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 10 responses by indyvw

helloitsben, I appreciate the feedback. Did you try the Audioquest cables with the LS50 wireless speakers or are you speaking in general terms based on your experiences with other gear?
Though I appreciate the sarcasm as usual sweetheart, that is not at all what my question alluded to. Given the specific design features of the LS50 wireless models, I’m merely interested in what owners of them have experienced when trying out new power cables. What models have they tried and what are their thoughts on the differences they heard versus the stock cords? That sort of thing. Furthermore, as I’m positive you are neither a previous nor current owner of the LS50 wireless model, Chuck, your opinions lack any pertinence on this matter.  If anyone has actual ownership experience with the LS50 wireless models  and would care to chime in on this I’m all ears though. Thanks again.
I apologize for the digression of this thread but hopefully enough people saw my last post, before it was removed, to understand where I’m coming from regarding the tactless behavior of some members and their consistent lack of meaningful, constructive input on myriad topics.  If anyone cares to offer any actual feedback on the original question I posed I would be pleased to hear it. And if this particular thread has been derailed beyond the point of inviting any sort of constructive discourse then that’s ok too. I think it still served a purpose, for me personally at least. 
The new model actually uses a class A/B for the tweeter. Not sure how much of a difference this would make with upgrading power cables but it’s worth pointing out. 
That is exactly the reason I reacted the way I did. I see one individual in particular create post after post in the same derogatory manner and it just becomes so grating that a reaction is inevitable. I’m complicit in this, I fully admit that, and if Chuck wants to continue down this path if I post something else in the future then I will be responding in exactly the same manner again. Enough is enough. I have nothing but respect for all the members of this forum, except for MillerCarbon. Any respect owed to him as a fellow member of the community has been forfeited in my opinion due to his behavior. I don’t believe for a second that I’m the only member that feels that way either.  That he continues to behave the way he does is what is truly sad.

Oldhvymec, I know you’re Chuck’s buddy so I don’t expect an unbiased view on what transpired between us yesterday. Chuck’s entire modus operandi is to insult other members on this forum in a poor attempt to inflate his own ego which then provides reaffirmation, at least in his mind, that he is the wisest or most experienced or most dedicated audiophile of all. It’s pathetic and destructive and that’s why I sent the “gift” back to him.  Enough is enough. But the most important thing I want to point out is that, just like him, you also missed the point of my original post. You guys both focused on a broader concept of power cables affecting sound and that’s not what I’m concerned with at all. I’m certainly open to the idea that changing power cords will impact the sound so I’m specifically interested in what other LS50 wireless owners have experienced when they have done so. I’m curious what specific power cables they have tried and how they thought the aftermarket cables compared to the stock cords.  Because many owners will use these specific speakers as a stand-alone, sort of all-in-one solution rather than a piece of a multi component system it offers the fairly rare opportunity to hear feedback from users that, aside from the listening environment, potentially have the exact same set up as you would have. Yes, I know many owners will utilize a separate DAC and that will certainly change the sound from stock but that’s a different discussion for another time. As a stand-alone the LS50 wireless will have the same DAC, the same amps, the same speakers, etcetera from one pair to the next. That’s a rare opportunity for comparison in this hobby that is unique to streaming based active speakers in general.  That’s why I want to hear from other LS50 wireless owners rather than have a general discussion about whether power cables affect sound.  I thought that concept would seem obvious but maybe I should have been more articulate in my original post. 


jetter, I appreciate that you get where I was coming from. 


seanheis1, a DAC addition is a possibility and I’m certain it would have a significant affect on the sound of the speakers. That would be a whole other topic for sure.


douglas_shroeder, I get where you are coming from and you make a good point. I still would like to hear from members that have hands on experience with the LS50 wireless specifically but I’ll have to take into account what you mention. 

First off Chuck, stopping stealing my original riff on you by saying things like “you go girl” or “have at it girls.”  Secondly, I thought we agreed you wouldn’t respond to any of my threads going forward?  What happened?  Is there really no one else to insult or degrade right now?  No one here cares about your opinion on anything Chuck, least of all me.  I do find it amusing that you of all people, a person that has consumed the audiophile kool-aid down to the last drop and bought into almost every tweak imaginable, would claim that a particular cable (of any sort) that you find appealing in one system will work in any system that could possibly be assembled. So a cable that may offer a bit more top end revelation and is a perfect fit for a pair of speakers with characteristics like warmth and body will match equally well with a pair of speakers that sound characteristically bright and detailed?  Even for someone that has not ventured down the cable upgrade rabbit hole that far that thinking seems fundamentally flawed. Kenjit early on in the discussion brought up a point on the inherent character of different wire materials as something that needs to be considered and that is exactly why I’m pointing this out. It sounds as though you don’t think the sound characteristics of a cable relate at all to the equipment they are used with. Kenjit again proving much more useful than Chuck. Do me a favor and stick to your promise this time that you’ll avoid responding to me ever again. We’ll both be happier I’m sure.


rodman99999, I very much appreciate the gesture and I am indeed in Indy. I will reach out if I decide to take you up on your offer my friend. 


b_limo, yes the new one model doesn’t need to be tethered unless you desire the maximum 24/192 resolution rather than the untethered max of 24/96.  So I guess I’ll decide on how important that is with experimentation. Totally agree with your thoughts on the speakers potential overall.  It seems like a truly great option within its price category.  I’m honestly interested in this option because of how easily it would fit my particular lifestyle. I have moved six times in the past four years for various reasons, tend to live in smaller apartments, I gravitate towards minimalism in general, I occasionally have my girlfriend’s very small child running around the apartment, and so forth. I enjoy my current set up with the passive LS50s, a Yamaha A-S2100, and a Marantz HD-DAC1 but yeah the wireless LS50s are probably a better lifestyle fit. Especially if I don’t have to sacrifice sound quality. 

yogi, I appreciate the suggestion and I’ll check audioasylum out. I’m a member on the Steve Hoffman forum as well and it’s usually void of the colorful characters on here that tend to derail a thread pretty quickly. 
b_limo, as always I appreciate the thoughtful responses man. Yeah I do think the new version of this speaker will be a big improvement, if for no other reason than the functionality enhancements utilizing the new app and the new electronics on board. And I certainly like the idea of reducing cable clutter and being able to focus on just the power cables and perhaps a couple Ethernet cables. I will probably choose to hard wire them as well, to the router and possibly to each other. The tethering idea doesn’t bother me as much as it may bother others. I just got a few panels from GIK a couple weeks ago and I’ve been running the passive LS50s with a JL E-110 up to this point so I’m curious to hear how the wireless version sounds in my room. I know KEF has discussed offering discrete sub outs on this new model too with a firmware update in the future so that could be pretty interesting and one more reason to invest in another sub. 
oldhvymech, I’m picking up what you’re putting down. We’re good man. Although Chuck is more like cat p*** than hot coffee for my taste profile. Lol 
I appreciate your input mapman. Definitely something I’ll consider in my search. I appreciate the link as well oldhvymech. Thank you. 
I’ll be looking forward to hearing your thoughts docknow.  Your input is much appreciated sir.  
arafiq, I appreciate the feedback. Thank you. 
rodman99999, thank you again and I will certainly PM if I decide to entertain your gracious offer. 
docknow, thank you very much for the lengthy write up on your experience. I greatly appreciate everyone’s input but it certainly helps that extra little bit when owners of the LS50 wireless, like you and arafiq for instance, can discuss trying a particular pair of power cables and the subsequent changes they made to the overall sound. Also, I’m with tvad on wanting to know what differences you hear with the AQ and Shunyata cables. No one here will be disappointed if you get bored one day and decide to harvest them out of storage. Hahaha. Thanks again for your feedback on this and perhaps we will have a few more owners chime in as well. Take care.