These sit in different price classes - KEF LS50 Wireless costs roughly 4.4x what Audioengine A5+ Wireless does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Audioengine A5+ Wireless digs deeper - 50Hz against 79Hz. |
| Built-in power | A | KEF LS50 Wireless has the bigger amplifier (230W vs 100W RMS). |
| Connections | A | KEF LS50 Wireless adds Wi-Fi, streaming and digital inputs. |
| Size | depends | Audioengine A5+ Wireless is easier to place; KEF LS50 Wireless is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | KEF LS50 Wireless: a sub output; Audioengine A5+ Wireless: a sub output. KEF LS50 Wireless sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Audioengine A5+ Wireless is cheaper - $499 against $2,200, about 77% less; arguably a different class. |
A KEF LS50 Wireless B Audioengine A5+ Wireless
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
KEF LS50 Wireless is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 4.4x the price. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Audioengine A5+ Wireless looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the KEF LS50 Wireless appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 79Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, KEF LS50 Wireless has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Audioengine A5+ Wireless is the easier speaker to get right.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.