Hello everyone, I am thinking of replacing my old soundbar with Kef LSX II to improve the sound from the tv, and also to be able to play Music via Roon ( that’s the main reason I think).
How are these little speakers with Roon, does anyone have any problems with them, like dropouts, pausing music ?
They will be connected via Ethernet cable.
Thanks for any input.
@Szymon_Izydor, I moved this to the KEF category. I have the first-generation LSX and they work great with Roon, either with an attached optical input, via AirPlay, or via its native (but not “Roon Ready”) support for Roon that KEF developed for the LSX and the orginal LS50 Wireless. As long as your network connection is stable everything just works.
I had the gen 1 LSX but ended up moving to a pair of Bluesound Pulse Flex speakers because I wanted TIDAL Connect and Roon ready (this was prior to the gen 2 LSX launch).
The LSX, of course, offered superior fidelity compared to the Bluesound.
I have LS50W Meta as well.
I have them. (And the KC62)
They sound remarkably good.
The network interface isn’t great though.
My router uses the same SSID and password for 2.4G and 5G and the KEFs would always end up on 2.4, despite 5G having plenty of signal strength, and I’d get dropouts.
I solved this by creating a guest network with only 5G and this works great.
But it won’t be an issue for you on Ethernet.
Occasionally Roon and Tidal Connect won’t see them but powering them off and on again solves it.
Despite these issues I’d recommend them.
I have a pair of LSX II speakers on my desk. I like them quite a bit as computer speakers and endpoints for near-field music.
I’m not sure I’d recommend them for TV use. Multi-driver soundbars, especially with subs, sound much more immersive and can do a lot with processing to improve the quality and understandability of dialog. You could buy just about any soundbar for the price of a pair of LSX IIs and a KC62.
I really do like KEF. I also have LS 50 IIs and recently bought a pair of LS 60s. I’m just not sure these are the best choice for what you want to do with them.
@gTunes makes a fair point.
I use mine with a TV as well but I have the KC62 Sub and my TV does DSP such as dialog clarity etc.
Without these things, especially in a larger room, the LSX II on their own could be underwhelming for movie watching.
I had KEF LSX II for some time. They work great with roon, never experienced any issues except from some delays when ´waking-up-on-Wifi´ is initiated by roon.
Both bass authority and the three-dimensional image they were offering are great given the speaker´s size. If you do not expect extreme SPL, rumbling subsonic or Atmos-grade surround sound they can be quite satisfying as TV speakers as well. Depending on the room you might have to boost the treble slightly as they have a tendency of sounding a bit dull.
Thanks for the reply.
Never had any issue with network over wifi, but do have an option to hard wire the speakers.
First gen of LSX I can get for good price now, but prefer the newer model since it’s Roon ready, and hdmi Arc compatible.
I was also looking at Naim Muso 2, or PowerNode with some set of bookshelf speakers. What you think about this ?
Thanks for the reply.
These Kefs will be mainly used for Roon stream, and occasionally for watching tv for some news. For movies I have dedicated room in the basement.
Would love to get the KC62, but way over my budget at this moment. But I do have a JL audio sub, that I am planning to use it Kefs.
My guess is the JL Audio sub will be as good as, if not better, than the KC62. Bass management is handled in the KEF app for both low pass and high pass filtering, so a large sub, if it works in your room, may be better.
Thank you.
They will be used mainly for Roon streaming, and occasionally watching tv. No need for
extreme SPL, or atmos surround sound.
Don’t really have room for large sub, the JL I have is just small D108, which works perfectly due to its size.
Would recommend to get the LSX II for a different reason: They sound more mature and bass is really bass. The LSX I was merely a toy in terms of bass and dynamic capabilities.
There are quite some alternatives out there, but suggesting a onebox system or an amp plus passive speakers leads to a general discussion which kind of system you really want. I personally would always opt for a real stereo setup. Active system with HDMI input does make sense in your case but there are alternatives to the LSX II.
What other alternatives do you have in mind ?
If the primary use is music listening, then I absolutely agree with this.
We have only one TV and it’s set up for movie watching. Over the years, I’ve tried many approaches to multi-channel audio and, most of the time, I just end up pissing my wife off with the complexity and mixed performance of my setups. We’ve made peace by moving to a soundbar + sub + wireless rears for TV and a completely independent set of stereo speakers in the same area for music. I recognize that anything I say about any of this is heavily influenced by the choices I’ve made in the interest of domestic harmony
I’m listening to my LSX IIs right now on my desktop. I agree with what @Arindal wrote about sound quality and, especially, the comments on imaging. Thinking about this more, I think they’d be a great choice for you, especially given that you want to use them for music and the occasional TV (not movie) watching.
What other alternatives do you have in mind ?
Yes wife here too, and she wants the clean and modern look. And these Kefs are actually very nice. I just want something simple, and not complicated for my wife to play music without another remotes in the way.
Just got me a pair of cherry red LSX II for my desk, together with the desktop stands (expensive but very well made and a real improvement - see the picture on the monitor for how they look without stands) .
Since the room is also used as alternative bedroom / guest room I justified the investment with the fact that the speakers perfectly match the colour of the new sofa bed that my wife just ordered.
I use them as speakers for work (telcos/vidcos, for which they are complete overkill) as well as for listening to music or playing games (for which they are perfect). They’re nice little allrounders with a small footprint and every connection option you could possibly want. The volume level they can achieve is quite impressive.
I guess I will add the KC62 sooner or later to add some low end punch.
I recently purchased the green option for my garden office/study, I also got the stands and agree that they make both an improvement in sound and aesthetics.
I will also be adding the KEF compact sub in the coming weeks.
Very impressed so far.
Very nice setup, @Christian_Fuhrmann!
I also have a green pair on my desk. I listened to a few colors before settling on green. Objectively speaking, they sound the best
Perhaps the best thing about the KEF all-in-one speakers is how much my wife likes how they look and work. That’s a big deal in my house. I’ve got a pair of LS 50 IIs in our bedroom (with a KC62), a pair of LS 60 in our living room. She’s happy.