KEF LS60 Wireless Review

Key Features

• Review Price: £5000
• Driver set-up 19mm tweeter, 100mm midrange, 4 x 135mm force-cancelling bass
• Power 700 watts per speaker
• Finishes Mineral white, Titanium grey, Carbon Black, Royal Blue

Introduction

The KEF LS60 was created to mark KEF’s 60^th anniversary, celebrating 60 years since Raymond Cooke founded the company on the banks of the River Medway in Maidstone. Like all models in KEF LS range, the LS60 is listed by KEF as a Wireless hi-fi speaker. While this description has some benefits and some obvious flaws, it does at least begin to tell you what these products are.

The KEF LS60 is a complete hi-fi system contained within two speakers. Apart from the two power cables, armed with just your phone you can enjoy a complete music system.

KEF stands for Kent Engineering and Foundry and was founded in 1961. The Engineering part of their name is central to what this brand is about. Cooke had previously worked with another industry titan, Gilbert Briggs at Wharfedale before leaving to pursue his own loudspeaker designs and explore different methods and materials.

That pioneering spirit has remained at the heart of the company and over the years KEF has developed some truly impressive technologies and produced some outstanding loudspeakers.

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Despite dropping 16% from their launch price, a pair will still set you back £5000 as of today, making them very much a premium product for those serious about their music. For many of us, myself included, hi-fi has always been about selecting separate components, carefully curated for a particular quality or feature and hunting out that special synergy between devices that results in that perfect sound. The LS60 approaches that journey in an entirely different way.

So, how do they perform? For those who own traditional hi-fi separates, should you be looking to replace your multiple boxes in favour of these?

Design

• 12th generation Uni-Q Driver
• 31.2kg per speaker

For all their emphasis on engineering, KEF does not compromise on design. The company often collaborates with external designers, in this case Michael Young, to ensure you have a product whose design, like its sound, is top drawer. 

Although entirely subjective, I think the LS60 is a beautiful speaker. In a world of hard edges and often black or brown cabinets, it offers something entirely different. Its rounded edges, sublime build quality, subtle detailing within the UNI-Q driver and pleated bass driver surrounds all ooze quality.  Whatever finish you choose these speakers make a statement and never go unnoticed. 

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The marketing materials emphasise just how slim this speaker is, explicitly highlighting its width of just 13cm, yet somehow, in the flesh that still feels remarkably slight. I’m struggling to think of a hi-fi speaker I have ever encountered that shares this form factor. 

The speaker itself is 32cm deep, while the stand plinth measures 21cm wide by 39cm deep. All in all, it feels like a very compact design, but despite its slender proportions it is extremely weighty, a substantial 31.2kg per speaker. Fortunately, the superb packaging includes a cardboard sleeve to protect the drivers as you move the speakers into position, a task not to be undertaken lightly.

The LS60 is a sealed box design so there is no bass port.  However at the bottom of each speaker is a connection panel with an opening above it. Combined with the plinth, this allows some air circulation around the amplifier sections.

Facing you on the front of the speaker is a Uni-Q driver. This technology is synonymous with KEF and first pioneered back in 1988. It features in pretty much every KEF passive and active loudspeaker currently on the market.  

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The version used in the LS60 is the 12^th generation of this Uni-Q driver. Put simply, instead of more traditional designs that see a tweeter placed above or below a midrange driver, the 19mm tweeter is placed in the middle of the midrange driver. This mean sound emanates from the same position and at the same time within the speaker. 

KEF have taken that philosophy even further when you consider the placement of the bass drivers.  Equidistant from the tweeter are 4 side-mounted bass drivers. This arrangement means the entire array of drivers work together, making the sound emanate from one single point in the speaker. This is what KEF calls Single Apparent Source, a concept that first debuted in its Blade loudspeaker in 2011.

The result of these technologies is that the LS60 offers more a more coherent and precise sound. Elements of the musical picture are placed precisely within the soundstage, as the drivers work seamlessly together. Another benefit is that the speakers have a wider dispersion pattern meaning the sweet spot is larger and the sound suffers less when listened to off-axis.

The clever engineering doesn’t end there. Two award winning technologies also find there way into  the LS60 and are worth knowing about. Returning to that 19mm tweeter, it benefits from MAT (Metamaterial Absorbtion Technology). Directly behind the tweeter sits a small disc containing a series of channels all different lengths, each designed to absorb different frequencies. The result is that this disc can absorb 99% of the unwanted higher frequencies radiating from the rear of the tweeter, producing a cleaner and more refined sound.

The other technology involves the bass drivers in the LS60 and is called Uni-Core. The first thing to note is that these drivers are arranged back-to-back in a force-cancelling array. In itself, this is not unusual, many subwoofers adopt this clever arrangement because it works so well. In short, the drivers operate in tandem with one another; any unwanted motion that could be transferred to the cabinet from the driver movement is cancelled out by the driver positioned directly opposite.

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What makes Uni-Core different is that the two drivers are not simply placed back-to-back, they share the same magnet system and their voice coils overlap each other. Given that force-cancelling designs require the driver masses to be equal in order to function properly, this has taken an incredible feat of engineering from KEF to get this to work. Yet work it does. By sharing a magnet system, the size of the driver array can be significantly reduced, while still benefiting from the surface area of four 135mm bass drivers.

Specification

• Six amplifiers total, 3 per speaker
• Combined system power 1400 watts
• AirPlay and Google Cast streaming

To get all those drivers working, the LS60’s have a total of six amplifiers, three per speaker. The bass drivers share a 500 watt Class D amplifier, while the midrange driver is powered by its own 100 watt Class D amplifier and the tweeter by a dedicated 100 watt Class A/B amplifier. 

This means the system benefits from a total 1400watts of amplification, which is substantial. The frequency response for the system is rated at 31hz – 24Khz at +/-3db.

Streaming and control of the LS60 comes via KEF’s Wireless 2 platform. The KEF Connect app is available on Android and iOS, and supports virtually  all of the major services you would expect, including Spotify (via Connect), Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon Music and Deezer, along with internet radio, podcasts and local uPNP streaming. The LS60 is Roon Ready and Google Cast, AirPlay and Bluetooth protocols are all supported.

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The speakers support a maximum resolution via network sources of 24-bit/384Khz, but its worth noting music streamed at this resolution will be downsampled, depending on how the two speakers are connected. The connection method will determine the maximum resolution available so that the primary speaker can transmit its signal to the secondary speaker. 

In wireless mode, the max resolution you will hear is 24-bit/96Khz. If you choose to connect the speakers using the supplied network cable, this increases to 24-bit/192Khz.

Physical connections are located on the primary speaker and include optical, coaxial and HDMI eARC inputs. There is an Ethernet port for hardwiring the system to the internet, while a second ethernet port is used to connect the speakers together. 

The USB Type-A port is for service only. Each speaker features a subwoofer output, and there is also an RCA auxiliary input, allowing you to connect an external component such as a turntable.

However, as the LS60 is a digital active system, all audio is handled in the digital domain and passed via through KEF’s DSP system. This means any signal from a connected turntable will be converted to digital before being processed by the speakers.

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The Connect app is clean and simple to use. You are not bombarded with options and menus.  Alongside all the usual controls you would expect, such as source and input selection, you can easily add your favourite radio stations and podcasts for quick access later. It’s worth mentioning that a very basic but useful remote control is also included.

In order to make the LS60s simple to use and flexible enough to fit into a variety of rooms, the app offers EQ settings to help tailor the sound. 

You can choose between Normal and Expert modes. The former aims to make life simpler by presenting options that anyone can follow. The latter assumes you know what 0.5db treble adjustment may do to the sound. It’s a clever approach and demonstrates that despite the high price tag, KEF want the LS60s to be accessible to those who are new to the world of audio.

I’m torn at this point because, while the app and the EQ options are entirely serviceable, given the price tag, you could reasonably expect more. For those who really want to get into tweaking the sound, the options are somewhat limited. There is no parametric EQ and no room-correction support, such as Dirac. We are seeing products from companies such as WiiM offering more in this area, on products a fraction of the cost.

However, KEF has clearly put a lot of work into the technology within the LS60s. Their internal DSP plays a big part in extracting the best from the drivers and core technologies like Uni-Q naturally lend themselves to better room interaction.

More importantly, they are a just-add-phone solution. Part of their appeal is their simplicity. Arguably, that proposition becomes less compelling if you start having to use calibration microphones, a computer/laptop running measurement software and then apply the appropriate settings.

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Sound Quality

• Large open soundstage
• Pinpoint imaging
• Deep and powerful bass

The effect of the Uni-Q driver is felt immediately when you fire up the LS60s. Their ability to make sound escape the confines of the cabinet is truly incredible. In my lounge with good room around the speakers, I was particularly impressed with their ability to flood the space with sound and envelope the listener, even with the listening position being at the back of the room.

Firing up the track Colours by Playing For Change the opening flute seems to occupy a space above and between the speakers. The vibrato of the slide guitar appears more centrally positioned between the speakers, before the bongos subtly enter from the right-hand channel. The timbre of each instrument and the vocals are faithfully reproduced and afforded an immense amount of space. The result is the sound possesses an almost cinematic quality.

I was listening to the incredible Jan Lisiecki and his recording of Chopin’s Nocturnes. It’s delivered in such a pleasing way, with subtlety and poise. The complex weaving of melodies, and the musician’s expression are handled with such delicacy that you can’t help but be drawn into this dream like music. The stunningly open soundstage and pinpoint imaging describe the space between the notes with as much authority as the music itself.

Bass performance is equally impressive. For their size, the LS60’s are capable of digging deep when required. It’s deep and fast, yet composed and well integrated with the rest of the speaker. What is also apparent is that, even at low volumes the bass remains very much part of the musical picture in a way that many passive speakers fail to achieve as effectively. 

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Listening to Birdie Sings by Ezra Collective, the bouncy bassline is detailed, expressive and underpins the whole track the way its meant to. Its commendable how distinct the kick drum sounds from the bass guitar line. Across the frequency range, the LS60 never becomes muddled or indistinct. 

I would say that, in my smaller room, I made use of the the wall mode DSP settings in the KEF connect app. It proved useful to fine tune the bass performance, reducing the boundary effect from the room and tightening it in such way that freed the midrange performance and preserved that sense of intelligibility around instruments.

I took the speakers into my lounge for a family film afternoon and we watched Toy Story 5 via Disney+. I took the opportunity to use the HDMI eARC and after making sure my TV was outputting Linear PCM, was up and running quite quickly. All of the qualities mentioned above came into play.  The exceptional soundstage and imaging meant action scenes filled the room and did a superb job of creating an engaging soundfield, despite there being no rear speakers in play. The punch and speed are there when the content demands it.

Ultimately, the more time I spent with them, the more I started to love the effortless elegance of their sound. They are not the most detailed or revealing speakers, they don’t fizz at the higher end, but at the same time you never feel short-changed. Regardless of source material they possess a ‘listen all day’ quality. Every session with them delivers such a well-judged, balanced and enjoyable sound. 

I had the Arcam SA35 network amplifier and both the KEF LS50 Meta and the Monitor Audio Studio 89 on hand. The Arcam SA35 retails for around £3000, so combined with the KEF LS50 meta, the system comes to to £4300. With the Studio 89, that figure rises to £5000. Of course, this does not account for the cost of stands and cables.

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This exercise was helpful in confirming just what incredible value the LS60 really represents.  The LS50 Meta had similarly brilliant imaging and, if anything, sounded slightly more open with more presence.

There is something special about the AMT in the Studio 89s, which was the most revealing presentation, particularly with vocals. However, neither system can get anywhere near the bass performance of the LS60 and that is to be expected given the differences in driver configuration and size. Take Michael Jackson’s Who Is It as an example. The opening choral section is arguably better served by the separate systems, but as soon as the bassline kicks in, the contest is over. 

I could purchase a separate subwoofer, or even two, and undoubtedly take either system further but then I would have spent much more. Perhaps others will disagree with me on this point, but my gut tells me any reduction in the quality of the electronics or speakers to accommodate a subwoofer would quickly result in a system that falls below the quality of the LS60.

The fact is your going to be hard pressed to get together a system that can perform as well as this for £5000.

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Should you buy it?

Final Thoughts

The LS60 is a bit of a conundrum. On the one hand, they are a £5000 premium audio product aimed at people who are serious about their sound. On the other hand, they are also a just-add-phone hi-fi system that needs only two plug sockets to work and offers a simplified level of ‘tweakability’ compared to products on the market costing much less.

Will audiophiles accustomed to owning systems made up of separate components be drawn to the LS60 wireless hi-fi route? I’m not sure. Some will undoubtedly appreciate the space-saving these offer, whilst others may dislike the fact everything is contained within a single product, making the upgrade path much more restrictive. For those consumers, KEF has a stellar line-up of passive loudspeakers, at a variety of price points to satisfy that need.

KEF is banking on there being a sizeable group of people who do not want multiple boxes and cables, or to sacrifice valuable real estate in their homes. These are customers who want a highly stylish product and are willing to part with serious money for a high-end audio solution. 

In fairness, I can see the LS60s being far more desirable to my wider group of friends than my own system. They are certainly easier to explain and understand. 

Regardless of how you view the LS60, whether through the lens of a seasoned hi-fi enthusiast or that of a newcomer, it absolutely delivers. It is a simple proposition, but absolutely not a compromise when it comes to sound quality.

Pouring 60 years of engineering and expertise into the LS60 has resulted in a product that absolutely competes with similar priced systems and in many respects, exceeds them. Their complete, open and accurate sound is a pleasure to experience. Despite having been on the market for a few years, they remain a triumph of a product.

How We Test

These were tested in two different rooms. The majority of that time was spent streaming a variety of music using Qobuz Connect. I also some time listening to Vinyl through the AUX input.

I also used my TV to stream film and music content to them via HDMI. Settings wise I left phase correction on.

In my larger room, I didn’t engage wall mode, and had bass mode on standard.

In my smaller room, I did engage wall mode and applied -4.0db trim and placed bass extension on ‘less’.

• Tested for several days
• Tested with real world use

FAQs

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