KEF LS50 Wireless II, Tidal Connect and Apple TV instability

Audio Gear Talk KEF
1

I must have tried it all… Bought new wifi6 router, fixed/dedicated IP, steer/non steer bands, Android and iOS parallel test, comparison with Spotify Connect, comparison with Yamaha WXA 50. Here are my conclusions:

  1. KEF LS50 Wireless II are better prepared and capable to connect with Spotify Connect, not flawless though;
  2. KEF LS50 Wireless II are way poorer in being ready for Apple TV (via airplay); Yamaha WXA50 IS flawless, no matter the wifi settings (band steering or not, all on 2.4 or 5g; they just get hooked on Apple TV;
  3. Tidal Connect is annoyngly unstable. It only hooks with KEF or Apple TV when restarting the router OR restarting/factory settings KFS.

Bottom line, Tidal Connect is the worst. KEF are better, but only with Spotify.

Dear Tidal and KEF guys:

I was extremely happy, back in Dec 2020, when it seem that planets got aligned with having KEF relaeasing LSWII and Tidal releasing connect. Since then, I have restarted my router hundreds of times, changed two routers AND even made a Spotify subscription. Are you pushing me getting back to my Yamaha WXA-50 + Spotify? If Spotify goes hifi, Tidal, you will be in deep, deep trouble!!!

So, dear KEF and Tidal engineers, what are you plans in stabilizing your products?

Dear Spotify engineers:
Will you, please, come up soon with a FLAC option?
You rock, by hooking flawlessly on Yamaha WXA50 and some flaws, on KEF. Keep it up.

2

And that’s posted on a Roon forum? Not sure you have the right audience!

1 Like
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Dan, you’re absolutely right. Promise to remove it, so that it does not even occupies space on servers, if no interest would be shown for the matter, in a few days. I must have noticed a KEF engineer jumping into KEF (and not necessarily &Roon) topics, over here. So, this is my thin hope to getting it addressed. Cheers!

4

Hi there - same issue. You’re not alone here! Have you had any luck recently? My issue is primarily around Tidal Connect being absolutely unstable on the LS50W iis.