The ultra-slim profile and interior design-friendly aesthetic embody the power and authority of performance. In the world of floorstanding speakers, they’re tiny, but as we all know, it’s dangerous to underestimate the little guy in a fight.
In keeping with the diamond birthday theme, we started our listening with the 1961 doo-wop sensation “Runaway,” by Del Shannon, and we were immediately struck by the clarity and clarity. wide of the soundstage, with Max Crook’s Musitron solo piercing through the mix.
The speakers brought unbridled joy and enthusiasm. That might make them sound like a Labrador puppy, but they’re like the friend who tirelessly pursues new and exciting music that’s inevitable.
Likewise, if the Tidal Master recording of Elvis Presley’s 1961 chart-topping song “Are You Lonesome Tonight” doesn’t leave you blindsided and wanting to spend your nearest and dearest a cuddle, then you’re simply not human. The LS60 Wireless’ impeccable execution puts you at the center of the recording, enveloping you beautifully, and despite the perfect speaker placement in the room falling short of the reviewer’s demo in the average living space. hey, the sweet spot is still huge, close to non-existent.
John Coltrane’s 1961 recording of “My Favorite Things”, also a Tidal Master, once again highlights the speaker’s ability to unbox the recording with absolute precision. If you want to focus on Elvin Jones’ drums or McCoy Tyner’s piano, you can, or just sit back, tap your feet and soak in the brilliance of it all.
Whatever we played through them, the LS60 Wireless delivered, and we were in awe of the slim speakers’ bass handling. All the thuds, thuds and thumps come your way non-stop and despite the 60s birthday theme, we encourage you to play hours of early 90s drums & bass through them.
Are they really that good? Yes, but we note this statement with a few points.
Firstly, we experienced occasional skips in the signal between the main and sub speakers. The subwoofer will malfunction and drop signal for a few seconds, even though it’s no more than 3 meters away. We imagine this is a software glitch initially, but it deserves to be flagged.
And second, while the neighbor speakers are loud and sound great when pushed, we did find the quality to be rather thin when used for casual listening and much quieter, hear yourself out.
We also had issues with volume sensitivity when using the app or Spotify/Tidal Connect. The touchscreen isn’t responsive enough, and it’s too easy to switch from discreet reverence to total fascination. Adjusting the volume is significantly more precise if you use the remote, but with our general lazy tendency, it’s smartphone or nothing.
Is there any competition?
What is the demand for active floorstanding speakers? Certainly there are not many ways to compete yet. Q Acoustics Q Operation 400 (£2,299) is the main alternative, albeit more quirky, with Dali and ATC both offering impressive but dated alternatives.
There’s a giant “bookshelf” Bowers & Wilkins Formation Duo for £3,999, Linn’s brilliant but expensive single is £3,000 Line 3or you can revert back to KEF’s own LS50 Wireless II, which is less than half the price, is compact and stylish as hell, and offers almost everything most people could actually ask for in an active speaker. No, they don’t sound as impressive as the LS60 Wireless, but they’re still a great, hard-to-fault alternative.
Identify
Spending time away from the demo room with speakers as good as the LS60 Wireless is an absolute privilege. They stand out in a class from the rest, offering comprehensive connectivity and usability with compelling sound quality. They also look great, with a modern aesthetic, finished to please both interior designers and audiophiles.
Large floorstanding speakers sound great, but for most, bulky cabinets, miles of cables, and countless black boxes are unacceptable. This is a new antidote to a niche problem that KEF has executed perfectly.
So for now, the LS60 Wireless is easily the best performing streaming speaker system available. Nothing else even comes close, but at $7,000 they Candlestick brilliant and with great selections from the same brand available at half the price, the question remains, do you really need more?
