KEF LS50 Meta – Bookshelf Speaker (Carbon Black) | HiFi | Home Theatre | 40-100 Watts

I moved to these speakers from a Sonos Arc. The reason for this was my PC was having constant driver issues with Dolby Atmos so last weekend I decided I had enough. I decided to go back to a more simpler stereo set up but did not want to step down on audio quality. Initially the KEF KS50 Wireless II caught by eye and there were a few times I almost pulled the trigger on the purchase. However, the KS50 Meta had caught my eye but I’ve never had passive speakers before and didn’t know anything about using amps. My intended use is music, movies and gaming.Several YouTube videos later I decided to take the punt and bought a pair of Metas and my amp of choice was the Sonos Amp (2019 version). This was because the Sonos had more than enough power to drive these speakers and had an arc connector which is all I needed. The plan was to set these up with Amazon basics banana plugs and place the speakers on top of the audioengine ADS2 desks stands (perfectly stable fit by the way). My TV is the LG CX and I have the REL T5i sub connected.Set up was surprisingly easy apart from removing the banana cable plugs from the speakers. I ended up breaking and splitting several finger nails trying to prise them out (it took about 45 minutes to remove all four of them, they were ridiculously tight, particularly the red ones). I read that you could use a knife to get them out but this seems excessive and I would have been annoyed had I slipped and scratched the speakers. I think they should use something simpler to cover the holes, or include a tool to easily remove them.Once set up I couldn’t help but notice how very good these sound. I’m not an audiophile but I could hear things right away in familiar music tracks that I could swear were no these before. It wasn’t difficult at all to hear the difference and this was comparing to the Sonos Arc which isn’t exactly a slouch in the audio detail department either.Obviously these won’t give you that virtual surround from a soundbar but the Sonos Amp does support stereo speakers with producing a virtual centre channel. I was doubtful this would be any good but I can say the Metas helped make this effect very convincing, although I have nothing else to compare them with.I watched the Mandalorian and the sound was just amazing. You could feel it around you, the last time I felt this kind of immersion was at the cinema. I was completely absorbed by it, at no point was my attention taken away or tempted to look at my phone. It gives you escapism.Onto the games then, and it’s the same story. More detail and more immersion. The virtual centre channel from the amp really shines here also. Firing a gun in Crisis remastered becomes a much more serious act to consider. Demons Souls on the PS5’s dark atmosphere is enhanced with depth and makes the world feel much more bigger and unforgiving, or perhaps you much smaller.There are already plenty of reviews out there telling you how good these are with music and they aren’t wrong. I played the Night Kings soundtrack from Game Of Thrones and the bits with the piano were like it was in the same room. I could feel the keys being pressed, it’s hard to describe but I have an actual piano and it just felt the same.Overall, I feel I got what I wanted from these speakers. Well, almost because I actually ordered the black ones but Amazon accidentally sent me grey. But they look very good (I found out they were the wrong colour when I opened the box and took them out, I have told Amazon who were ok with this) and felt wrong to send them back just because the colour was wrong. These speakers will offer you a great experience, the quality match the price so no complaints here.