The KEF LS50 Wireless is one of the finest active speakers and the number of accolades it has gained in these few short years further proves how brilliant this pair of wireless speakers truly is. Now with their latest iteration, the KEF LS50 Wireless II, not only did they overcome their predecessor’s shortcomings but also comes with a few upgrades of their own such as an improved app.
The KEF LS50 Wireless can easily be one of the very best wireless powered music systems of all time, not to mention, they look absolutely stunning and stylish. I will be more than happy to show them off to all my friends and be fully confident that they will be awed by how stylish and elegant the KEF LS50 Wireless speakers look. They are premium wireless loudspeakers with a built-in DAC that can support up to 384kHz/24bit (network) resolution. There is no doubt with the level of sound quality and performance that they can dish out but the KEF LS50 Wireless are still stand-mounters and if you want deep rumbling subterranean bass delivery, an active subwoofer will still be needed.
To find the best subwoofers to match with the KEF LS50 Wireless speakers, we must learn more about their sonic characteristics and also find out more about your main requirements. Once we have gathered enough information and have gone through a checklist of requirements, we will then share with you a list of the best subwoofers which you can choose to match with the KEF LS50 Wireless powered speakers.
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Sonic Characteristics and Strengths of KEF LS50 Wireless
The latest version of KEF LS50 Wireless has very powerful amplifiers been built into them, the low-frequency driver is powered by a Class D amplifier with up to 280 Watts of power and the high-frequency driver is powered by a Class AB amplifier with up to 100 Watts of power. The frequency response is really impressive for speakers of their size which is 40Hz-47kHz (-6dB). The range of the frequency response does indicate that the LS50 Wireless is not adept in delivering very deep bass frequencies. There are plenty of features that comes with the wireless active speakers and the RCA subwoofer output is one of them.
The KEF LS50 Wireless II are musically refined powered speakers with very clean music delivery and taut bass performance. The stereo imaging of these wireless speakers is simply amazing, furthermore, the stereo separation is distinct and highly defined with enough space to deliver a very organized music presentation. Even when the music passage gets more sophisticated and busy, the overall sound reproduction does not sound muddled or confused. There are an impressive amount of details including subtleties and intricacies, producing natural vocals and realistic sounding instruments.
More Information at Amazon – KEF LS50 Wireless II
The bass performance although is detailed, agile, and clean, it does lack the weight for a satisfying bass thump. The deep bass region is also lacking prominence and in a home theater environment, the KEF LS50 Wireless speakers alone won’t be enough to satisfy HT enthusiasts. They are definitely talented enough to handle all sorts of music genres being handed to them but when it comes to bass-heavy soundtracks, the KEF wireless speakers won’t be satisfying enough.
Subwoofer Main Requirements
Finalizing your subwoofer main requirements will greatly help to determine which and what type of active subwoofers you will need. First and foremost, the budget allocated will heavily influence the choices of subs you can go for. Do give yourself a comfortable amount and have a bit of allowance just in case. How big is your listening room or is it for a nearfield listening setup will affect how big and powerful of a subwoofer you will require. For instance, the bigger the room, the larger and more powerful subwoofer you will need to cover the room area more efficiently.
Do you mainly use KEF LS50 Wireless speakers to watch movies and TV shows? If you answer yes, then a ported subwoofer will be the ideal choice for you. If you listen to music and are critical about the bass quality than quantity, a sealed cabinet subwoofer will be more suitable for your needs. Unless your music is very bass-heavy then probably a ported sub will be a more ideal choice than a sealed subwoofer. Going for subwoofers that can efficiently reach down to 20Hz bass extension would be wise but if your soundtracks or audio source goes lower than 20Hz, then you will need a subwoofer that can competently do so.
The size of the subwoofer and limited space constraints will be the other factors that will affect which subwoofers to go for. Sometimes, even the interiors and decorations of your listening room will determine how powerful of a sub you should get as the vibrations from these bass frequencies will rattle cabinets, wooden floors, etc., causing unwanted noises. These are just some of the main requirements for you to go through and you might want to add more requirements on your own onto the checklist. Once you are done with the checklist, you can now take a look at the list of the best subwoofers to partner with your KEF LS50 Wireless powered speakers below.
Best Subwoofers to pair with KEF LS50 Wireless
The SVS PB-1000 Pro is one of the best ported subwoofers to go for especially if watching movies and TV shows is your main entertainment. It is a modestly priced 12″ subwoofer with an amplifier power of 325 Watts RMS and up to 820+ Watts Peak power. The PB-1000 Pro is able to dig down to 17Hz which is really impressive for an active ported subwoofer at this price point. It will be more than enough to provide powerful bass performance in a small listening room or nearfield listening environment, this is a high-performance active sub worthy to be paired with your brilliant KEF LS50 Wireless powered speakers.
More Information at Amazon – SVS PB-1000 Pro (Black Ash)
For a sealed cabinet subwoofer with amazing deep bass performance, the JL Audio E-Sub e112 will be an exemplary choice to match with your KEF LS50 Wireless speakers. It is a very powerful 12″ sealed subwoofer with up to 1500 Watts RMS power (short-term) and has a frequency response 17Hz-153Hz (-10dB). It is a terrific all-rounder, the e112 is capable of delivering articulate bass performance in both music and home theater environments. The tight bass delivery has a satisfying impact and is also cleanly delivered, blending in nicely with the rest of the higher frequencies.
More Information at Amazon – JL Audio E112 Subwoofer
For critical music listeners, the award-winning Rythmik Audio F12 Signature Edition is an excellent choice to pair with your KEF LS50 Wireless speakers. The F12SE is a 12″ sealed audiophile subwoofer that uses Class A/B patented servo-controlled amplifier with 370 Watts RMS power. The Direct Servo enables the Rythmik Audio F12SE to deliver fast, articulate, and accurate bass frequencies that will keep up with your KEF LS50 Wireless speakers, giving you a seamless full-range sound quality. The bass quality is detailed and rich which makes the F12SE a magnificent subwoofer for music playbacks.
The SVS PB-4000 will be another of the best ported subwoofers to go with your KEF LS50 Wireless powered speakers if you have a large listening room and home cinematic experience is important to you as well. The PB-4000 is an extremely powerful 13.5″ subwoofer with 1200 Watts of RMS power and goes up to 4200 Watts of Peak power. It can easily handle all sorts of bass demands from your movies and music sources. The immense sonic energy the SVS PB-4000 can deliver to you will give you an exhilarating home movie experience and body-pounding bass performance.
More Information at Amazon – SVS PB-4000 Ported Subwoofer
If you prefer a sealed cabinet subwoofer that is suitable for large listening rooms the Rythmik Audio F18 will be a terrific choice for you. It is a sealed subwoofer with an 18″ driver and has 900 Watts RMS power, capable of digging deep into the bass extension of down to 10Hz (+/-3db with LFE inputs). The Direct Servo technology will ensure the bass reproduction is fast and articulate even for a subwoofer driver of this size. The Rythmik Audio F18 will easily fill a room with incredible sonic energy and presence, a suitable subwoofer match with your KEF LS50 Wireless speakers, and will excel in a music setup.
The JL Audio Fathom f112 is a high-end sealed subwoofer that will definitely be suited to pair with your KEF LS50 Wireless active speakers. The f112 uses D.A.R.O. to automatically optimize its bass performance in any listening room so as to provide you with high bass quality and to integrate seamlessly with your LS50 Wireless speakers. The bass frequencies are rendered accurately and with plenty of low-end details to boot. If you want subwoofers that are more affordable, you can check out HSU Research. It may not be as prestigious as JL Audio but HSU Research subwoofers are solid performers and are worth every cent you’ve spent on them.
More Information at Amazon – JL Audio Fathom f112
To Conclude
You can also choose to match the KEF LS50 Wireless speakers with KEF active subwoofers for a more seamless integration since both HiFi audio components will share very similar sound signatures. We will suggest at least audition a few of the subwoofers we have mentioned on the list before going for KEF subs though. We do find the mentioned powered subwoofers are more capable and provide better overall bass performance. If possible, you might want to arrange the auditions in your own listening room using your favorite tunes for a more accurate result. Do feel free to use this subwoofers list to compare with another brand of subs.
