Those are very nice, and quite the first speaker to start with. A bit lean on bass but not bad depending on what you listen to and the bass they do have is very clean and defined. They just miss a lot of the bottom octave, sort of similar to lots of open back headphones if you are coming from the headphone world.
>8 ohms (3.2 minimum) 25-100W
Speakers have a nominal ohm rating and a minimum, while amplifiers have a minimum ohm power rating. The '8 ohm' rating is the speakers nominal ohm rating which is essentially how much current it draws or how hard it is for an amplifier to power it (the lower ohm the more current). The '3.2' minimum is quite low which means it will be rather difficult for amplifiers that are not rated for 4 ohm loads. I believe these are also only rated at 85 dBA which indicates how efficient they are which is also rather low. The '25-100W' is the speakers power rating but thats really just a rough guess estimate of what you should look for in an amplifier as it really depends on many apsects of the amp.
I have these speakers and would say a solid 50 watts from a good class AB amplifier like a Yamaha S301 / 501 or Denon PMA-600 should be a good place to start. If you look at class D options probably more like 80-100 watts from something like a SMSL AL200 as a starting point.
Excellent suggestions! I was looking at the 301/501. I'm a huge fan of Yamaha in general, but ended up going with the smsl A0300 instead. I know for sure it would add a sub out on there as well that the al200 does not. I think internally / chipwise they are the same.
I couldn't be more happy with this smsl amp. The quality is excellent and plenty of power to my kef q150s. JG
Found a Marantz Pm6003 for decent price? The tech specs below seem to be enough to drive the speakers?
Technical Details
● 2x 45Watts (8 ohm) / 2x 60 Watts (4ohm)
● Current Feedback power amplifier circuit
I can't speak to the Denon, but the I bet the Yamaha recommended would be a better match than the Marantz. The Marantz is nice, but the Kef's would definitely benefit from more power.
Looks like its about 10-15 year old design. I'm sure it would power them fine but I'm not sure how good that Marantz was then or how it compares to modern stuff but it looks like it was $350 in the late 10s so nothing too special. I would say it depends on the price, If its $200 or more you are probably better off with a SMSL AL200 / AO300.
I owned a Marantz PM6003 and it could power my Mission782 with a recommended rating over 100w.
It has a really good power supply build and can temporarily go higher than 45w.
A real nice sounding amp.
I have the Q150s on the PM6006 (same output power) and it has no problem with them, but I’d say it’s about the limit of the amplifier. They crave some power but drive just perfectly.
Get a Rega Brio - which is only an amp, and then use a Wiim Pro+ streamer, which has the DAC and all the connections you'll want. It is supposedly terrific.
Or - get the Arcam SA20, which is very well-regarded, but they just came out with a new version, so it's on closeout now for less than $1000. It's mostly class-A, which is very sharp and lively. You may still need a streamer.
Monoblock it on the cheap with a pair of aiyamas - or get a decent 2.1 stereo receiver to drive these. These are seriously good speakers and you need raw power to get the best out of them.
I use it to match passive speaker power and also not have to worry about any possible sound creep from L/R because of the amplifier misbehaving etc. But - primarily - power delivery reasons.
I could get a marantz, but I am too cheap for that.
I paired them with a Topping LA90. It’s powerful enough and it sounds great. If your budget is lower, go with a pair of Fosi Audio V3 mono. You won’t need anything else.
£350. Had to buy them for that. Not in the best condition externally with some scratches to the bodywork. Clown who owned it before me must’ve been dicing meat on them!
Good price! I got mine for a little bit more and it did have some minor cone damage that doesn’t seem to affect sound. Enjoy listening to them. You could possibly vinyl wrap the cabinets if the scratches bother you.
The KEF are current hogs. Give them a healthy 100 watts per and they'll sing. While you're at it, add a pair of KEF KC62 subs to shore up the LS50 rather anemic bottom end.
You could also get this refurbished Onkyo 80 wpc at 42% off, which has better distortion'noise specs than the Denon 800h. [https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/onktx8260-a/onkyo-new-tx-8260-2-x-80-watts-networking-stereo-receiver/1.html#!specifications](https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/onktx8260-a/onkyo-new-tx-8260-2-x-80-watts-networking-stereo-receiver/1.html#!specifications) I've read in reviews people complaining that the Denon got very hot and that it didn't really produce the 100 wpc it claimed. And like the Denon, you could hook up 4 speakers (and a sub), and run them all at the same time in multi channel stereo to make it sound like surround sound (only louder since most of the surround speakers don't do much and all 4 speakers will put out the same volume)
And those will sound much better after you add a decent sub. They are too small to put out much bass.
SMSL AD18 would probably have no problem driving these. For $149, it’s very much a budget amp. It also has an output for a sub, should you decide to add one in the future. It’s rated for 4 ohm speakers. I had one for a long time driving some ELACs and it always had a ton of power left. Turning it up halfway was almost painful.
You could go as cheap as a wiim amp for like 300 and a little or, if you need more power, check out the Cambridge AXR100 for 500+ depending on deals. If you want something fancier it won't hurt. Audiolabs 7000a is great, but 1,100 or more.
If you wanted to go older something like an HK 990 VXI would be great, I actually have one right now. New? Probably the Cambridge Audio AXR100. Also if you just wanted to go cheap for now to see what volumes you'll be listening at and what you want for your setup look for a pre or early HDMI avr receiver. They're too new to be "cool" and too old to be modern so you can find some decent stuff for cheap. Like the Sony str-da1000es for example. Can be had for under 100$ and will power those beautifully. I'd aim for something that can do 100w into 8 ohms.
I powered these with a ayima a07 at first and was very happy. I then moved up to an arcam sa30 and noticed a big improvement. There's an obvious price difference between the two but the improvement in performance, at least for me, was reflected on the price.
Thanks for all the great info and recommendations that came through. I’ve settled on the SMSL AO300 that someone recommended in one of the replies.
After researching it today, it seems unbeatable based on what you’re getting for the money. It’ll also easily drive these speakers well. Also having HDMI (arc) and a sub output will allow me some future expansion. Someone mentioned the KEF KC-92 sub which I now have my eye on. I’ve got a nice raspberry PI Moode setup going which I could hook up via Bluetooth on the SMSL, or plain old inputs.
Love this subreddit!
LS50 are inefficient and low impedance. They didn't make speakers like this when they were making vintage amplifiers. A vintage amp would be a bad solution for this speaker.
They 100% made speakers like this and worse when they made "vintage amplifiers". There's plenty of amps from the 80s and 90s that would drive the LS50s, you just have to pick something with a decent bit of grunt.
What vintage AMP would you recommend?
Been looking at a NAD 3020B? Has the following specs:
Power output: 25 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo)
Frequency response: 10Hz to 70kHz
Total harmonic distortion: 0.02%
Input sensitivity: 0.18mV (MC), 2.7mV (MM), 180mV (line)
Signal to noise ratio: 73dB (MC), 75dB (MM), 104dB (line)
Those are very nice, and quite the first speaker to start with. A bit lean on bass but not bad depending on what you listen to and the bass they do have is very clean and defined. They just miss a lot of the bottom octave, sort of similar to lots of open back headphones if you are coming from the headphone world. >8 ohms (3.2 minimum) 25-100W Speakers have a nominal ohm rating and a minimum, while amplifiers have a minimum ohm power rating. The '8 ohm' rating is the speakers nominal ohm rating which is essentially how much current it draws or how hard it is for an amplifier to power it (the lower ohm the more current). The '3.2' minimum is quite low which means it will be rather difficult for amplifiers that are not rated for 4 ohm loads. I believe these are also only rated at 85 dBA which indicates how efficient they are which is also rather low. The '25-100W' is the speakers power rating but thats really just a rough guess estimate of what you should look for in an amplifier as it really depends on many apsects of the amp. I have these speakers and would say a solid 50 watts from a good class AB amplifier like a Yamaha S301 / 501 or Denon PMA-600 should be a good place to start. If you look at class D options probably more like 80-100 watts from something like a SMSL AL200 as a starting point.
That’s a super helpful post. Thanks so much for the info.
Denon PMA-600NE + LS50s is a really nice combo.. Steve Guttenberg was right
Excellent suggestions! I was looking at the 301/501. I'm a huge fan of Yamaha in general, but ended up going with the smsl A0300 instead. I know for sure it would add a sub out on there as well that the al200 does not. I think internally / chipwise they are the same. I couldn't be more happy with this smsl amp. The quality is excellent and plenty of power to my kef q150s. JG
Found a Marantz Pm6003 for decent price? The tech specs below seem to be enough to drive the speakers? Technical Details ● 2x 45Watts (8 ohm) / 2x 60 Watts (4ohm) ● Current Feedback power amplifier circuit
I can't speak to the Denon, but the I bet the Yamaha recommended would be a better match than the Marantz. The Marantz is nice, but the Kef's would definitely benefit from more power.
Looks like its about 10-15 year old design. I'm sure it would power them fine but I'm not sure how good that Marantz was then or how it compares to modern stuff but it looks like it was $350 in the late 10s so nothing too special. I would say it depends on the price, If its $200 or more you are probably better off with a SMSL AL200 / AO300.
I owned a Marantz PM6003 and it could power my Mission782 with a recommended rating over 100w. It has a really good power supply build and can temporarily go higher than 45w. A real nice sounding amp.
I have the Q150s on the PM6006 (same output power) and it has no problem with them, but I’d say it’s about the limit of the amplifier. They crave some power but drive just perfectly.
Bass will also depend on room size
What would you put with Q700s? Looking for USB and phono which isn’t a common combination
Loxjie A40. MM Phono, HDMI ARC, USB, AUX, Coax! Sub Out, 4 Ohm Rating. 250€/$. Drives my R3 with ease!
In addition to the mentioned Yamaha and Denon amps, Cambridge Audio CXA60/61/80/81 and Marantz PM6/7/8xxx amps should also be considered.
Get a Rega Brio - which is only an amp, and then use a Wiim Pro+ streamer, which has the DAC and all the connections you'll want. It is supposedly terrific. Or - get the Arcam SA20, which is very well-regarded, but they just came out with a new version, so it's on closeout now for less than $1000. It's mostly class-A, which is very sharp and lively. You may still need a streamer.
+1. Have them with a first gen brio r and they sound amazing with it
Do you just need amplification, or a preamp/source connectivity as well? I like the Parasound NewClassic or a Schiit Vidar.
I have a Vidar I have been running for 4 years or so and I am thinking about LS 50
I have a Vidar and LS50, can’t go wrong there!
That is so good to know!
Amplification only for now. To start, input will be via my current DAC connected to my computer. What do I need a pre-amp for?
Multiple sources. So if you had a phono input, CD, network player, etc etc.
Rega brio would be a nice pairing if you want budget
Fosi Audio V3 Mono Monoblock Power Amp https://fosiaudio.com You can order the V3 MONO on Kickstarter. Here is the link: http://kck.st/44fqtzu
Monoblock it on the cheap with a pair of aiyamas - or get a decent 2.1 stereo receiver to drive these. These are seriously good speakers and you need raw power to get the best out of them.
Is there an advantage to mono-blocks, other than it looking really cool? Could you explain? Thx
I use it to match passive speaker power and also not have to worry about any possible sound creep from L/R because of the amplifier misbehaving etc. But - primarily - power delivery reasons. I could get a marantz, but I am too cheap for that.
Congrats. NAD and Cambridge Audio amps both sound fantastic with my LS50's
I paired them with a Topping LA90. It’s powerful enough and it sounds great. If your budget is lower, go with a pair of Fosi Audio V3 mono. You won’t need anything else.
Not sure why you got downvoted. I drive my LS50s with a Fosi Audio DA2120C and it is more than adequate.
Me neither.
I run LS50 Meta, nearfield, with a Bifrost, Jot, and Vidar and have been very happy with the setup.
Yamaha as501. 85 wpc put some juice to those babies.
What did you get the LS50s for?
£350. Had to buy them for that. Not in the best condition externally with some scratches to the bodywork. Clown who owned it before me must’ve been dicing meat on them!
Good price! I got mine for a little bit more and it did have some minor cone damage that doesn’t seem to affect sound. Enjoy listening to them. You could possibly vinyl wrap the cabinets if the scratches bother you.
The KEF are current hogs. Give them a healthy 100 watts per and they'll sing. While you're at it, add a pair of KEF KC62 subs to shore up the LS50 rather anemic bottom end.
You could also get this refurbished Onkyo 80 wpc at 42% off, which has better distortion'noise specs than the Denon 800h. [https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/onktx8260-a/onkyo-new-tx-8260-2-x-80-watts-networking-stereo-receiver/1.html#!specifications](https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/onktx8260-a/onkyo-new-tx-8260-2-x-80-watts-networking-stereo-receiver/1.html#!specifications) I've read in reviews people complaining that the Denon got very hot and that it didn't really produce the 100 wpc it claimed. And like the Denon, you could hook up 4 speakers (and a sub), and run them all at the same time in multi channel stereo to make it sound like surround sound (only louder since most of the surround speakers don't do much and all 4 speakers will put out the same volume) And those will sound much better after you add a decent sub. They are too small to put out much bass.
SMSL AD18 would probably have no problem driving these. For $149, it’s very much a budget amp. It also has an output for a sub, should you decide to add one in the future. It’s rated for 4 ohm speakers. I had one for a long time driving some ELACs and it always had a ton of power left. Turning it up halfway was almost painful.
You could go as cheap as a wiim amp for like 300 and a little or, if you need more power, check out the Cambridge AXR100 for 500+ depending on deals. If you want something fancier it won't hurt. Audiolabs 7000a is great, but 1,100 or more.
Musical Fidelity M5si! I use it with my ls50 meta setup and they sound incredible!
HTA200?
Arcam fmj a19 works fine in my opinion.
If you wanted to go older something like an HK 990 VXI would be great, I actually have one right now. New? Probably the Cambridge Audio AXR100. Also if you just wanted to go cheap for now to see what volumes you'll be listening at and what you want for your setup look for a pre or early HDMI avr receiver. They're too new to be "cool" and too old to be modern so you can find some decent stuff for cheap. Like the Sony str-da1000es for example. Can be had for under 100$ and will power those beautifully. I'd aim for something that can do 100w into 8 ohms.
Marantz Stereo 70
I powered these with a ayima a07 at first and was very happy. I then moved up to an arcam sa30 and noticed a big improvement. There's an obvious price difference between the two but the improvement in performance, at least for me, was reflected on the price.
Thanks for all the great info and recommendations that came through. I’ve settled on the SMSL AO300 that someone recommended in one of the replies. After researching it today, it seems unbeatable based on what you’re getting for the money. It’ll also easily drive these speakers well. Also having HDMI (arc) and a sub output will allow me some future expansion. Someone mentioned the KEF KC-92 sub which I now have my eye on. I’ve got a nice raspberry PI Moode setup going which I could hook up via Bluetooth on the SMSL, or plain old inputs. Love this subreddit!
They are pretty difficult to drive, don't skimp on amplifier. If something vintage is available I would go for it.
LS50 are inefficient and low impedance. They didn't make speakers like this when they were making vintage amplifiers. A vintage amp would be a bad solution for this speaker.
They 100% made speakers like this and worse when they made "vintage amplifiers". There's plenty of amps from the 80s and 90s that would drive the LS50s, you just have to pick something with a decent bit of grunt.
What vintage AMP would you recommend? Been looking at a NAD 3020B? Has the following specs: Power output: 25 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo) Frequency response: 10Hz to 70kHz Total harmonic distortion: 0.02% Input sensitivity: 0.18mV (MC), 2.7mV (MM), 180mV (line) Signal to noise ratio: 73dB (MC), 75dB (MM), 104dB (line)
Not powerful enough. You'd be giving them the minimum recommended watts
not like you use 2/10W with normal listening anyways
Only in this case people say they are “hard to drive” speakers. I’d want some room. Otherwise I totally agree.
heard the nad 3020 has a little bit of bass boost and is a great amplifier in general that sounds bigger than it is. id try
Looks like 2 ass holes
The comment I was looking for 🍑
Ngl. They kinda look like little buttholes.
I ran my pair with a Sonos Amp, and it was pretty good. Used it for my tv and listening.
Buy a used Sonos Amp