The ultimate mini monitor, the LS50 provides studio quality sound in the home.

Marlboro, N.J. – May 3, 2012 – KEF, the renowned manufacturer of innovative, reference-quality loudspeakers, introduces the new LS50 Mini Monitor speaker – a reinterpretation of the research, design and engineering approach of the legendary LS3/5a using the latest technologies developed at KEF – to commemorate its 50th anniversary celebration.

The LS50 monitor delivers a rich, multi-dimensional ‘soundstage experience’ that is rare in a loudspeaker with such a compact design. Patent-pending acoustic designs, together with state-of-the-art technologies from KEF’s latest flagship Blade loudspeaker, provide the ultimate studio experience – even in the smallest of spaces. At the LS50’s heart beats the highly acclaimed KEF Uni-Q driver array, capable of mastering an exceptional range of dynamic highs and lows over a large listening area.

In the early 1960s the BBC selected KEF drive units and crossover for the original LS3/5a because of KEF’s pioneering approach to new technology. The LS3/5a was an ‘engineers’’ loudspeaker – so is the LS50. The R&D team were given a free hand to build the best small enclosure, irrespective of the usual industrial design constraints. The result is a remarkably accurate and transparent sound.

“The new KEF LS50 mini monitor is a great example of how KEF lead the way in acoustical engineering and design for over 50 years,” said Alec Chanin, president of KEF America. “In one regard, the LS50 pays tribute to a legendary loudspeaker that captured the attention of a country nearly 50 years ago–the LS3/5a. On the other hand, the LS50 demonstrates how KEF has continued to redefine loudspeaker innovations. The LS50 is the ultimate mini monitor and allows listeners to experience sounds they’ve never enjoyed while listening to a rich, multi-dimensional soundstage previously not attainable from such a compact design.”

The LS50 uses KEF’s latest driver technology in the spirit of the original design and incorporates numerous patent pending technological breakthroughs in cabinet construction, baffle shape and port design – all made possible by KEF’s leadership in modern research techniques such as Finite Element Analysis. The cabinet features constrained layer damping to significantly reduce resonances in comparison to regular damping pads, while the baffle  shape has been optimized for smooth on- and off-axis dispersion as well as incorporating a ribbed rear surface to reduce cavity resonance at the rear of the driver. Even the port has been optimized using computational fluid dynamics to offer lower turbulence at high levels. It’s all these small details, combined with the dedicated Uni-Q driver featuring damped Mg/Al alloy metal LF/MF cone and rear vented HF unit, that provide the ultimate in clarity, definition and imaging from a small enclosure.

The KEF LS50 comes in a stunning high gloss piano black cabinet with an elegant rose gold Uni-Q driver. The LS50 retails for $1,499.99 /pair and will be available for pre-order beginning May 3, 2012 exclusively online at www.kefdirect.com.