Loudspeakers

Curious about the LS60 Wireless's low-end performance, and whether the single-apparent-source concept could work with slender units like these, I selected a wide-ranging playlist consisting of dynamic, rocking content. I ended up listening back-to-back to The Killers' moving portrayal of American Midwestern life on Pressure Machine [Island Records], and the rousing Fear Of The Dawn album [Third Man Records] that Jack White released earlier this year. Normally I would use Roon for this, but as the LS60 Wireless's certification was not ready at the time, I streamed the 96kHz/24-bit FLAC files via the 'universal' Bubble UPnP app.

Rock 'n' roll proved to be not a bad genre for these speakers, as it encouraged them to show off an ability to render bass drums with punch and present a full-bodied midrange ideal for crunchy, overdriven guitars. White's opening track, 'Taking Me Back', impressed with the feeling of control from the speakers, with well-defined bass and snare drums that seemed to stop and start on a dime. And when the track shifted into a higher gear, there was no hesitation on the part of the LS60 Wireless to follow suit.

The Killers' 'In The Car Outside' and 'Quiet Town' have a slightly cleaner sound that didn't stress the system's four Uni-Core woofers, but it did allow me to appreciate the speakers' coherence, presenting a broad soundstage that highlighted, especially, the vocals of singer Brandon Flowers.

Be warned, though. It's tempting to keep turning up the volume, because these DSP-controlled speakers keep the performance balanced and safe. Is there a hint of compression when you hit stratospheric volumes? Possibly, although at that point rattling furniture and angry neighbours are likely to be more immediate concerns.

A Star Is Born
The LS60 Wireless's HDMI ARC connection makes it ready for TV sound, where its ability to put out a massive but controlled low-end and roll along with deliberately dynamic content (there's a lot of explosions and gunshots on telly these days) turned out to be a boon. Additionally, even a music-minded diet can benefit from Blu-ray – John Williams' The Berlin Concert [Deutsche Grammophon 00028948617135] lets you enjoy the audience reaction – missing on the other media versions – when 'The Imperial March' from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back starts up.

And boy, does it get going. KEF's active pairing demonstrates its acumen here, both in the threatening opening parts and the slow build-up in the middle of the piece. The sense of depth, especially when the French Horns resound, could almost have convinced me I was present in the Philharmoniker concert hall, where the recording was made – if I wasn't watching it on the screen in front of me. I guess that's one of the shortfalls of live concert films…

Light Touch, Deep Bass
More refined, low-key songs from The Killers' Pressure Machine, such as 'West Hills' and 'Runaway Horses', featuring singer/songwriter Phoebe Bridgers, display another side to the LS60 Wireless. Although the speakers tend towards the neutral KEF 'sound', eschewing any treble lift that will cause your ears to prick, they do present music in a naturalistic fashion and with a light touch, which means you get the feeling that what you're listening to is close to what the artist intended.

With, for example, KEF's passive LS50 Meta [HFN Jun '21], this is one of the key reasons why it's important to match the speakers with complementary electronics. Of course, there's no such worry with the LS60 Wireless and its built-in and entirely complementary electronics. And the success of this holistic approach is revealed in the speakers' mix of subtle detail and deep, tight, glorious bass.

Hi-Fi News Verdict
It's hard to fault the LS60 Wireless, outside of its absence of any room correction platform. KEF's slim speaker really does perform like a compact version of the Blade(s), without the hassle of hunting for matching sources or amplification. The modern looks and integrated approach might put off traditional hi-fi buffs, but the LS60 Wireless is true high fidelity for people who just want to enjoy their music.