What are your experiences with upgrading power cords on KEF LS50 wireless?


Hello ,
I’ll soon be investing in a pair of the new KEF LS50 wireless II speakers and I’m curious what experiences people have had regarding upgrading the power cables on the original wireless model or the new ones.  I haven’t had much luck finding info on this topic looking through past posts (maybe one thread three years ago) so I’m curious what owners may be able to share on this subject now.  I appreciate any information you care to share. Thanks.
indyvw

Showing 4 responses by b_limo

Oldhvymech is a true gentleman and the member I’ve been trying to act like, lately, in these threads.
There is one poster though that gets under my skin like no other, and when I resort to insults, I’m never better off for it. Best just to ignore him and not respond.

Anyhow, back to the Metas!!
I wondered the same thing whenI had my LS50W’s and my dynaudio xeo’s...

I never got around to it but I’ve got to think that upgrading the powercords on the kefs will make a nice improvement.  As to what Douglas was saying, that makes total sense.  However, “all” of the cords for the LS50W 2 are the 2 power cords.

I say upgrade them right out of the gate.  You’re lucking out with the fact that by upgrading 2 power cords, you’r upgrading powercords for the dac, preamp, and multiple amllifiers.  With that in mind, it should make a nice change!

I’d take into consideration the lengths, the gauge, the flexibility of the cord (pangea ac 9 would be out,for example) and the sound signature.

I really like Cullen Crossover series because they are very open and detailed sounding.  The crossover series is a nice thin gauge too (12 gauge?) so its not hugely unwieldy.  The wire is a bit stiff though but once you have it in place, nk big deal.  Power cords do sound harsh for a few days after you bend them all up though, so be prepared for that.  Analysis plus power ovals for $130 are a great option as well.

If I were you, I’d already have my 2 upgraded power cords all ready even before you get the speakers.  Use the upgraded cords right out of the gate and burn the powercords in as you are burning the speakers in.  The first genLS50W sounded much better after 3-4 days of continual use.  I left mine on overnight at low volumes playing classical music.  I’ve had experience with 4 pairs and they were all a bit aggressive right out of the box.

Upgraded powercords, some nice non resonant stands at the right height (usually 28”-32” for LS50’s) and a REL T7i (Or 2 or more) and you’re in business!

I’d also upgrade your outlets.  Cullen Cables has pass and seymours for $10 or Albert Porter (check out his rig here on audiogon!) has cyro’d medical grade outlets for $50.  Those are called porter ports.  They’re worth every penny!

Anyhow, enjoy your new LS50’s!  They are just awesome little speakers and the new metas are supposed to be better so you Sir, are in for a treat!
Oh, and to clarify, the original LS50W’s also used a class a/b amp on the tweeters.  The new meta version puts out more power to the tweeter yhan the previous version.  I can’t remember the specs off the top of my head.  I think the originals were 50 class a/b watts to the tweeter, 200 class d watts to the midbass.  The new metas are 100 and 200, I believe.

I’ve also heard that the app for the metas is waaaay better, which wasmy complaint with the originals.  We had to really work to get my brothers internet running at 5ghz (New router, changed settings, etc) so that he didn’t have dropouts.  His LS50W’s ran much smoother hardwired and on a 5ghz speed.

I suppose an upgraded ethernet cord might be nice as well.

The cool thing about LA50W’s is that whenyou get the urge to tweak something, it’s usually the room or subs, 2 important areas often overlooked by many people while the are upgrading pre amps, amps and dacs...


Oh, and mine did sound better using an external dac as well.  Just an audioquest dragonfly (red) coming out of my laptop sounded smoother than just using the app.

The app on the Metas is supposed to be improved so I woud not go down that route of external dac as well.  Focus on room treatments and subs and the payoff will be larger.

Every single personwho has heard my friends LS50W’s and 1 T9i were pretty impressed!

I heard that you don’t have to tether the new LS50W together...

I thought the wireless version was a completely different animal than the passives.  It was a big part of the reason that I think actives will be the future. I just think that when you are engineering speakers at the level of kef, and others, the designers of the drivers have more control of the final sound when they have control over everything.

I’d like to see what the differences in bracing are on this new model.  It’s supposedly even less resonant than the originals which were already ridiculously solid.  
That new plate on the back of the driver that cancels the backwave is really cool.  I think KEF is trying to push the boundaries in both performance and bang for the buck.

Im betting that pair of LS50W Metas and a pair of subs is a going to be a hard, if not impossible combo to beat.  
A big concern of mine on the originals was the 1 year warranty on the electronics.  I’d advise any buyers to purchase an extended warranty.  Something that will cover the electronics for 3-5 years.  Both Magnolia and my small local b&m offered extended warranties.