In this review, we will be comparing LS50 Meta and LS50 Wireless, two Bookshelf speakers by KEF The main difference between these two speakers is that the KEF LS50 Wireless is a Powered speaker which means that it has a built-in amplifier inside the speaker body so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp whereas the KEF LS50 Meta is a Passive speaker so has to be matched with an amplifier to get any sound from it. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KEF LS50 Meta and KEF LS50 Wireless first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
LS50 Meta and LS50 Wireless are members of KEF's LS series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the KEF LS50 Meta and KEF LS50 Wireless compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both LS50 Meta and LS50 Wireless are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
KEF LS50 Meta |
KEF LS50 Wireless |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
LS50 Meta features a 1" Aluminum Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2100Hz. On the other hand, the LS50 Wireless features a 1" Aluminum Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Magnesium/aluminum alloy Woofer .
Frequency Response
LS50 Meta and LS50 Wireless has exactly the same frequency range of 79-28k Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both LS50 Meta and LS50 Wireless have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare KEF LS50 Meta's and KEF LS50 Wireless's external dimensions. KEF LS50 Meta has external dimensions of 303.0 x 201.0 x 281.0mm ( 11-15/16 x 7.875 x 11-1/16inch) whereas KEF LS50 Wireless has external dimensions of 301.6 x 200.0 x 336.5mm ( 11.875 x 7.875 x 13.25inch) .
KEF LS50 Wireless is 1mm narrower and 1.4mm shorter than KEF LS50 Meta but it is also 55.5mm deeper.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the KEF LS50 Meta is approximately 564.8cm2 / 87.5inch2 and base area of the KEF LS50 Wireless is approximately 673.0cm2 / 104.3inch2. The LS50 Meta requires 16% less surface area than the LS50 Wireless which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of KEF LS50 Meta?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of LS50 Meta:
2 Bookshelf loudspeakers2 Foam port plugs8 Self-adhesive rubber feetOwners ManualWarranty Registration Card
What's in the Box of KEF LS50 Wireless?
Here are the items that come with the LS50 Wireless:
Wireless powered speaker (Right)Wireless powered speaker (Left)Two 6.5-feet AC power cords10-feet Cat-6 interconnect speaker cable6.5-feet USB-B to USB-A cable42