LSX II LT 

Wireless HiFi Speakers

The new addition to the award-winning LSX family

The new addition to the award-winning LSX family. 
Same great sound, new lower price.

Designed as a streamlined version, LSX II LT shares the same immersive High-Fidelity sound and key technologies as the LSX II, at a price you’ll love. Powered by KEF's Music Integrity Engine and signature Uni-Q driver array, this compact wireless HiFi speaker-system delivers unparalleled sound clarity. Effortlessly stream anything including AirPlay 2, Chromecast and Spotify, or seamlessly connect to your desktop, laptop, TV and more through HDMI ARC and USB-C inputs.

Performance

High-Fidelity sound

LSX II LT features built-in support for streaming up to 24-bit/384kHz and incorporates dedicated amplifiers within each speaker, ensuring it delivers the same exceptional high-fidelity sound as LSX II.

Hear every detail

LSX II LT features the identical 11th generation Uni-Q driver array as LSX II, functioning as a single point source to expand the 'sweet spot' and distribute sound uniformly. This ensures everyone in the room can revel in room-filling, immersive sound.

Small speakers, big sound

Thanks to the Digital Signal Processing (DSP) algorithms within the Music Integrity Engine®, as well as the Uni-Q driver array and W2 wireless platform, LSX II LT delivers a meticulously balanced, high-resolution sound.

Connectivity

All the music in the world

LSX II LT incorporates the same cutting-edge W2 wireless platform that drives LSX II, making music streaming effortless and always ensuring audio excellence, whatever you most love to listen to.

Plug and play to TV, desktop and more

With LSX II LT, you can connect your TV with HDMI ARC, your desktop or laptop with USB-C, and game console with optical. If you demand your movies and music come with extra bass, there’s a dedicated output to connect a KEF subwoofer.

Same music, same enjoyment for every room

When partnered with other sets of LS Wireless speaker systems including LSX II LT, LSX II, LS50 Wireless II and LS60 Wireless, you can use AirPlay 2 or Chromecast to fill your entire house with music. It’s perfect for parties where everyone in different rooms can enjoy the same playlist.

Seamless home integration

LSX II LT is more than a high-fidelity speaker system – it is designed to enhance your everyday life. Seamlessly integrate LSX II LT into your smart home to browse and play music, select sources, or use controls such as play, pause, and adjust the volume via your smart home app or control interface.

User-centred

Effortless control

LSX II LT is powered by the W2 wireless platform with user-centric features that are ready from the start, from intuitive onboarding to customising your listening experience via the KEF Connect App.

Personalised listening experience

Simple, subtle yet powerful EQ settings allow you to fine-tune LSX II LT to best suit your room or your personal taste. The only thing you might need is a tape measure.

Design

Compact and versatile

LSX II LT maintains the same sleek and compact design as LSX II. It also incorporates mounting inserts, allowing secure placement on the P1 desk pad and S1 floor stand. For added flexibility in speaker setup, the specially designed 8-metre C-Link interspeaker cable offers an impressive 5 metres of additional length, enabling a greater range of customisation and versatility to meet individual preferences.

Aesthetics perfected

LSX II LT is available in a choice of three finishes: Sage Green, Stone White and Graphite Grey. These satin matte and tone-on-tone finishes contribute to a refined aesthetic, creating a sleek and contemporary look. With an elegant rear panel and subtle design accents such as colour-matched finishes on the Uni-Q driver and ports, every aspect of LSX II LT is carefully considered.

Design by Michael Young

The aesthetic design of LSX II LT comes courtesy of Michael Young, one of the leading lights in the industrial design world. Famed for his sophisticated take on minimalism, Young’s smart, pared down aesthetic perfectly striking the ideal balance between form and function on the LSX II LT.

Drive units (per speaker)
Uni-Q driver array:
HF: 19mm (0.75in.) aluminium dome
LF/MF: 115mm (4.5in.) magnesium/aluminium alloy cone

Frequency range (-6dB) measured at 85dB/1m
49Hz – 47kHz
*Depends on EQ settings

Frequency response (±3dB) measured at 85dB/1m 
54Hz – 28kHz  
*Depends on EQ settings

Amplifier output power (per speaker)
LF: 70W  
HF: 30W 

Amplifier class (per speaker)
LF: Class D  
HF: Class D

Max SPL measured at 1m
102 dB 

Wireless streaming features
AirPlay 2
Google Chromecast 
Chromecast 
UPnP Compatible 
Bluetooth 5.0

Streaming services
Spotify via Spotify Connect 
Tidal via Tidal Connect 
Amazon Music 
Qobuz 
Deezer
QQ Music via QPlay 
Internet Radio
Podcast
*Depends on services availability in different countries

Source resolution
Network up to 384kHz/24bit
Optical up to 96kHz/24bit 
USB Type C up to 96kHz/24bit 
HDMI up to 48kHz/ 16bit
*Depends on source resolution 

Interspeaker connection
Wired: all sources resampled to 96kHz/24bit PCM

Supported format (network)
DSD, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, AAC, WMA, MP3, M4A, LPCM and Ogg Vorbis

Dimensions (HxWxD per speaker)
240 × 155 × 180 mm (9.5 × 6.1 × 7.1 in.)

Weight (per set)
6.8kg (15.0lbs)

Power input
100 – 240VAC 50/60Hz

Power consumption
200W (operating power) 
<2.0W (standby power)

Inputs
HDMI ARC
TOSLINK Optical
USB Type C
RJ45 Ethernet (network)
USB Type C (interspeaker)*

Output
RCA Subwoofer output

Wi-Fi network standard
IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 
IPv4, IPv6

Wi-Fi network frequency band
Dual-band 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz

Secondary speaker
Inputs:
USB Type C (interspeaker)*

KEF LSX II LT Wireless Speaker System Review

Posted on 20th January, 2024

Simon Lucas experiences this super-capable yet affordable wireless speaker system from a famous name…

KEF

LSX II LT Wireless Speakers

Not every audio company has been willing to get behind the “Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death” consumerist manifesto – but then it's safe to say that KEF is not every audio company. Ever since its 1961 inception in Kent, England and latterly its acquisition by Hong Kong's GP Acoustics International Ltd, it has been giving The People what they ask for, and often in quite some style.

Most recently, The People have been asking for wireless stereo speaker systems – or at least, those who want serious sound without having to jump through hoops have. And since the 2016 launch of the LS50 Wireless system, KEF has been catering to them in fine style – so much so in fact, that its portfolio of wireless stereo speakers has expanded in all directions. The LS50 Wireless begat the LS50 Wireless II, the LS60 is a floorstanding alternative, and the smaller, more affordable LSX became the LSX II.

Now, presumably in an attempt to democratise its expertise as much as possible, KEF has launched the LSX II LT. It's a slightly stripped-down variation on the LSX II and is this brand's most affordable wireless stereo speaker system so far.

UP CLOSE

When did you last clap eyes on a pair of KEF loudspeakers? If it has been since 1988, then the chances are that you'll be familiar with the company's so-called 'Uni-Q' driver arrangement. It's a coincident source driver, with a tweeter sitting in the throat of a mid/bass cone. The intention is to precisely position the acoustic centre of each unit to coincide. It is currently in its twelfth incarnation – or thirteenth if you count 2020's addition of the British firm's 'metamaterial absorption technology' to 2018's twelfth-generation arrangement.

For the LSX II LT though, it's the eleventh generation of Uni-Q that has been deployed. The tweeter is a 19mm aluminium dome positioned at the acoustic centre of a 115mm magnesium/aluminium mid/bass cone. Depending on room characteristics and the EQ settings required, this arrangement should be good for a frequency response of around 54Hz to 28kHz. Power is of the Class D variety, unsurprisingly. Each tweeter gets 30 watts with which to do its thing, while each mid/bass driver is in receipt of 70.

Naturally enough, there are wired and wireless options when it comes to getting digital audio content aboard the LSX II LT. Dual-band Wi-Fi means Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect and UPnP devices are all accessible, and the KEF Connect control app allows access to Amazon Music, Deezer, Qobuz and internet radio too. Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity is available, with SBC and AAC codec compatibility. The Ethernet socket on the rear of the 'primary' speaker offers optimum network stability, and there are USB-C and digital optical inputs available, with an HDMI ARC socket so your TV can join in the LSX II LT action. A pre-out for a subwoofer and a second USB-C output (used for making the necessary connection to the 'secondary' speaker) complete the line-up. You'll have noticed there's no analogue input of any description, which is a pity.

The KEF Connect app itself is at its most stable and useful here, and there are plenty of granular control options available, the ability to integrate the LSX II LT into a wider smart-home system, and plenty of EQ adjustment possibilities, as well as broader control of the system. KEF also supplies a little remote control handset with 'play/pause', 'skip forwards/backwards', 'volume up/down/mute', 'power on/off' and input selection controls for the traditionalists among us.

As you would expect, all mainstream digital audio file types are compatible with the LSX II LT, as well as some of the more esoteric alternatives. File resolution of up to 24-bit/384kHz can be sourced via the network connection, the USB-C and digital optical connections top out at 24-bit/96kHz, and the HDMI input can cope with 16-bit/48kHz stuff. No matter where it's coming from and at what resolution, it is resampled to 24-bit/96kHz in order to be delivered to the 'secondary' speaker via the supplied USB-C 'interspeaker' cable. But not before it's had the once-over from KEF's 'Music Integrity Engine' digital signal processing algorithms.

On the outside, each speaker is an eminently shelf-friendly 240x155x180mm [HxWxD] – stands and desktop 'pads' are support options if you're prepared to spend a little more. The speakers are basically visually identical to the design Michael Young came up with for the LSX II. This means that by prevailing standards, they're actually quite unorthodox as there are few parallel lines involved. Finishes extend to green ('sage'), grey ('graphite') or white ('stone').

THE LISTENING

It's only fair to give a high-resolution digital audio system some hi-res content to deal with, and indeed, the KEF LSX II LT sounds best when indulged to this sort of degree. A TIDAL-derived 24-bit/96kHz file of Professor Longhair's Everyday I Have the Blues gives the KEF ample opportunity to show what it's made of. And that turns out to be a combination of tonal fidelity, rhythmic positivity, surprising low-frequency extension and a straight-ahead musicality sufficient to turn every 'quick listen' into a long session.

From the bottom of the frequency range to the top, the KEF is an even-handed, neutral and natural-sounding system that doesn't stick its oar into the tonality of a recording too overtly. At the bottom end, there is surprising presence and substance, and plenty of variation and detail to go along with it. Not every compact loudspeaker with a modestly sized mid/bass driver can delve as deep or hit as determinedly as this one. Moreover, not every loudspeaker of any size controls the attack of bass sounds with such straight-edged determination. The KEF is insightful where texture and tonal variants are concerned, and it is able to express rhythms with absolute confidence.

Professor Longhair's baritone is strong and true during the course of this recording, but switching to a similarly hefty FLAC file of Gloria: In Excelsis Deo by Patti Smith is an even better showcase for the KEF's powers of midrange resolution. Her vocal line is absolutely alive with character and attitude, and the energy that's being expended as her singing becomes shouting is palpable. Not even the most transient aspects of her performance can elude the LSX II LT; consequently, the voice here is a compelling listen.

At the top end, there is brilliance without edginess and shine without hardness. Treble reproduction is really nicely judged, from the level of attack to the amount of fine detail carried along with the outright bite. The journey from the top to the bottom of the frequency range is a smooth ride, with nothing to distract from the unity of the KEF's presentation.

The dynamic contrasts found in Fairport Convention's A Sailor's Life are handled in a highly agile way. The song also benefits no end from the manner in which the LSX II LT lays out the soundstage – it may not be the largest you ever heard, but it is organised and controlled. There's a secure little area for every element of the recording, and due prominence is given to the spaces between them. At the same time, the KEF delivers the song as a cohesive whole rather than as a collection of isolated occurrences.

There's nothing showy about the way the LSX II LT handles music. Its slight understatedness actually serves almost every recording the system comes into contact with in a positive way. The ability to get out of the way of a recording is an underappreciated virtue in audio systems. However, this KEF is happy to let the music, rather than the electronics, do the talking. And it's not as sniffy as some when it comes to lower-resolution digital audio files, either. A Spotify stream of Alone But Moving by Here We Go Magic sent via Bluetooth in AAC isn't great, yet the KEF doesn't turn its nose up and instead endeavours to make the best of it.

The only aspect of its performance that isn't deserving of much praise is the scale of its sound or, rather, the lack thereof. No one should be surprised that small drivers inside cabinets of limited internal volume, driven by modest power amplification, struggle to fill larger rooms with sound – you can't beat the laws of physics. A small-to-medium-sized room is no problem, but anything bigger is a non-starter.