Latest news with #LSX
WIRED
09-02-2025
- WIRED
KEF's Punchy New Q Series Bookshelves Trade Style for Substance
I've yet to meet a pair of KEF speakers I didn't like. The brand's penchant for providing rigid and musical bass, a warm and smooth midrange, and effortless treble extension keeps wireless models like the LS50 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) and LSX (9/10, WIRED Recommends), and the wired R3 Meta (9/10, WIRED Recommends) among my favorites on the market. These trusty sonic hallmarks are present once more in the new Q Concerto Meta. Along with great sound, KEF's Q Series aims to give you more for your money, which in the Concerto's case equates to a bounty of drivers. You don't often see three-way bookshelf speakers at this price, but the Concerto deliver the goods in an efficient configuration. You'll get a hefty woofer, a midrange driver above, and at its center, KEF's signature concentric tweeter that has trickled down from some of the brand's best, including the highfalutin R3. The Concerto immediately evoke the R3, from their design aesthetic to support for KEF's 'Meta' absorption tech, aimed at eliminating unwanted cabinet frequencies. The similarities end there; the Concerto's sound (understandably) can't approach the R3's lofty heights, while their vinyl-wrapped facade feels more budget than KEF fans might expect. Still, this is a great package for the money, offering competitive sound with a focus on exemplary tonal balance and potent bass. Loaded for Bare I was positively giddy to be unboxing a sparkling new pair of KEF's latest bookshelves, but my excitement was tempered when I got the Concerto loose from their foam homes. The vinyl cabinets (available in black, white, and walnut) look clean and relatively sharp, but most speakers I've tested in their class and even a step below do better. Compared to the posh piano gloss of SVS' Ultra Evolution (9/10, WIRED Recommends), or the Focal Vestia No1's funky leather and woodgrain panels, the Concerto have a more bargain basement vibe. Attaching the plain-Jane magnetic grilles further pushes them toward boxy obscurity. Photograph: Ryan Waniata In fairness, I think these are purposeful corner cuts to invest more on hardware, and the Concerto certainly have it where it counts. Their three-pack of drivers per side includes a 6.5-inch hybrid aluminum cone woofer, a 4-inch aluminum cone midrange driver, and a .75-inch concentric waveguided tweeter bearing KEF's 12th-gen Uni-Q design (putting the 'Q' in Q Series). The drivers cross over at 450 Hz in the bass and 2.9 kHz in the treble, with a claimed frequency response of 48 Hz to 20 kHz (more on that later). Behind the drivers is KEF's Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT), which claims to eliminate '99% of unwanted frequencies.' It's cool to see the tech that has spread across the brand's top hi-fi speakers in approachable models. MA aside, most unwanted frequencies will likely come from your listening room, so you'll still want to consider tips from our Audiophile Gear Guide like acoustic panels, which are both effective and relatively affordable. The Concerto are rather large for bookshelf speakers, standing 16.3 inches tall, 8.3 inches wide, and 12.4 inches deep, and weighing over 20 pounds each. You'll want to secure a solid pair of stands suited for their sizable footprint. (KEF will happily sell you a $700 pair designed for the R3.)
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Check Out Kevin Hart's 1966 Chevelle With An LSX Swap
Read the full story on Backfire News There's no doubt comedian Kevin Hart has an amazing car collection. He's always adding to his garage, too, but this 1966 Chevelle with an LSX engine swap, called Darkness, is one of the more amazing rides we've seen of his. Timeless Kustoms allowed YouTube channel Autotopia LA to not only get the lowdown on the car but even drive it on public of the amazing things about this build is the shop didn't alter the body at all. The base Chevelle was a real SS with the 396, but the panels were essentially perfect. A few tweaks were made, like the drip molding, tucking the bumpers, or making the hood scoops functional vents. Hart likes cars that really hit hard, so this Chevelle with a 454ci LSX V8 with an LS9 supercharger mounted up top is pushing things at 750-horsepower. With the blower only putting out 9 lbs. of boost, the muscle car could easily be pushed to whip out far more power. But Hart is looking for some monster muscle car. He wanted a good highway cruiser and that's what he got. This thing even has a 4L80 automatic transmission. We've heard Hart isn't a fan of rowing through gears. While we don't really understand that, it's his ride so he can have it set up however he likes. The last time we're aware of Kevin Hart letting someone else drive one of his custom muscle cars it's didn't turn out so well. We notice this time around the comedian didn't ride in the vehicle, but Sean also didn't crash. It makes a difference when someone knows how to treat a high-powered, rear-wheel-drive ride. This '66 Chevelle looks sweet with its dark, sleek appearance, so be sure to watch the video and check it out in action. Image via Autotopia LA/YouTube
