Experts recommend Kef LS50 more than Edifier R1280T
As of 2 Apr 2024, experts prefer Kef LS50 over Edifier R1280T, but both Speakers have solid expert endorsements.
As per this month's meta ranking, Kef LS50 received 5 recommendations: from What Hi-Fi (8 Feb 2024), The Master Switch (4 Oct 2023) Gear Patrol (5 Jan 2024) and 2 others. By contrast, Edifier R1280T received only 2 recommendations from hifioasis.com (23 Jan 2024) and The Master Switch (4 Oct 2023).
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 | - |
10 | - | $100 | Edifier R1280T | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Bookshelf Speakers ranking? It's here
Endorsement summary:
- On 4 Oct 2023 The Master Switch ranked Edifier R1280T as #2 and Kef LS50 as #3
Rank Speakers Comment ... ... ... #2 out of 17 Edifier R1280T Best Budget Bookshelf Speakers#3 out of 17 Kef LS50 Best High-End Bookshelf Speakers for Audiophiles... ... ... Source: www.themasterswitch.com - On 23 Jan 2024 hifioasis.com ranked Edifier R1280T as #2
Rank Speakers ... ... #2 out of 6 Edifier R1280T ... ... Source: www.hifioasis.com - 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 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
After counting and adding up the 80 expert endorsements of the April rankings, Kef LS50 outranks Edifier R1280T. This is not to say that Edifier R1280T is a bad option. Like Kef LS50, it is recommended by experts, but less.
Customers like Kef LS50 a bit 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 Edifier R1280T.
As can be seen in the chart above, median best-selling speakers receives a consumer score of 9.1 (great). Both Edifier R1280T and Kef LS50 receive customer reviews that average out above that median threshold.
Edifier R1280T |
In comparison:
9.1 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
|
Edifier R1280T is more popular than Kef LS50
It's fairly safe to say that Edifier R1280T are more popular speakers than Kef LS50, based on their 10,000+ 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 Edifier R1280T and Kef LS50 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Micca MB42X | $90 |
In comparison:
9.6 Amazing
| No expert recommendations | Cheaper Better Reviews | |
Edifier P12 | $100 |
In comparison:
9.1 Great
| No expert recommendations | ||
Edifier R980T | $88 |
In comparison:
9.1 Great
| No expert recommendations | Cheaper | |
Klipsch R-14M | $114 |
In comparison:
9.6 Amazing
| No expert recommendations | Better Reviews |
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 [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 |
- 2 x AUX INPUT - Convenient connection to any device that has a 3.5mm headphone output or dual RCA output. Connect to two devices via AUX at the same time, no plugging and switching needed.
- STUDIO SOUND QUALITY - Natural sound reproduction from 13mm silk dome tweeter and 4 inch full range unit
- 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 connecting cable
- Dual RCA to dual RCA audio cable
- 3.5 mm to dual RCA audio connecting cable
- 2 m Powe Cord
- 3 m Cat-6 Inter-Speaker Cable
- 2 m USB Cable
- 1 m LAN Cable
- Comes with remote control.
- Fully featured inputs for HD audio.
- Button controls for treble, bass and volume knobs.
- Plug and Play
- Remote Control included
Edifier R1280T are a top selling option at the bottom of the price range. They're a #1 bestseller in speakers category and have dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Edifier P12 or Rockville HD5B .
Edifier R1280T were released in 2017. There are quite a few newer speakers on the market. Show newer Speakers
Edifier R1280T are $160 cheaper than the 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 Kanto TUK .
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).