The KEF LS50 is a brilliant speaker, especially considering its small size. Both the LS50 Meta and the LS50 Wireless can only achieve their full potential when they are placed correctly, though. Here are some pointers to get the maximum out of your compact setup.
Every great stereo system requires great speakers such as the KEF LS50 Meta or LS50 Wireless. Innovative technology like the Metamaterial Absorption Technology MAT, the Uni-Q driver and the curved front allow the speaker to perform at a level way beyond its size. And yet, even with all these clever technologies, the KEF LS50’s performance can still be elevated – simply by decoupling the speaker from its environment.
One challenge that comes with a speaker the size of the KEF LS50 is its placement. Floor-standing speakers enjoy a certain amount of independence (albeit not entirely, see here). A bookshelf speaker will usually be placed on, well – a bookshelf, or some form of shelf, or desk, or furniture of some kind. This furniture then comes with its own set of properties regarding resonance, noise, and susceptibility to excitement. Once the speaker starts to play, the shelf starts vibrating, which will result in unwanted noise, compromising the otherwise pristine sound from the KEF LS50.
IsoAcoustics has solved this problem with the Aperta. Once placed on the decoupling device, physical vibrations from the speaker enclosure are no longer transmitted to the furniture on which it is placed. The surfaces are not excited, no noise is created (apart from that which you really, really want to create), and playback is exactly as it should be. It is important to note that the IsoAcoustics Aperta do not interfere with the ability of the KEF LS50 to reproduce bass; in fact, bass playback will become clearer, more dynamic and transparent once the speaker is isolated properly. Available in black or silver finishes, the Aperta will blend in with the interior design seamlessly.
There is another effect at play when a speaker remains fully connected to its environment. A driver like the one in the KEF LS50 produces sound in the form of vibrations to the front, where it is emitted into the room a intended, and to the back, where it is emitted into the speaker enclosure. The sound waves emitted to the back can leave the housing, hit a reflective surface, and get thrown back into the enclosure with a time delay, resulting in smearing the playback and impeding clarity.
IsoAcoustics Aperta are designed to counter these effects. The innovative and patented isolation technology mitigates the transfer of vibrations both on their way out of the enclosure and on their way back in, significantly reducing how much they can affect the playback. When the KEF LS50 is decoupled with IsoAcoustics Aperta, the internal reflections are no longer an issue and the speaker can play to its full potential.
It may seem almost trivial in comparison to the complexities of decoupling, but setting the KEF LS50 at an appropriate angle can play a major role in achieving peak performance from the speaker. One part of this is the angling on the horizontal plane towards the sweet spot, of course. But there is also the matter of vertical angle, or tilt.
Ideally, the speakers project sound on a plane with the ears of the listeners. If the speakers can not be placed at the ideal height, tilting them towards the listening position can significantly improve the resulting sound. IsoAcoustics Aperta allow for stepless tilting up or down, making it easy to optimize the LS50’s performance in any given environment.
