'Unarguably one of the very best wireless stereo speaker systems you can currently buy': KEF's LS Luxe is the real deal, if you can accept the placement fussiness and 'visual drama'

Date:
Sun, 30 Aug 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Description:
In which KEF moves its established wireless stereo speaker system excellence further upmarket

FULL STORY ======================================================================KEF LS Luxe: Two-minute review The LS Luxe is the new high-point by which I mean most expensive of KEFs fted range of wireless stereo speaker systems. Having precisely nothing left to prove where products of this type are concerned in the lower $1,000 / 750 - $3,400 / 2,500 arena, the company has made a
decisive move upmarket and the LS Luxe seems to leave very little to chance where engineering, specification and aesthetic shock and awe are concerned.

You will make your own mind up about the looks, of course; for my money, the eclipse black of my review sample is the least successful of the three available finishes, but theres no denying the LS Luxe is an individual looker in a market where design flourishes are always at a premium. But when talk turns to engineering and specification, subjectivity ceases to be all that much of an issue. Numerous input options (both wired and wireless), genuinely high-resolution playback (24bit/192kHz is yours if you connect the speakers together, while 24bit/96kHz is available from a wireless connection), and
some proven technologies exclusive to KEF serve to make the LS Luxe look like a very serious proposition on the page.Its only fractionally less serious
when it comes to performance, too. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

Make sure youve positioned the speakers carefully, get beyond the slightly restricted dimensions of the soundstage it conjures and then theres a huge amount to enjoy here. Some of the best stereo speakers on the market? Yes.

The LS Luxe is a deftly accomplished listen, able to combine forensic attention to detail with an energetic, almost forceful attitude that brings recordings of all types bounding to life. It manages to combine analysis with entertainment in a way thats rare at any price. (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) KEF LS Luxe at Smart Home Sounds for 3,499 KEF LS Luxe review: Price & release date Launched on July 30, 2026 Priced $3,999 / 3,499 / AU$6,399 The KEF LS Luxe wireless stereo speaker system is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it costs 3,499. In the United States it sells for $3,999, while in Australia the going rate is AU$6,399.

If you dont want this to be the end of your spending, KEF will happily sell you a pair of its bespoke S-Luxe speaker stands for 799 / $799 / AU$1199 Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

What of note at the level? The Sonus faber Duetto are the same price and also present a fantastic listen, albeit with a very different aesthetic. (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) KEF LS Luxe review: Features 12th-gen Uni-Q driver array Wired and wireless connectivity options 560 watts of Class D power plus 200 watts of Class A/B Its not the only thing thats attention-grabbing about the look of the LS Luxe, of course, but theres no denying that the 12th generation Uni-Q driver array is just as visually impactful as it was when the first generation was revealed back in 1988.

Here, it features a 25mm aluminium tweeter behind a complex waveguide, in the throat of a 165mm aluminum mid/bass cone as always, the arrangement is designed for optimum time-alignment and superior driver integration.

A more recent KEF innovation, metamaterial absorption technology, sits behind the tweeter where its designed to mop up energy travelling from the back of the tweeter dome and allow for sweeter, cleaner treble response as a result.

The driver arrangement is mechanically decoupled from the cabinet, and a decoupling chassis within the assembly damps any vibrations from the motor system in both cases, the idea is to reduce the vibration affecting the cabinet structure to an absolute minimum. Low distortion and sky-high clarity are the results KEF is aiming for.

Unusually, KEF has deployed two distinct methods of amplifying the Uni-Q array. Each mid/bass driver feels the benefit of 280 watts of Class D power, while each tweeter is driven by 100 watts of Class A/B amplification an all-in total of 760 watts of power really ought to prove adequate. KEF
reckons a frequency response of 42Hz - 28kHz results from all this very thorough engineering.

Naturally, thats not the end of it where clever technologies are concerned. KEFs Velocity Control Technology, first seen in the XIO soundbar, measures
the speed of movement of the cone and compensates for discrepancies between actual and expected values in real time. The Music Integrity Engine, meanwhile, maintains tonal consistency at all volume levels.

In terms of getting audio information into the system where it can be had at by these various highlights of specification, your options are fairly extensive. Dual-band wi-fi is on board, naturally theres also an Ethernet socket on the rear of the primary speaker for absolute network stability and this allows the system to be compatible with Apple AirPlay 2, Google Cast,
the Connect versions of Qobuz, Spotify and TIDAL, and UPnP. Internet radio is available too, and Roon Ready status is due to be confirmed much sooner
rather than later.

A USB-C slot looks promising, but its only a 5V output for charging.
Bluetooth 5.3 is also on board as an additional wireless option - all the wireless stuff is handled by KEFs proven W2 Wireless Platform.

The primary speaker is also home to the systems physical connectivity. Here that means an HDMI eARC socket, optical and coaxial digital inputs, and a 3.5mm analogue input, as well as a kettle-lead socket for connection to mains power, a pre-out for a subwoofer and an RJ45 socket for connection to the secondary speaker. That secondary speaker makes do with a mains power socket, a corresponding RJ45 and a subwoofer pre-out.

The LS Luxe will support resolutions of up to 24bit/384kHz and DSD128 via its network inputs, 24bit/192kHz via coaxial and HDMI, and 24bit/96kHz via its optical input. If the speakers are connected using the supplied cable, everything is up- or down-sampled to 24bit/192kHz - if you decide the cleaner look of a wireless connection between the two is your preference, then the system tops out at 24bit/96kHz. Features score: 5 / 5 (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) KEF LS Luxe review: Sound quality Detailed, organised and robust sound Eloquent midrange fidelity Could conceivably have greater out-and-out scale First things first: the LEF LS Luxe is not remotely forgiving where the positioning of the speakers is concerned.

The overwhelming majority of stereo speakers Ive tested, both active and passive, have given their best when toed in towards the listening position
in fact, off the top of my head I can only think of Dali that recommends its speakers should be pointing dead ahead to perform to their full potential.
The KEF, though, like only the tiniest amount of toe-in. Too little or, especially, too much and they lose some of the width of their soundstage and
a more noticeable amount of sonic height.

Even when ideally positioned, the soundstage they generate is not the biggest youve ever heard. It escapes the confines of cabinets quite comfortably, in both horizontal and vertical directions, but is still relatively limited.

Mind you, its fair to say a) the soundstage is extremely well laid-out and controlled, and b) thats just about where my complaints end regarding the way the LS Luxe performs. In every other respect its a remarkably accomplished listen, and is undoubtedly one of the most effective pound-for-pound wireless stereo speaker systems around. (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) No matter if you listen to the avant-electronica of Arcas eponymous debut album via a
CD player connected to the KEFs digital optical input, a 24bit/192kHz FLAC file of David Bowies Stationtostation wirelessly streamed from Qobuz Connect or a heavyweight vinyl reissue of Takk by Sigur Rs from a pre-amplified turntable, the LS Luxe is a remarkably articulate, utterly revealing and deftly punchy system that is likely to steal your time away.

The tonal balance is exquisitely neutral. The KEF is more than happy to get out of the way of a recording and let it dictate terms in this respect. Its similarly balanced and egoless where frequency response is concerned, too it digs deep into the low frequencies and hits with real authority and control, while the opposite end has the substance to counteract the brilliance of the treble response, but at no point does the system over- or understate any part of the range.

The balanced and even-handed nature of its presentation goes a long way towards creating a strong impression of fidelity. So does the amount of
detail its able to retrieve, reveal and contextualise. At every stage it is alert to the finest, most minor occurrences in a recording, in a voice or an individual instrument and its able to give these details the appropriate amount of weighting no matter how fleeting they might be.

Its transient response is thrillingly positive, and the overall sound is eloquently alive and communicative as a result.

And when it comes to communication, the way the LS Luxe resolves the midrange means its brilliantly informative where voices are concerned. The minutiae of timbre, texture and technique are all made available, and the KEF can
describe the attitude and character of a vocalist just as directly.

Rhythmic expression is confident, thanks to the careful control the system pays to the attack of low-frequency information. Its a deftly fluent listen
at the bottom end, and marries outright punch to a huge amount of tonal and textural variation. And when it comes to the dynamic of a recording, whether thats the big shifts in intensity and volume or the more nuanced dynamics of harmonic changes, the KEF is an assured and convincing performer. Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5 (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) KEF LS Luxe review: Design Bulk moulding compound allows for organic shape with no seams Another Ross Lovegrove design Color makes a disproportionate difference to appearance Q: When did you last see a pair of speakers that look like this?
A: Never, thats when.

The LS Luxe is the latest results of KEFs ongoing collaboration with designer Ross Lovegrove and, just as with previous KEF/Lovegrove designs, theres something almost organic about the shape of these loudspeakers.

The use of BMC (bulk moulding compound) as the material for the cabinets
means this smoothly curvaceous shape has no edges or visible seams, and is less prone to the build-up of internal standing waves than a more
conventional box. It also means the requirement for internal bracing is minimised, so theres greater internal volume than would otherwise be the case as a result. And theres further visual drama at the rear of the cabinet: an elaborately shaped and channelled heatsink, fashioned from aluminium, has sufficient surface area to allow the heat from the internal electronics to be efficiently dispersed.

Theres also a fairly large bass reflex port nearby it features KEFs Flexible Port Technology. This means the walls of the port are not completely rigid, which should in theory help keep internal resonance to a minimum.

The LS Luxe is available in three finishes. My review sample is in eclipse black, which is my least favourite of the three. To my eyes it makes the cabinets look bulkier and heavier than they actually are. Check out the alternative mineral white or dusk titanium and see if you know what I mean. Regardless of the finish you choose, though, youll be the owner of a pair of speakers that are beautifully constructed, flawlessly finished, and both look and feel like the moneys-worth.

KEF didnt supply me with the cost-option S-Luxe stands developed specifically for use with this system, but unless you intend to position your speakers on
a shelf or desktop (in which case I will judge you quite strongly) its worth factoring this extra cost in.

Other speaker stands work perfectly well, of course I position the KEF on a pair of Soundstyle Z2, and they perform admirably. But the way the cabinet swoops and tapers towards the base means that a lot of the (regulation size) top plate of my stands is visible when the speaker is in place, and the look is not especially harmonious. Design score: 4 / 5 (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) KEF LS Luxe review: Usability & setup Wireless means either two or three wires Remote control handset and app A little patience sometimes required when using the app Theres really not that much to setting up the KEF LS Luxe, and once its set up its pretty straightforward to operate but thats not the same as saying it doesnt require a little attention.

As already discussed, this is a wireless system that requires at least two wires; both speakers must be plugged into the mains. After that, you can choose to connect the speakers together using a supplied cable, or you can take the hit in terms of resolution and establish a wireless connection between them.

There are a couple of control methods available. KEF supplies quite a nice, metal-fronted remote control that covers off the fundamentals like playback, power, volume and input selection and theres also the KEF Connect control
app thats free for iOS and Android.

Naturally it duplicates all the remote control functions, and adds in the ability to integrate music streaming services, search for and save internet radio stations, trim the systems response to suit your specific environment, check for firmware updates and so on. It can be a little lethargic at times, but on the whole its a stable and useful user interface. Usability & setup score: 4.5 / 5 (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) KEF LS Luxe review: Value If you want your fancy new wireless stereo system to turn heads on the basis of its looks as well as its sound, you cant really argue with the value the KEF LS Luxe represents.

If youre after great build quality and nicely realised control options to go along with the sonic performance and the visual drama, the case for this system gets stronger still. The bespoke stands are no ones idea of a bargain, admittedly, but in every other respect theres undeniable value for money on offer here. Value score: 4 / 5 (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Should I buy the KEF LS Luxe? Swipe to scroll horizontally KEF LS Luxe scorecard

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

As fully featured as you could ever hope in such a design

5 / 5

Sound quality

Very fussy with placement, but get it right and they'll reward you

4.5 / 5

Design

Ross Lovegrove's stylings won't be for everyone, but they're refreshingly unusual

4 / 5

Setup & usability

'Wireless' means either two or three wires, but a little patience gets things all set

4.5 / 5

Value

Excellent in the sound-per-pound stakes, but those stands are nobody's idea
of a bargain

4 / 5 Buy them if

You like a strong design statement Theyre hard to come buy in the
loudspeaker world, but theres certainly one being made here

You like to be kept in the picture The KEFs facility with detail retrieval and midrange fidelity is straightforwardly impressive

You have a few different sources of music Wired and wireless, analogue and digital - the LS Luxe has plenty of input options (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Dont buy them if

You dont intend to buy the bespoke stands Third-party stands do a good job, of course, but will have no harmony at all where aesthetic is concerned

The looks have led you to expect big sonic scale The KEFs soundstage is properly laid out and controlled, but its not as sizable as you might hope

Youre not inclined to finesse the position of the speakers Its well worth putting the effort in, but theres no denying the LS Luxe are fussier about positioning than most pairs of speakers KEF LS Luxe review: Also consider The Sonus faber Duetto is, in its own way, just as visually arresting as the LS Luxe its more identifiably a pair of speakers, but the established Sonus faber virtue of outstanding cabinet-making means this system looks and even feels the part.

Its no slouch sonically, either its a composed, informative and periodically thrilling listen.

At the other end of the spectrum (at least where aesthetic considerations are concerned) youll find the sonically impeccable, visually challenging JBL
4329P . JBL speakers have looked like this since the middle of the last century, and theres no denying that in terms of performance theyre a roaring success. Their appearance in your home may cause a row based on their
divisive looks, though (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) How I tested the KEF LS Luxe I position the KEF LS Luxe on a pair of Soundstyle Z2 speaker stands, and plug each one into the mains.

I listen with the speakers connected wirelessly, and I also listen when
theyre physically joined together.

I stream music using TIDAL Connect and also access a lot of hi-res content from a Synology BeeStation Plus NAS device.

I connect a preamplified turntable to the analog input, a CD player to the coaxial input, and an OLED TV to the HDMI eARC socket. This means Im able to access lots of different styles of content, in lots of different digital file types, and in a variety of resolutions. (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee First reviewed: August 2026 KEF LS Luxe: Price Comparison 3,499 View 3,499 View 3,499 View 3,499 View No price information Check Amazon We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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