First of all, it is a question of noticing the design of the Kef LS60 Wireless floorstanding loudspeakers. 1.09 m high, 21.2 cm thick and 39.4 cm deep, the LS60 Wireless are extremely sober and offer a furiously modern aesthetic. From the one that Apple would not have denied, for example, if the American firm had launched into column speakers. In short, the Kef LS60 Wireless combine two antagonistic concepts, discretion and presence, for an amazing result.
Kef LS60 Wireless, MAT inside technology
Of course, the three-way Kef LS60 Wireless loudspeakers benefit from the exclusive MAT process (for Metamaterial Absorption Technology) which has been awarded worldwide. As a reminder, the latter materializes in the form of a complex labyrinthine structure in relief where the channels act as an acoustic black hole absorbing 99% of the unwanted sounds radiating at the rear of the Uni-Q coaxial loudspeaker, against 60% previously. Thus, the distortion is virtually eliminated (THD at 0.07%) and the transparency increased. It should be noted that the MAT loudspeaker, 12th generation Uni-Q signed Kef, provides a better frequency response (+40%).
Kef LS60 Wireless, wired or wireless speaker connection
In terms of new features, we can also note a new tri-amplification: 100 W in Class A/B for the 19 mm ventilated aluminum tweeter, 100 W in Class D for the 10 cm aluminum cone midrange and 500 W in Class D for the four 13.5 cm Uni-Core woofers (two pairs of loudspeakers mounted back-to-back) with force cancellation inaugurated on the recent Kef KC62 subwoofer to optimize bass rendering in a minimum of space. That's a total of 1,400 W for the pair.
All for a frequency response of 31 Hz to 24,000 Hz (+/-3dB), 26 Hz to 36,000 Hz (+/-6dB). Similarly, like the Kef LS50 Wireless II, the pair of Kef LS60 Wireless can communicate wired (in 192 kHz/24 bits) but also wirelessly (in 96 kHz/24 bits). The speakers are also Hi-Res Audio certified and accept via RJ45 network files up to 384 kHz/24 bits (Wav, Alac, AIFF, AAC, WMA, MP3, Ogg, LPCM and M4A), MQA and DSD up to 11.2Mhz (DSD256). Precision, the coaxial and HDMI connectors accept files up to 192 kHz/24 bits, 96 kHz/24 bits via optics.
We also note the Apparent Point Source technology. This consists of an equidistant placement of the boomers of the Uni-Q coaxial loudspeaker to create a single point of emission of the high, mid and low frequencies.
Kef LS60 Wireless, built-in HDMI eARC output
As for the Kef LS50 Wireless II, the Kef LS60 Wireless have an HDMI port equipped with the eARC function to recover, once connected to a television, the Dolby Atmos soundtracks from an OTT service such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video to do a stereo downmix. Or the sound of a game console connected to the television.
Finally, using the new Kef Connect application, it is still possible to calibrate the sound reproduction according to the environment of the Kef LS60 Wireless and to access the platforms Tidal, Amazon Music, Qobuz, Deezer, Apple Music plus thousands of Webradios. Likewise, Spotify Connect certification is included.
Kef LS60 Wireless, connectors and connectivity
In terms of connections, in addition to the Ethernet port, the HDMI output, the optical input and the coaxial input already mentioned, there is also an RCA auxiliary input, an Ethernet port to connect the speakers together and a subwoofer output. In terms of connectivity, we note Bluetooth 4.2, Chromecast (integrated) and AirPlay 2 compatibility, not to mention the UPnP (DLNA) audio gateway function. Precision, with the Chromecast (integrated) or AirPlay 2 protocols, associated with the next Roon support (via later Firmware update), it is possible to configure a multiroom system using several Kef LS60 Wireless.
Availability announced for the end of June, in blue, gray or white. Indicative price: 6,599 euros.
Reminder of the key characteristics of the Kef LS60 Wireless speakers:
• Type: 3-way speaker
• Tweeter: Uni-Q with 19 mm aluminum tweeter
• Boomers: Uni-Core with force cancellation 13.5 cm x 4
• Midrange: Uni-Q with 10 cm cone aluminum midrange
• Power: 2 x 700 W (100 W for the tweeter + 100 W for the midrange + 500 W for boomers)
• Bandwidth: 31-24,000 Hz (+/-3dB), 26-36,000 Hz (+/-6dB)
• Connectors: 1 optical input, 1 coaxial , 1 RCA stereo auxiliary input, 1 Ethernet port, 1 Ethernet port to connect the speakers together, 1 HDMI output and 1 subwoofer output
• Certification: Hi-Res audio
• MP3 audio compatibility, WMA, Ogg, AAC, Alac, AIFF, Flac, Wav, LPCM
• DSD 2.8/5.6/11.2 MHz compatibility
• AirPlay 2 compatibility
• Chromecast compatibility
• Bluetooth 4.2 compatibility
• Wi-Fi ac compatibility
• Roon Ready compatibility
• Dac 384 kHz/24 bits
• Multiroom: yes (via Chro mecast or AirPlay 2)
• Dimensions (W x D x H): 212 x 394 x 1,042 mm
• Weight: 62.4 kg for the pair
• Consumption: 450 W ( <2W standby)