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KEF LS 50 vs beolab 3

I know that many people at the hi-fi forums don't care for Bang & Olufson products with the idea that they are only lifestyle products where form beats sound. Seeing that more and more speaker makers are departing from the box format I believe that this discussion is loosing its meaning.

Anyway, that's not the reason I'm writing today. The fact is that I have a pair of Beolab 3s (the small powered round wavelens speakers) and a Beolab 11 sub powered by an Oppo 105 working as DAC, CD player and pre-amps. I find the sound very good, much bigger than the speakers and very clean and accurate.

The fact, however, is that I don't have many opportunities to compare systems, because where I live, in Brazil, there are not many distributors of the main speaker makers.

That's where I would like some help: has anyone that knows the Beolab 3s heard also the LS50s? Do they compare anyway? Are they from different worlds? Am I mistaken when I believe that their quality of sound may compare in any way?

I am thinking of a new system and the LS50s have called my attention, but on the other hand I wouldn't like to pull the trigger if the quality difference is not night and day...

Thanks for your help.
tvfreak

Showing 1 response by yyzsantabarbara

yyzsantabarbara
4,443 posts
 
My next speaker is likely going to be the KEF Blade. I own the LS50 in my office system and I want the exact same sound for my main rig but full range. I love the LS50 fed by Benchmark DAC2 + Parasound Halo A23 amp + Window 8.1 computer with JRiver + Magnum Dynalab Tuner.

I have auditioned a few speakers in the past 12 months. Wilson Alexia, Vienna Acoustics KISS, TAD EV1, Magico Q7, Thiel CS 3.7. I have owned Revel Salons1 + Thiel SCS4. I personally like the tweeter and midrange of the KEF LS50 over all the others I mentioned. Of course those other speakers can play louder, deeper, and also sounded mostly great. I am only referring to the 2 drivers on the LS50 in a near-field situation as being more my taste.

An October 2013 online review of the KEF Blade in TONE Magazine is what I am expecting the KEF Blade to sound like.
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