KEF Just Gave Its Elite Bookshelf Speaker System a Bespoke Upgrade

For more than a decade, KEF’s LS50 series has been regarded as the crème de la crème among audiophile-grade bookshelf speakers. The British hi-fi manufacturer released the original LS50 in 2012, followed by the LS50 Wireless, an active version with wireless streaming capabilities, in 2018.

Then, in 2020, KEF released second-gen versions of each: the LS50 Meta (passive) and the LS50 Wireless II (active). Both looked nearly identical to their predecessors, but KEF upgraded each with new proprietary technology — Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) — to significantly reduce distortion, as well as a few other under-the-hood tweaks to further enhance their overall sound.

KEF currently still sells the LS50 Meta and the LS50 Wireless II. And, if you’re willing to spend a significant amount, they’re both still considered some of the best passive and active speaker systems you can buy.

But, as of today, KEF upgraded each in the looks department. Specifically, you can now buy each in two new finishes.

KEF LS50 Meta and LS50 Wireless II

KEF

Sand Shell or Moss Green

To date, you’ve been able to buy each of the LS50 Meta and LS50 Wireless II speakers in several different finishes.

The LS50 Meta came in three different options: Carbon Black, Mineral White and Royal Blue.

While the LS50 Wireless II came in four options: Carbon Black, Mineral White, Titanium Grey or Crimson Red.

However, KEF is now offering each in two new finishes. Sand Shell is a shade of off-white or beige. And Moss Green is a deep forest green. Both have a gold Uni-Q driver.

KEF

Passive or active?

KEF’s LS50 Meta and LS50 Wireless II are more or less the same speaker system, but one is passive and one is active. At the heart of each speaker is the same Uni-Q driver, which houses a 1-inch tweeter inside a 5.25-inch woofer.

The passive LS50 Meta affords you more flexibility to build out a traditional-style hi-fi system the way you want, but requires external amplification and sources for playback.

The active LS50 Wireless II is a plug-and-play system that supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth streaming, and has a range of digital and analog inputs for connecting wired sources (including a turntable or TV).

Note: If the active LS50 Wireless II is too rich for your blood, KEF offers smaller and more affordable options, in the LSX II ($1,500) and LSX II LT ($1,000).

KEF

Yep, prices recently went up

The new Sand Shell and Moss Green finishes of both the LS50 Meta and LS50 Wireless II cost exactly the same as the other finishes.

That said, the speakers are still more expensive than they used to be — KEF is one of the companies that recently increased the prices of many of its speakers due to current tariff situation.

When the LS50 Meta was released in 2020, the set was priced at $1,500. KEF has since increased the price by $100.

When the LS50 Wireless II was released in 2020, a pair was priced at $2,500. KEF has since increased the price by $500.

KEF

Price and availability

The KEF LS50 Meta and the LS50 Wireless II, now available in the new Sand Shell and Moss Green finishes, are both available from the company and authorized retailers.

A pair of the passive LS50 Meta cost $1,600, while the active LS50 Wireless II cost $3,000.

Related Topics