I’ve been having the same issue with pops and crackles with my LS60s via a Nucleus One, but not on other sources into the LS60s. There have been no firmware updates from KEF since I bought the speakers, and the problem has only arisen in the last few months. I don’t know if the cause or fix is down to KEF or Roon. I await a solution from one or the other.
It’s likely an update to their Roon Ready integration that needs an update, not the full firmware of the speaker.
There new firmware 3.0.132 fixed it for me.
Have you opened support tickets with Roon and KEF?
I assume the integeration update could only be achieved by a firmware update
That’s good to know, but my firmware in 3.0.131, and it won’t yet update to the next version. Hopefully, not too long to wait.
No, I haven’t. Others have been experiencing the same issue, and with other KEF active speakers too, and KEF appears to be aware of the issue. For the time being I’ll follow this topic to see what happens.
As it seems, firmware 3.0.132 (LS60 Wireless only) is only dispatched upon opening an individual support ticket. I got my FW update early July and it fixed my Roon problems. Same with my LSX II (in that case FW 3.0.138). You open the ticket, KEF will get back to you and ask for the MAC address of the speaker’s built-in network adapter (be sure to send the one that is actually connected, as ethernet and WiFi use different adapters), and than shortly after you can trigger the update via the KEF Connect app.
Exactly. If you don’t open a support ticket you’ll need to wait until they do a general firmware update for everyone and that could be a long wait. It surprises me how folks are hesitant to actively pursue an issue and just wait for something, somehow, somewhere, to happen that will fix it.
Okay, thanks, and you’re right, it might take some time for the official update to become available.
I’ve sent a message to KEF through the support feature in KEF Connect, and provided the MAC address of my LS60s — hopefully, that amounts to opening a support ticket and someone will confirm I can install the next firmware version.
I’ll report back to let those interested know if it works.
I had more immediate response by going thru the KEF website support page. I tried thru KEF Connect and didn’t hear anything so went to the support page.
Thanks. I tried doing that, logged into my KEF account, and went to the product support page for the LS60:
At that point I got lost: which of the available options allows me to raise the issue with KEF?
I went through the US page: Contact Us | KEF USA
Thanks, I’ve done that, as well as email KEF in the UK, including the MAC address in both cases. Hopefully, someone at KEF will allow me to update the firmware.
I have been experiencing something similar. I have no KEF but a SMSL DAC.
It’s not subtle, music is replaced with nasty FM Static sound…
Seems to be Room issue, not sure why I should do anything…
Very different than what we experience with the LS60’s. With the KEF’s it’s almost like playing a pretty good piece of vinyl on a good table where you have a slight “crackle” every once in a while. Can’t even notice if you’re listening from another room. You have a DAC/Roon issue that is nothing to do with KEF.
This is one out of a few threads about KEF LS series active speakers having issues with streaming Roon/RAAT following the latest official firmware updates in April 2026, or in some cases users bought them recently with the latest official firmware already installed. And the threads are correctly categorized - like this one - either in the „KEF" category or „Support" category.
While it took a while for KEF to acknowledge and solve the issue, a solution has been found. And the procedure is a bit complicated, since KEF so far has not made the fix a new official FW and, hence, each affected user has to report to KEF individually. Nonetheless, several fellow Roon users have reported in these threads that the individual FW dispatch has solved their issue. So far, so good.
So there is no need to inject other issues with other gear into the discussion, insinuating that the root cause is Roon (and not KEF as in this case). We have all experienced a number of issues with Roon, and the Roon team is constantly working on those, for example the failed roll-out of Roon Server 2.71, 1681 a few days ago which needed immediate fixing to build no 1683. So let’s provide feedback to Roon about issues that are in the realm of their responsibility, but let’s not attribute everything to Roon, especially when a manufacturer has already developed a fix (and implicitly admitted being at fault).
Looking forward to KEF firmware updates to fix this. I assume / hope its the same with the LS50 Wireless II which I have, which also exhibit the same issue. I often found it hard to notice but can force the issue by playing a ‘hearing test’ track that sweeps slowly from 15khz to 20khz, and i hear the little pops/cracks every few seconds. The workaround for me for the moment is to use the LS50 W2 via Roon in Chromecast mode.
Just an update: I registered the issue via KEF Connect and KEF UK got back to me the next day, accepted the issue and that firmware update would resolve it. After I’d provided a screenshot of the LS60 MAC address the update was available after a couple of days. It seems to have solved the problem.
A couple of further points. First, I wonder why it’s taking KEF so long to roll out the firmware updates for its active speakers. Currently, the update is only available on request.
Second, it’s just as well I came across this thread. I’d had the issue for a while and tracked it down to playback via Roon. I’d concluded that there must be an electrical fault with my Nucleus One, and that I’d have to replace it when funds became available — no longer necessary. There’s a moral to the story.
Still waiting. But I try Enable Sample rate conversion, problems vanished.