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KEF’S LITTLE LSX II exudes quiet sophistication, which begs a question: Is it a lifestyle speaker or an audiophile speaker? It’s both, actually—and why not? The cantaloupe-sized wireless speaker is the British audio titan’s latest self-powered “just add music” solution and it packs a punch, drawing on extensive signal processing to optimize performance, with the goal of delivering near full-range reproduction to a very high standard. The system also boasts a proprietary app that integrates setup, control, and streaming from virtually every important service—including Tidal, Spotify, Qobuz, and Amazon Music—or your own file- or disc-based music collection.
If you’re thinking you’ve seen this speaker before, you’re right—it’s a dead ringer for the original LSX the company introduced almost five years ago. Though the LSX II looks the same as its predecessor, KEF has upgraded its internal electronics and user interface while adding HDMI/ARC (Audio Return Channel) and USB ports to, as they put it, “deliver more balanced sound in higher resolution with all-inclusive connectivity.” Tellingly, the speaker lacks the Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) introduced in the larger LS50 Wireless II speaker I reviewed last year (June/July 2021 issue); MAT uses a labyrinthine structure to absorb unwanted sound from the rear of the tweeter in an effort to produce more natural sound. Whether this omission arose from cost and size constraints or fear of stealing thunder from the considerably more expensive LS50, I cannot say.
The LSX II is offered in a muted rainbow of satin finishes: white, black, red, blue, and a tan, the latter a family). The fit and finish is impeccable, with radiused corners and a carefully considered surface texture contributing to a subtly Bauhaus-on-the-Thames feel. At the core of each speaker is the latest generation of KEF’s signature Uni-Q coincident driver, in which the tweeter resides in the throat of the woofer, whose rear output flows through a tapered port in the back of the cabinet.
