Experts prefer Kef LS50 over Audioengine A5 Plus
On 2 Apr 2024 (17 days ago) we went through 80 Speakers expert endorsements .
Currently, Kef LS50 received 5 endorsements from What Hi-Fi (8 Feb 2024), The Master Switch (4 Oct 2023) Gear Patrol (5 Jan 2024) and 2 others. Meanwhile, Audioengine A5 Plus did not receive any endorsements this month.
Rank | Change | Price | Speakers | hifioasis.com | What Hi-Fi | The Master Switch | Rolling Stone | Gear Patrol | T3 | Wirecutter | Pitchfork
| ZD Net | SoundGuys |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $1539 | Kef LS50 The Kef LS50 bookshelf speakers are highly recommended for their exceptional sound quality, versatile frequency response, unique design, and range of connectivity options, making them suitable for a range of music genres and listening environments. | - | 1 | 3 | - | 2 | 7 | - | - | 4 | - |
N/A | N/A | $399 | Audioengine A5 Plus | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Bookshelf Speakers ranking? It's here
Endorsement summary:
- On 8 Feb 2024 What Hi-Fi ranked Kef LS50 as #1
Rank Speakers Comment #1 out of 7 Kef LS50 Entertaining and innovative, these are the best stereo speakers overall.... ... ... Source: www.whathifi.com - On 4 Oct 2023 The Master Switch ranked Kef LS50 as #3
Rank Speakers Comment ... ... ... #3 out of 17 Kef LS50 Best High-End Bookshelf Speakers for Audiophiles... ... ... Source: www.themasterswitch.com - On 5 Jan 2024 Gear Patrol ranked Kef LS50 as #2
Rank Speakers Comment ... ... ... #2 out of 12 Kef LS50 Best upgrade... ... ... Source: www.gearpatrol.com - On 1 Mar 2024 T3 ranked Kef LS50 as #7
Rank Speakers Comment ... ... ... #7 out of 7 Kef LS50 Awesome passive speakers for a high priceSource: www.t3.com - On 13 Feb 2023 ZD Net ranked Kef LS50 as #4
Rank Speakers Comment ... ... ... #4 out of 5 Kef LS50 Best bookshelf speaker splurge... ... ... Source: www.zdnet.com
Customers like Kef LS50 somewhat more
At ReviewFinder we prefer to focus on professional product reviews, because customer reviews can be disproportionately affected by unrelated factors such as delivery, specific seller listing problems, and, of course, fake reviews. With that said, below is the summary of consumer sentiment.
Kef LS50
CS of 10 is similar to a 4.8 star review, CS of 0 is similar to a 2 star review.
Kef LS50, the pricier option, tends to get more favorable reviews than Audioengine A5 Plus.
As can be seen in the chart above, median best-selling speakers receives a consumer score of 9.1 (great). Kef LS50 ranks higher than that and Audioengine A5 Plus ranks lower than that.
Audioengine A5 Plus |
In comparison:
8.8 Great
|
Kef LS50 |
In comparison:
9.3 Amazing
|
Median best-selling Speakers |
In comparison:
Q Acoustics Concept 20 ranks #60 out of 118. Very high levels of customer satisfaction. Go to rankings 9.1 Great
|
Audioengine A5 Plus is more popular than Kef LS50
It's fairly safe to say that Audioengine A5 Plus are more popular speakers than Kef LS50, based on their 1,000+ reviews. Popularity is determined based on product sales. Note that older and cheaper products tend to sell more.
To consider
Table: Top compared alternatives for Audioengine A5 Plus and Kef LS50 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Q Acoustics 3020i | $359 |
In comparison:
8.8 Great
| 5 expert recommendations | Cheaper | |
Klipsch RP-600M | $349 |
In comparison:
9.9 Amazing
| No expert recommendations | Cheaper More Popular Better Reviews | |
KEF LS50 Wireless II | $2500 | 3 expert recommendations | |||
SVS Ultra Bookshelf | $899 |
In comparison:
9.2 Amazing
| 2 expert recommendations |
Rank | Change | Price | Speakers | hifioasis.com | What Hi-Fi | The Master Switch | Rolling Stone | Gear Patrol | T3 | Wirecutter | Pitchfork | ZD Net | SoundGuys |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $1539 | Kef LS50 The Kef LS50 bookshelf speakers are highly recommended for their exceptional sound quality, versatile frequency response, unique design, and range of connectivity options, making them suitable for a range of music genres and listening environments. | - | 1 | 3 | - | 2 | 7 | - | - | 4 |
- |
2 | - | $359 | Q Acoustics 3020i The Q Acoustics 3020i bookshelf speakers offer excellent sound quality, versatility, and a modern design, making them a great option for audiophiles who prioritize accuracy and transparency in their sound system. | 5 | - | 4 | - | 9 | - | 2 | 7 | - | - |
3 | - | $700 | Elac Uni-Fi 2.0 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
4 | - | Check price | Bowers & Wilkins 606 S2 The Bowers & Wilkins 606 S2 Anniversary Edition bookshelf speaker delivers excellent sound performance across the frequency range, with punchy and dynamic bass, a wide frequency response, and a purposeful design, making it a great choice for music and home theater use. | - | - | 9 |
- | 7 | 5 | - | - | 5 | - |
Show all rows |
Expert reviews [3]
- with a score: 1
- without a score: 2
Score distribution:
80-100 | |
60-80 | |
40-60 | |
20-40 | |
0-20 |
Expert reviews [19]
- with a score: 9
- without a score: 10
Highest score by What Hi-Fi | 100 |
Average score based on 19 reviews | 94 |
Lowest score by World of Turntables | 80 |
Score distribution:
80-100 | |
60-80 | |
40-60 | |
20-40 | |
0-20 |
- PREMIUM SPEAKERS - The Audioengine A5+ speakers are the best choice for gaming, monitors, computers, record players, and more. These powered speakers are true plug and play connecting to stereo receivers, record players, amplifiers, and computers.
- Read more
- Connect wirelessly via dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity or Bluetooth 4.0, as well as wired via an asynchronous USB Connection, digital (TOSLINK) input, or an RCA analog input.
- The LS50W uses a 5.25" Uni-Q driver capable of reaching down to 40Hz, combined with a built-in 192Khz/24bit DAC and 230W amplifier.
- Read more
Tweeters produce the highest frequencies in sound, typically anything above 2,000 Hz. Usually located at the top of the speaker, tweeters come in different shapes (detailed below) and sizes. Generally speaking, the size of the tweeter is not as important as the shape. But, for some guidance, consider that a larger tweeter (measured by diameter in inches or millimeters) will likely be louder and able to disperse sound over a larger area.
Speakers with midrange drivers (i.e., at least three-way speakers) have a distinct advantage over two-way speakers. Adding a midrange driver to the mix allows tweeters and woofers to focus on the sound waves they’re best equipped to produce—high tones and low tones respectively. More specific and focused drivers means more accurate, robust sound. Compared to the other drivers, midranges cover sounds, not surprisingly, in the middle of high/treble and low/bass tones. The human voice and most instruments fall into this range. For more sophisticated listeners, or for those who truly want the best sound reproduction, a midrange driver is crucial.
The woofer is the driver that is responsible for low frequency sounds and bass - crucial for well-rounded, booming sound. It is the biggest driver in size, and is usually shaped like a cone. When reviewing different bookshelf speakers, you will often see a measurement in the product name, starting as low as 4” and ranging to 6 ½” or more. This measurement refers to the diameter of the woofer. A general rule of thumb is a bigger woofer means louder, more powerful bass. But, as with any speaker metric, this number alone doesn’t describe the loudness of the speaker and should be taken into consideration with other measurements such as sensitivity, which describes the loudness of a speaker per watt.
- Speaker wire (16AWG)
- Detachable power cord
- Mini-jack audio cable
- RCA to RCA audio cable
- 2 m Powe Cord
- 3 m Cat-6 Inter-Speaker Cable
- 2 m USB Cable
- 1 m LAN Cable
- Custom built for every Audioengine model.
- Robust speaker construction.
- Video shielded drivers.
- Plug and Play
- Remote Control included
Audioengine A5 Plus are a very popular and one of the more expensive options. They're in the top 3 bestselling speakers and have dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Audioengine HD4 or Edifier S1000MKII .
Audioengine A5 Plus were released in 2012. There are a lot of newer speakers on the market. Show newer Speakers
Audioengine A5 Plus are $139.01 more expensive than average speakers ($259.99).
Kef LS50 are a popular and one of the most expensive options. They're in the top 3 bestselling speakers and have dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Wharfedale Linton or SVS Ultra Bookshelf .
Kef LS50 were released in 2012. There are a lot of newer speakers on the market. Show newer Speakers
Kef LS50 are $1279.01 more expensive than average speakers ($259.99).