2013. 6. 18: 세컨드 오디오의 새 스피커, KEF LS50 "50주년기념" 모델

 

얼마 전부터 아들이 귀국해서 아르바이트를 하고 있다.

그래서 핑게 겸 이층에 있는 오디오시스템의 미완성인 Dyne Audio 스피커 대신에 내가 얼마 전부터 눈여겨 보고 있던 세켄드 스피커를 들였다.

 

이층 거실에 기존 시스템에서 스피커만 교체한 셋업이다.

일본에서 구입한 이제 20년된 Esoteric X-1s CD플레이어와 Pioneer A09 인티앰프 (A class, 35W/ch @8Ohm, 70W/ch @4Ohm)

그리고 메이커 이름도 잊어먹은 미국에서 Spica 스피커를 올려놓고 사용하던 이제 사용한 지 30년 쯤 된 스피커 스탠드.

맨 위에는 비교적 최근에 구입해서 사용하고 있던 국내에서 개발한 DAC: 앰프의 CD 선택에는 CDP에서 직접 연결된 입력이, 또 다른 입력은 CDP에서 코액시얼 캐이블을 통해 DAC으로 가서 4배 업샘플링을 거친 후에 앰프의 LINE 선택으로 RCA라인들을 통해 입력된다.

 

스피커 스탠드의 위부분의 스파이크는 보다 작은 밑면을 가지는 이 스피커와 맞지 않아서 현재는 그냥 위판에 올려 놓은 상태.

추후 스파이크를 위한 위판의 구멍을 다시 뚫고 스파이크 위에 얹어 놓을 예정.

동시에 스탠드의 기둥에는 공진 방지를 위해 작은 납알들을 넣어 공진을 최소화할 예정이다.

이런 자잘한 작업을 할 정도로 이 스피커는 소리가 깨끗하고 좋아서 좀 더 나은 오디오 환경을 만들 생각을 하게 만든다.

 

 

첫 인상.

첫째로는 생각보다 아주 깨끗하고 풍요로운 저음에 놀라게 된다.

둘째로는 아주 깨끗하고 잘 어울리는 스테레오 위상이다.

물론 이런 점은 동축 2-웨이 소형 세털라이트 시피커 구조에서 예측할 수 있는 장점이겠지만.

셋째는 오디오필 용도의 스피커로서는 비교적 저렴한 가격과 우아한 디자인, 그리고 작은 사이즈에서 오는 실용성이겠다.

아마도 중요성으로는 꺼꾸로 말해야 할 지도 모르겠다.

 

물론 아주 큰 소리의 다이내믹스는 기대할 수 없겠다.

그리고 작은 소리일지라도 최고급 스피커와 비교할 때 소리의 깨끗함에서 아무래도 뒤질 수 밖애 없다.

그래도 대부분 아파트에서 사는 우리나라의 오디오 환경에서는 충분히 큰 소리를 깨끗하게 제공하고, 특히 주로 듣는 음악이 교향곡이 아니라 나처럼 재즈나 보칼, 그리고 가끔 오래된 롹큰롤이라면 더 부족할 것 없는 오디오필 급의 소리를 합리적인 가격에 배우자가 좋아할 아름답고 기품있는 디자인과 거실 배치나 개인 방에 배치할 수 있는 활용성과 함께 제공하는 아주 아주 좋은 스피커로 보인다.

이 스피커보다 좋은 소리를 원하면 좀 더 넓은 개인집에 살아야 하고, 몇배 이상의 돈을 들여야 하고, 아마도 전용 오디오실을 마련해야만 할 것으로 생각된다.

 

강추!

 

아래는 인터넷에서 이 스피커에 대한 리뷰를 가져왔다.

 

------------------------------------------------------  이하  -----------------------------------------------------------------

KEF LS50 – bigger than small

by Sujesh Pavithran on 21/04/2013





KEF LS50 loudspeaker
Rating: *****

First impressions: Few loudspeakers have intrigued me as much at first sight as the KEF LS50 50th anniversary model. I’m told it was inspired by the legendary LS3/5a, although you wouldn’t imagine it looking at the LS50 – think Lotus Seven of yore and today’s Exige S Roadster. Yup, it’s like that…

Most audiophiles, weaned on traditional black boxes, would do a double take and think, “oh, this has to be some lifestyle product.” They couldn’t be further from the truth. The LS50 may be a design statement from KEF, but this is merely one aspect of the speaker. Within five minutes of hearing the LS50 in action, I marked it as a hard-hitting contender for audiophile ears.

The other giveaway is the driver array, which is housed in a single unit – this is KEF’s famed Uni-Q in its latest guise. That “rose gold” finish is certainly eye-catching but the shiny black sides had me handling the LS50 with extra care – I had to ensure nothing got scratched.

The output from the spanking new review pair was something I later described it to a friend as an “expensive” sound. It became even better along the way.

Specs: The centre of attraction of this two-way bass reflex design, obviously, is the UniQ driver array comprising a 25mm vented aluminium tweeter mounted inside a 130mm magnesium-aluminium alloy mid-bass driver. Note that there is no grille on the curved front baffle.

The tangerine-style arrangement in the centre of the UniQ unit is for treble dispersion to create a larger sweet spot. KEF quotes a frequency range of 47Hz to 45kHz and response of 79Hz to 28kHz. The crossover is set at 2.2kHz

Placement obviously is important, but KEF says 50cm from the rear wall works fine for the LS50.

The rear elliptical port is unique, not merely in shape – the material forming the port is a flexible composite that absorbs resonances rather than allow them to feed back into the cabinet structure.

Amplifier requirements are modest, from 25 watts and up, but at 85dB sensitivity, you’ll need to drive these glossy beauties harder than usual if you like it loud (the LS50 are good for 106dB), even if the eight-ohm load isn’t current sapping.

Each cabinet measures 302 x 200 x 278mm (h/w/d) and weighs 7.2kg – since a pair is packed into a single box, they’re not actually lightweight. There’s a single finish, which is high-gloss piano black, with a front baffle made of a composite material.

Fit and finish are astoundingly top-notch – the LS50 looks more expensive than its price tag. The KEF legend on top of the cabinet is a classy touch.

Performance: The first aspect of a speaker’s performance that I always get to the bottom of is, er, the bass. Initially, the LS50s were sited on stands about four feet from the rear and side walls, and although the bass was punchy enough, considering the size of the driver, I felt the speakers were hardening in the lows when pushed hard. Up in my playlist were Internet radio via my Linn Majik DS and a number of my regular reference CDs and LPs. Rock was a staple, with jazz and a bit of folk and some classical.

After the speakers had been run in for a few weeks, this hardening receded somewhat, but it was when I pushed the LS50s closer to the rear wall that I noticed a significant improvement in the bass. Of course, the solid physical backdrop helped reinforce the lows, but even when played loud, the speakers sounded smoother and in better control of its lower frequency output.

This was when the deal was sealed for me, because in other areas, I couldn’t find much about the LS50s that displeased me even remotely. Let’s talk about the presentation, which was conducted on a generous and expansive scale. The point-source design helped to place acoustic events in proper focus, and the LS50s recreated a sound stage that belied the compact dimensions of the speakers.

The treble and midrange areas were clean and uncluttered, and completely revealing of details in the mix, without tonal additives and any oddness in the timbres of instruments and vocals. The last especially, were impressive in the way they were focused, with smoothly and clearly defined boundaries that were never muddied by other musical occurrences in the acoustic background.

Certainly, the UniQ drivers displayed an impressive sense of focus and dispersion in the higher registers while, in the stereo context of listening at the sweet spot, the speakers conjured a stage that was spacious, expansive and unfettered. They were tight without truncating musical events, and never fatiguing over long sessions.

Playing acoustically-dominant recordings (classical, jazz and folk) on the LS50s showed them to be capable of revealing the intricacies of instrumental textures without effort. Switching to rock and pop, I found them to have a comforting weight in presentation and urgency in drive that suggested these speakers are also keepers for those into musical genres demanding some bite, without turning strident when pushed harder.

The good: Everything about the LS50s, I loved … their big and vivid presentation, effortless playback of any genre of music, and ability to grasp the essence of a recording and convey it to the listener stealthily and without imposing.

They’re spectacular in looks, too, and the wife-acceptance factor is very high – I reckon you’ll have less trouble explaining the purchase because they look as good as they sound.

The ungood: The LS50 can’t completely run away from its physical limitation, which has an impact on the lows – but then, they’re not for bass fiends. Impeccable partners are needed for the speaker to deliver its best.

The finish collects fingerprints and shows up dust – keep a piece of microfibre cloth handy.

Final verdict: A profoundly communicative component from KEF, the LS50s do their job with hardly anything being lost in translation. They’re superb all rounders, comfortable with a wide genres of music and create equal impact played soft or loud.

Make no mistake, these are special ones in a number of ways, and when KEF stops making them, they’re doing to be even more in demand. So get a pair now to save yourself heartache in the future.

 

동영상!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEqh1EqD7U0&feature=player_embedded

Gear:
Source: Ayon CD-1s, Linn Majik DS, VPI Aries 3 with Dynavector XX2 MKII cartridge / Amplification: Frank Acoustics Pipit 22L phono stage, Odyssey Audio Tempest SLB preamp, Odyssey Audio Khartago Extreme SE monoblocs, Burmester 082 integrated / Speakers: Magneplanar MG1.7, KEF LS50 / Interconnects: MIT CVT 1 & 2 and MIT phono cable / Cables: MIT CVT 2 / Power cords: Furutech / Power supplied via AVIA balanced Powertrans / Supported on Finite Elemente Spider racks