Highly respected British audio brand KEF released an “LT” version of its stellar, versatile AirPlay-ready LSX II speaker line this week, keeping most key features but dropping the price by about $300 to $400.
That doesn’t make them budget speakers by any means, at $999, but nobody shops KEF for that.
KEF LSX II LT Wireless HiFi speakers
The new LT speakers are the same as KEF LSX II boxes in most ways, minus a few features that some discerning buyers might miss, but many others won’t. To see some great KEF speakers in the wild, check out our Setups coverage.
They pack the same W2 streaming platform and 11th-generation KEF Uni-Q coincident driver pairing a 4.5-inch magnesium and aluminum woofer with a 0.75-inch aluminum dome tweeter.
You can control the LT speakers the same way, via the KEF Connect app (with equalizer) or a remote control. And the new speakers support streaming via Bluetooth 5.0 plus direct access (via Wi-Fi) to Apple Music, Tidal, Deezer, Amazon Music and internet radio streaming services.
You get multi-room playback streamed over Wi-Fi from devices using AirPlay 2 or Chromecast. And the LT speakers support all major audio formats, including DSD and PCM up to 24 bits/382 kHz.
In addition to Wi-Fi, the LT speakers connect via USB-C, optical input or ARC-enabled HDMI. You can put have them with your desktop computer setup, with your TV instead of a soundbar or on bookshelves.
So what did KEF take away?
Photo: KEF
The original LSX II is Roon-ready and capable of MQA — master-quality authenticated — but you don’t get those with the LT version.
The LT speakers have all the same connectivity options as the originals except a 3.5mm minijack input.
And while both speakers in a pair of original LSX II boxes is active with Class D power (100 watts), with the LT speakers you get one active speaker that must be connected via wire to the other speaker to issue power to both.
That means, however, that you only have to plug in one speaker. And if you want a longer cable than the 10-footer KEF provides, you can buy a 26-foot version.
You can buy the KEF LSX II LT in gray, white or green colors. They’re not on Amazon yet but probably soon will be. For now you can get early access as a KEF member or preorder on Crutchfield.com.
Price: $999
Where to buy: KEF or Crutchfield
