Cut the wires & the cost with this limited-time deal on the KEF LS50 Wireless II, a pair of the best powered speakers you can buy right now.

By Tony Ware | Updated Apr 4, 2022 11:04 AM

If you’re looking to upgrade your daily drivers, the KEF LS50 Wireless II is one of our best powered speakers, while its passive counterpart makes our list of best bookshelf speakers on the market. And the reason is clear, sitting centrally in the compact speaker’s feature-stuffed cabinet. It’s that stunning copper-hued Uni-Q driver array, which mounts a 1-inch vented aluminum-dome tweeter in the acoustic center of a 5 ¼-inch magnesium-aluminum alloy woofer. Sitting in front of a pair of these rhythmically riveting cones can be nothing short of revelatory, as the soundstage is spacious without being diffuse. With its expansive sweet spot, sumptuous midrange, and well-defined bass, the two-way LS50 Wireless II lets every transient arc and intertwine, effortlessly showcasing every production appliqué without sacrificing punchiness. And this weekend it does all that at almost 20-percent off.

A frequency range of 40 Hz to 47 kHz emphatically conveys all the nuance of whatever source you play through the LS50 Wireless II, and it can handle pretty much anything. Part of the draw of the LS50 Wireless II is its all-in-one nature—custom Class D amps deliver 280 watts of power to each woofer and Class A/B ones push 100 watts to each tweeter, and the Wireless part of the high-performance loudspeaker’s name refers to both integrated Bluetooth and dual-band Wi-Fi network streaming, with native support for Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, and Roon, as well as Qobuz, Deezer, Amazon Music, and anything else you care to share up to 24-bit/96 kHz over AirPlay 2 or Google Chromecast. Wired connections include HDMI eARC, Ethernet, coaxial and optical inputs, as well as 3.5mm aux ins, let the system accept audio formats at resolutions up to 384kHz/24bit, including MQA and DSD256. KEF’s Music Integrity Engine DSP helps keep everything poised and transparent, while the KEF Connect app allows for EQ if you want to tip the dynamically astute drivers in any particular direction. Finally, a subwoofer out lets you entend the low end (down to 11 Hz if you have the budget for the remarkably diminutive yet deep KEF KC62).

Intrigued by what you hear you could hear? Well, this might perk up your ears even more: a pair of KEF LS50 Wireless II speakers is currently only $2,299—$500 less than the $2,799 you’d regularly pay. This price is only good while supplies last on Monday, April 4, however, so act fast . While shown in Mineral White above (we’re currently testing that pair and look forward to sharing even more impressions), you can also choose from Carbon Black, Titanium Grey, and Crimson Red finishes.

Already have an amplifier, interconnects, etc.? The Q Series—including the 5.25-inch bookshelf/standmount Q150 speaker ($299/pair), 6.5-inch bookshelf/standmount Q350 speaker ($499/pair), and floorstanding Q950 speaker ($799/each)—is also on sale, letting you experience a Uni-Q driver with your hand-picked components at discounts of up to 50 percent. (Though, if you’re really looking to level up listening, the three-way standmount R3 speakers can be snatched up for $1,699, regularly $2,200.)

Tony Ware is the Associate Managing Editor for PopSci.com (and PopPhoto.com). He’s been writing about how to make and break music since the mid-'90s when his college newspaper said they already had a film critic but maybe he wanted to look through the free promo CDs. Immediately hooked on outlining intangibles, he's covered everything audio for countless alt. weeklies, international magazines, websites, and heated bar trivia contests ever since.

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