As audio editor, I get to hear a lot of great-sounding speakers. From the best Bluetooth speakers to the best music systems for style, I've tested them all. But when it comes to combining audiophile credentials in a stylish and compact form, few are as well respected as legendary audio specialist KEF, and its LS50 Meta bookshelf speakers with impressive audio capabilities are among one of the best Christmas deals I've found.
Right now the iconic KEF LS50 Meta bookshelf speakers are $999 at Amazon, which is an incredible $600 off one of the world's best passive bookshelf speakers, and the lowest ever price I've seen on them.
Note: This 38% off Amazon discount is fulfilled by Crutchfield where the same deal can be found. Similar deals can also be found at Best Buy and via the KEF website.
The KEF LS50 Meta are sold as a passive pair of speakers that require a wired connection to an amplifier and source. There's no built-in wireless connectivity.
As traditional Hi-Fi speakers they can be hooked up to existing two-channel systems as a main pair of stereo speakers, or as a part of a multi-speaker setup such as a home theater surround sound system connected to one of the best AV receivers.
The KEF LS50 Meta traditional bookshelf speakers are available in four high gloss color options, including Titanium, carbon black, royal blue and mineral white. The cabinet dimensions are 11.9 x 11 x 7.9 inches, and there's an offset bass reflex port on the back to augment bass output. The curved front baffle improves sound field dispersion from KEF's own Uni-Q driver array that's integrated with a 1-inch vented aluminum dome tweeter at the center of 5.25-inch aluminum cone woofer. Frequency range covers 79Hz to 28kHz (±3 dB), while sensitivity is rated at 85dB with a recommended amplifier power output handling of between 40 and 100W.
Although I haven't reviewed the KEF LS50 Meta passive speaker system for Tom's Guide, I have heard the speaker pair in action at several demos. Also, the design is essentially the same as the KEF LS50 Wireless II that I have in my listening room at home, where the KEF's room-filling capabilities and soundstage from the Uni-Q speaker drivers is spectacular. They achieve almost tactile 3D imaging of a movie or music soundstage, and a strong sense of depth that stretches beyond the speakers and into the room.
Whether you're building an audiophile music system from scratch or just looking to upgrade your existing setup with a great pair of stereo or multichannel speakers, this is a terrific deal on one of the best pairs of bookshelf speakers around right now.
Grab them while you can and don't forget to check out the best Christmas deals for all the biggest sales on the latest tech.
