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More power needed for my KEF LS50s?

Hi everyone,

I've been wondering recently whether I need more power to drive my KEF LS50s - they are 85db sensitivity with a 3.7 ohm minimum (although they are listed at 8ohms nominal). I have been using a Hegel H80, which is 75 wpc and no specification for 4ohms. I have been very impressed by the sound from the KEFs, and in combination with the Hegel I have been getting wonderful vocals.

However, on a whim I hooked up the Hegel to a pair of more efficient towers (Triton 7), and the subtle details really came to life - acoustic guitar plucks had more presence, symbol crashes seemed more like part of the performance, etc. While I love the sound of the KEFs for vocals, the rest of the instrumentation seems to be quite recessed, as if I'm sitting right in front of the singer at a performance.

I only have the rather limited comparison, but I'm wondering if I've underpowered the KEFs and a more power amp (like the Krell s300i) would bring the speakers to life. Of course, the other solution is to get more efficient speakers and stick with the (very nice sounding) Hegel.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Oh, and my listening room is about 13x15 feet with the speakers on the short wall.

Best,
Scott
smrex13
zd542
5,339 posts
 
It looks like you should have enough power. Is everything broken in? Also, you may want to try some different placement options. If you still can't get the results you are looking for, you may just prefer the Triton 7's over the KEF.
bojack
539 posts
 
You are likely hearing this speaker's inherent voicing and not an amp-induced coloration. 75 watts is a lot and enough to drive those speakers. I have heard the KEF LS-50s and got a similar impression.
jimmy2615
232 posts
 
The Tritons are big speakers (more drivers, more volume). They probably produce more 'air.' If you tried a large efficient speaker like those from Zu or Tannoy you'd probably notice the same thing. The KEFs are small monitors that do not have huge bass (low freq.). The Tritons again are bigger speakers that may present the ambiance of the recording venue better by having lower Freq. response. If you want to keep the KEFs, add a subwoofer. Otherwise, these are monitor (reference) speakers, albeit small, that do a lot of things right, but like all small speakers they are missing that low bass and ability to load the room, and may not be as musically satisfying as larger speakers. Try a used REL ST series sub with them, and the sonic benefits the KEFs offer will open up. I do not think it is a power problem with your room. I have mine with a 50 w/ch amp and they are fine. But if you want to get rid of your Hegel let me know ! :-}
jaxwired
229 posts
 
I disagree with the other posts. You need more power. I drove those same speakers with a 200 w/ch NAD and the results were stunning. LOTS of air. In fact, world class sound IMO. Search using my username on YouTube to see my video of the ls50s. If your LS50s do not sound impressive then you are definitely not getting full performance from them.
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