KEF 105.4, Alon II, Sony SS-M7, Radford S.90, ADS 910, KEF 107 or RTR 280D which one?

Squirrely

Active Member
These are all available in my area. These are all said to be great speakers. The first 3 listed are lacking base relative to the ADS, KEF 107 and the RTR.

I can add a sub woofer to the KEF 105.4, Sony or the Alon's These are all speakers known to image very well and be extremely clear and articulate.

ADS is a sound I am familier with as I currently run ADS 1230's. The KEF 107 would likely sound stage well and provide the base but I have heard the mid and tweeter may be difficult to repair if they have need. ADS has Richard So to help us out. The RTR's have fenolitic (Spelling?) ring tweeters. I don't know if they are like the ones in my old Altec 887a and 891a's but my opinion is that those are not great. I like the Sony as they appear to be simple speakers that will likely be easily maintained over many years. If the origional drivers fail I would think it may be easy to replace with high quality drivers and maintain an excelence. I love my ADS speakers but I am interested in the sharp focus of more traditional cone type tweeters. I may be wondering off the path with that Idea. I also question the ability of the 910 and the RTR's to present a sound stage like the other choices. In some ways the KEF 107 seems like the all arounder that fits but add a sub woofer and the smaller speakers jump into the mix and compete well......I think.

The listening room has concrete floor. I have choices for amplification from Fisher X-101-D, Heathkit AA-40 or Aragon 2004 MkII

What do you guys think. Your help is invaluable and very much appreciated. Other suggestions? Any one heard Radford S.90's

The listening
 
I’ve owned the first 3 pairs on your list.

The Alons need to be well away from the back wall and they seem generally fairly finicky to set up properly. Once I removed my carpet and went to HW floors, they didn’t work well for me. Sounded lean/thin. I think the upside on these can be pretty big, but you have to have the room and patience to optimize them.

The Sony SS-M7’s, if not the later M7A version, will have a rolled off top end. That makes them non-fatiguing and easy to listen to, but they lack some energy for that reason. The M7A’s are not rolled off, but like the M7’s lack bass.

The KEF 105.4’s are fine, but if you’re going KEF, go 107’s IMO.

Not all that familiar with the ADS line, though my friend has 1230’s so I’ve listened to them a fair amount. Are the 910’s supposed to be a significant step up over the 1230’s?

Not familiar with the other models.
 
Radford S90 will give you plenty of nice smooth bass. They are a transmission line cabinet. I had a pair a while ago and sold them to my speaker tech. He still uses them in his main system. Have had some ADS 810 before and they were nice, but the bradford seemed more effortless. The radford are big though and take up a lot of floorspace. I am a kef fan and would lean towards kef if the radford were not in the pic. I am also a fan of the older sony ss gear.
If all are in your area, listen to them all and see which fits your home and budget.
 
Base? :idea:
Maybe bass is what you meant? The Alon II and the KEF 107 will provide plenty of it. :rockon:
Bass? Yes bass. phonetics out the window with that one. Oh well. I'll try to remember. I am fishing for bass in my speakers or I will need a sub. Thanks for your help!
I’ve owned the first 3 pairs on your list.

The Alons need to be well away from the back wall and they seem generally fairly finicky to set up properly. Once I removed my carpet and went to HW floors, they didn’t work well for me. Sounded lean/thin. I think the upside on these can be pretty big, but you have to have the room and patience to optimize them.

The Sony SS-M7’s, if not the later M7A version, will have a rolled off top end. That makes them non-fatiguing and easy to listen to, but they lack some energy for that reason. The M7A’s are not rolled off, but like the M7’s lack bass.

The KEF 105.4’s are fine, but if you’re going KEF, go 107’s IMO.

Not all that familiar with the ADS line, though my friend has 1230’s so I’ve listened to them a fair amount. Are the 910’s supposed to be a significant step up over the 1230’s?

Not familiar with the other models.
I don't know if the 910's are a step up from the 1230's. The cabinet design is very different in the two models. The 1230's use a 3/4" tweeter and 8" bass drivers. The 910's use a 1" tweeter and 10" bass drivers. People who have the 910's tend to like them but my children are always little angles too.
 
Radford S90 will give you plenty of nice smooth bass. They are a transmission line cabinet. I had a pair a while ago and sold them to my speaker tech. He still uses them in his main system. Have had some ADS 810 before and they were nice, but the bradford seemed more effortless. The radford are big though and take up a lot of floorspace. I am a kef fan and would lean towards kef if the radford were not in the pic. I am also a fan of the older sony ss gear.
If all are in your area, listen to them all and see which fits your home and budget.
None of these are close to home. There are KEF 107's and the Alon's are not to far away. The KEF 107 appears to tick all the boxes for deep bass and I imagine they image well. Space is not a problem. Are you recommending the Radford's over the KEF's. The Radford's are a tall box but they are made of teak. They must be beautiful. I can't find specs on them. Do you know frequency range and sensitivity? Are they biampable?
Thanks for your help!
 
Wish I had this problem. Of the two KEF models, I would say the 107's are the way to go. I would speculate that the Sony's are excellent, but are not going to have the bass extension of the KEF's. The ADS 910's have a good reputation, but my local audio buddy had a pair for a while that he recently sold, as they did not impress. His 1530's on the other hand, are simply glorious. My guess is that the 910's would not be a step up from your 1230's.The Alon's have a great reputation as well, but I have never heard them. While I enjoy RTR's classic speakers (I own a pair of 600D's), I don't think the 280D was their best effort. I have experience with the Radford's.
 
Wish I had this problem. Of the two KEF models, I would say the 107's are the way to go. I would speculate that the Sony's are excellent, but are not going to have the bass extension of the KEF's. The ADS 910's have a good reputation, but my local audio buddy had a pair for a while that he recently sold, as they did not impress. His 1530's on the other hand, are simply glorious. My guess is that the 910's would not be a step up from your 1230's.The Alon's have a great reputation as well, but I have never heard them. While I enjoy RTR's classic speakers (I own a pair of 600D's), I don't think the 280D was their best effort. I have experience with the Radford's.
I would jump all over ADS 1530's if they were around. Thanks for you input on RTR. I am starting to lean in the direction of KEF with strong curiosity about the Radford's.
 
My vote would be for either of the KEF's, with the nod going to the 107's. Be aware, KEF's of this vintage like, hell, need some power.
 
Thanks for the help. I Guess I'll continue the hint. Any more input is apreciated. I will be a bit slow to respond though. My dog just bit a hole in my hand.
 
Back
Top Bottom