I wish that I could say a wired connection makes sense in a no-WiFi household but see no way to activate and register the speakers without the KEF app running on a wireless device to further reduce the appeal of the LS50 Wii for anti-wireless users like our publisher. The app is also required for activating streaming services and making adjustments to the DSP. To be fair, KEF call this speaker wireless for a reason so I can't really say that it's a surprise. Rounding out the back is an RCA subwoofer output. When using a KEF subwoofer, the app provides crossover presets for each model to ensure perfect handover from speakers to sub. Next comes a USB port for firmware updates only and a LAN input for those who prefer a hardwired connection to their network with the earlier caveat that activating the speakers and streaming still requires apps running on a wireless device. The primary speaker also sports the IR receiver for the remote as well as a top screen to indicate connectivity status, active source and any error code that might be applicable in case of dysfunction. The secondary speaker is a lot simpler with an input for the wired connection coming from the primary speaker if not using wireless mode; and a subwoofer output on RCA.

Active wireless speakers are only as good as the convenience of their integration with streaming services. That's where KEF clearly invested resources and effort. The KEF app on my iPhone made it easy to onboard the speakers to our WLAN. My phone detected the new speakers instantly and mediated the handshake between them and our home network. Once recognized and registered, the LS50 Wii became available targets for Apple AirPlay on all our in-house Apple devices. Adding our Tidal subscription to the KEF app was a breeze and integration seamless but not even needed as we could just as easily pilot the speakers from the Tidal app via AirPlay. The KEF app also allows input switching, activation of various DSP profiles to better match room characteristics and speaker placement as well as a myriad of streaming radio stations from around the world. It supports all major streaming services but is not Roon Ready. KEF clearly prefer to develop their own interface and did a really nice job of it. It's hard to deny that KEF have delivered a superb and glitch-free user experience with beautiful-looking speakers perfectly integrated with their stands. Two speakers, two power cords and WLAN are all that's needed to listen to unlimited musical content with full control at your finger tips. Yet all this attention to the user experience wouldn't mean much to us audiophiles without superior musicality. On that front I'm happy to report that the LS50 Wii delivered good and at times excellent performance.

When set up in front of the bay window in our 1'000ft² living space with 22ft ceiling, the LS50Wii was probably in the worst possible environment to show off. Yet tweaking the very effective DSP to reflect positioning near the front wall in a large reverberant environment, the speakers delivered a smooth presentation with a very intelligible midband. That smooth, warm and superbly articulated midrange remained a trademark of the KEF in all environments I tested. In that less-than-ideal position, DSP gently tailoring bass output to never encroach on the midrange, there was depth and weightiness but no blurring that could have resulted from boundary reinforcement. Similarly the top end was sweetened a little to accommodate a brighter listening room. I had plenty of detail on top but sibilants were never forced or edgy and older recordings took on just enough civility to be non-fatiguing at the expense of a little drive and zest.

Despite the compromised setup, the speakers managed a convincing lateral spread but front-to-back layering was unsurprisingly MIA. All in all, the KEF accomplished their lifestyle mission brilliantly if we keep in mind the physical limitations of size. Party SPL are beyond a single 5" woofer no matter what DSP voodoo intervenes in the background. Although I did not try it, the beautiful intelligibility of the midrange coupled with  HDMI should turn the LS50 Wii into a solid upgrade for any TV in search of better sound. Adding a KEF sub should provide an extra bass foundation for serious movie watching. But that's not all the KEF LS50 Wii is capable of. Moving it forward 8 feet into the room for a near-field triangle so all room boundaries were farther removed than the distance between the speakers and listener yielded a very different experience. Now the soundstage exploded in all directions revealing depth and layering previously missing. Dynamic contrast shot up and once DSP parameters adjusted, bass showed real depth and even nice resolution. In that configuration overall resolution went up delivering a very warm smooth rendition that never turned aggressive or glassy. That signature sound of balancing resolution with smoothness was clearly the trademark of the Uni-Q driver. If you are looking for an adrenaline rush, sharp transients or the last degree of detail zoom, these aren't the monitors to get. If you want comfortable yet dynamic listening with good resolution and ease of setup, they should be on your shortlist.