inherited its distinctive good looks from the original LS50,
with its low-diffraction, curved baffle precision modeled around the Uni-Q
driver array. The curved front is subtly mirrored by the gently radiused rear
panel, while both the port exit and speaker terminals have been elegantly
recessed and softened visually.
On the LS50 Meta’s underside, each corner has a threaded inset allowing the
speaker to lock onto the top of the new KEF S2 Floor Stand, which also boasts
integrated cable management and a mass-loadable column. LS50 Meta is available
at launch in four colors, all of which benefit from a modern silky matte
finish, while the S2 Floor Stands are color-matched to the models.
The LS50 Meta Standmount Loudspeakers deliver on every aspect of the KEF
promise. A genuine industry first, LS50 Meta utilizes innovative, ground-
breaking technology to provide you with an immersive, completely believable
sound from a compact, stylish loudspeaker that is destined to open up whole
new vistas of enjoyment in your life.
Specifications
| Model | LS50 Meta |
|---|---|
| Design | Two-way bass reflex |
| Drive units | Uni-Q Driver Array: |
HF: 25 mm (1 in.) vented aluminum dome with Metamaterial Absorption
TechnologyMF/LF: 130 mm (5.25 in.) aluminium cone
Crossover frequency| 2.1 kHz
Frequency range (-6dB)| 47 Hz – 45 kHz
Typical in-room bass response (-6dB)| 26 Hz
Frequency response (±3dB)| 79 Hz – 28 kHz
Harmonic distortion (90dB, 1m)| <0.4% 175 Hz – 20 kHz
<0.1% 300 Hz – 10 kHz
Maximum output| 106 dB
Amplifier power (recommended)| 40-10 0 W
Nominal impedance| 8 Ω (min. 3.5 Ω)
Sensitivity (2.83V/1m)| 85 dB
Weight| 7.8 kg (17.2 lbs.)
Dimension (H x W x D) with terminal| 302 x 200 x 280.5 mm (11.9 x 7.9 x 11.0
in.)
Visit:KEF.com for more about KEF and its products.
KEF reserves the right, in line with continuing research and development, to
amend or change specifications. E&OE.
08.2020 | LS50 Meta