Identical in shape to the first LSX, the Kef LSX II wireless active speakers have some welcome substantive changes.
The evolutions of the LSX II loudspeakers compared to the LSX
The first of these concerns the presence of an HDMI ARC connector to easily retrieve the sound from the television. Similarly, a USB-C port is also included to simply connect them to a PC or Mac computer. To be complete, know that the Kef LSX II also integrate the new W2 wireless communication platform inaugurated on the Kef LS50 Wireless II and the Kef LS 60 Wireless (click to discover the complete tests of these products by the editorial staff of AVCesar .com).
Connected wirelessly to the home Wi-Fi network (Dual Band 2.4 Ghz/5 Ghz compatibility) or wired via the Ethernet port, these speakers allow you to enjoy content via the UPnP (DLNA) multimedia gateway function. music stored on the network's shared equipment (computer, game console, smartphone, tablet, etc.), its web radios or its music streaming platforms. Spotify Connect, Roon and Tidal services are integrated. On the network side, Bluetooth 4.2 APT-X and Wi-Fi Dual Band certifications are included for even better ergonomics.
Namely, AirPlay 2 compatibility is also required, ditto for Chromecast (integrated). In addition to access to Apple Music, these will grant multiroom possibilities to the Kef LSX II.
Main Specifications
Technically, the Kef LSX active speakers still incorporate a Uni-Q loudspeaker exclusive to the 11th generation manufacturer, identical to that on board the first LSX of the name. On the other hand, the LSX IIs benefit from the Music Integrity Engine process which resides in an optimization of the crossover managed by DSP. Completely revised, it incorporates certain algorithms developed for the LS50 Wireless II speakers.
As a reminder, the 19mm aluminum dome tweeter is located exactly at the acoustic center of the 11.5cm magnesium/aluminum woofer midrange cone, to act as a single source point from which sound is dispersed . The Kef LSX II accept a signal up to 384 kHz / 24 bits wired and offer a quality of 192 kHz / 24 bits wireless. This is more than enough quality to use Hi-Res Audio files. Namely, the LSX II accept (Wav, Alac, AIFF, AAC, WMA, MP3, Ogg, LPCM and M4A), MQA and DSD up to 11.2 Mhz (DSD256). Precision, the coaxial and HDMI sockets accept files up to 192 kHz/24 bits, 96 kHz/24 bits via optical.
Finally, on the power side, the equipment and characteristics remain unchanged compared to the original LSX. The Kef LSX II deliver via Class D amplification 2 x 30 W for the tweeters and 2 x 70 W for the mid-boomers.
Sound optimization according to placement
In terms of connections, in addition to the USB C port and the HDMI connector already mentioned, there is an optical input, an auxiliary stereo 3.5 mm mini-Jack, two Ethernet ports (including one for wired connection of the two speakers if desired), plus a subwoofer output. Another precision, it is also possible to choose a setting for the speakers according to their placement in a room: freed from all constraints with a lot of space around, close to a wall, on a stand or on a piece of furniture. This is to optimize, again, the dispersion of the sound, therefore the sound reproduction. Everything is managed through the Kef Connect app.
Finally, know that the Kef LSX memorizes up to eight Bluetooth devices (to avoid tedious pairing steps). And the control of the speakers is provided, again, by the application. Precision, they can also be fully controlled via IP.
Available from June 23 in five finishes: red, blue, black, white and copper. Indicative price: 1,499 euros.
Reminder of the key characteristics of Kef LSX II active speakers:
• Type: 2-way speaker
• Tweeter(s): Uni-Q with 19mm aluminum tweeter
• Medium( s): Uni-Q with aluminum midrange with 11.5 cm cone
• Power: 2 x 100 W Class D (30 W for the tweeter + 70 W for the midrange-boomer)
• Connectors: 1 optical input, 1 stereo RCA auxiliary input, 1 Ethernet port, 1 Ethernet port to connect the speakers together, 1 HDMI output and 1 subwoofer output
• Certification(s): Hi-Res audio
• Audio file compatibility: MP3, WMA, Ogg, AAC, Alac, AIFF, Flac, Wav, DSD 2.8/5.6/11.2 MHz, LPCM, MQA• AirPlay 2 compatibility
• Chromecast compatibility (integrated)• Bluetooth 4.2 compatibility
• Wi-Fi n Dual Band compatibility
• Roon Ready compatibility
• 384 kHz/24-bit Dac
• Multiroom: yes (via Chromecast or AirPlay 2)