KEF LS50 wireless - roon ready? [not roon ready, but supported natively]

[DarwinOS]

I doubt Kef has their own developers but if not they should hire some. Active software driven speakers are the future after all.

[DarwinOS]

That is a false equivalency.

[DarwinOS]

Every current receiver I know of can do updates by wifi, ethernet or usb.

[HTTP_404]

WiFi may not be as reliable but if you can’t do a firmware update over your wifi network then something is wrong.

… and clearly KEF’s chosen risk posture is you don’t find out that something is wrong the hard way!

[Leon_Roy]

Just updated mine (I use Ethernet with my LS50W not Wi-Fi). Interesting that the accompanying readme with the firmware update shows firmware versions 3.2.1 MCU, 1.5.4 DSP and 2.1.3 Wi-Fi in the screenshots of the app.

After updating my speakers the app reports version 2.2.1 MCU, 0.5.4 DSP and 1.1.3 Wi-Fi. What do others here get for their firmware versions?

[DarwinOSX]

If that was the case they wouldn’t require the speakers to be on wifi and also usb USB. The entire firmware upgrade process is ridiculous. Look at the description in their download of how to do it.
Clearly Kef has not invested in developers who know what they are doing. The app is a mess and useless in many ways too.

[DarwinOSX]

This idea that you should have Windows is bizarrely uninformed especially for CD ripping.
Tell that to the many audio professionals who only use Mac’s.
There is nothing you can do on Windows that you can’t do on a Mac as well or better. 5 minutes with Google will tell you that.

[WiWavelength (Andrew J Shepherd)]

This idea that you should have Windows is bizarrely uninformed especially for CD ripping.

Not at all. See below.

Tell that to the many audio professionals who only use Mac’s.

Do you think those audio professionals are doing a lot of CD ripping? That is a “bizzarre” assumption.

There is nothing you can do on Windows that you can’t do on a Mac as well or better. 5 minutes with Google will tell you that.

Nothing? How do you decode HDCD rips on MacOS? How do you detect CDs mastered with pre-emphasis flags in subcode on MacOS? How do you verify or repair previous rips with the CUETools database on MacOS?

AJ

[HTTP_404]

There is nothing you can do on Windows that you can’t do on a Mac as well or better. 5 minutes with Google will tell you that.

I have to respectfully disagree with that assertion. As a longtime Mac user, I continue shake my fist at Apple for some of their boneheaded and stubborn insistence on refusing to adopt better ways of doing things long available on other platforms. The example that most folks I encounter agree about is the sheer hopelessness of Finder as a competent 21st century application!

[Tech_Whisky_Lab (Fernando Fuentes)]

@HTTP_404 @WiWavelength I can choose a million things that Mac can do better or that Linux does better or that Windows does better… You guys will never come to an agreement because you are to wrapped up on pushing how one sucks more than the other… I leave Windows for the Windows people… You are better of there… The rest we are different for a reason… Welcome to the gravy train

[osss]

thanks @Tech_Whisky_Lab for breaking up this pointless fight.

As a reminder, this thread is about KEF LS50 wireless speakers. Updating these speakers seems to be an awkward process, thanks for letting us (potential buyers) know about it!

Existing owners really should reach out and try to get a statement on this from KEF directly. In the meantime, let’s keep this discussion focused, please.

[John_Aiello (Lifetime Subscription since 2016)]

I did reach out to KEF. They told me that they are working on a Mac version of the updater and that it should be available in a few weeks. FWIW.

[Toolio]

No it is not. You may consider it rude but there is no convention that states that being blunt about a subject is ruder in one language than another. That doesn’t mean he is right, but disagreeing with you isn’t rude.

Not to mention that the reference to “in the English language” smacks of condescension and assumed superiority. Those of us who speak more than one language are keenly aware that it is sometimes difficult to track the cultural nuances of each of those languages. Those who speak only one language may not be aware of this, and should be gracious enough to allow some slack. And like you, I don’t find “no it is not” to be the least bit offensive.

[DarwinOSX]

iOS and Android apps are out with Tidal integration, bug fixes and can change speaker setting rom any source not just wifi.

[Jingxi_Tang]

Just tried the new iOS app. By intergrating Tidal, it is much more useful now.
Maybe because i haven’t updated the speakers firmware, the app often can’t connect to the speakers after switching input.

[jimmy.kl]

I’d like to know the best way to control the LS50W’s volume when connected via USB.

Is it best to set the maximum volume you’d ever listen to on the speakers and then control the volume from the OS/app on the PC?

Or would it be better to set the OS/app volume to maximum and then control the volume with the speakers/remote?

[HTTP_404]

Those of us who speak more than one language are keenly aware that it is sometimes difficult to track the cultural nuances of each of those languages.

Those of us who speak more than one language with the proficiency you allude to usually know better than to express themselves so poorly, unless they intend to be rude.

[jimmy.kl]

Can you guys please start another thread about cultural nuances and language proficiency?

[Ratbert]

Or better still don’t.

[hk6230 (Gary Foong)]

I set Roon to Fixed Volume and control the ls50w vol using the remote.