u/jirki88

Hello There!

I recently got my KEF Coda W, and while the build quality is impressive, I’ve encountered a very bizarre anomaly regarding the inputs. I’m curious if other Owners have experienced this, as its seems to be a characteristic of the model rather than a defect.

The Issue is when I connect via Bluetooth, the sound is fantastic: crystal clear, wide soundstage, and deep, punchy bass. However, the moment I switch to any other input (Optical, USB, or RCA), the quality drops significantly. The soundstage collapses, and the bass feels dull and flat.

This is NOT a defective unit or a 'cheap cable' issue with few reasons,

1. Tested in-store: I first noticed this during a demo. We used a WiiM Pro via both Optical and RCA. Both the salesperson and I were baffled cuz Bluetooth from a phone sounded noticeably better than the WiiM Pro streaming high-res audio.
2. Home testing: I bought a brand-new pair, and the results are identical.
3. Quality Gear: At home, I use high-quality cables and official Apple adapters (USB-C to Jack). No cheap knock-offs.
4. Sources: iPhone (Apple Music Lossless) and MacBook. Bluetooth is the clear winner every time.

I started to suspect some Technical mystery because when I have wired Inputs: Optical (up to 96kHz/24bit) and USB-C (up to 192kHz/24bit) "should" technically destroy Bluetooth in terms of fidelity. I’ve checked the KEF Connect app, but options are very limited. Everything is on default settings. Anomaly can be seen even though iPhones only support AAC for Bluetooth (which is lossy), it somehow sounds 'Pro' compared to a wired Lossless connection.

Does KEF apply some aggressive 'Music Integrity Engine' tuning specifically to the Bluetooth chip that isn't active on other inputs? Or is there some weird gain-staging issue with the internal DAC for physical inputs? I can't find any mentions on this topic.

Has anyone else noticed this? It feels like these speakers were 'voiced' for Bluetooth and everything else was an afterthought.