The LS50's are a really good speaker and I like them a lot. The MC are a whole other league. I have not heard the KEF Reference 1's (I have heard the Ref 3's). When I mentioned to him that eventually I wanted to get Ref 1's. He said borrow Wolfgang's MC speakers and you will probably not have any desire to go to the Ref's. By the way, has has listened to Ref's a lot, so he is very familiar with them.
The more I listen to them the more I have got to agree. The smoothness and accuracy is startling, the imagining is spectacular. They have the MBL sound characteristics for sure. One of our club members has a full MBL system (absolutely outstanding), and a set of their big boy speakers. No these do not have that anywhere you go in the room they sound exactly the same as his do, but the general sound family is 100% there. Of course his whole system is much more refined (it better be for the $200k + he spent on it). But the family resemblance is there and they are very solid speakers.
Yes, the KEF would be improved slightly by being higher, but not to this level. By the way, these are stands which retail north of $600-$700. Because they match the speaker so much he is giving them to me with the speakers! How could I say no; the speakers are very solid and quite heavy. The stands are quite a bit heavier.