The Black Friday speaker deals are popping early in 2024. Thanksgiving is still more than 3 weeks away but this week the deals are already coming in fast and furious. But, as in previous years, there are a lot of “deals” on speakers that just aren’t worth buying at any price. Fortunately there are some actually great early Black Friday 2024 deals on great speakers hiding in plain sight and here are a few we think are worth getting excited about.
British loudspeaker maker KEF is slashing prices across the board. Here are three standout deals on KEF loudspeakers that are live now:
> KEF LS50 Meta – $999/pair (save $600)
> KEF LS50 Wireless II – $1999/pair (save $500)
> KEF LSX II LT – $899/pair (save $100)
Read on to find out more about why we like these particular KEF speaker deals (and the speakers themselves).
KEF LS50 Meta – $999/pair (Save $600)
As part of KEF’s early Black Friday 2024 speaker deals, Amazon has the company’s LS50 Meta wired bookshelf speakers on sale for $600 off their current list price. Today you can score a pair of these audiophile-approved mini-monitor/bookshelf speakers for just $999.99/pair, with free shipping. This is the best deal we’ve ever seen on these exceptional wired loudspeakers.
Grab This Deal:
> KEF LS50 Meta Bookshelf Speakers: $999.99 on Amazon
The LS50 Meta is available in multiple color options and finishes. Price and availability may vary on different colors as the sale goes on. Here are direct links to each color option on Amazon:
- KEF LS50 Meta in Titanium Grey
- KEF LS50 Meta in Carbon Black
- KEF LS50 Meta in Mineral White
- KEF LS50 Meta in Royal Blue
Why Buy the KEF LS50 META?
Originally introduced as part of the company’s 50th Anniversary celebration, the KEF LS50 remains a favorite of music lovers, audiophiles and audio reviewers worldwide. The current Meta version was introduced four years ago and builds upon the original’s strengths while making subtle but significant improvements to their sound quality. The Meta designation comes from KEF’s “Metamaterial Absorption Technology” (MAT) – an advanced maze-like structure in the speaker cabinet which the company says absorbs “99% of the unwanted sound from the rear of the driver, eliminating the resulting distortion and providing purer, more natural sound.” The result is a loudspeaker that sounds even sweeter and cleaner than the original – and that’s saying something.
Our Editor-in-Chief Ian White raved about the original KEF LS50 when they first came out, comparing them to speakers in the $5,000 to $7,500 range. I own a pair of those original LS50s and use them in my two-channel rig to audition new gear like network streamers and integrated amps. If you’re a budget-minded audiophile or music-lover searching for a taste of that elusive high-end sound for a minimum investment, the LS50 Meta may be just what you’re looking for. The speakers simply disappear when you press play on your source component of choice, transporting you to the studio where the music was recorded.
What makes the KEF LS50 Meta so special? Its coaxial UniQ driver design places the tweeter in the center of the woofer/midrange unit, which avoids the phasing distortion and time delay anomalies that can happen with traditional staggered driver speaker designs. Though the LS50 is fairly compact in size (12 inches high by 9 inches wide by 11 inches deep), the speaker can go much lower into the bass registers than you’d expect – down to about 50 Hz of solid, musical bass. Those who want “Mo Bass” can pair it with a KEF Kube 10B subwoofer, extending the low end response down to near the lowest audible registers and freeing the LS50s to concentrate on what they do best: the mid-bass, midrange and treble.
Note that these are wired loudspeakers (not wireless). They do require amplification. They work well with vintage gear (I’m driving mine with a Conrad-Johnson tube power amp), but can also be paired with a high quality modern integrated amp like those from ARCAM, NAD, Rotel or Cambridge Audio. You can even use a high-end receiver, just make sure it’s got plenty of power and headroom so you can let these puppies sing.
If you’re a fan of multi-channel immersive music and movies, you can purchase two pairs of the LS50 Meta, match them up with a KEF UniQ Center channel speaker, a KEF Subwoofer and KEF’s Dolby Atmos speaker module for a killer compact 5.1.2-channel immersive surround sound system. Perfect for both movies and music. Just add a great AV receiver and some speaker wire and you’ll be good to go.
KEF LS50 Wireless II – $1999 (Save $500)
Virtually identical to the LS50 Meta in sound quality, the LS50 Wireless II speakers add high quality amplifiers and networking into the chassis for a vastly simplified system architecture. Instead of requiring the purchase and set-up of a separate network streamer and amplifier, the KEF LS50 Wireless II just needs two available power outlets (one for each speaker), a few minutes of set-up in the KEF Connect app and you’ll be ready to listen to all your favorite tunes from your choice of streaming apps.
The LS50 Wireless II loudspeakers are available in mineral white, carbon black, titanium grey and crimson red finishes so it’s up to you whether you want them to blend in or make a statement. In any color, the LS50 wireless delivers a musicality and warmth you won’t hear in most other speakers.
Like the LS50 Meta, the LS50 Wireless II features an exquisitely formed cabinet, but in this case that cabinet includes advanced DSP (Digital Signal Processing), a 100W class A/B amplifier to drive the tweeter, and a 280W class D amplifier that powers the mid/bass driver. The left and right speakers are connected to each other wirelessly, with 24bit/96kHz resolution. A wired option is also available using a simple connection cable between speakers, increasing the quality to 24bit/192kHz resolution.
Using the KEF Connect app, you can stream Tidal, Amazon Music, Qobuz, Deezer, Internet Radio stations and podcasts directly over WiFi or hard-wired via the speaker’s ethernet port. You can also stream directly to the speakers from the native streaming app with Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect. AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast are also supported as well as standard Bluetooth connectivity in case you just want to stream the old-fashioned way from your phone or tablet. The LS50 Wireless II is also “Roon Ready” in case you’ve adopted Roon as your streaming music platform.
Unlike some wireless speakers, the KEF LS50 Wireless II also includes a plethora of wired connections for a TV, turntable, CD player or game console, via the HDMI, analog, optical and coaxial digital connections on the rear panel of one of the speakers. So you’ll have no trouble incorporating legacy source components (or even a TV) into the system.
Grab This Deal:
> KEF LS50 Wireless II – $1999/pair (save $500)
KEF LSX II LT Wireless Speakers – $899/pair (Save $100)
While a 10% discount may not seem extraordinary, KEF’s rarely discounted LSX II LT wireless speakers are already a steal at their usual price of $1,000, so we’ll take whatever deal we can get. Like the LS50 II wireless, the LSX II LT includes dedicated power amplifiers in each speaker with a 70-watt amp driving the woofer and a 30-watt amp driving the tweeter. The LSX II LT also features KEF’s Uni-Q driver for phase coherence and time alignment among all frequencies.
With the LSX II LT speaker system’s built-in power and a robust set of wireless, analog and digital connection options, the LSX II LT system is fully expandable and requires no additional components to work. But if you want to plug in a turntable or other audio source, you’ve got options.
Our Editor-in-Chief likes and recommends the original LSX II Wireless speakers, which were priced at $1,400/pair. He said anyone looking for a sub-$3,000 music system (including a turntable) should definitely have the LSX II on their must-audition list. KEF saw an opportunity to bring the speaker to a larger audience and later released the LSX II “LT” edition. The LT version is identical to the original in sound quality, using the same drivers, electronics and amplification, but it removes support for Roon and MQA. Neither is essential for lossless high-res music streaming.
The LSX II LT also requires a hard-wired connection between the two speakers. The proprietary USB-C “C-Link” interspeaker connect cable carries both data and power to the second speaker so only one of the LSX II LT speakers needs to be plugged into wall power. This can allow for more flexible placement options. The cable that comes in the box is 3 meters long (almost 10 feet) but an optional 8-meter “C-Link” cable is also available. The LSX II LT also lacks the analog “aux” input from the LSX II so if you want to add a turntable, you’ll need one that has a digital audio output or a Bluetooth (wireless) output.
As far as connectivity and streaming options, the LSX II LT has full access to the KEF Connect app with support for Tidal,. Amazon Music, Qobuz, Deezer, Internet Radio stations and podcasts. It also supports Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast. Of course, you can also connect via standard Bluetooth from your phone, computer or tablet or virtually any other Bluetooth source device.
Those looking for a flexible, great-sounding wireless speaker system on a budget will want to check out this deal on the KEF LSX II LT while it lasts. The speakers are available in Stone White, Sage Green and Graphite Grey finishes.
Grab This Deal:
> KEF LSX II LT – $899/pair (save $100)
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